Hello, I am an anonymous student representing many students currently enrolled in Mrs. Thein’s AP Biology class. We are submitting this message to formally express serious concerns regarding the quality of instruction and classroom practices this year. Our goal is not to be disrespectful, but to advocate for fair learning conditions and effective teaching, because this course directly impacts students’ GPA, college applications, and AP exam success.

First, we are concerned about grading fairness and unclear expectations. There have been multiple occasions where assignment requirements were not clearly communicated until after grading was completed. For example, students were required to include a “Sources Cited” section for an assignment that involved reading and responding to a single article, yet this requirement was only mentioned after the assignment was graded. This created an unfair situation where students lost points on something they were never informed about beforehand, and prevented many students from earning full credit despite completing the academic task correctly.

Second, there is a consistent lack of clear communication across class periods. Mrs. Thein frequently gives important instructions, clarifications, or updates to one class period (such as second period) that other periods (such as first period) never receive. This creates unequal learning conditions because students in different periods are being held to the same standards while receiving different information. As a result, many students are unaware of key expectations until it is too late, which impacts performance and fairness.

Third, students feel discouraged from communicating concerns or requesting support. When students raise complaints, ask for clarification, or request extra time for assignments, these concerns are often dismissed quickly. In some cases, students feel they are portrayed as being disrespectful or “attacking” the teacher simply for asking for academic support. This creates an environment where students are hesitant to advocate for themselves or ask for help, even when they are genuinely struggling.

Fourth, lecture instruction has been consistently ineffective. Lessons often lack structure and are difficult to follow because units and topics are taught out of order, making it harder for students to understand how concepts connect. In addition, class time is frequently interrupted by unrelated personal stories or extended tangents, which reduces instructional time and makes students feel unprepared for assessments.

Fifth, students are concerned that assigned work does not effectively support AP Biology learning. Mrs. Thein regularly assigns lengthy packets and states they will lead to a score of 5 on the AP exam, but many students feel these packets function mainly as busywork rather than targeted AP practice. The assignments often do not include helpful feedback, skill-building explanations, or exam-style guidance, which limits student growth and preparation.

Sixth, students are extremely concerned about recent changes to testing format. Mrs. Thein is now refusing to allow online tests even as AP exam season approaches. Many students rely on digital testing as preparation for the AP Biology exam format and as an accessibility need for working efficiently. Removing this option during second semester has increased stress and reduced students’ ability to practice under realistic AP-style conditions.

Finally, the added pressure of a second semester final exam has created additional stress for students who are already preparing for the AP exam. Many students are balancing multiple AP classes, extracurricular commitments, and college preparation, and requiring both a comprehensive final and AP exam preparation places an unreasonable burden on students. This results in students being forced to focus on memorization for class exams rather than deep understanding and AP-style application, which undermines the purpose of an AP course.

Overall, students in this class feel unprepared, unsupported, and unfairly evaluated. We respectfully ask the administration to investigate these concerns, review instructional quality, and implement changes that ensure students receive structured teaching, clear expectations, fair grading, and effective AP exam preparation. We want to succeed in AP Biology, but we cannot do so without consistent and effective instruction.