tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9799907.post111824412956106703..comments2024-03-21T03:35:20.539-04:00Comments on writing as jo(e): One Way to Prevent Whining about Gradesjo(e)http://www.blogger.com/profile/01488562158252331555noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9799907.post-70700999333703706452014-03-11T20:09:30.319-04:002014-03-11T20:09:30.319-04:00really like your technique!really like your technique!Plainlady's Ponderingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09526327124561246570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9799907.post-1118312500583512792005-06-09T06:21:00.000-04:002005-06-09T06:21:00.000-04:00Purple Kanagaroo: I teach writing and literature ...Purple Kanagaroo: I teach writing and literature at a small college.jo(e)https://www.blogger.com/profile/01488562158252331555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9799907.post-1118299912178366832005-06-09T02:51:00.000-04:002005-06-09T02:51:00.000-04:00This is BRILLIANT!This is BRILLIANT!Terminal Degreehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16523014953046778630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9799907.post-1118275260335738072005-06-08T20:01:00.000-04:002005-06-08T20:01:00.000-04:00You sound like a great teacher. Do you teach high ...You sound like a great teacher. <BR/>Do you teach high school or college? <BR/><BR/>I remember a college class where I got excellent grades on everything except one midterm test, and that one test counted for something like a third of the class grade. At my mother's insistence, I approached the teacher (an intimidating figure who routinely made college students cry in class) immediately after the test. I asked if there was anything I could do to bring up my grade, or what I could learn from it and if he could help me figure out what had gone wrong. He pretty much just told me not to bother talking to <I>him</I> about it and to just study more next time.<BR/><BR/>I would have leaped at a chance to do extra work or anything like that. That's very kind of you to offer that to your students.purple_kangaroohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02543172194041505144noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9799907.post-1118256747972074472005-06-08T14:52:00.001-04:002005-06-08T14:52:00.001-04:00What a great idea! I'm pretty explicit about grad...What a great idea! I'm pretty explicit about grading expectations in my courses, but I don't usually do anything at midterm time....I might try something like this in one of my next courses. Thanks!Janehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17082496114155799356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9799907.post-1118256722617812822005-06-08T14:52:00.000-04:002005-06-08T14:52:00.000-04:00That is a really great system. We have to give mid...That is a really great system. We have to give midterm grades here, too, but so far I haven't made a point of giving such a speech about them - I may have to start doing that (not that I get complaints especially, but if we're giving midterm grades they might as well be useful pedagogically). I especially like the warning that things won't get easier!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9799907.post-1118255019298197022005-06-08T14:23:00.000-04:002005-06-08T14:23:00.000-04:00My approach was to provide a grading rubric and a ...My approach was to provide a grading rubric and a grade calculator in the syllabus (so they could enter the numerical grade for each assignment into it as they went, and could calculate their ongoing grade) and to hold mid-semester meetings with all of them instead of class.<BR/><BR/>But that only works if your classes are small and few.<BR/><BR/>And some students continued to complain anyway. Like the senior who enrolled late, barely showed up, and tried to hand in all of his assignments in a wad at the end, then attempted to guilt me into giving him a D rather than an F so he could graduate. *sigh* (I didn't, to his horror, but it was frustrating -- he was perfectly capable of doing the work and getting an A, if he'd wanted.)Ranahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11041247235612040796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9799907.post-1118251997097898622005-06-08T13:33:00.000-04:002005-06-08T13:33:00.000-04:00This is a great idea--I wish you'd have advised me...This is a great idea--I wish you'd have advised me of it when I had all those whining students! AK! Next time, I'll know better! :-)Mary Stebbins Taitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10626507461216769140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9799907.post-1118250073062362032005-06-08T13:01:00.000-04:002005-06-08T13:01:00.000-04:00David: Some students are just impossible. It doe...David: Some students are just impossible. It does make you wonder ....<BR/><BR/>Students who don't do well in my course are often failing their other courses too -- and end up dropping out of school -- so perhaps that is why they don't even bother to complain.jo(e)https://www.blogger.com/profile/01488562158252331555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9799907.post-1118249129761608902005-06-08T12:45:00.000-04:002005-06-08T12:45:00.000-04:00I do something more or less similar at times too. ...I do something more or less similar at times too. And my system requires that I turn in midterm grades for students, on which I always try to err on the side of a lower grade to give them warning, so they get that headsup too. But this semester, I turned in an unsatisfactory grade for one student at midterms, and he talked to me about it for three seconds in the hallway while I was headed to another class, but then continued to do the exact same things in the second half of the semester that got him the U at midterms. I turned in a grade of D for him and I got a series of 4 or 5 angry emails from him while I was out of town, ranting that he was completely surprised by his grade and demanded to know how it could have happened.<BR/><BR/>I.e., I may not have to give his whining much credence, since he' done nothing to address the issue, but that doesn't necessarily stop the whining.Scrivenerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05922358016805022637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9799907.post-1118246290235813472005-06-08T11:58:00.000-04:002005-06-08T11:58:00.000-04:00Mona: Parenting and teaching do have an awful lot...Mona: Parenting and teaching <I>do</I> have an awful lot in common.jo(e)https://www.blogger.com/profile/01488562158252331555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9799907.post-1118244908667780822005-06-08T11:35:00.000-04:002005-06-08T11:35:00.000-04:00This sounds like an excellent approach, jo(e). I'...This sounds like an excellent approach, jo(e). I'd like to take a class from you!Yankee, Transferredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06627693160131161133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9799907.post-1118244594583802782005-06-08T11:29:00.000-04:002005-06-08T11:29:00.000-04:00I'm laughing right now because that's how I deal w...I'm laughing right now because that's how I deal with my children...lots of advanced notice, lots of 'do it now or it's too late'! It's almost like you have to be a mom in the classroom, too, except they don't earn allowance and you can't give them a time-out.Mona Buonanottehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01809435868294190789noreply@blogger.com