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I always noticed in high school that the students with poor grades got more opportunities to better their grades than the students with good grades.
As a good student, I was never given opportunities to make up homework, redo tests, or do extra credit to bring a B+ up to an A-. But I know a lot of students who had Fs and were allowed do all sorts of things to pull their F up to a C-.
That's because administration is doing anything in their power to eliminate Fs. I can't even really give Fs anymore unless the student just never comes to school.
Of course there is the equivalent of extra credit in real life. Not in every circumstance but it exists. It's taking on an extra project in order to boost your knowlege/workload /visibility to boost performance evaluation or promotion eligibility.
I see nothing wrong with having a policy (one way or the other) in writing which a student asking can be referred to. I think being rude or anything smart-ass isn't professional. And yes, before anyone says it,I understand students can be rude to you. You are the adult and teacher, be better.
It is rewarding bad behavior and it is not fair to the other students who did their work on time.
It will just teach the bad apples that they will get away with it and they will do it in the next class again.
I got really frustrated at college when I studied and put in effort over several months and then others did some sweet talking or an hour extra work and got the same grade as I did.
In actuality, people DO at times get the chance to compensate for some earlier action or lack of action in post grad life. Which is what extra credit, etc.is. As with extra credit, it's not guaranteed, is made available wholly at someone else's discretion, not owed anybody, and nobody should get ticked if the opportunity is not there to do so. You take your chances, but you can't be surprised if 11th hour pleas (in any context) don't work out.
Oh, yeah, and being a smartass is never becoming in a teacher. There are always teachers who think it's a cool personal to cultivate, but it really just makes you look like a dick. You can be no-nonsense and have boundaries without being sarcastic and douchey.
Yeah, HS teachers in every subject must get that at least 20 times at the end of each semester.
Despite doing the math on the chalkboard and proving to the kids that at the end, if their average is below a certain percent, they can't pass the course, I'd always get a few geniuses who'd ask,
Oh, yeah, and being a smartass is never becoming in a teacher. There are always teachers who think it's a cool personal to cultivate, but it really just makes you look like a dick. You can be no-nonsense and have boundaries without being sarcastic and douchey.
You're right. But the students who ask this are usually a PITA the entire year. I keep my cool and maintain professionalism the entire year. It frustrates me that their grade wasn't a concern from August - May, but suddenly becomes a major concern. 99% of the time, I just say "sorry, you earned your grade."
Interestingly enough, failing students rarely ask for grade inflation. It's usually the C or D students who are smart, but lazy. They want to do just a little bit of work at the end to make up for the entire year of work they half-assed.
I've had a few B+ students ask what they can do to get an A. I'll gladly help them with a point or two as long as they showed effort the entire year.
Reason number 4714 why I'm glad I retired. It got old, especially when the Administration would get involved.
My (former) school system required everyone be eligible for extra credit if it was offered. So what I did (actually I did this every quarter) was give the kids, all of them, the opportunity to turn in any missing assignments for that quarter for 1/2 credit. Which worked out well until we had to start giving 50% minimum for every assignment. That cycled in the year I went on sick leave 1st quarter so I ended up not having to deal with it.
I had a student miss a test in February because she was sick. Administration allows (and our department) two weeks upon the student's return to school to make up any missing work. I reminded the student every class, and we eventually agreed on a time for her to come in after school to make it up. She never showed up. I put a zero in for the test.
She comes in this morning and says that the test is causing her to have a D and wanted to know if she could make it up (even with a B on the test, she'd still be at a low C). I said no and reminded her that we had agreed on a time back in February for her to make it up. She chose not to show up. I was more than generous by allowing her two weeks.
As a pro, you stand a better chance of helping ALL the kids take something productive away from your class by keeping your cool 100% of the time. Even the C/D kids will learn respect if you are respectful to them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lepoisson
Here is the MOST frustrating thing...
I had a student miss a test in February because she was sick. Administration allows (and our department) two weeks upon the student's return to school to make up any missing work. I reminded the student every class, and we eventually agreed on a time for her to come in after school to make it up. She never showed up. I put a zero in for the test.
She comes in this morning and says that the test is causing her to have a D and wanted to know if she could make it up (even with a B on the test, she'd still be at a low C). I said no and reminded her that we had agreed on a time back in February for her to make it up. She chose not to show up. I was more than generous by allowing her two weeks.
This is just a typical experience. Not at all unusual. She missed her chance. End of story.
As long as you reminded her in a professional way instead of making a snotty "time machine" type comment you referred to in the OP ...
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"What can I do to pull my grade up?"
