As a refresh for those of you who’ve forgotten, and info for you new people, I teach high school in the DC Metro area. It’s a suburban area, so we’re not talking a city school. And for that – I am thankful. However, the end of term grade-grubbing has commenced. And it has given me rage. A serious, serious rage. So – here is a rant – but on a Thursday. Monday Meltdowns will return! I swear! (;
Rant is after the bump – just in case you just don’t care. (;
The end of the third Quarter has just passed. It was Tuesday. Grades were due that day – 3/27.
The number of students who spent Monday asking for their grades to be raised was – astounding. Then, there were the ones who emailed on Tuesday, the professional day we have to work on grades. Or had their parents do the emailing to the teachers.
“I can’t get a __. I just can’t! What can we do?!”
Makes me want to say…
You can and will get a __. Now is not the time to be dickering with me over your grade. As for what we can do, I suggest you start doing your work and coming in for extra help. I am doing my fair share. I cannot do more unless you meet me halfway. Which means you must exert an effort. No, really. YOU are going to have to do some extra work. Yes, I said extra. And for some of you – that’s a lot, since you don’t tend to exert any effort.
I’m really tired of having students, parents, guidance counselors, and sometimes even administrators contacting me and asking me – so what can we do to support this student? Look. It’s this simple. For the majority of these students, their current grade is a direct result of their effort in class. I know there are some who try really hard and just cannot seem to make the grade. Those are not the students for this rant. No, I am talking about the ones who don’t always do their homework, tend to just blow things off, or just want things to be handed to them.
“What? Why can’t you round up from an 88%? I don’t understand. I’m a really good student. I just had problems with this one thing.” Or “I would have had an ‘A’ – but you took off so many points! Can’t you go back to that quiz from the beginning of the quarter and give me back just half a point?! Then, I’ll have an A!”
Hello. If there are problems with the grading of your quiz – see me immediately after I return said quiz to you. Not two days later. Not a week later. IMMEDIATELY. I am not going to go back to a quiz from six weeks ago just because you think I graded it wrong and only thought that I had because you were just under the mark for the grade you wanted. Sorry. Get over it.
I’m tired of grade-grubbing.
I don’t *give* grades. Students EARN them. It’s that simple. Learn it, live it, deal with it. I am not going to change your grade just because you whine. Welcome to REAL LIFE.
It’s a fucking bitch, isn’t it?
this is exactly what’s wrong with this country. No one wants to work for anything. I’m gonna have to post about this. there are things in japan that kids (kids, not parents) do that goes towards getting better grades in school. it’s called studying and hard work. kids in this country have things handed to them on a silver platter man.
I’ve never argued about a grade. holy crap, we’d get slapped if that was the case.
My mom would have KILLED me if she heard I had said some of the the things these kids say to me. I would not have graduated high school. And then she would have told me to apologize. From the grave. Wow. >__<