Well, first of all, I would give the student the actual forecast of what their final grade is likely to be. Perhaps it is not a C, if you grade using a points system with objective grade cutoffs.
Secondly, consider challenging the student's reasoning: The student's conclusions (that he's getting a C AND that he worked so hard) are inferences, which rely on two assumptions: a. that the average grade is by definition a C. This is a relic of grade curving, and if the class is not graded on a curve, does not necessarily apply. I don't know your system, so I can't answer this question. b. that he worked hard according to the norms set by the students in the class. It may have felt to the student that he did a lot of work, relative to what he is used to, but it says nothing about whether he worked as hard or harder than the other students in the class. I'm willing to bet that any student getting a C has missed heaps of assignments and deadlines. If true, point this out as evidence that maybe he didn't work so hard, or at least that he may have worked hard, but in an undisciplined fashion. Hard work and discipline are two separate things. It is possible to work very hard, but also (if not disciplined enough) to be a very ineffectual worker. On the other hand, very disciplined workers often save themselves work effort over time. Finally, there's one more thing that's implicit in the students reasoning: all that matters when a class is over is the grade he gets at the end, i.e. that his learning is defined by the grade itself. Performance in the class (which should be what results in the grade awarded) is one thing, learning is another entirely. It is possible (likely even) that the people getting the best grades in the class learned much less than a person getting a C. The student needs to adopt a different frame of reference, one which highlights how much he has grown as a result of his experiences in the class. To help with this, you might bring out the story of how you got a C in a class as an undergraduate and you used that experience to grow into what you are today. I know I had a few of these, I'm sure many faculty do as well. Hopefully whatever it is you are today is admirable enough to the student that they might take that to heart. Good luck Blaine, Mike Donnelly UW-Stout ________________________________ From: Blaine Peden [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, May 05, 2007 9:55 AM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) Subject: [tips] Lament Hello Tipsters: How do you respond to laments like this one? "I have the average in the class. That means that I am going to get a C...doesn't it? How is it possible when I worked so hard?" Thanks, Blaine --- To make changes to your subscription go to: http://acsun.frostburg.edu/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=tips&text_mode=0&lang= english --- To make changes to your subscription go to: http://acsun.frostburg.edu/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=tips&text_mode=0&lang=english
