Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Robbed By My English Teacher
Dear Guidance Guy,
School is almost over, but I really need your advice. Today, I got my English essay back and received a 65%. My essay was great (or at least I along with 10 other people thought so). The librarian said it was good. Everybody said it was good... except the teacher who was marking it. I was so upset that I was crying like crazy and thank God I had amazing
friends who were there for me.
Unfortunately, my teacher is the type of teacher who doesn't take anything but her answer as the correct one. I'm sorry, but I was always
under the impression that English was a subjective subject. The most obvious thing to do is talk to her, but if you knew my teacher, you probably wouldn't even try.
It's ridiculous how she is completely incompetent. She shouldn't even be
teaching. She never tells us what she wants on our assignments until two days before it's due and sometimes, she even tells you what she expects AFTER you hand it in. Tell me what the point in that is? In the entire year, we never learned anything at all.
In the entire year, she only marks five things (literally) and that's all that counts on our report card. We had five tests and she wouldn't count any of them. They were "formative". The one that did count, everybody failed because she suddenly decided to mark ridiculously hard. On the formatives, everybody got high ninties and then she screws us up on the thing that counts.
My point is, she's ridiculous and I would like to know how I should handle this. My parents said I should let it slip since I'm only in 9th grade, but somebody needs to put this lady in her place. Somebody needs to tell her how wrong she is and how no student likes her (and this is an honest
statement).
I'm not a bad student. I like most teachers. I get along with almost
everybody. I'm not a hateful person. If I go to the school and say "I don't like this teacher." Then it will seem as if I hold a grudge against her only because I didn't receive a high mark. I don't know anymore. What should I do about this stupid stupid stupid teacher?
They say that we'll come across these teachers many times in our lives, but nevertheless, I can't help but be so angry. Should I take this up
with my guidance counselor? The thing is, my mark is probably now in the eighties, but it's not the mark I care about. I just want her to retake teacher's college or something... but it's too late to even go to guidance.
Any opinions?
Thanks,
Elly
*****
Dear Elly,
Did you receive a syllabus or course guide at the beginning of the year letting you know what the course content was and how you would be graded? If you did, and that's what was on it, you knew ahead of time what the deal would be. If not, it's another story.
I agree with you that five papers forming your grade for the entire year isn't the best way to assess what you learned. The idea of formative papers and tests is actually a good one - if you can use that information to study for the summative papers (the ones that count for your grade). But five things that count for entire year doesn't sound like the best way to give a grade. Most educational experts look for "multiple assessments," which means lots of chances to get things right.
Your guidance counselor is probably not the person you should go to with this issue, although you can let him or her know what's happening. This is a subject area issue, and you should go to either the principal or English department chairperson. Make sure you have your facts straight first. Be sure you talk about how grading was done and how your particular grade came about. Many teachers use a scoring rubric for assignments so students can measure their paper against what the teacher wants. This is something that should have been provided, especially for a class with so few assignments that count.
Reading your letter, it looks like the mark is at least part of what you care about, and there's nothing wrong with that. Ask the principal or department chairperson to take a look at your paper and give their opinion. If there's a scoring rubric let them see that also. You don't have to give your opinion on this teacher needing to back to college. If you do you'll come off as angry and not to be taken seriously. Let the facts speak for themselves.
And one final thought...learn from this experience. Make sure you prepare for the important stuff as far in advance as possible and check with your teacher often to make sure you're doing things the right way, or at least the way she wants (hoepfully they're the same thing).
Have a great summer,
The Guidance Guy
School is almost over, but I really need your advice. Today, I got my English essay back and received a 65%. My essay was great (or at least I along with 10 other people thought so). The librarian said it was good. Everybody said it was good... except the teacher who was marking it. I was so upset that I was crying like crazy and thank God I had amazing
friends who were there for me.
Unfortunately, my teacher is the type of teacher who doesn't take anything but her answer as the correct one. I'm sorry, but I was always
under the impression that English was a subjective subject. The most obvious thing to do is talk to her, but if you knew my teacher, you probably wouldn't even try.
It's ridiculous how she is completely incompetent. She shouldn't even be
teaching. She never tells us what she wants on our assignments until two days before it's due and sometimes, she even tells you what she expects AFTER you hand it in. Tell me what the point in that is? In the entire year, we never learned anything at all.
In the entire year, she only marks five things (literally) and that's all that counts on our report card. We had five tests and she wouldn't count any of them. They were "formative". The one that did count, everybody failed because she suddenly decided to mark ridiculously hard. On the formatives, everybody got high ninties and then she screws us up on the thing that counts.
My point is, she's ridiculous and I would like to know how I should handle this. My parents said I should let it slip since I'm only in 9th grade, but somebody needs to put this lady in her place. Somebody needs to tell her how wrong she is and how no student likes her (and this is an honest
statement).
I'm not a bad student. I like most teachers. I get along with almost
everybody. I'm not a hateful person. If I go to the school and say "I don't like this teacher." Then it will seem as if I hold a grudge against her only because I didn't receive a high mark. I don't know anymore. What should I do about this stupid stupid stupid teacher?
They say that we'll come across these teachers many times in our lives, but nevertheless, I can't help but be so angry. Should I take this up
with my guidance counselor? The thing is, my mark is probably now in the eighties, but it's not the mark I care about. I just want her to retake teacher's college or something... but it's too late to even go to guidance.
Any opinions?
Thanks,
Elly
*****
Dear Elly,
Did you receive a syllabus or course guide at the beginning of the year letting you know what the course content was and how you would be graded? If you did, and that's what was on it, you knew ahead of time what the deal would be. If not, it's another story.
I agree with you that five papers forming your grade for the entire year isn't the best way to assess what you learned. The idea of formative papers and tests is actually a good one - if you can use that information to study for the summative papers (the ones that count for your grade). But five things that count for entire year doesn't sound like the best way to give a grade. Most educational experts look for "multiple assessments," which means lots of chances to get things right.
Your guidance counselor is probably not the person you should go to with this issue, although you can let him or her know what's happening. This is a subject area issue, and you should go to either the principal or English department chairperson. Make sure you have your facts straight first. Be sure you talk about how grading was done and how your particular grade came about. Many teachers use a scoring rubric for assignments so students can measure their paper against what the teacher wants. This is something that should have been provided, especially for a class with so few assignments that count.
Reading your letter, it looks like the mark is at least part of what you care about, and there's nothing wrong with that. Ask the principal or department chairperson to take a look at your paper and give their opinion. If there's a scoring rubric let them see that also. You don't have to give your opinion on this teacher needing to back to college. If you do you'll come off as angry and not to be taken seriously. Let the facts speak for themselves.
And one final thought...learn from this experience. Make sure you prepare for the important stuff as far in advance as possible and check with your teacher often to make sure you're doing things the right way, or at least the way she wants (hoepfully they're the same thing).
Have a great summer,
The Guidance Guy
