A while back, a student wrote to ask why he didn’t get a better grade. As far as I was concerned, he’d done well in earning a grade of “B” (and I always give them the routine about how I don’t give grades, they earn grades, etc.), but he thought that if he completed all the work on time, he would naturally get an “A.” I decided to answer him immediately, which is not what I usually do, but I’ve always wondered whether what I wrote was appropriate.
Most people I know simply don’t answer these letters and discover that the students get tired of asking after the new semester begins; others invite the students in to discuss the course and sometimes find themselves in uncomfortable — not to mention lengthy — defenses of their grading policies.
I’ve always told the students they could discuss their grades with me once we are three weeks into the new semester, which is basically my version of hoping they’ll forget. Usually they do.
But I answered this young man for two reasons: because he was, in fact, a good writer and because he seemed genuinely perplexed by the fact that even though he did all the work, he didn’t get the best grade possible.
With very few changes, here’s the note I sent:
Since I have a policy of not explaining or discussing grades until the second week after the new semester begins, consider this quick email a rare case of rule-breaking on my part: I’m making an exception because I think you have promise as a writer.
First things first: Yes, you did misinterpret the following:
If every assignment was completed on time and in its entirety with well thought out responses then the result would be an A in the class.
That’s not a deal I make in any class or with any student. You should also understand that getting a B is, in fact, doing very well. You should give yourself credit. It is an excellent grade. The fact that you did well is an indication of precisely the promise I mentioned earlier.
Secondly, of course you made the deadlines — which is what I expect from everyone — and you handed in the assignments — which is also what I expect. That level of work secures students a “C” because that’s what we call “meeting the minimum requirements” and in no case would that snag anybody an automatic A.
Yes, you exceeded those expectations, and that is why you did well. Why didn’t you get an A? You didn’t perform in an exemplary way when commenting on the works of your colleagues each and every week (and you knew that would be part of the grade) and the revisions you did for the final portfolio were not extraordinarily thorough or strong. They were fine, but they were neither genuinely extensive nor substantial. They were good. They earned a B.
Finally, I want to close with this thought: I suspect that you can do even better. I suspect there are many reasons why your work isn’t as perfectly focused, well thought-out, well organized, or thoroughly revised as it could be, but I’m hopeful that you’ll keep writing. You have talent and an interesting perspective on the world.
If there’s anything else you want to talk about, feel free to come by during my office hours after February 1st.
Dear readers, I’m interested in hearing how you’d handle a similar situation.
39 Responses to To the B Student Who Thinks He’s Not a B Student
deanette - January 25, 2010 at 2:33 am
I would not have dignified his question with an answer. Yours wasn’t bad but it sets a bad example. Nobody should explain a grade to a student.
suomynona - January 25, 2010 at 7:36 am
From a student perspective (well, sort of), can’t entirely agree with deanette. For one, ideally, a grade shouldn’t have to be explained; but the occasional student is genuinely surprised at a grade, and sometimes for good reason. In those cases in which a student is really looking to diagnose his or her own shortcomings rather than grade grub, particularly when the grading rubric isn’t very clear, I would be inclined to offer a short explanation via e-mail as above. Also, I’m not so sure it isn’t part of a professor’s job to explain to students in these cases that meeting a set of requirements isn’t always enough to be exceptional.
suomynona - January 25, 2010 at 7:39 am
PS I would like it if universities showed more support for faculty in these cases not just by backing them (as I’d imagine they usually do) in grade disputes, but by packaging the university from the start as a rigorous academic endeavor and not a ‘life experience’ or extended summer camp. Not holding my breath.
rchill - January 25, 2010 at 7:53 am
Do you return papers with clear, detailed comments as to why you assigned a particular grade? Do you post grades, such that he could see he was consistently in the B range? If yes, then he should have known, but I see no problem discussing grades with students, and I think you gave a good response.
