Mrs. Barro is extremely friendly, fun, enthusiastic, passionate, enthusiastic, and student-orientated (I really mean it! You can tell immediately when conversing with her). This year (2021-22), she has emphasized communication between her and students, and has openly expressed her desire to be flexible and work with students about how the class should work (meaning, if you have any concerns, Mrs. Barro will be more than welcome and happy to hear them! Just be respectful, of course). I can tell she loves teaching, and it really shows during her class lectures when she's going up and about with hand gestures and a little oomph; like the energy she emits can just brighten anyone's day up or at least bring a smile to your face! (I genuinely mean this! ). I think there are 2 main reasons why someone would love a class they're taking: 1. They have a huge fascination in the subject. And 2. The teacher is awesome! And in my opinion, Mrs. Barro ABSOLUTELY exemplifies and encapsulates that amazing connection between teachers and students needed to inspire the students to be active learners and expand their ever-growing horizons! My only complaint is that Mrs. Barro used to have graded pop quizzes in class, where the students wouldn't know in advance which day they would have a quiz on the chapter they're learning (meaning, the quiz could be on any day of the week). The intent of this was to push the students to consistently study and be prepared, but I have to respectfully disagree with Mrs. Barro on this one. Pop quizzes are just added stress and anxiety and I feel that they actually inhibit a students' ability to learn/study since that added stress can do wonders on the mind. Allowing students to know ahead of time when the quiz will be (as is normal with most teachers) allows ample time for the students to study, gain/improve confidence in the concepts they're learning, and overall have a smooth, streamlined, and enjoyable learning experience. Plus, quizzes should be treated as progress report checks to allow students to know where they're at in the learning process and know which concepts they need to study more. And so I actually do support the idea of pop quizzes, but not that they should be graded. Graded quizzes should be announced ahead of time, while non-graded auizzes are ok with being announced suddenly. I feel that having the pop quizzes given out as a grade doesn't do students justice since it again, adds unnecessary stress, but also can be demotivating to students wanting to actively learn. Students should feel at ease, calm, and comfortable when taking pop quizzes since it's a progress report check on their understanding of the concepts. But this is just my opinion on the matter and of course, it's up to Mrs. Barro to teach the way she thinks is best for our learning experience, b/c after all, I think students should remember that teachers want to help them and actually care, believe it or not, about our academic success not just in school, but in life! - Connor Tran (2021-2022, I wrote the 1st review on Oct 29, 2021. I originally wrote this as an additional comment, but it doesn't pop up to view on Rate my Teachers, so I'm putting it here as an actual review :)

1. As with most classes, you should study often in Mrs. Barro's AP Bio class in order to hammer down those key concepts and details. I like starting from and prioritizing the concepts I feel most iffy/uncomfortable about. Believe me, you'll feel much better as opposed to studying at the last minute. 2. In previous years, Mrs. Barro required you to take notes on the corresponding textbook chapter you're learning and turn them in for a grade. This year (2021-22), she decided to make it optional and extra-credit if you complete your notes with 5 pts of extra credit for each chapter you do (up to a max of 25 pts per unit). But here's the catch!!! They have to be handwritten (or digitally written using your apple pen on a device for those that prefer electronic notes) AND look like you put in the effort and time in making them (include illustrations either hand drawn or printed and glued / copied and pasted). Mrs. Barro can tell if they're worthy and if spent the time studying while constructing them. All the notes will be collected the day of the unit test (which is usually 1 month from when we start the Unit); any extra credit you earn will be applied to your curved test grade. In general, handwritten notes take me a painstakingly and torturingly a long time (I'm speaking hours on end) to finish, especially having to deal with school work from other classes at the same time. Therefore, if you want the extra-credit pts, you should definitely start asap (or whatever pace you're comfortable at), as long as you submit it on time to earn the extra credit. 3. Unit Tests are centered around the AP Bio Unit curriculum (ex. Mrs. Barro's Unit 1 test covers the AP Bio Unit 1 content). There will be a main focus on multiple choice, with usually 2 to 3 free response questions. The questions on Mrs. Barro's Unit Tests are similar to the type of questions on AP Classroom and the AP Exam to help you feel prepared for the AP Exam in May. 3. Also, active participation is awesome, and I feel it would highly benefit you in the long run to enjoy this course. Even if you may be unsure about an answer or don't know, just raise your hand and give it your best. Any form of participation is a meaningful part of the learning process, and no one will judge you for raising your hand to give a educate response you think is correct. Plus, it'll bring a smile to your teacher's face, knowing that students are engaged in the course and have the desire to expand their horizons. It's all about those patterns and connections people! Everything we do leads to the increasing, enlargement, and strengthening of our neural pathways and synapses in our very awesome brain!