<p>I am very upset with grand conversations (my teacher says it's socratic method--no inviting anyone into conversations, pretty much say what you want when you want, there is also no question asking--she just says discuss this topic and people regurgitate information like they are reading a book) Well, my problem is that I have got a D and F on the two so far. I feel that these "discussions" are unfair. The first person to talk covers all the main points and leaves hardly anything to talk about. The same 3 people dominate the whole conversation. I have a hard time saying anything because I'm not a loud person and I'm not rude enough to interupt people. I also have a problem with her grading system. How is it possible to grade someone on how much they say and how good it is (how would one judge if it is "good"?)</p>
<p>I have also noticed that her class favorites (girls planning to pledge the sorority she was in and the rich kids) get an A no matter what. One of the girls that is pledging next year said something similar to "I don't get it. Is Henry of Navarre the same as Henry #" and she got an A. Most people that get A's don't actually say much. One of the girls I know said a ton about a topic in which nobody knew much about. She "was lucky to get a C". We had 10 minutes to do our latest discussion and 1/2 the class was unable to get anything in. There is also a guy who sits near me and whenever I start saying something, he yells the same thing I just said over me and she doesn't even notice/care.</p>
<p>I just really don't know what to do because we hardly have any assignments, she doesn't lecture (we just read from our books every night and do group work in class), and I haven't done very well so far. If I get a B in this class, I won't be able to graduate in honors and I may loose my scholarship. This whole thing is really stressing me out and making me very angry/upset. Just talking about this makes me feel like I have an anxiety attack coming on.</p>
<p>Should I try talking to the teacher (when I get nervous/upset when talking about something so important, I tend to start crying on accident) or should I have my mom call/email the teacher about it? I'm just afraid that doing that will make me even lower on her list and I will get bad grades on discussions from then on, no matter how good the things I say are. What should I do?</p>
<p>Sorry to hear you're not having a good experience with the socratic discussion method; I did it a few times in one of my classes a few years ago, and really enjoyed it.</p>
<p>I think you should try talking to the teacher before bringing your mom in. I would go to the teacher and ask what you can do to improve. Say that you want to know what she's looking for in her marking, and if she has any tips for you to improve in future discussions. Complaining that it's unfair or questioning why Person X got an A would put your teacher on the defensive, but if you phrase it as wanting to know how to improve, your teacher should be more than willing to help. </p>
<p>She already told us how to improve--talk more and say better things. She's absolutely no help. It makes me mad that someone who didn't even contribute to the converstaion got an A and I got a F.</p>
<p>I also don't know how to bring it up without sounding like a complete b***h. I'm not good about confronting people, especially when I'm upset.</p>
<p>On our next discussion, I'm tempted to start yelling over everyone and turn into a complete jerk.</p>
<p>Would she offer specific advice for you? I.e. "I did XYZ last time, but since my mark was a D/F, I'm not entirely clear on your expectations. Could you give me examples of "good" things (compared to..."not-good" things)?</p>
<p>Is there anyone that "moderates" the discussion? If not, maybe suggest having a moderator so everyone can get a word in (I.e. "I noticed that most of the time, only X, Y, and Z are participating. Could we try moderating the discussion so that other people can participate too?")
Otherwise, is there any way you can switch teachers at this point?</p>
<p>She doesn't offer any specific advice and is unwilling to compromise unless of of the girls who will be joining the sorority complains. All the other classes are full and I signed up for the AP class, so I have to stay in it and there are no other teachers for it.</p>
<p>The discussions wouldn't be bad if we had name tags that you turn over like in other classes so that everyone would have to talk. </p>
<p>She really is the worst teacher I've ever had. Its the last semester of my senior year and I'm supposed to be relaxing more, but I'm now working harder than I have in 3.5 years of HS put together and I'm doing worse.</p>
<p>I'm really in a lose-lose situation and I really feel like talking to her will just make things worse for me (everything but tests are graded by how she feels about it and apparently by how she feels about the person).</p>
<p>This class is so bad that I'm tempted to get checked out every time we do a discussion or just not show up at all and fail the class. I'm going to lose my scholarship and honors no matter what, so I may as well enjoy my last semester, right?</p>
<p>OKay, honestly, i have no idea what the hell this class really is about, as I've never heard of it, but if it's just about discussion, then by all means, just talk! Like you said, the last semester of your senior year. Who cares what those creeps think about you? it's not like they're going to affect you for the rest of your life...be a jerk, who cares.</p>
<p>Its an AP Euro history. It's hard to "just talk" because I can't ever get a word in.</p>
<p>My problem really isn't the talking, its the grading and how 3 people say everything (come on, its not like you can get a 300/100, so shut up people!)</p>
<p>you're missing the point. you might as well get involved because it's bothering you. you should fix it. i know it's not easy, i'd be ****ed off if i had a class where 3 people did all the talking, but i'd make it 4 people. do what you have to do so that it doesn't ruin your fun. enjoy your last semester--you wont deal with this kinda crap anymore</p>
<p>Let me play devil's advocate here, because this does sound interesting...</p>
<p>If we can acknowledge the existence of multiple types of intelligences, you (and most students) have thus far been exposed to only a very limited type of learning: the kind that is conducive to objective grading, such as standardized tests and rubric-guided papers. Some people are good at multiple choice tests, while others are good at group discussions. So you failed a few group discussions. So what? There are people who've failed classes all their life because of the test-dominated school system. You've had all the advantages of an institionalized system so far, but now you're complaining once the tables are turned (turned only minutely, since you still have a shot at an A).</p>
<p>And is there any problem with switching to a more subjective evaluation? AP classes are supposed to be equivalent to college, and college is supposed to prepare you for "the real world". I know it sounds harsh, but the people who get ahead in life are those who can "outshout others to get their point across", even if it's just a regurgitation of someone else's ideas. Most likely, having the gumption to approach teachers, or simply having a charm and confidence to dominate a discussion, will be a much better predictor of success than the ability to fill in bubbles on a Scantron.</p>
<p>Let me clarify: My problem is that a girl who said NOTHING got an A twice. I talked some and I got a D. I said nothing (guy was yelling over me) and I got a F. Thats my problem. Do you guys see anything wrong with that?</p>
<p>I understand that not everything is objective grading, but there is no method to her grading AT ALL and there is no organization in her class. I also have no chance at getting an A with how everything is going.</p>