Fountain Valley High School Reviews
17816 Bushard, Fountain Valley, California 92708, United States
Make sure you study your notebook!! The tests are difficult bc you are required to use critical thinking (it's not verbatim from the textbook, notebook, or slideshow), but you can definitely do well if you study hard!
I had Mrs. Williams for both Accel Bio and AP Bio, and is a true inspiration to my journey in biology! She teaches her class with tons of enthusiasm and radiates positive energy. We also practice mindfulness and is not afraid to ease up some work if she feels it adds unnecessary stress. You do lots of interesting labs and written analysis on the data and results. This class is amazing in preparing for upper level biology classes. The assignments are super helpful and has a lot of variety of general notes, case studies, and FRQs, which is all clearly recorded in a journal. The main caveat with her are the that tests are what make or break your grades. She takes long and is tough on grading it. Try to accumulate the most points in your journals as she grades them leniently upon completion and quality. Study hard along with reading the textbook and notebooks because the tests are on the application of your knowledge rather than rote memorization. For instance, multiple choice has options that all sound related to what you learn and it is on you to pick the best answer of the given scientific process. At the end is an FRQ worth the most points that is graded in multiple parts and is good practice for the AP exams. Other times, quizzes will give you a drawn out diagram and you have to map out the biological pathway and mechanism. Work hard cause she ups the standards in AP Bio, and is just really kind and wants to help you out! All in all, a hidden gem. I would recommend her class if you want to learn from and like a scientist, but she is less focused on preparing you for the AP exam.
This class is a mix between insanity and tranquility. Homework usually consists of textbook and sometimes worksheets. Tests are often long and require a lot of memorization and knowledge of course concepts. She does not really teach, but her notes are extremely useful. During class, you can basically slack off and do whatever you want after notes. This class really forces you to teach yourself, but this becomes useful for future math classes and even college. Some may be upset with poor teaching, but math is math. However, 2nd Semester is easier than 1st Semester so you don't give up hope if you mess up at first. She does give great stories and is a very nice teacher. Also she grades really slowly so expect to know your grades only when they are due i. e. Report Card and Progress Reports. Extra Credit is rare and basically nonexistent; don't count on it.