Grading Issues

I did search my mind for something zingier than that as a post title, but instead of settling for a groaner pun, I thought to get straight to the point. Last night, Bob and I ran the numbers for my Grammar students’ final grades. I ended up with an Excel spreadsheet of the semester instead of using one of the great, FREE grading programs floating around the web because, after downloading one and setting most of it up, I soon got overwhelmed with the workload and settled for the relative simplicity Excel afforded. Yeah, woo hoo, except NOW I have to depend on my curly-haired wonder husband to tall me the grades my students earned because I am decidedly math UNfriendly. He did all that and with the right incentive, he also helped calculate the grades for my other classes so I could post the grades I know my students are slavering for.

The nitty gritty of the Grammar class is a range of percentages that start at 17, hit 27, visits 35, 43 and 57, then peak out at 65 to 72, with ONE person managing a 78. Ye GADS! Some of these cherubs lifted not one finger toward homework, shared nary a comment, choice or otherwise, and basically provided only ballast to the classroom and building in case a hurricane blew our way.

My Speechifying classes fared quite a bit better, with a variety of As, many marks in the B and C ranges, the odd wastrel at D and at least 5 Fs in the two classes together. Ahh, the Fs. In one case the F came because the student in question did not present one of his speeches, declined to do any real preparation for his persuasive speech and had the chutzpah to attempt to wing it: “Today I am going to talk to you about procrastination. There are 3 types and I suffer from all three. Any questions.” Really, and truly.

Oh, and this student didn’t hand in his final, written exam. He earned every vestige of his 34 percent.

One of my more vocal, thinking out loud kind of classroom companions has what in high school would be and IEP, or an institutional education plan. In College, he has a similar exemption to standard treatment. That said, last Monday morning when the finals were due, this bright and geeky kids showed up to tell me that he did NOT have his final, that he had awoken in the middle of the night realizing that it was due and when he failed to find the paper, gave up. The first thing he said to me when he saw me holding the pile of exams was that he deserved the zero, that my stated policy was clear and that he was ready to face the consequences.

He wasn’t serving up tired excuses; his dog hadn’t eaten the paper, he hadn’t been at a funeral… he just owned up to having blown it and NOT MENTIONING HIS PLAN. I stood looking at this person and then inquired as to the fine print on his ed plan. Wasn’t time and a half part of the deal? Wasn’t organization also one of his issues? He seemed taken aback that I would know this and nodded. IF, I told him, I had the paper in my email box by midnight, I would grade it.

It arrived at 3:17 timestamped. Incomplete.

I bent my rules then, AGAIN, by accepting this paper and then I went further by standing over him later that morning, when I found him in the library, as he did the 2 questions he had missed so he could pass. This kid could always be counted on to provide insight into issues not considered by others, to attend every class and I realize here I am justifying doing something I should not have done. I found myself moved by his rare honesty and personal responsibility and knew I could legally allow him to have the extra time. I was quite content with my decision to give him until midnight. Went past that, didn’t he? AFGO for me - another fucking growth opportunity. I won’t do that again.

Finally, a student who hadn’t shown up to my class on Monday, did not hand her final to me then when it was due, did not email me or try to find me, had the nerve to send me this (in all its glory) on Thursday, the day after the last class of the semester:

Dear Ms. O’Mam;

It was brought to my attention by a fellow class mate that I haven’t turned in my final; I was under the impression that I had, and for that mistake I apoligize. I would most appreciate it if you could e-mail me another copy of the final… I realize that if you do this, it is only as a favor, and not a requirment, but it is a favor I would GREATLY apreciate.

I hope to recieve a favorable reply,

Student

She wanted ME to send her another copy of the exam, DAYS late, and then to accept her paper! In this case, my position was crystal clear and when I saw her before I got her email, and she asked me to help, I explained that there was nothing I could do, that she knew exactly when it was due and that it had been her responsibility to ensure she met all the requirements of the course. How she could think I would fall for her “impression” I don’t kn0w - she had not shown up when the final was due. No extenuating circumstances operated here.

Why do some students have such a strong self-destructive impulse that would inspire this kind of behavior? There were at least 2 in each of my classes and I could only stand back and watch as they made decisions –to not turn in work, to not study or prepare their speeches properly– they clearly needed to in order to learn necessary lessons. As they push, I learn how to maintain firm boundaries and where the rare exception can be made.

When do you all make exceptions?