If the student never does any homework and generally shows no effort, then no, don’t even bother talking to the teacher. (Totally agree with the view that the end of the semester is not the time to suddenly care). If the student is a diligent worker all semester and is borderline between two grades, then I don’t see a harm in asking if there is anything he/she can do (notice the word “do” not just “can you bump me”), to obtain the higher grade.
And definitely, no whining!
Unless there’s an inequality or have a logical excuse, like medical note rather than “I think I did better than a B+” it’s alright, ONLY if you ask for makeup or extra credit. Asking the teacher to bump your grade up because “i think he/she is wrong about this grade” is embarrassing, don’t do it.
Also like what @ClaremontMom said, if you actually attempted to do any work during that class go ahead with the conditions above… Asking for a 89 to 90 is different from 76 to 77 other than the evident numbers.
To each his own.
It would absolutely color the letter of recommendation I would be able to write. That’s what I was implying in my earlier post. Nope, I wouldn’t dream of saying “grade grubber.” But there’s a lot I would not be able to say, including the line about having the respect of the faculty and his peers.
You EARN the grade, you don’t get a “bump” to it. Asking me to throw you some extra points is asking me to give you points you haven’t earned, and to deny your classmates the same gift. (Or am I supposed to just give everyone a 100?)
Again, I’ve read all sorts of “justifications” on this thread. But if you’re determined to ask for points you haven’t earned, do so at your own risk.
I think if it’s an easy class where a large percentage of people can easily get As, then you don’t deserve to ask for a bump; however, a class that is very hard to get an A in (like my lit class, in which only about 5 people out of ~80-90 got 90-93), then it’s perfectly justifiable to ask for a bump.
I can’t believe I haven’t mentioned the math yet!
In a typical trimester I give, say, 5 tests. In my school, test average is1/3 of your report card grade. (1/3 quizzes and hw,1/3 trimester exam.)
So if you’re trying to grub 2 points at the end of the trimester, that’s the equivalent of asking me to add 30 points on to any single test. Nope, not a typo-- thirty points on one test.
And it’s June, so let’s pretend for a second that you’re trying to grub those points at the end of the year. Let’s take final exams out of the question, since my school weighs them more heavily than most. Using the same model as before, that 2 point gift you’re requesting at the end of the year is now the equivalent of asking me to pour 90 points onto any given test. Yep, that’s right–you’re asking me to turn a grade of 10% into a 100%, for absolutely no mathematical or educational reason
(In case you’re wondering, in my school, those 2 points at the year would represent a gift of well over 150 points.)
@bjkmom Why are you so angry? Why do you think someone is trying to get away with a fast one? Are the kids in your school really that obnoxious that they would ask to have their grade changed just for the heck of it? Why is extra credit such a bad thing? I think that if you have an 89.4, and submit an extra A-worthy paper/ test etc. you should be able to improve your grade. By all means, keep the rigor in your classroom-- but don’t diminish the value of working hard to improve…
I don’t like the idea of asking teachers to raise my mark because it is unfair to other students. Considering how close rankings get, even one or two points in one subject can make a difference.
My D has had 15 or 16 different teachers in 4 years of h.s. core subjects. To my knowledge she has never requested a bump. If she had, however, I think she would be asking one of the 14 or 15 other teachers to write her rec letter, not the one that she felt graded her too low.
I have the utmost respect for people who “work hard” regardless of the results.
And, no, I’m not angry. And in all my years of teaching, no one has EVER asked me to “bump up” a grade.
Working to improve your grade is what I’m advocating.
How about the student who has not done homework at all during the year, and homework constitutes 50% of the grade? The student is otherwise bright, attentive in class, and has scored 85-95% on all tests and quizzes. But homework is due when assigned, 1 day late means 10% off, 2 days means ZERO credit. This is the school policy explained at the beginning of the year - students and parent/guardian had to sign “acknowledgement” statement.
She comes to the teacher and asks for extra credit, as she needs to pass the course in order to graduate.
Teacher says no, that is not fair to everyone else.
Teacher gets a note from the guidance dept wondering if there is any leeway, as this is a “good student”?
Teacher says student has earned an F by not doing a single homework assignment. Not what a “good student” does.
GC tells teacher that another teacher in similar circumstance last year gave leeway.
Teacher asks GC then why bother having a policy to begin with?
GC goes to principal, and student is transferred to another class, where she manages to pass, and graduates
Teacher is glad the year is almost up, and next fall she moves to another school (a technical school) in the area.
Who was right? I would agree with the teacher.
Two years later, student’s younger brother is in Teacher’s class at the technical school. He tells teacher he will do better than his sister - as their grandma warned him about how tough a teacher he was. He then tells that his grandma is raising them as mom finally went to rehab. He tell how his older sister is now a waitress at a local restaurant, while going to community college - their mom and her boyfriend had been abusing her, and he is now in jail. The girl is getting help from a social worker. At the time, she never brought her books/anything home as it would be used to beat her.
Extenuating circumstances can be real, as most teachers would agree. What was not right was the GC and principal not explaining the fact that there were extenuating family circumstances that they could not share.
Teacher is a friend of mine since college, and she basically told me this story as it happened.
She said this was the only kid, among the dozens who asked, where she wished she bumped up the grade.
I recently asked my AP Physics teacher for her to bump my grade from a 78.9% to an 80.0 if I makeup some assignments where I missed points. I got my B, but at what cost? I can clearly tell on her face that she was very upset and angry at me when I asked her the question. The irony is that she wrote me a letter of recommendation not long ago. There is nothing ‘wrong’ with asking per-se but, doing so will diminish any form of relations that you might have with the teacher. Nonetheless, I was still happy to get a B in the class.
I asked my math teacher to bump my grade from a 89.35 (B+) to a 89.5 (A-). She, with a smile on her face, was delighted to tell me she would. She said normally, with most students, she wouldn’t. BUT I had come in early at 7:00 (school starts at 7:45) at least once a week since January to get extra help and make sure I’m understanding the material. I do every single homework assignment, and I do countless practice problems and work very hard to do well in that class. And she sees that, I have consistently worked hard in that class and am a dedicated student, and so she decided it warranted an award. I think it really depends on your teacher, your relationship with your teacher, and how much work you put in to the class on whether it worth it to ask for a bump. I know I still have a good relationship with my teacher, and she wasn’t angry or disappointed with me for asking but I can definitely see some of my other teachers being angry. Also, don’t ask for a “bump.” Even if thats what you want, phrase it differently. I asked my teacher if I could get an extra credit worksheet or if she could grade some of my homework (she doesn’t check homework-its expected you do it even though most don’t). She responded with a smile and said "don’t worry about it. When a student that works as hard as you do is that close I’ll bump it up. I won’t do it to everyone, but you really have shown through your work that you deserve the A- and you should be rewarded for that.