Ed/Allah, front page this post because I expect you to do so…
posted at 2:40 pm on July 8, 2009 by MadisonConservative
regular view
…and why not? Look, I’m a person, and while there may be 6 billion+ others on this planet, I’m obviously the one who is not supposed to meet with disappointment. Ever. Oh, and a few others:
Thoma estimates she received 20 such e-mails this spring out of some 850 students. “They’ll typically say, ‘I know you said there won’t be any grade adjustments, but I worked really hard and I don’t feel that the grade reflects the effort I put into the class,’” says Thoma, who stresses most students work hard in class and understand the ground rules. “And so I have a new standard reply: ‘I can’t quantitate your effort.’”
UW-Madison engineering physics professor Greg Moses is all too familiar with this scenario, and is frustrated by how some students feel they are practically entitled to better grades.
Look, look, I don’t like this word you spit so venomously at us: “entitled”. All we are saying is that we deserve what we want, when we want it, and shut up and do it. How is that a negative thing? I mean, look at what many other bright-minded(though obviously not so deserving of that title as my illustrious self) young thinkers know, in their hearts, what is true:
If I have explained to my professor that I am trying hard, I think he/she should give me some consideration with respect to my course grade
66.2 percent
Consideration! That’s all we’re demanding! We merely want consideration that you should give us no lower than an B because we showed up! Hell, some of us even read the course material! Do you really think that deserves less than a B? If so, we beg to differ:
If I have completed most of the reading for a class, I deserve a B in that course
40.7 percent
If I have attended most classes for a course, I deserve at least a grade of B
34.1 percent
My attitude is that if the grades are good for folks from the bottom up, it’s gonna be good for everybody. If you’ve got a college loan, you’re gonna be better off if you’ve got a whole bunch of teachers who can give you good grades, and right now everybody’s so pressured that grades are bad for everybody and I think when you spread the A’s and B’s around, it’s good for everybody.
Can you give us A’s?
Yes you can.
Don’t forget to red text my headline, guys.
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Isn’t red ink harmful to self-esteem? Better go with the green, guys….
cs89 on July 8, 2009 at 2:54 PM
You’re right. I’m entitled to green and red ink mixed, and I’m entitled to have it come out electric blue. I worked hard on this article, and the color spectrum should consider that instead of being so harsh.
MadisonConservative on July 8, 2009 at 2:58 PM
Interesting. My physics and nuclear engineering professors would have burst their spleens laughing at such comments from me. Sadly, I had similar students while teaching as a grad student. They simply could not understand why a 75% translated to a “C”. Actual exchange between me and a student:
Her: “But I should be doing better: I’m premed.”
Me: “You’re right: if you’re premed you should be doing better. But you’re gonna have to earn an “A” because I’m not going to give it to you.”
She actually went to the professor to complain. His response? “You’d better do what he says or you’ll fail.” I will admit that she stopped whining-to me- after that.
Physics Geek on July 8, 2009 at 3:37 PM
So what’s worse: moronic students who think they’re entitled to a grade, or tenured professors who think memorizing their propaganda is a reasonable proxy for knowledge?
TheUnrepentantGeek on July 8, 2009 at 3:47 PM
So what’s worse: moronic students who think they’re entitled to a grade, or tenured professors who think memorizing their propaganda is a reasonable proxy for knowledge?
TheUnrepentantGeek on July 8, 2009 at 3:47 PM
——
The Board of Trustees who let it get to this point.
Mew
acat on July 8, 2009 at 4:04 PM
Here’s one for you: One employee I used to be acquainted with once asked, in all seriousness: “How many days can you miss and still be eligible for perfect attendance?”
jeanie on July 8, 2009 at 5:08 PM
I’m not allowed to use attendence to affect someone’s grade, either positively or negatively.
artlover on July 8, 2009 at 5:14 PM
.
I’ll have to remember that one.
artlover on July 8, 2009 at 5:15 PM
“Mrs. Jones never taught us that way in high school…”
“But I did good on my SATs … after my parents sent me to Sylvan.”
“I took AP Calc. This is way harder. Teachers in college suck!”
“My teacher was a for’ner. I coont understand ‘is axsent.”
Save the last one, they all seem to point back to the high school years…
Upstater85 on July 8, 2009 at 5:52 PM
What percent voted for Obama’s Hope and Change?
ROCnPhilly on July 8, 2009 at 6:05 PM
Maybe the students can buy their Professors the complete DVD box set of Star Wars, literally. It seems to open the minds for some foreign socialistic diplomats anyway. Why not college professors? Just trying to help here MC. What is there not to like about a guy who writes for the greenroom and he is a Lightsaber-tooth tiger with conservative principles.
Americannodash on July 8, 2009 at 6:23 PM
MadCon,
Will we need to know any of this for the final exam and if so, will you be providing it on a handout? With example Q&A?
ericdijon on July 8, 2009 at 7:58 PM
Mad…
this “Palinationist” is watching you….
upinak on July 8, 2009 at 9:06 PM
I wish you the best. Just don’t fear criticism of her. It really does make for a stronger approach.
MadisonConservative on July 8, 2009 at 9:25 PM
It’s UW-Madison. First of all how did you get e-mails from any student. Aren’t they too busy drinking/partying?
Second,being UW-Madison, how did you get a professor to have time to comment between smoking dope and flag burning.
While the attitude about grades that is the underlying theme of your thread, I’m sure it;s a problem at most colleges.
Using UW-Madison,the Berkeley East, as an example just congers up images of old graying pony-tailed Communist professors, and a never sober student body.
Jeff from WI on July 9, 2009 at 5:41 AM
You worked so hard on this post, and yet Ed didn’t front-page it! We need to form a Green Room Bloggers Union, to make sure that everybody gets their fair share of front-page posts.
The Other McCain on July 9, 2009 at 8:13 AM
Read the subject material, grasp the content composition, retain the relevant information, reproduce comprehensibly in concise explanatory terms excluding material extraneous to the subject.
.
Do I get an ‘A’ MC or was this another trauma to the head?
Americannodash on July 9, 2009 at 8:47 AM
I think it’s high time we considered the redistribution of front-page status.
MadisonConservative on July 9, 2009 at 9:12 AM
I work in academia and sadly this is all too common. And the fault lies with our education system which prizes “effort” and “self-esteem” over results.
rbj on July 9, 2009 at 9:30 AM
thanks. I really needed another post about what is wrong with America today.
I may have to join the millions that take anti-depressants on a daily basis.
ugh
bridgetown on July 9, 2009 at 10:47 AM
Only when the means of Hot Air blog production are placed within the hands of the laborers will there be equality on the Internets.
TheUnrepentantGeek on July 9, 2009 at 12:32 PM
Y3S VV3 C@/V!
MadisonConservative on July 9, 2009 at 12:40 PM
Hey Ed… wanna get on front-paging this? STAT!
Abby Adams on July 9, 2009 at 1:41 PM
You know, there haven’t been as many Green Room promotions to front page during AP’s vacation as there were during Ed’s. Or am I imagining that?
Hmm.
cs89 on July 9, 2009 at 3:31 PM
When in school I had an 8:30am class that I never attended. I would show up for tests and turn in the papers. At the end I was afraid to show up as it would draw attention to me and then they would know I was never there. I wrote the final, turned in all the papers and got a B.
tessa on July 10, 2009 at 6:41 AM
As a businessman, results are ALL I care about. Intentions are sent packing. Think it’s better to learn it sooner, or later?
Good Job MadC!
HoustonRight on July 10, 2009 at 8:40 AM