redweather - January 25, 2010 at 9:24 am
Most discussions I’ve had with students about grades happen after the semester is over, although I have no rule about waiting until then. The first thing I do is ask why they didn’t approach me sooner, especially if the grades they were receiving during the semester were lower than they thought they should be. The other thing I do is adhere to a formula which is clearly set out and explained in the syllabus.
milesmann - January 25, 2010 at 10:17 am
You handled this well. By no means should it warrant an A to simply hand in the work on time. Suomynona is right: college should be a rigorous endeavor for the student who wants an A, which means that particular student should look far beyond the simple completion of work. Getting into grade battles with students is a thorny enterprise, but it sounds here as if you recognized that this guy was looking for a reasonable answer, not an attempt to whine his way into an A. Any ambitious student looking to do his or her best on an assignment should appreciate a response like this one.
erikjensen - January 25, 2010 at 12:52 pm
Deanette, surely you can’t be serious. Discussing grades with students is our job. Ignoring e-mails from students (even irritating ones) is incredibly unprofessional. But I would not respond with the detail of this author. I would probably say, “I’d be happy to discuss your grade during office hours. Please bring a copy of the syllabus and all of your work. We can go over any errors you think have been made.”
johntoradze - January 25, 2010 at 1:09 pm
I think that is an exemplary letter, very well done.
intered - January 25, 2010 at 1:12 pm
While I take no stand on the specific grade in question, I hope we would all agree that the instructor assumes a socio-moral obligation to explain grades in several ways. Among the considerations:1. Grading criteria should be explicit and fully defined on or before the first day of class.2. If an instructor lacks the ability (or will) to make all facets of the grading system explicit, and logically coherent and congruent, the student is under no obligation to believe that the instructor has the ability to do so when the time comes to determine his grade.3. The validity of every assessment instrument used to determine a grade must be determined before, or by the time, the assessment is used to determine an official grade. To do less is professionally, and possibly legally, negligent. As far as validity goes, the required level should be at least minimum professional standards applicable to the type of instrument. a. If the assessment consists of a multiple-choice instrument, the items should have demonstrated their validity in the assessment context (validity is a property of the item/context, not an abstract property of the item). b. If the assessment consists of a writing or other performance-based instrument, rubrics must be developed and tested for the specific kinds of validity that apply to them, before or concurrent to their being allowed to determine a grade.Why go to this trouble? Because every time it has been studied objectively, we find that half or more of instructor’s grading systems produce grades and distributions of grades based on instruments that do not possess such fundamental properties as adequate inter-rater reliability or item discrimination coefficients, etc. In other words, the grades produced are irrational, unsound, even chimerical. Many instructors who assign letter grades to essays, cannot achieve better than chance level correlations when they grade the same essays a year later, with the students’ names blocked out. Beyond general science and rationality, this specific case seems to me like an all-too-common example of failing to make grading criteria clear at the outset. Had the instructor provided an operational definition of each letter grade, as well as linking each grade to the methods by which points, etc. are earned, the question may not have come up. If it had, the student could have been referred to the detailed grading criteria briefing he received on day one. It is a constant wonder how we can make our living teaching the sciences, and derivatives thereof, yet completely ignore 50 years of highly relevant learning and measurement sciences when we do so.Robert W TuckerPresidentInterEd, Inc.www.InterEd.com
bemused - January 25, 2010 at 2:06 pm
intered,Excellent. The problem with social sciences is that it is difficult to quantify criteria for excellence in works that are compositional in nature.An interesting problem as well is how do you separate writing skill, fluency, and talent from mastery of the subject matter?We have a POTUS, for example, who can certainly string words together, and create a sonorous, even rapturous or leg tingling (to some) experience, and yet, actions in the real world show not only a mastery of nothing, but a complete misunderstanding of much.So it is with social science students handing in compositional works, I think. Tough one. We are left to trusting in the mastery and judgement of the teachers, in theri being able to separate writing glitz from substance.
istorik - January 25, 2010 at 2:07 pm
First, meet with them in person to save the time and trouble of typing. Then, give them time to restate the question. Often they narrow it down or even give you leverage: “I know I didn’t do my best,” etc. Finally it’s shorter to say, “Let me explain what the best students in the class did that you didn’t.” Then describe the best student you’ve ever had or wish you had. At least they’ll leave with the sense that more work is required for higher grades. That in itself is breakthrough enough.
