<p>I just got a paper back in one of my classes where we were supposed to discuss issue XYZ. I suppose the grade I got was ok, but for various reasons I feel that if I had written for the opposite side, the teacher would've given me a better grade. I wrote that I was in favor of XYZ, while my professor had been very against it in class and I didn't feel that they had given a balanced look at the issue. </p>
<p>Now I could be imagining things. But for future reference, do you guys feel as if it would be safer to appeal to very opinionated professors or to stick with your own opinion?</p>
<p>Just like in the ‘real world’ sometimes you have to play the game and sometimes its safe to go your own way. While sticking with your principles is nice it doesn’t always give one the path of least resistance. If thats what your looking for stick with the ‘easy’ path, follow what the boss (professor) wants. Otherwise speak your mind and be ready to live with it…</p>
<p>I would meet with your professor to go over your paper. Ask him how you could do better next time. He may tell you that you didn’t have enough supporting evidence or your paper was not constructed properly. You properly could get more insight after your discussion. You may find out it has nothing to do with your position. On the other hand, you maybe right, then you’ll need to decide what is it worth to you.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t automatically assume that your professor marked you down for arguing the opposite side. Like oldfort suggested, meet with the professor and ask ‘what can I do better for next time.’ You may be right that you were marked down for your stance, and this conversation would clue you in to that fact (if nothing else, your professor might realize that you care about the issue/are concerned with your grade). If this is the first major paper/assignment for this prof, however, it might just be that he has higher standards than you may be used to (or because he knows the opposite side so well, expects you to address fallacies that may be apparent to him in the argument).</p>
<p>Consider me spineless, but I opted to conform to the prof for a couple of classes. In one I had gotten an F on the first paper with my own view. My grade switched to an A on the second paper with the prof’s view. I’m reasonably certain my actual writing didn’t change a whole lot (and this wasn’t a writing class). My personal beliefs never changed, but sometimes it’s just not worth making a stint about things. You’ll never change a closed mind anyway. It’s not like this is for a PhD.</p>
<p>You have zero evidence that this was a case of “my way or the highway.” You are assuming the worst of him - that he gave you a grade you didn’t want simply because he disagreed with your viewpoint. For all you know, your paper didn’t deserve an A, or he doesn’t have the viewpoint you ascribe to him, or he is perfectly capable of distinguishing between viewpoints he personally disagrees with in grading a paper. It’s as if you want there to be a confrontation.</p>
<p>What I would suggest is that if you have a professor with a different point of view than yours, go to his office hours to ask questions and discuss it before you ever write a paper. He is much more likely to respect your point of view if you’ve discussed it (respectfully) with him–and if you get nowhere in the discussion, that tells you something, too. After the fact, he’ll never admit that he was biased–as all the comments above reveal.</p>
<p>You play the game plain and simple. I had a prof that gave me a D on a paper because he didn’t agree with my point of view but uped the grade to a C because I “obviously read the material”. Knew then and there to regurgitate everything he said, got A’s on everything else in that class, learned never to take him again for another class.</p>
<p>Agree with Oldfort. Go and discuss this paper and grade with the instructor. You may well find that your position had nothing to do with your grade.</p>
<p>Same here with regards to the two classes mentioned above ('cept both were female profs). I ended up with an A in one and a B in the other.</p>
<p>I can’t totally speak for the OP, but sometimes you just do know who is who. Their classroom manners can give insights I suppose. There are other profs I had where you could disagree and it was fun (for lack of a better word). I respected those tremendously and a couple of those did sway some of my teenaged (when I knew it all) thinking. The highway varieties never did though. I’m just left with negative thoughts in my memories from them.</p>
<p>Really?? Its sad if a paper is graded on the opinion rather than how well the ideas are wsritten and supported. Agree-- have a meeting with the professor. Don’t make assumptions.</p>
<p>One way to handle this is to write your paper far enough in advance you can bring a draft in to office hours and get some feed back before you turn in the final assignment. You could do that next time. </p>
<p>Although I’ve never actually met a teacher who would grade someone down for having a different political view, I believe they must exist when I read all the comments in threads like this.</p>
<p>edit: sorry - Hunt said it first and better. I agree with Hunt.</p>
<p>While I’ve known of HS teachers/Profs with such reputations of being biased against some opinions, I’ve had the opposite experience in college.</p>
<p>So long as I supported my contrarian opinions pertaining to the course material/field with logic and supportive evidence in a coherent manner while not coming across as someone who’s easily intimidated, most Profs were actually quite respectful and enjoyed having me in the class…however annoyed they may have been at times with my disagreements with their/most of the class’ prevailing opinions. </p>
<p>This was also illustrated in the grades I’ve received and their offers to write recs. </p>
<p>Then again, as with all other areas of life, you’ll always have a small group of narrow-minded petty authoritarians who cannot stomach anyone with contrarian views/arguments.</p>
<p>Your grade is, in your own words, ok, so you obviously aren’t experiencing a huge penalty for holding another view point. Read every comment on the paper. Do they make sense? Do they support the grade you received? If they do, take the comments to heart, make the appropriate changes in the next paper, and then take the professor a draft well in advance of the due date. If the comments don’t make sense or don’t support the grade (or there are none), go see the prof now and ask for clarification.</p>
<p>People who disagree with you aren’t necessarily petty or authoritarian, cobrat Your arguments would be better served if you didn’t default to your ‘everyone else is a petty tyrant’ stance</p>
<p>My petty authoritarian comment was referring solely to Profs/authority figures who grade/act punitively towards students/employees solely for the crime of having a different opinion/view and being open about it with them. </p>
<p>I’d thought most would get that in light of the context of this thread.</p>
<p>It’s kind of an ongoing theme, however. Anyone who does something you disagree with, you accuse them of being a “petty tyrant” and practically akin to Communist China, and you have often mentioned mocking such people for being pseudo-aristocratic and uppity, which I sense you think is a huge sin. Sometimes people just disagree over things, that’s all.</p>
<p>It’s irrelevant to this thread…especially considering Profs who do grade punitively due to a student’s opinion and not on demonstrated command of material, essay writing, and strength of argument/analysis/evidence are actually acting against their mission as educators.</p>
<p>Oldforte gave you good advice. Do talk to the professor and find out what he feels would have made your paper "A: level. If it does come down to your position and not your argument, well, now you know.You might want to read up on the reviews of this prof and find out if this has been an issue with him in the past.</p>