<p>My AP US teacher always gives me terrible grades on my essays and I could never really figure out why. I feel like I am a pretty good writer and do really well on writing assignments in my other classes (admittedly history is not my greatest strength, so I never directly questioned my grades). So I handed in one of my essays a few days ago and she gave it back to me today. As usual it looked like blood was spilled on my paper. There were large, red "x's" all through it mixed in with many angry-looking, illegible scribbles. At the top of the paper I had typed the prompt and she butchered it. She had crossed out all of these words and had written "So? Further explain. Confusing..." This finally proves that she doesn't read my papers at all and that she is clueless enough to not even remember the prompt she assigned. This made me very angry and I feel that all of my grades in US History are completely invalid since she has proven that she is an incompetent grader.</p>
<p>There is an English teacher in our school who never gives out final marks higher than 80%.</p>
<p>Is this an essay or an FRQ/DBQ? </p>
<p>Maybe she prefers a different type of structure or a different style of writing…</p>
<p>You could try changing it to be more robotic, structured, analytic, and factual. It’d probably be easier too.</p>
<p>My East and West (Religion) teacher never read my papers or anything in specific but proceeds to grade based upon ‘how much is written’. He would give me an 80 on a paper becuase it was one page and gave someone else a 90 becuase it was two more pages with BS. It drastically brought my grade down but i was a senior so i was like,… eh…i’ll graduate.
If it’s really bothering you, talk to her about it. I talked to my teacher, but he still didn’t get it through his skull.</p>
<p>Red makes everything look angry. </p>
<p>You could buy her green pens.</p>
<p>It was a DBQ but what I’m complaining about was that she edited the prompt as if it was my writing. She didn’t even notice she was editing the question. That frustrated me.</p>
<p>haha. That is stupid. You could talk to her about it. </p>
<p>I would suggest googling “how to write a DBQ”. There are specific things such as “have at least 4 point of views, include bias etc”.</p>
<p>You could tell her you can’t read her handwriting and ask her to “translate” and if she reads her editation of her own question you can point out that it wasn’t actually you that wrote that part? The key is keeping calm. ;D</p>
<p>Her handwriting does look like chicken scratch so that could sound pretty legit if I ask her.</p>
<p>She’s obviously a doctor secretly… :D</p>
<p>I resent that remark… My handwriting is actually perfectly legible. My husband, the PhD economist, has illegible writing… seriously, I would try the old “you catch more flies with honey” approach-kiss up. You are so sorry, obviously you need help, etc etc.</p>
<p>Sorry. 
I’m not really one to talk - my handwriting is awful. I agree though. The nicey-nicey approach is always good.</p>
<p>Right-as I tell my progeny-part of life is kissing up…Especially to those in power and if it isn’t an issue of great importance. Getting a better grade is a better outcome then being “right” in this case. Upon graduating,I would write a letter to the school board or other appropriate persons on why this teacher was not helpful.</p>
<p>My heard one quality of a doctor is illegible handwritng as well. (My handwritng )</p>
<p>There are total jerks like that at my school, too. My AP Chemistry teacher plays favorites and always grades my labs harder than others. He also “lost” a retake test of mine. There are two teachers who gave As to only four people out of over 80.</p>
<p>In your scenario, go talk to her about it. Don’t be afraid. Point out that she edited the prompt, and then she’ll feel really stupid.</p>
<p>Did you ever think that maybe you actually do suck at these essays?</p>
<p>idk if this is considered sucking up, but I would kindly ask why she disliked your essay so much, and how you could improve. Teachers are supposed to be helpful after all.</p>
<p>fuzzle: are you ■■■■■■■■? he just stated that she edited her OWN prompt. you guys in this thread dont seem to be getting that. reading comprehension fail, much? no wonder so many people on this site beg for help on the CR section of the SAT. </p>
<p>show her what she did wrong, OP.</p>
<p>^hahaha!!!</p>
<p>And also I said I’m not good at history that’s why I never questioned why I got bad grades until she did something totally stupid. I’m not much of a grade grubber.</p>