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[dr_mk]

I've taken to putting all their grades on the course management system and letting it calculate their "final" grade.

Then I download the grades into Excel and do the actual final grade calculation, where I drop some grades and weight things according to what I laid out in the syllabus.

Since the overall final grades that I calculate are usually higher than the grade that the CMS spits out, I don't get a lot of "how close was I to the next higher grade" types of questions, because they think I've already bumped them up a grade.

Hmmm. Maybe this should go in the Jedi Mind Tricks thread, too.

[scatmanblues]

I am happy to report that the student I most anticipated as a grade grubber this semester (as reported in the emails thread) retired with nary a whimper after my very matter-of-fact reply containing dates of missed things and details from the syllabus indicating the non-negotiable nature of my make-up policy (or in her case, non-make-up-policy).  I really can't thank the fora enough for helping me learn how to do that well and in a positive tone.

She came in this evening for the finals period, handed in an assignment she was allowed to complete, and walked out. 

Yay!

Scatmanblues

[geonerd]

I'm team-teaching this semester. We have a student who is working both of us, and taking "artistic liberties" in the retelling of events with each of us.  Does he think we don't talk to each other?

[samspade]

So far this week I have been accused of making a student lose his scholarship for the F I gave him (he plagiarized a paper and received a zero for the assignment, not sure how he expected to pass) and that I prevented another student from going on a trip to China by the B- the student earned, which I had been a actually generous to give as his final average was a 79. My only reply to each was to send them their grades for each test and paper. I didn't trust myself not to be snarky. 

[wilbrish]

I had a potential grade-grubber. I could see all the signs.  The e-mails stating, "But I thought you said in class it was not due," and "I really did not understand what you meant by.." thereby laying the groundwork for an appeal later.  I was stressing, being patient in my replies and just waiting for it.

Last night at 1 a.m. she e-mailed me that her computer crashed and she lost all her work on her final paper.

I blame God.

[patchouli]

And this bolded area below is exactly the thinking process that allows one to think she/he has a chance to affect the actual earned grade; it's just more emphasis on effort over product, trying versus doing.

I had this email the night before the final exam:

This semester has been a struggle for me. Everything is so different from high school and I sometimes have a hard time dealing with change. I've been extremely stressed and sad about my intro to basketweaving grade. I really do try, but I feel like I've failed. I've been studying for hours in the library with study groups and also alone. I am doing everything I possibly can to raise my grade. If I fail this class I will be extremely disappointed with myself and extremely devastated. Not only because I failed and would have to retake the class, but because I put so much time and effort to raise my grade and it did absolutely nothing. This semester has definitely opened my eyes and I have learned a lot from my mistakes. I was so upset about my grade and failing that I wanted to transfer schools. I told myself no, I need to hang in there and not give up, and that is exactly what I'm doing. So basically, if my grade is not a 77%, but close, it would literally mean the world to me if you added a few points so I can pass. I've been told that if you are on the verge of a C, but have a CD, teachers tend to do this if they know you actually tried. So that is why I wanted to send you this email. I know you may disregard it completely, but I didn't think telling you would hurt anything. Have a nice day.

Didn't participate in class, including the group discussions. Skipped 2 classes where we had simulation. Never came to office hours or asked for help on poorly written papers until the last one was due. Can't see much trying there. Not to mention I can't grade effort but only the product. I didn't respond. And, she failed the final exam.

[polly_mer]

I have not gotten to final grades yet (first final exam is tomorrow morning).  However, yesterday I posted "everything except the final exam" grades since I'm done grading the end-of-term projects that are 20% of the final grade.  I wrote an announcement of "These are your grades with everything except the final exam".  I put the same explanation in the grading column on Bb.

I have now been deluged with emails about "Did you count ...?", "Did you apply the drops?", and "Does that include the project?"

