I have had teachers like this before, and I remember some sort of explination a while ago. I'm always a straight A student until I'm in these classes, where the teacher doesn't "Believe In" giving A's. Bunch of BS IMO, especially since we're paying for a degree, going through all their BS of college--yeah, you know it is-- and for some stupid reason they feel the need to mess with GPA's.

Anyway, I have stopped caring since I'm finally about done on my 2nd degree, but another student is really distraught about not getting an A. This teacher has given me a B across the board, and apparently everyone else. The more I think about it, the more it pisses me off. I deserved an A on everything I've done in there, but for 'whatever reason' no one gets an A. What's the point? Anyone remember why some teachers do this?

focus on what you can do, not what you can't.

Oh, that's a nice thing to say to someone! That's like, "Well honey, not everyone can be pretty because someone has to stay at the bar to watch the pretty girls' purses!" :huh2:

You and your classmates are here to learn to be better writers, and though you may get frustrated, the learning is what is important, and you all are learning. All you can do is your best, so keep at it.

See, this is where I'd have to say I was there because it was required for my degree/the only open section/etc. And that she can tell me as much as she wants that the learning is what matters, but is she willing to convince my benefits department that handles tuition reimbursement the same thing??

Ay yay yay.

As an English professor for 20+ years, I have a lot of students who think they deserve A's and get really bent out of shape if they don't get them. In my classes, students have to earn an A by doing superior work. Without superior work, the student earns a lesser grade. But I always tell my students that they are fools if they are only interested in grades. When you get out of school your employer won't give a poop what your grades were. He/she will be interested in what you can do. Because you can memorize material doesn't make you a good employment prospect. If you can't put a really good essay together, it indicates several things: you don't pay attention to details, you can't understand the overall thesis, you are not very good at critical thinking, you are bad at organizing an argument, you fail to provide adequate examples for your points, etc. Blaming a teacher for your own inadequacies is very immature. I don't think I know of any professor who doesn't give A's. I suspect some students in your class have gotten A's. So the trick is to figure out what you are doing wrong and I'll bet you can get an A. But thank God I am going to retire in about a year and a half. I'm getting sick of students who just don't understand why they don't get an A just because they worked really hard on an assignment. The way to get good grades is to understand the assignment and deliver what is required. Personally, I think you should appreciate a professor who maintains high expectations. They are usually the best.

Just an update, I told you before she has ambiguous grading info.

Well, my last paper I got back (final paper), it says "This is a great solid essay, transitions are well written, and you used good supportive citing".

My grade? 86.

Final class grade? B.

Every single essay was an 80 something. Idiot power-stricken people. If I was still doing straight A's I would fight it, but I know I made a B in my Spanish II class.

As an English professor for 20+ years, I have a lot of students who think they deserve A's and get really bent out of shape if they don't get them. In my classes, students have to earn an A by doing superior work. Without superior work, the student earns a lesser grade. But I always tell my students that they are fools if they are only interested in grades. When you get out of school your employer won't give a poop what your grades were. He/she will be interested in what you can do. Because you can memorize material doesn't make you a good employment prospect. If you can't put a really good essay together, it indicates several things: you don't pay attention to details, you can't understand the overall thesis, you are not very good at critical thinking, you are bad at organizing an argument, you fail to provide adequate examples for your points, etc. Blaming a teacher for your own inadequacies is very immature. I don't think I know of any professor who doesn't give A's. I suspect some students in your class have gotten A's. So the trick is to figure out what you are doing wrong and I'll bet you can get an A. But thank God I am going to retire in about a year and a half. I'm getting sick of students who just don't understand why they don't get an A just because they worked really hard on an assignment. The way to get good grades is to understand the assignment and deliver what is required. Personally, I think you should appreciate a professor who maintains high expectations. They are usually the best.

Just saw this response, and had to point out. Grades DO matter in college. I guess, it depends on where you work. I have been interviewed at 2 places that required a TRANSCRIPT of your college, and they ask you why you have withdrawals, why you made certain grades, etc.