opend - January 25, 2010 at 2:14 pm
The principle of not explaining an individual grade is only valid if the criteria for grading is made clear to the class at the beginning of the course. The fact that the question was rasied seems to indicate that this was not the case here. In this case the post mortem explanation was clear, and actually quite generous and supportive, but the information was mistimed. It should have been made on Day 1, to all students, to properly set their expectations. It is pure arrogance to expect students to understand any teacher’s grading system by ESP. They need clear, detailed guidelines about what level of effort and what level of accomplishment are expected at each grade level, so they can make informed choices about their participation. Had this student gotten the feedback at the beginning that he finally got after the course was over, he might well have made different choices along the way.
btuberville - January 25, 2010 at 3:36 pm
At a time when students are, many times, the product of over-inflated high school grading systems, it’s understandable that some students get a bit perplexed when they get grades that do no conform to their expectation (an expectation based on previous experience). I always use it as a “teachable moment,” to reinforce the fact that, while they may have made As in high school, this IS NOT high school and that the bar for achievement is much higher.I also make sure that I include a detailed grading criteria in my course syllabus just so there are no questions later on.Many times students need to see and hear what we consider A, B, C, D, or even F work. If we tell them we want it “extraordinarily thorough and strong,” as the author states, then we need to provide them an example of such.
marka - January 25, 2010 at 3:50 pm
Thanks for the article, and thoughtful responses – minus the first one (ugh!) I agree that grading should be more transparent, and that the more subjective aspects of non-science/math/engineering make it more difficult. And email to student was great — whether beyond the call of duty or not. I disagree with concept that profs’ say should be final — that we should simply trust prof to do the right thing/be fair.When a student over 30 years ago, I had occasion to question 3 grades — 1 in math, 1 in poli sci, and 1 in law. In each case, I did so because the final grade seemed to be completely unconnected to my performance in the class. For math, the grading system had been explained, and that was why I was stunned — the professor, chair of the department, didn’t actually follow the formula for me! I had received ‘A’s’ thruout the semester, but a ‘C’ as a final grade. Turns out he gave me a ‘zero’ for a test I had missed because of illness, even though he had assured me that I didn’t need to make up that test. Final result – a ‘B’. After my discussion with him, became clear that he was going to make my life difficult as a mathematics major, so I double-majored in poli sci. Warning – don’t take classes from foreign visiting profs. Again, got ‘A’s’ thruout semester, only to get ‘F’ on poli sci final, because my final paper had pegged Nixon winning a second term (which he did!). Visiting prof was ‘liberal’, and told me I wouldn’t be able to get a passing grade, unless I changed my conclusion. Went to dean of poli sci, who said I could appeal — but probably wouldn’t accomplish anything. To my later chagrin, went ahead & changed ‘conclusion’ — and got ‘A.’ So much for intellectual integrity in poli sci. Similar story with visiting professor in law school — had rescheduled exam date with dean of students — standard procedure — and was rewarded with low grade in Labour Law. Again, I communicated with ‘liberal’ prof (back overseas), who, when asked to explain grade, claimed he had ‘lost’ my final, couldn’t remember any details or reasons for grade, but ‘remembered’ it enough that he wasn’t going to let me take another test, and his decision was final. Similarly, law school dean said I could appeal — but probably wouldn’t change decision, even though his sense was visiting prof was miffed because I had gotten exam change thru dean, not with prof!So, some of my most important lessons learned from grading: profs can be arbitrary, ornery, or just plain partisan, even if they consider themselves ‘open-minded’ ‘liberals.’ And academic systems are not set up for students to learn and get accurate feedback (in the form of grades), but to protect profs — no meaningful ‘due process’ even in law school. Oh well, …
lzlogar - January 25, 2010 at 5:06 pm
My understanding–and the recommendation of lots of universities–is that, according to FERPA, grades shouldn’t be discussed at all via email since email is not considered “secure.”
