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I'm not a teacher but I was a good student in school. I worked hard for my overall 3.11 GPA in 1987. Never had to worry about failing a grade or subject until Navy Nuclear Power School. In high school I found it refreshing to see a teacher who didn't give away extra points just to help a student not fail. There will always be some extenuating circumstances that make getting good grades difficult, but for many of today's students the problem lies in themselves (video games for example). Giving away extra points does help the student in the short run, but if they didn't earn those extra points then you are hurting them in the long run. The time to ask for help is during the regular school year when your grades is beginning to fall behind, not the end of the school year. I've known teachers who gave extra points for clapping erasers or emptying out the trashcan or cleaning the blackboard. The classes in which reports are written and graded like a test, these are more subjective on the part of the teacher and so there can be some help in the points if close and efforts was given in class.
The problem with allowing students 1/2 credit for missed assignments is this has a potential of significant improvement to those students who miss assignments but does nothing for students who do all assignments but perhaps didn't do as well on them as they would have liked.
I know it's hard to be fair to all but I tried being an A student, but sometimes slid in the B range. I never got opportunities to improve my score last minute, but watched lots of students who didn't bother doing half the assignments get opportunities not provided to me to bring their score up. It was rather frustrating.
Agree. Get As, Bs, & Cs; you're stuck with your grade. Failing or nearly failing, here's some help to get you over the hump to a solid D.
I have one right now who has been pulled from the graduation list. He has enlisted in the Marines, but that is on hold until he clears my class and trigonometry. That teacher and I are working with him, but he is held to the same standard as the students who did it right the first time. Most of my students just failed the class and then changed their graduation track this week, no longer needing a foreign language credit. This one has to meet college-prep standards, as is an underclassman in the same situation who has to become eligible to play Division 1 sports.
The Spanish teacher next door has had a roomful of students toiling to bring up their grades. Neither she nor I have any intention of giving grades for less than the standard. We also try to ensure that the student understands that this needs to be the last time in their lives to be irresponsible, because no one will care in the future the way that we their teachers care about them. It is crucial for them to get a diploma, because so many of their classmates will not and will never. For the few who can get out of the ghetto through academics, sports, or the military, but who are irresponsible, it sometimes takes a village to get a wayward child back on track. Unfortunately, so many of our students don't have a family structure that is able to effectively deal with their children (or anything else, really). There is always the realistic possibility that things could turn violent when parents' tempers flare.
Today I gave the Marine-to-be my standard speech for people in his situation, which includes a life-time pact to be honored.
"You have put your life in my hands," I told him, "when I wanted you to keep it in your own hands. You will one day have someone's life in your hands, and you will have to make a decision. Just as I have to temper justice with mercy, when having to decide whether giving a second chance to an earnest person who has been irresponsible or whether to hand over the decision that you can't mistreat people horribly and still expect them to help you, thereby teaching them an extremely tough but important life lesson. You will have to weigh that person' life in your hands and decide what to mete out."
They have to make an agreement with me to pay this forward throughout their lives. Then I curse them with bad karma if they don't do the right thing! Strangely, this deal works out very well, and I have only ever had one regret, the father of the future college athlete. Amazingly, he sought me out three years ago to tell me that he had turned his life around and things were now going well for him. So in truth, all recipients of my mercy over the years have gone on to become productive citizens, which is my goal in teaching in the inner city.
There's no significant evidence that a "tough love" approach by teachers, administrators or parents in education has an impact on kids educational success.
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 was pretty much my policy when I taught middle school. There is no "mercy A." An A on a report card means that the student did the work and learned almost all of what was presented. A grade of B could mean that the student learned the material but was a little lax in completing work, or it could mean that the student worked very hard but just didn't quite get it all, or it could mean that a very capable student was taking it easy.
A C- was the only mercy grade I gave, and I only allowed it because of pressure from administration and parents.
This week is almost here/already here for most of us. For those unaware, many teachers/instructors get this question on the last week of school from students.
How do you respond to this question?
Depending on the student, I have a different response. If the student was a pain in my ace, I usually come up with some smart response like "find a time machine" or "sorry, that bus left the station weeks ago".
If the student tried really hard and is only a point or two away from the next grade up, I will usually give it to him/her.
I've had parents emailing and calling to demand my head because it's my fault their child is failing. They act like this is a new situation when the student in question has been failing all semester. NOW with four weeks left in the year (three really given the 4th is finals) it's an emergency and MY problem to fix. What I wouldn't give for an administrator who actually backs teachers right now.
That was pretty much my policy when I taught middle school. There is no "mercy A." An A on a report card means that the student did the work and learned almost all of what was presented. A grade of B could mean that the student learned the material but was a little lax in completing work, or it could mean that the student worked very hard but just didn't quite get it all, or it could mean that a very capable student was taking it easy.
A C- was the only mercy grade I gave, and I only allowed it because of pressure from administration and parents.
I'm not sure I understand your logic. You'll withhold a "mercy A" from a student for whom the difference between A and B can be the difference in which college they attend or scholarships, but you're willing to give a "mercy C" to a student from whom it will make not one single bit of difference in their life. On one end can be a life impacting grade and on the other will make them feel good for about 30 seconds.
Why do school teachers put so much emphasis on bringing up the bottom half and holding back the top?
I got this question early in the school year from a middle schooler. Gave my best answer and he didn't even try to do it, even when provided the resources needed.
I got this question about three weeks ago from a different student. She also did not try the very simple suggestion, even when provided the resources needed.
I was asked by another student for help about 5 months ago, gave it, (it involved coming in before school, extra classes during her make up class in addition to her regular class with me) and she (with the most difficulties to contend with learning-wise- ADHD, Auditory Processing Disorder, speech and language disorders, foster home) brought all of her grades up and just the other day proudly showed me the 100% grade on her last social studies project. I hope she gets an "A" in that class!
We have one week left in school.
I will, in the future if asked, refer students to their designated school counselor, except for the one who did so well. I will make sure she has any extra help for the remainder of her time in the public schools while I am working in that setting.
BTW, she is the only student who has asked me about what life will/could be like for her after high school. I'm pushing college.
That was pretty much my policy when I taught middle school. There is no "mercy A." An A on a report card means that the student did the work and learned almost all of what was presented. A grade of B could mean that the student learned the material but was a little lax in completing work, or it could mean that the student worked very hard but just didn't quite get it all, or it could mean that a very capable student was taking it easy.
A C- was the only mercy grade I gave, and I only allowed it because of pressure from administration and parents.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tnff
I'm not sure I understand your logic. You'll withhold a "mercy A" from a student for whom the difference between A and B can be the difference in which college they attend or scholarships, but you're willing to give a "mercy C" to a student from whom it will make not one single bit of difference in their life. On one end can be a life impacting grade and on the other will make them feel good for about 30 seconds.
Why do school teachers put so much emphasis on bringing up the bottom half and holding back the top?
Better you ask why the administration places the emphasis, not the teacher.
And yeah, for some kids, getting that D (or C) will have more impact than an A does for another kid.
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