And if you see post above, I have deserved an A on at least 3 of my papers, and never got higher than an 86. And I don't appreciate a professor who is too power hungry to assign adequate grading. If I deserve an A, I deserve it. Not a single person in this class made an A on any of the essays, and I have read several essays during peer reviews, and I am not the only person who deserved an A on several occasions.

Just saw this response, and had to point out. Grades DO matter in college. I guess, it depends on where you work. I have been interviewed at 2 places that required a TRANSCRIPT of your college, and they ask you why you have withdrawals, why you made certain grades, etc.

They don't do that after you've been working for a while. Once you have job experience, that's much more important than what grades you made in college.

I know this because not only have I been working for 30 years, I interview and hire people. :thumbup:

Hey Laura, I know what you mean about the "I don't give A's teachers" I'm a sophomore in college and have dealt with a couple. One of my professors gave A's on papers, but wouldn't for a final grade!!!! I didn't get A's on all my papers, but still, if someone HAD gotten all A's.... and then ended up with a B??? Thats not right.

I've had a lot of great professors in the two years I've been here, but there are def ones who think an A means perfect, and none of their students are perfect. There are also a lot of professors that think THEY are perfect, and no students can measure up to them, but I digress...

Oh yes, and what you said about the interviews scares me! I have about the same number of B's and C's, with a couple A's here and there in my college transcript. I have also withdrawn from a few classes. As long as I can keep my GPA above the 2.5 required by my major (Art Education) I'm happy. I hope wherever I go looking for a job is too...

Good luck with your classes in the future! I hope you never have to deal with this particular teacher ever again!

Edited May 1, 200818 yr by Allison

Hi, I found out that if you read your textbook and all the assignments given prior to a major paper, you will get an A. I am in college now to become a educator/administrator and I have so far gotten all A's on my wiritings. I just finshed a five page minimum sociology paper, I had to outline the whole chapter and give many references. I ended up with 7 pages. My english teacher last quarter, no matter what, if you did everything it seem like you still was not going to get an A out of her class, all my writings were A's, but I did end with a 92, barely and A, she was something.

The withdrawals scared me the most, the way I understood it, was that you over-register by 2 classes and within the first 2 weeks you decide which 2 to drop. I did that for 3 semesters till I had an interview with a marketing company. They wanted to know why I withdrew every semester, if I am a quitter, etc. Luckily I had straight A's in everything up to that point, so I was able to explain without sounding like a liar!!

The 2nd time was for another marketing company and they did the same thing, but by this time I had a C from a Spanish class (stupid foreign languages!!), and they didn't like that.

Luckily, I've had this job for a few years and I'm not going anywhere. So, "technically" for me my transcript doesn't mean a hill of Beans, but since I busted my butt on these papers, and I've taken enough of these classes to know when I write an A paper or if I wrote a half-ass paper.. I know I deserved A's.

It's shitty of teachers to believe A means perfect, therefore you can't have them. One more thing to point out, it didn't apply to me, but what about people trying to get scholarships?

Yeah I had a scholarship but I had to mainting a 3.5 and that didn't work out lol... But I would still be pissed off, I'm not sure how it all adds up, but I think a B is lower than a 3.5, that might be a B+/A-

I'm hoping that when I go to get a job being an art teacher, that since I get mostly A's in the art and education classes for my major that will look good. The C's I have gotten have all been in gen ed's (science and history mostly)

I'm sure since you have mostly great grades this won't affect your transcript much, but its still not fair.

Haha I had to take spanish too, I managed a B- but I'm terrible at languages!

This reminds me of when I was in high school and my dad went to a parent/teacher conference. I had gotten all A's except from my English teacher (which was my strongest subject). She asked him why I got a B and she said I was performing at a B level. He asked how many A's she had given out and she said none. He said "I think that's a reflection of you, and not my daughter." The next semester I got an A!