Beyond Biology: Meeting College Requirements Through AP Success – Shellee Talks with Michelle Purdue

Hello parents, this is Shellee Howard with Parents, Is Your Teen College Ready? And I have a very special guest today, one that is near and dear to my heart, and we'll get into that story. But for those of you who know about my own children, the one who attended Harvard, the one who attended Alabama and CBU, I give a lot of credit to the teachers who taught them. And today I have the wonderful opportunity to bring to you, um, Miss Michelle Perdue. Welcome to the show.

Welcome, or thank you.

You're welcome. So, uh, Ms. Perdue, can you tell, um, our audience a little bit about your background, why you do what you do? Just give them a picture of, um, how it is that you can help their child.

All right, um, I've been teaching for 32 years. Um, this is my 32nd year. Uh, I've been teaching AP Biology for 25 of those years. So I've seen the ups and downs. I've seen how the test has changed over the years. It keeps changing, as does the biology. I decided to teach. I really was interested. I wanted to go into medicine, but I can't handle— I can't handle seeing people in pain. So I wanted to go into forensics, but I, I just can't handle it. So I thought— and, and then I thought, oh, discover the cure for cancer. My grandfather died when I was young, and I thought, I'm going to cure it. I can't handle lab work, just sitting in a lab. So I thought maybe if I teach, maybe somebody I teach will be the one that finds a cure for cancer. Or, you know, and I have a lot of doctors and nurses that were my students, so that makes me, that makes me keep going.

Oh, I love that. So what she didn't say, listeners, is that she was First, my oldest son's AP biology teacher, and she was the reason why he chose the medical profession. She made biology so fun that he liked organic chemistry. He liked things that most people do not even want to talk about. So can you talk a little bit about AP biology? You know, as a parent who went through it years and years ago, or maybe we didn't, right? Why is it so hard, and why is the AP exam so challenging?

I think part of it is— well, nowadays, um, I will tell you, a lot of it is the kids are just, uh, students are just not used to putting in— after COVID— putting in the work that they used to. And, um, I always tell the kids, like, your, your children were, were stellar, and I could have been a cardboard cutout and they would have passed the AP test because they had the drive and they had the motivation. And that's what I try to do in the classroom is I try to keep it interesting to keep their, their interest so that they do want to do the work. But it's tough because a lot of teachers don't give them what they need to be successful. And that is, I treat the AP test as if it was, as if I'm coaching a sport. My family's always, my husband's a coach and we've always been involved in sports and I tell them this is my season. AP Bio, that when they're taking the test, this is my season. I've been prepping them all, all year to get ready for this test. Um, and so that's, that's my approach. And the other thing, it like, it's a fine line. Like, the AP Bio test is a lot about thinking like a scientist, and it's not as much anymore about the material. But I also want these kids to go on and be successful in college, and so I've got to figure out a way to, you know, how do I get the material across while also getting them test I know.

And so AP Bio at some schools is one of the most difficult, difficult classes at some schools. I don't know if it's the teacher, the subject matter, the kids in class, but I've been doing this 17 years and I will tell you some of my students are very prepared and they're just brushing up and others are not so prepared. So what happens if a student has a teacher, as well-meaning as they might be, that just doesn't either make it enjoyable or an experience or captures them, or what, what is the parent left to do? And I always say they can teach themselves, but what else can they do?

Uh, College Board is a great resource, and they should, through their, through their teacher, should have access to it. They should. I, I don't think— I don't know if all teachers— I, I don't know how it goes. I know I've always had my students have access to it. So it's actual AP Classroom, and the students can go there for videos on topics they may be struggling with or, um, test prep, um, kind of things. So, uh, that's a good resource. Um, AP prep books are good, but now is a little too late. I tell the kids, like, you don't want to get burnt out on on test taking. And even in my own class, the last thing I do is give them a bunch of tests right before the AP test. Um, it's more about— we will look at, uh, like, uh, free response questions and the certain topics that they focus on. And it's important that they know, and they can find that on AP Classroom, uh, AP College Board, where they can find what's focused on and what they may be struggling with. So they can look through and see, hey, I really don't know how to do, uh, standard deviation or do this kind of math, how can I brush up on it and find questions based on that?