Interestingly, I have not heard one peep about the column next to the everything-but-the-final-exam column that states the highest possible letter grade that a student could earn.  None of the B folks have said, "Why can't I earn an A?"  On the other hand, several of those folks were the ones asking if I counted everything, so perhaps later today after students read my yes-I-counted-everything responses, I will be hearing about how unfair that they cannot earn an A is.

[anon99]

I had this email the night before the final exam:

... So basically, if my grade is not a 77%, but close, it would literally mean the world to me if you added a few points so I can pass. I've been told that if you are on the verge of a C, but have a CD, teachers tend to do this if they know you actually tried. ...

Is your C/D grade cut off at 77%?  I know grading systems differ, but here 77% would be a B+.  Also out of curiosity, what is a failing grade?  I know some faculties have it at 60%, but if they are close to 77% that seems like a long way from failing.

[onthefringe]

I had this email the night before the final exam:

... So basically, if my grade is not a 77%, but close, it would literally mean the world to me if you added a few points so I can pass. I've been told that if you are on the verge of a C, but have a CD, teachers tend to do this if they know you actually tried. ...

Is your C/D grade cut off at 77%?  I know grading systems differ, but here 77% would be a B+.  Also out of curiosity, what is a failing grade?  I know some faculties have it at 60%, but if they are close to 77% that seems like a long way from failing.

And neither of these match my system, where a 77% is at the C/C+ border.

In some majors you need a C+ to count a course towards your major, but in no way would a 77% be close to failing.

[fishbrains]

Actually, Snowflake skipped out at the break for about half the classes

It always surprises me when they think we don't notice that they leave early.  Was she floored by this nugget of information?

So far she hasn't responded and probably won't. I assume she's writhing in self-loathing, of course.

The Fiona

Yes, as she trashes you on RateMyProfessor or some other site.

[anon99]

I had this email the night before the final exam:

... So basically, if my grade is not a 77%, but close, it would literally mean the world to me if you added a few points so I can pass. I've been told that if you are on the verge of a C, but have a CD, teachers tend to do this if they know you actually tried. ...

Is your C/D grade cut off at 77%?  I know grading systems differ, but here 77% would be a B+.  Also out of curiosity, what is a failing grade?  I know some faculties have it at 60%, but if they are close to 77% that seems like a long way from failing.

And neither of these match my system, where a 77% is at the C/C+ border.

In some majors you need a C+ to count a course towards your major, but in no way would a 77% be close to failing.

I did not know that, thank you!

[dr_evil]

I've got a potential grubber laying the ground work in case they don't get the grade they want.  This person is insisting on coming by my office to find out exactly how many points she has before the final, even though she already took it.  I usually avoid telling the students this so I don't have to deal with them calculating to the last point what the final might be or addressing all of the "what if..." questions.  I'm not looking forward to it.

[txgalprof]

"But I didn't KNOW that 4 zeros would hurt my grade so much"

[fiona]

Actually, Snowflake skipped out at the break for about half the classes

It always surprises me when they think we don't notice that they leave early.  Was she floored by this nugget of information?

So far she hasn't responded and probably won't. I assume she's writhing in self-loathing, of course.

The Fiona

Yes, as she trashes you on RateMyProfessor or some other site.

She might, but it doesn't matter. RMP has no credibility on my campus, and anyhow, I've had tenure since the War of 1812.

An update, though: nary a peep from anyone else about grades, though there were more than a few D's. I guess those students were aware that they hadn't done the work.

OR--are our students so lulled by social media that they don't even notice or care about grades? Are they like lotus eaters, swimming in a haze of whatever?

The Fiona

[dr_evil]

She might, but it doesn't matter. RMP has no credibility on my campus, and anyhow, I've had tenure since the War of 1812.

Sadly, I'm at a place where student evals are everything.  And retention, can't forget that.  Doesn't matter if they're woefully unprepared, we have to get more students to pass.  I need a drink, and it's a bit too early for that.

Best of luck to everyone with their grubbers.  May they go away quietly.