professorxyz - January 25, 2010 at 6:28 pm
Grade inflation!!!! Pure in simple. They all expect to earn an “A” for showing up and breathing. This student likely never recieved a “B” in his life. After all, in high school, he had attended all the classes and submitted all the assignments on time, and been awarded all A’s in the past for it.
suomynona - January 25, 2010 at 8:49 pm
Perhaps I should point out for #9 that the subject of the subject at hand is a writing course, which is neither a science course (nor a ‘derivative’ of one) nor (for #10) a social science course. Nonetheless I’m wholly comfortable with grading rubrics in arts and humanities courses. And I think there are plenty of ways to reasonably convey to students what is expected of them to earn certain grades in these kinds of courses. I’m also wholly comfortable with the repeatability and consistency of writing assignment grading methods, having done more than enough of that so far and triangulated results with professors for whom I’ve worked.
amnirov - January 25, 2010 at 9:53 pm
Meeting the minimum requirements is a D. The very lowest level of passing grade. Doing an average job is a C.
new_theologian - January 25, 2010 at 11:41 pm
I include a detailed discussion of grading criteria in my syllabus (a couple of pages worth), as well as two appendices for writing. The first is a checklist for the student to see whether his or her work has manifest all the right things. The second is an explanation of what each major level of grade (A – F) looks like in writing assignments. I try to explain things as “objectively” as possible.That said, I cringe when I read or hear the kind of talk featured in comment #9. I developed a rubric for oral examinations after students complained to the academic dean that they had no idea what they were graded on in that assignment. I introduced the rubric mid-semester during a semester in which I heard two oral exams for each student in that course. I discovered that the grade distribution was identical for the first and second oral exams, and that students tended, individually, to repeat their performance the second time around.My experience that semester taught me that developing rubrics can be a useful tool for satisfying critics who doubt whether professors have any idea what they’re doing in the administration of their grades, but they do not do a whole lot to help professors actually do the job of grading. I found the same thing after developing “rubrics” of a sort for written work. Grades did not change.Now, I have changed grades on several occasions. I do make mistakes, and when I catch them, I fix them, even when it means I have to do paperwork (which I hate). I hand each student a grade report, usually more than once per semester, detailing each assignment and the grade earned. I ask students to check their records against mine, and if there is a discrepancy, we compare notes. I correct my records if I’m the one who’s wrong. It happens. There’s no shame in admitting it. A person of integrity tells the truth, and that’s what grades are supposed to be–a truthful report a student’s performance on a particular assignment, or in a particular course.Finally, I want to make clear that the reason I cringe when I hear comments like #9 is multifaceted. Not only do I find the suggestion that professor’s grades are random inane–and I’ve done my own experiments to demonstrate to my own satisfaction that they are not random–but I resist with every fiber of my being the idea that an assignment is merely an “instrument” for measuring achievement. The assignment often IS the achievement. Every assignment I have my students complete–even multiple-choice exams–are designed to have pedagogical value. They are supposed to be teaching tools, not just instruments of assessment. A student should always have more understanding of the subject matter on the way out of the assignment than he or she had on the way into it. I’m firmly committed to that educational philosophy, and I resist the “eduspeak” that rests upon the view that material is “presented” and absorption is “measured.”
johntoradze - January 26, 2010 at 11:29 am
I cringe when I read comments like #19, because I know full well that many grades given are random and “inane”. I raised a stink once because I overheard TAs laughing about how they didn’t actually grade a set of assignments that were 1/3 of student’s grade – instead they were grading based on what they knew the student knew. (Which was impossible. I taught that course, a science lab, and no other way was possible.) In that same set were TAs who didn’t know the material, and a professor who instructed students incorrectly as to the mathematics. I did manage to get that out of the syllabus. But there were so many errors that they got rid of me. I cringe, because when I know quite well that many so-called scientists can’t run a proper experiment, the idea that a theologian is capable of it is quite a stretch. Perhaps, but such experiments can only be valid if they are blinded, and #19 smacks of self-fulfilling prophecy. I doubt the “experiments” conducted by new_theologian have any validity whatsoever. I cringe, because I know that while many students don’t really care to work harder to change their grades, quite a few do. I have had quite a few of them.