So you probably don't know this, but, and my son probably would kill me if I told you, but I'm gonna just say it out loud and in front of all of my, all of my listeners. But I remember when he was studying for the AP Bio exam and everybody wanted to study with him because he loved the subject. He, he was all in. And so people would offer for him to, uh, you know, can I pay to study with me? And I don't know if he ever accepted any money, but my house was always full of teenagers studying together because teaching one another is another tactic, right, that you can utilize. But what if, what if you have a student who's not going to be dedicated to sit in front of a computer or read a book? Now, can you help them from afar? Is it something that you can offer as far as tutoring, preparing them one-to-one?

Uh, yes, I have. I've been— I've had students from other schools in our area reach out that are struggling and ask, hey, can I come to the reviews and that kind of thing. So I've decided, um, I'm gonna try to be setting up a, uh, like a Zoom conference to start with, uh, to get kids ready, like, so we can do some, some prep, uh, because like you said, working with others, that's the other thing I tell them, work in groups and bounce ideas off each other. Um, but yeah, I am trying to set up a Zoom classroom so that students can come with struggles or just to do test prep. Hey, we're doing this, this topic today, come if you've got questions. Yeah.

So because the AP exam is— I think it's very important because you can become a National Merit Scholar. And parents, if you don't know what that is, I'm happy to take that on another call. But it's not just knowing the material that's going to get them to pass the test. There's technique involved. Can you maybe speak to even if they, they understand the topic, Where's the disconnect, or how do they get the connection to use their knowledge but also pass this unique exam?

Well, I will tell you, that's a great question because the test has moved farther from the actual knowledge, to be perfectly honest, which is why I have such a struggle, like, what I focus on. And it's more about thinking like a scientist, being able to interpret data being able to interpret graphs, uh, and what's going on more than knowing— like, they give you a lot of the information in the question, which a lot of the students struggle with. It's time management, uh, one of the biggest things. The multiple choice part of the test, uh, the, the questions went from— I think it was a 90, it's, it's always changed— now it's 60. But, and the kids think this is so great, 60 questions an hour and a half, except it's like a marathon. There's the questions are very long. And to be perfectly honest, the only way that— for that part of the test that you can do better is by practicing specifically that in a time limit and seeing how you can read and interpret. I feel the more information they know, the quicker they can skim the question and get to the answer. So that's where knowing the information is helpful. Uh, the other thing is the free response questions, focusing on certain words. Um, there, there are certain words that they— what is it? Highlight that word. Is it identify? Is it describe? Is it list? What are the keywords in there? Are you answering the question? Are you answering it completely? And also with science, a lot of these kids are coming to me from AP English, AP, and it's a totally different test. The free response questions are not— we're not looking for a 5-paragraph essay with a, you know, a topic sentence and a lure me in. They don't need any of that. It is facts, straight facts. And how you get your point across as quickly as possible.

So what you're saying is it's not just their IQ, it's also strategy. Correct. And if you don't have a teacher that's teaching strategy, you are going to be at a massive disadvantage. Correct.

That is correct.

Ouch. Okay, so I'm thinking parents, just like you're thinking, Well, how do I know if my child is receiving both the knowledge and the strategy? Is there some— is there something you can give a parent to maybe have a discussion with their child to say, hey, are you get— do you have both of these things? Because if not, we have resources. Like, can you arm them with something?

I would say have— first of all, does your child know what the AP test entails. Like, what— how many multiple choice, how much time? Like, do they even know that? Because to be perfectly honest, there are teachers that I know that, that the kids walk into the test blind. Like, they have no idea how many multiple— they don't know how many. It's not even FRQs, it's in, in government, it's a different kind of essay question. But they don't even know how many, what they're based on. Um, do they know that? That's the first thing to ask. And then do they know, like, as far as the free response questions, what the difference is between a long and a short? Have they done any practice multiple choice tests, that kind of thing? Has the teacher talked to them about what to do when answering a free response question?

Okay, so I'm, I'm thinking I have my teenager and we're getting ready for all of these AP exams, and I'm asking them, you know, has your teacher prepared you? And they say no. No, my teacher has not, and I'm going to fail this, and I'm freaking out right now. What would be the 1, 2, and 3? What would be— you know, they may be feeling overwhelmed, underprepared, frustrated, whatever it is. How do we take that where we're at and give them something that they can do?

