Yes, It's That Time of the Semester

Time to start worrying about your grade! I have several students coming in next week to discuss their grades. Which is generally obvious, as I post all their grades in Blackboard so they know exactly what they're getting. At least these students are being a little more proactive about it. It never fails that as soon as the final exam is over, and usually after I've given the final grades, someone e-mails me: "I know I made D's on all the tests, but I really need a C or I'll lose my ____ scholarship."

When I first started teaching I used to harp on grades and remind the students that if they weren't doing well they could come to me for help, remind them of drop dates, etc. And most of the time they didn't listen to me. So this semester I took a different tack. Just like I'm not taking attendance, I decided to treat the students like adults. The last day to drop is on my syllabus calendar, my syllabus quiz had a statement for them to sign about not whining when they get the grade they've earned (but in nicer language), etc. They are adults and they need to learn how to act like it. If I coddle them too much, they're in for a shock when they get to an upper level class. And I finally realized that no matter how much I may want to help my students, they have to be willing to help themselves first.

What the F?

This little jewel popped up at me recently. Apparently a small town in Iowa has come up with this idea that giving kids a zero for not turning in their homework is a bad thing. If an A is 90-100%, etc. etc., then an F should be 50-60%. Right now this is just a suggestion, but it is something with which I completely disagree. One of the quotes from the article is this:

"If you get a zero on three assignments, for instance, maybe in the first two weeks, and you do all right in the rest, those three zeros still could mean you're not going to pass." "The message that comes across is, 'You don't have to do the work (anymore) because I've already given you a zero.'"

I would counter with: But if you give them a 50% for NOT turning things in, you're teaching them that they don't have to do the homework. How will this affect them in the long run? Does this mean if I don't feel like going to work tomorrow I still get half my pay for the day? Also, as an edumacator, I tend to take the long view of assignments. If someone does badly on one of my exams but improves on all the rest, then I'll take that into account when I calculate the final grade.

Personally, I like the policy mentioned in this article. It's referred to as "Do your work." If the kids don't make at least a 70 on the assignment (or if they don't turn it in) then they have to come in before or after school to do it again. Supposedly it's really cut down on their failure rate.