new_theologian - January 26, 2010 at 1:13 pm
I can’t comment on assigning grades without grading assignments. I’ve never done it and never will. I read through every word and every punctuation mark, and write copious notes in the margins, and usually summary comments at the end, particularly if I am grading a major paper. It’s not appropriate to compare apples to oranges. Grades will necessarily be random if they’re based upon an instructors prejudiced sense of what the student already knows. I’m not talking about that at all, and I would be incensed at a colleague who thought it was acceptable to treat students in that way. It’s not only unprofessional but immoral as well.Now, when I say that I’ve conducted “experiments,” I’m not saying that they’re scientifically valid experiments. I wouldn’t seek to publish my findings in a refereed journal. But I’ve compared notes on my own grades with or without a rubric, I’ve blindly graded papers with colleagues to find that we’ve arrived at very close overall grading patterns, and I’ve blindly graded the same essay months apart only to find that I assigned the same grade in both cases. This isn’t conclusive data, but I am confident that my own grades–the meaning of which I am able to articulate with great clarity–are not randomly assigned.
suomynona - January 26, 2010 at 1:51 pm
Also, #20, in my admittedly meager experience, ‘norming’ procedures like the ones new_theologian describes are pretty common, if not standard practices to maintain or improve some consistency in grading. When I did my first grading as a TA I did it across the table with the professor and we compared notes and discussed any differences (there were few at first, then fewer and fewer). We did this for the first several assignments until prof felt comfortable with me grading the assignments. If anything, bad grading among TAs is a symptom of much larger problems with the way academic labor is organized, particularly the way TAs are frequently just flat out exploited, rather than ‘apprenticed’ or trained as I (fortunately) was. Everybody suffers from that kind of exploitation.I should also say that as someone who spends enough time with scientists and has some scientific background himself, a strict positivist approach might be enough to grade a multiple choice exam, but it’s not enough to actually do science. Obviously in the actual practice of science there are mistakes, unaccounted-for errors, trials, retrials, etc., the results of which don’t always reflect the process. So while it’s obiously easier and more ‘scientific’ for a professor to determine whether a student has ticked the right box on a piece of paper corresponding to the correct answer, I would hope that teaching and assessment in the sciences still goes beyond that.
ksledge - January 27, 2010 at 7:59 am
I would not have wasted my time with an e-mail. I would have told the student to come to office hours. I also would have given the student the assignment of looking at the grading rubric/guideline alongside his paper to tell ME why he thought he deserved a B…or some other grade. Then the office hours meeting could continue more smoothly. I also would not make a policy about not discussing grades before the 3rd week. Usually that’s after the drop/add period and students are stuck with you. I think this is the most critical part of the term to give feedback. But in person is better than over e-mail. Also, the more clear and detailed you make your guidelines up front in the first place, the more you can avoid this sort of thing. Finally, I’m surprised that someone who hands in a completed assignment on time automatically gets a “C”. If your student knows that the minimum earns a C, no wonder he thinks a B is a bad grade.
lee77 - January 27, 2010 at 8:24 am
Gina – since you seemed genuinely interested in the individual, and wanted to encourage him to continue writing, I think what you did was commendable. I am curious if he responded at the time, or since – I could see him, down the road, on some TV show saying ‘the turning point in my life was this email I got from my professor, which I still have. She had some tough words, but she also saw that I could do better’. RE: the comment about FERPA – while there is some risk of exposure via email, at least the email wasn’t sent to a list, or posted where others could see it. Gina did run the risk that the student would be so miffed at the response that he would selectively edit it, and post it in such a way that Gina looked bad. For that reason I would certainly never say anything in an email that I wasn’t prepared to see go viral.