I would— there is— if they could— anyone can go on to AP College Board, and they can look just generally without signing into anything. They can look at the test, um, and they can— sorry, the test explanation— and they can see, um, what the major topics, the 8 major topics are, uh, that, that are stressed. And for students that already have a handle on, on, you know, maybe cells, ignore that. Maybe focus on what you have, maybe what you didn't get or what you got and you need to review. I would do that. I would focus on those. There are a lot of things that the students can, uh, they can— I believe College Board might even have suggestions for, um, for the free response questions and what to look at. But for sure, looking at the test, how it's structured, um, and, and what topics specifically are on it, because it has pared down over the years and they are very specific about what— and who knows, I mean, like I said, like you said, the teachers have good intentions. I'm not saying that they don't, but some teachers aren't really up on, you know, what the test is, or they really like plants, so they want to focus on that when it's really not that. Um, and so I would suggest going to College Board and, and looking at the resources that they have there.

So now I'm thinking through the eyes of my second And I remember her coming home from AP Bio and saying, "Mom, I didn't know biology could be so cool." And how do you take a subject that is truly scientific, left brain, and make it enjoyable for all of us right brainers? Because, right, not all of us think as a scientist. Because having 2 very unique children, both having you, and they both adored you. What, what, what is it, or what can be done in the classroom to make biology or AP biology a better experience? And if they're not getting it at their class as a parent, how can we supplement?

I just love it. So much. I think it's because I, like, I am just a giant science dork, and I, I tell them that, and I'm like, there, do you like— I just get so excited about things when I teach it that they're like, why is she so excited? And I, and, and like the stories, and I try to make it applicable to their life. I try to, um, definitely make connections that they, that they can, they can understand. And, um, and then try to— I just try to keep them engaged as best I can. And I tell them some of this stuff is dry and it's not fun, but, um, but it's still magical because of this, you know, like, you know, just even talking about how— do you guys even think about how food comes in and how it, like, how it changes into you? Like, and they just stare at me like, but it's so cool. And then I guess it's cool, I guess, you know. So I mean, just trying to keep them interested. And I mean, it's, it's just got to come from somebody who I think loves it and, and wants to talk about it, right?

So I was fortunate, so fortunate that you helped my children be a doctor and a nurse, and I am needle-phobic, by the way. So you were actually way more influential than I was. But, you know, I think of those, those students that I get a chance to mentor and prepare for college, and they're not all super motivated about all subjects. And having to navigate that as a parent, what I always recommend is find somebody who is passionate about it to be their tutor, their mentor. That's the only thing that you truly have a say in. And that's why it's been my honor to bring Ms. Pardue to all of you. So listeners, Ms. Pardue, how can they reach you if they need a tutor, a strategist, if they need somebody Passionately Crazy Scientist, how can they reach you?

Well, I appreciate, first of all, everything that you've said. Like I said, your children were amazing. So, you know, I always tell my AP students the first day of school, I can lead a horse to water, I can't make you drink. So I can do whatever I can, but I definitely have some— I have some ideas and some helpful hints. And I know that as we come close, the AP test is very close. Um, so I, I do have an email, uh, it's, uh, pardue— P-A-R-D-U-E prep— P-R-E-P for bio and the number 4 bio, um, at gmail.com. And that, uh, is, uh, where they can reach me and I can try to set up whatever the child needs. Like I said, I know it's close now to the AP test and But I know that as the— as next year rolls around, I'm gonna try to get this going at the beginning of the year so that I can be there through the units as we go, helping out students as, as they go through the year. And that applies to even freshman-level students with— that struggle with regular biology. So awesome.

Yeah, I love that. I have a lot of youngers in our program that Yeah, they're having a tough time through regular biology. Usually AP biology, there's some kind of passion, right? Not always, but there's some. Regular biology may be a little stretch for some of us.

Yeah.

So, Miss Perdue, thank you so much for being on our podcast. Is there any other words of encouragement that you would leave these parents?

Um, that they should— I don't know if their teachers told their child this, but they should definitely tell their child when they go in, they're going to feel like they don't know anything, and that's, that's on purpose from College Board. They know they just need to stay calm, stay focused, and the more that they can do that and try to throw out anything that they remember, they're gonna— they should do decent. So yep.

Awesome. All right, parents, until next time, we're always trying to prepare your teen for college. Thank you, Miss Perdue.