What to do?
As the last month of the semester is just around the corner, I'm looking at the evil quagmire of grading on my desk. This is the usual stuff. I give a lot of writing assignments to help my students learn not just history but how to write as it is something that (for some reason) they don't know how to do.
Then I look at my grade book. This semester I lost 30 students in total by the drop deadline. That was about 15% of what I had at the beginning of the semester. I think "what did I do wrong?"
After last semester, I got tougher. I was sick and tired of people handing in work late so I put in a firm "no late papers" policy. I figured that would make things easier on my part but instead I get students not handing in assignments at all. It's not like they even tried or argued "it's only 15 minutes late." None of that. Heck, not even partial assignments. Technically it does make less work for me but I'm really worried about the level of apathy from my students.
I'm also giving them more tests but they are smaller with less material. I figured this way they could do better on the tests. Does this happen? No. I even give them their essays to do as take homes but does that help. No. On one test, the exact same one I give year after year with an almost perfect 85 student average, three classes pulled a 67 average. WTF? Did I change my teaching style? No. Did I change my notes? Not really. Hell, even the review sheet was almost identical to previous years.
The sad part? At the end of the semester, all my students are going to come up to me and ask me "why did I get this grade?" I always tell them "you earned it." However, that doesn't stick in their heads. I tell them on the first day that if they show up to every class and do all the work they are guaranteeing themselves a C. They nod and say "yes professor." However, when they get a D it's all bitching and moaning and "why didn't I get a B?" Um, because you missed six classes and missed four assignments? Oh and no more mercy D's. I used to lower my passing grade unofficially to a 60 at the end of the semester to help some of these kids graduate. However, after a line of "well why didn't you give me a C" made me stop doing that.
Someone told me that 80% of college students feel that if they show up to class each time they automatically get a B. LOL. WTF are schools teaching their kids if they think they can get a B with just sitting in the chair, most likely not even paying attention? I even had one student who had the gall to send me an e-mail with this:
So the question is, do I keep on doing what I did this semester or go back to the "easy" way out like I did last semester?
Then I look at my grade book. This semester I lost 30 students in total by the drop deadline. That was about 15% of what I had at the beginning of the semester. I think "what did I do wrong?"
After last semester, I got tougher. I was sick and tired of people handing in work late so I put in a firm "no late papers" policy. I figured that would make things easier on my part but instead I get students not handing in assignments at all. It's not like they even tried or argued "it's only 15 minutes late." None of that. Heck, not even partial assignments. Technically it does make less work for me but I'm really worried about the level of apathy from my students.
I'm also giving them more tests but they are smaller with less material. I figured this way they could do better on the tests. Does this happen? No. I even give them their essays to do as take homes but does that help. No. On one test, the exact same one I give year after year with an almost perfect 85 student average, three classes pulled a 67 average. WTF? Did I change my teaching style? No. Did I change my notes? Not really. Hell, even the review sheet was almost identical to previous years.
The sad part? At the end of the semester, all my students are going to come up to me and ask me "why did I get this grade?" I always tell them "you earned it." However, that doesn't stick in their heads. I tell them on the first day that if they show up to every class and do all the work they are guaranteeing themselves a C. They nod and say "yes professor." However, when they get a D it's all bitching and moaning and "why didn't I get a B?" Um, because you missed six classes and missed four assignments? Oh and no more mercy D's. I used to lower my passing grade unofficially to a 60 at the end of the semester to help some of these kids graduate. However, after a line of "well why didn't you give me a C" made me stop doing that.
Someone told me that 80% of college students feel that if they show up to class each time they automatically get a B. LOL. WTF are schools teaching their kids if they think they can get a B with just sitting in the chair, most likely not even paying attention? I even had one student who had the gall to send me an e-mail with this:
I completely disagree with that grade. I plan on getting an A+ and that F is not going to help at all. I strongly believe I deserve a better grade. Please reconsider because I am apalled, disgusted, and ashamed.My answer: "did you read my comments?" Of course he didn't 'cause if he had, he would've seen why he got a 50 on that assignment. Yes, a 50. He earned that one too. What nerve! OK, I'll admit I'm a tough grader but it's because I push my students. I want them to learn. Is that such an unrealistic thing?
So the question is, do I keep on doing what I did this semester or go back to the "easy" way out like I did last semester?
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