pwinter - January 27, 2010 at 8:59 am
Very well stated, Gina. Grade inflation and social promotion in high school has created a Lake Wobegon generation of college students where everyone is “above average”. This sense of entitlement is carried over to the workforce to employees that believe that they should be commended for arriving on time each day and constructive feedback is personally wounding to the student or employee.
cer123 - January 27, 2010 at 9:04 am
Yes, this is part of your job. I thought your comment was appropriate. I’m sure this student will be encouraged to continue writing as a result of your quick response and sincere comment. It’s unfortunate our culture doesn’t value B students enough. Thanks for acknowledging his good work.
speterfreund - January 27, 2010 at 9:24 am
Virtually no one else has remarked that the course in question was a writing course, and an important intangible in any writing course is the “aha moment,” when one is able to view her/his writing as a production that is highly fungible and subject to improvement. Unfortunately, there is no way to teach such a moment, only to discuss it, to foster it by encouragement and to point to examples of it that occur in the class–if they do. Gina, other than including some discussion of this phenomenon and what is required to achieve it, you did most of what could be expected. One concrete thing I might do differently if I were teaching the course is to modify the use of the portfolio so that students were receiving feedback if not grades all along. And such feedback could make use of some precisely calibrated adjectives–e.g., “excellent,” “good,” “satisfactory,” “adequate”–that could be tied to performance ranges and, ultimately, to grades. Part of the student’s response was based not on his performance, but on his expectation of what that performance was worth, and from what I can tell, you did not intervene to counter that expectation until you awarded the final grade.
11236506 - January 27, 2010 at 9:54 am
Back in the late 70′s when I went to college the catalog included the following reminder:In College: – They don’t call it “homework” it’s “study”… – They don’t call them “teachers” they’re “professors”… – The principal is a president now… – School board members are regents… – “A’s” become “B’s”… – But you are still just a student!
nlincolnhanks - January 27, 2010 at 10:07 am
The mentality of consumerism has degraded our grading standards. I agree wholeheartedly with comment 18. We must all remember that a “D”(minimum requirement) and “C” (average) sit on our grading scale for a reason. Sometimes we need to rejoice – and teach our pupils to sometimes rejoice – in the grade of “C,” especially if it was a hard-earned grade or reflected marked improvement.
addmatt - January 27, 2010 at 11:21 am
I for one thought your response letter was right on and highly appropriate. I am an adjunct, and find grading by far the worst part of the job; dealing with students’ objections to grades a close second. I agree with many of the comments made, especially: i) assignments and exams should primarily be learning tools, not assessment tools – in my opinion student assessment is a necessary evil; ii) grading is done by human beings – it will not be perfect, and no student should expect perfection; iii) a “B” is a very good grade – an “A” is for truly exemplary work; iv) professors should be willing to discuss grades with students at any time, but should change grades only when convinced a mistake was made. I try to keep the conversations short and to the point – engaging in long and emotionally draining arguments over such things is not part of my job. Finally, I have found that one of the most effective ways to quiet students who object is to send them, or post, the best student work and say this is what “A” work looks like – most students can quickly see the difference.
rethinking - January 27, 2010 at 11:52 am
It is the professors resonsibility to discuss a student’s grade which is supposedly a reflection of that student’s performance in class. How else will the student improve on what they have done in their past? This is the disconnect in higher education. We think it is our job to post their grades and send students on their way instead of really developing student intellect. Instead of ignoring emails and being too fearful to stand up to the grades that you give students, either abolish grades or stand behind your rubric. If your rubric is unlcear, then perhaps it is you who needs some talent development. I hope that professors can be humble enough to recognize that some students give great feedback as well.
johntoradze - January 27, 2010 at 12:15 pm
Re: #21 – Perhaps the inability to change grades in theology is reflective of the difficulty theology tends to have with clarity? ;-) As a non-believer in the “great baboon in the sky” abstraction of our primate instinctual heritage, my interactions with theological pedagogy would probably net me an “F”. However, mathematics and sciences have more emphasis on hewing to a standard that is objective. Perhaps this explains some of the difference in ability of students to improve when they choose? But then, I suppose I could hold my own in a theological conundrum. I did attempt a long time ago to be a monk.
