Letter to Biology Student

To whom this may concern;

My name is Shiv Paul Gupta, and when I first started 9th grade, I was 13 years old. I loved history and Spanish. I also enjoy wrestling, basketball, soccer, speech and debate, and reading science fiction. As a freshman, I took Geometry Enriched, English 9, World Geography and Health/Driver's Ed, Spanish 2, PE/wreslting, and this biology class. In general, I approach school like it is my one and only mission. As a teenager who lives in the bubble of Saratoga, I don't have many responsibilities, unlike my parents. Doing well in school is my one job, and I pride myself in my work. I strive for all A's and learning the material. It does not matter if I don't like it or if I don't want to do it. I have to.  The first day of Mr. Orre's class was a mystery to me. I did not know what to expect, but he jumped straight into biology. He explained how his class worked, what he expected, which was a mature student who listened the first time he or she is told, and he especially wanted us to learn. He made it clear that the grade was not his priority, nor should it be ours. He cares more about actual learning and growth.

Like I just said, Mr. Orre's most significant expectations are actually learning, listening the first time, and following deadlines. He runs his class similar to a college course. When we first walk into class, we sit down in assigned seats and then look at the corner board. There, we have the agenda, the essentials for the unit, and the DO NOW. This is a short answer question based on the previous night's vodcast. There is usually one everyday excluding days with large labs. Mr. Orre holds a flipped classroom. This means that you watch online lectures, or vodcasts, as homework and we expand on the lectures or learn more during class. Our class time consists of in class projects, labs, or other activities. The homework is a vodcast every night. The tests and quizzes are out of both the textbook and the vodcasts. It is essential for you to read the textbook as your chances of success go down dramatically. Many problems come from the textbook. One major part of this class is your notebook. You must keep it organized and up to date in order to succeed in the class. There are routine checks after every unit, and there must be every single component otherwise you lose all points in the category of the check. Our biology blog is the journal of the year. We write down lab reflections, unit reflections, and project reflections. Every major event that happens in the class is put on that blog. The blog improves exponentially because you get a grasp on what happens and what you are supposed to do overtime, along with your writing improving. This was my favorite reflection because it covered evolution, my favorite unit: http://shivpaulgupta.blogspot.com/2017/05/unit-9-reflection.html
Over the course of this year, I matured as a student because I had to stay within the boundaries of this class with no room to move. I learned to stick to the rubric or what I am supposed to do and then finish it. The only project I got to do on my own and really express myself was the 20Time, which was our project to control.

Mr. Orre's biggest pet peeve is not putting things away after a lab. One time, someone broke a test tube on a chair but she didn't clean it up. Mr. Orre exploded because it was an extreme safety hazard. After another lab, one group forgot to put the microscope away, and that sent Mr. Orre to the moon and back. We had to write a 500 word essay on the dangers of a lab environment. In order to get a good grade in the class, you must do everything Canvas says. You must also follow Mr. Orre's instructions to the letter. Straying off course the slightest bit will cost you greatly. Homework is essential to earning a good grade in the class as it makes up 35% of the total grade. In order to get a good grade on tests, you must find a smart way to study. It is all about how you learn. Studying smart is more important that studying hard. In order to get the most possible out of this class, you must watch all the vodcasts and read the textbook. The textbook is your best friend in this class. The final is all off the textbook. I have made many mistakes in this class. One was not putting everything away during a lab, and that caused everyone 5 extra minutes after school ended. I learned to be more careful about everything I do in wherever  I go and to put things back where I found them. Another mistake I made was bad-mouthing Mr. Orre while changing for PE. After I finished, and my friends and I walked out, he opened the door for us and said "It is really easy to hear in the locker rooms...". This mistake made me think about everything I do carefully before I do it.

In general, this class is a class. That is it. It is not fun. It is for learning and maturing. I did not like the class in terms of looking forward to going, but I enjoyed what I got out of the class. Next year,  I am taking chemistry honors. I am taking this class for the honors credit. I don't necessarily love science but I feel I will enjoy chemistry more than biology, mostly because it is more hands on. This class is a class of growth and reflection. It is not a fun class but a class that will help you greatly in the future.