<p>My french teacher is incompetent to say the least...I don't want to seem arrogant or overly critical, but everyone knows it...students, parents, staff members. He doesn't grade fairly (objectively) and he basically bases the grades he gives on whether he likes the student. For example, a good friend of mine was absent for the midterm and got a high B on it even though he never made it up. Another friend was bestowed the honor of being exempt and received an automatic A. There's no way to get rid of him because he has tenure and we're a poor school district and everyone pities him because he has PTSD. So as you can imagine one would have to take the initiative to learn French if they really wanted to learn French. A typical class goes like this: he arrives about 10-20 minutes late leaving 35-25 minutes left in the period, talks about a teacher behind their back because he/she did him wrong in some way, some students laugh, others do hw for other classes or study for a test they have next period or read a book, he throws rocks, cracks a joke, surfs the net, he smells like smoke ( I don't think it's cigarette smoke), and then we leave. We've never had a test or quiz...he assigns homework to a select few to spite rather than enlighten them. I had an A in French 1, and Bs in French 2 and 3. Mainly because I stupidly chose to confront him about his glaring ineptitudes my freshman yr and I hurt his feelings so he took it out on my grade. I don't necessarily mind because I know that I'm right. My code of ethics is my most valuable possession and everyone knows that. He doesn't care about ethics. Obviously. So I decided to take matters into my own hands. I enrolled in a French 2 summer course at a local community college. Will colleges want to know why I'm doing this? Will I have to explain my situation in the same manner I've explained it to you? Please help me.</p>
<p>Try banding together a group of students and file a formal complaint to your high school and see what they do from there. If they choose to do nothing then if you feel you must explain the french grades write a letter to the colleges you are applying to, if you think that those two Bs will hurt you that badly.</p>
<p>I’d explain your situation in the area for extra information on the Common App. Seriously though, if you got a B in the class, and you’re whining about it, yeah, you’re going to look like a crybaby.</p>
<p>No, do not mention your reasons. Every school has bad teachers. Colleges will assume you had a schedule conflict and admire that you went outside for the class. No whining of any sort should make it onto the app.</p>
<p>“Will I have to explain my situation in the same manner I’ve explained it to you?”</p>
<p>Not if you want a chance at getting into college. I’m sorry to hear that it came off rather insulting, irresponsible, and arrogant. Just my opinion of course.</p>
<p>Very useful responses. Thanks.</p>
<p>I think its not bad if you just say something like</p>
<p>My french teacher arrived 10-20 minutes late to every class, leaving 25-35 minutes in the period. I confronted him about it and then he docked my grades.</p>
<p>No, don’t explain it to them, because then they’ll think you’re a booby.</p>
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<p>Wait, what? Did anyone else notice this?</p>
<p>If you explain very succinctly, mainly concentrating on the fact that you’re teacher arrived late regularly, it won’t hurt, but I don’t think a B in one class is going to change which school you get into.
I have a French teacher who doesn’t suit me so this year I’ve decided to take French outside of school. I’m hoping colleges will assume it was a schedule conflict, and actually, my schedule does conflict and I couldn’t take French at school even if I wanted to do so, but if they ask me I’ll just say that the class didn’t challenge me in the manner that my school encourages me to seek.</p>
<p>Thanks Millancad. He throws a lot of other things too wombatsoup. Yeah I’ve already decided not to explain it to them and I doubt they would use that specific word rachel525. I didn’t confront him about his lateness, I asked why he didn’t teach and for some reason he took offense to the truth messiah. And yes, evertheoptimist, that is just your opinion, I can honestly say that a majority of his students feel the same way I do.</p>