bandrews1972 - January 27, 2010 at 1:28 pm
It seems to me that this is a question of priorities. If our job is, in the end, to teach, then this was an excellent e-mail. If our job is, ultimately, to grade, then the “shut up and read the syllabus” approach is appropriate.I believe that we are at our best when we are guiding students, not setting up fences in order to train them to head in a particular direction. Gina’s e-mail was a response to an opportunity to guide a student. I would strongly encourage all of us to look for these types of opportunities more often, and spend less time discussing our perspectives on why today’s students are not as serious as all of us were.
eytanfichman - January 27, 2010 at 2:29 pm
When I was turning fifty, after twenty years of teaching, I went back to school for a second masters degree, this one in education. I loved the program and felt that I was fully challenged by it. I learned much from the readings, assignments, lectures and discussions. It was also exhilarating to be a student again. It was also very hard sometimes. I learned some things I had forgotten about the experience of being a student. For example, I (re)learned that it is not always clear why one has earned the grade one receives. When I found myself in this situation, as a student / experienced teacher, I wished that it was otherwise. It was embarrassing, but I did, on one occasion, ask that question of my teacher. I did so mindful of how little I had appreciated that kind of question over the years of my teaching. In retrospect the reasons my teacher had were clear but, at the time, it was hard for me to stand back from my work and understand well its strengths and weaknesses. When you are the student of a subject it may often be the case that you do not have the expertise to distinguish between good and excellent work. As a result of this, and other similar experiences as a fifty-year-old student, I have come to think that some teachers should try to have more empathy for their students. Now I do.
new_theologian - January 27, 2010 at 4:01 pm
Re: johntoradze (#32)–I’m not sure where the impression comes from that students do not improve in theology. I have noticed that in some assignments performance tends to be level, but I am not testing on the same material a second time around. I also modify my assignments when I find that they are not meeting their pedagogical purpose. But students absolutely do improve over the course of the semester–not to a person, but over-all. Their writing gets better. Their ability to think outside the box improves. Their ability to enter another person’s perspective or frame of reference improves. Their sensitivity to the typological meaning of text, image, and practice develops.Now, I have to say that theologians are not the only people who have trouble with clarity. Scientists actually have a lot of trouble with clarity. Consider the following illustrative questions: What does the word “force” mean, as in, “the electro-magnetic force”? What do scientists mean by “particle” in a world where a particle can be a “wave”, which is something other than a particle? What do scientists mean by “space”? Do they know what space is? I can go on for a long time, of course.The difference, here, is that theologians take as a foundational premise that language is finally inadequate before the object under consideration, and part of the task of the theologian very consciously becomes taking care with respect to what we cannot say, and clarifying what it is that we do not mean to suggest in what we say.Scientists often do not seem to realize that they face the same problem before the strangeness of the physical universe, and end by failing to see the foundational presuppositions (sometimes unproven, unquestioned, or even incorrect) of their own scientific paradigms.On the Newtonian model, for example, scientists conceptualized “space” as “nothingness” or a “void.” But the ancient philosophers already knew that such a claim was absurd. Nothingness cannot be extended. If there is “space” between two objects, and “space” is “nothing,” then there is nothing between the two objects, and they are actually touching one another. But the whole idea of “space” is to say that these two objects are held apart by some extension–some distance. So the Newtonian model of space is a philosophical absurdity, which later scientific observations finally discovered. Scientists caught up to philosophers about 3,500 years late. We still don’t know what space actually is–not for sure–but at least scientists now understand that, whatever it is, it’s not nothing. That said, they are obviously relying, heavily, upon a filler concept about which they lack any real clarity. When theologians do this sort of thing, we are aware of it, and openly admit it. Scientists seem to think that doing so would make them seem weak, when, in reality, it would only make them seem humble and wise.
franceswoods - January 27, 2010 at 4:06 pm
As a honors undergraduate English major, I was fortunate to have some wonderful teachers. I worked hard and usually got top grades. However in one course, on a major paper on Blake I got a Bplus. I talked with my teacher-a well known scholar, who very kindly took the time to go over my paper and write comments so that I could really understand how I should have said what I was trying to say. It was one of the most important learning experiences of my life. It only took those extra 20 minutes he gave for me to improve my writing the rest of my senior year and through a doctoral progam in psychology and now in a clinical practice where report writing is often required. Thanks to all you teachers who are generous with your time teaching serious students.
jason1971 - January 28, 2010 at 10:33 am
I appreciate all the comments that have been made about the situation described in the article. Rather than taking a stand on one side or another or another, I just want to say that the discussion makes me more fully appreciate the importance of having a clear grading philosophy and then communicating that philosophy to the students early and often. As an English professor at a community college, I have had to teach composition, literature, technical writing, public speaking, philosophy, humanities, and drama. It is truly amazing how different grading practices are between different subjects and when practices are so varied. You all have inspired me to go back and review my own grading policies for my various courses to ensure that they are clear and effective.
gtkarn - January 28, 2010 at 10:49 pm
Good respons, Gina. In my experience, I have had students who would insist that if they got a B, that was a sign of failure to get an A. Nothing I could say would persuade them that this attitude was practically psychotic and doomed them to an unhappy life insofar as comparing one’s “status” with others would mean that they would always be disappointed by the fact that someone will always have more or better toys than they do. (eg. not a big enough house, nice enough car… etc.)My father came from the old country; never went to college. Believed passionately in education. Never asked me about my grades. He just wanted to know if I tried my best. That was all. Students, many who get a B, disregard it as a “good” grade (that’s what it signifies, after all) have assured me that, on the contrary, all it says to them is that they failed to work hard enough to receive an A. That may be true, but I could never test that hypothesis. Furthermore, it also may be true that that they worked as hard as they could, and that the B grade was not a sign of failure. I have had students totally incapable of grasping that concept, and I am saddened by their inability to feel good about a “good” grade. I ask them, finally, to consider the simple fact that rarely, if ever, does a supervisor hand out grades to employees, so it’s peobably best to pay attention to the evaluating language, the criteria it invokes, and then engage intelligently, through dialogue, with those who use those criteria to assess your performance. They might also watch Dancing With the Stars, observing what happens when the performers have not been given stellar “grades.”
goxewu - January 29, 2010 at 11:13 am
1. Doesn’t everybody’s school have a handbook (print or online) in which there’s an official definition of the grades, e.g., “A = excellent, truly exceptional work…C = satifactory or average work…”? If so, just point the student to it.2. As for what constitutes “A” or “B” or “C” work, I keep on hand a sample paper of each, in the various lengths (short paper, term paper, etc.), especially the “A” and “B” papers, with marginalia indicating what, in particular, is excellent/good, and why. When a student complains about not getting, say, an “A” on a paper, I hand him/her a copy of an “A” paper (the student-author’s name redacted) and tell him/her to compare and get back to me.Those two things–plus giving grades along the way so that a final course grade is no surprise–take care of the matter 95 percent of the time. The rest sort themselves into outright special pleading (“I need an ‘A’ in this course to get into law school”), which I reject outright, or emotional histrionics, for which I recommend counseling.Most grading trouble boils down to simple lack of simple courage on the part of the faculty member. And none of the excuses (e.g., “I have to give high grades to stay popular with the students so I can get good evaluations to keep my job because I’m untenured [or an adjunct]“) change the substance of that. Yes, grading in the humanities or the arts is more subjective than grading in math or the hard sciences. But I notice that the inherent subjectivity is never raised until the student receives a grade he/she doesn’t like. And, if it’s so subjective (meaning, “Who’s to say what’s good or bad in [pick your humanities endeavor]?”), why in hell is the student taking a class from a professor who, presumably, does know what’s good or bad? And if the answer to that is, “I’m only here because it’s required,” then I say, “I’m only grading you because it’s required,” and we’re all even again.