This just isn't fair. - Big Big Forums

CABANN · 02-19-2003, 12:32 PM

My 12 year old son came home from school yesterday with his third quarter progress report for seventh grade. His last report card was straight A's (the first time ever, he was so proud of himself). He is working so hard to keep his grades up and is always checking his work or having hubby and I check it or test him. He was a struggling student up until 4th or 5th grade and now he has done a total turn around.

Well anyways, he was almost in tears when he had shown me the progress report. He received an A in every subject except for History. In that class he was given a C+. As I was looking at the printout for that class I noticed that he did very well on the tests and assignments. The one thing that wasn't scored high was a Poster that was a group project. He was paired off with two other kids. DS said he and another boy did their parts, but the third child didn't complete his area which brought the score down to 65 points out of 120. That in turn brought sons grade down. He was heart broken because he had worked so hard.

He was so upset that he wanted me to take privlages away from him, such as wrestling or video games. I told him that I don't think it was his fault that his grade dropped and all the other scores for this class were pretty good, so I don't need to punish him(he was already doing that).

I wanted to talk to the teacher about this policy of grouping the kids up for projects, and the grading standards that goes along with it. But my son asked me not to. He is going to ask the teacher for extra credit to bring his grade up and explain to him why it dropped so far.

I sure hope this works out for DS, he was so upset.

02-19-2003, 12:41 PM

I feel bad for him. I've never really thought that it was fair to give group grades.

CarolinaBlue · 02-19-2003, 12:59 PM

I do not like that either. Our sons have the same problem. Their grades have been brought down because someone in their group didn't do their share when our sons worked their b*tts off! They would much rather work alone.

When I was in school we worked in groups, but we weren't all graded the same.

miccit · 02-19-2003, 01:02 PM

That doesn't seem fair at all. I hope he can work something out with his teacher. Your son sounds very mature. You should be so proud!

My oldest dot is in 3rd grade. The first quarter this year her teacher based their entire writing grade on one assignment. They are only in the third grade I thought that was a little harsh!

02-19-2003, 01:13 PM

I sort of see why high school teachers do this. Often, as adults in the work force, we are put into work situations where someone isn't pulling their own weight. It's part of life and life isn't always fair. It's how you learn to deal with these situations.
Let your son know how proud you are and ask him what he's learned from this experience. If he's felt he has not learned anything, perhaps you can guide him towards the real "lesson".
You can't make other people be responsible, but you can take resonsiblity for your own actions

Sounds like you got a good kid there!

MommyG3 · 02-19-2003, 01:19 PM

I hope the teacher does give him extra credit work. It is sad that teachers do this. unfortunately, Witchygurl is right. But it still STINKS.

cinnamonch · 02-19-2003, 01:32 PM

I really hope your son doesnt have to end doing extra credit work because another student was to lazy to do their part. It seems if your son has done well on everything else, the teacher should be able to realize that this is grade is reflective of your sons ability and try to work to get this corrected. Hopefully the other child will also speak up about the grade they got on the poster project.

I know you son doesnt want you to speak to the teacher but I think if this isnt resolved in your sons favor I would. Not so much because its your child but because other students are being penalized as well because of this.

schsa · 02-19-2003, 03:10 PM

Tell your son to forget the extra credit. He did his part and the grade didn't really reflect what he was capable of doing. You know that and he knows that. He'll do better working on his own next semester.

CABANN · 02-20-2003, 12:39 PM

When my son arrived home from school yesterday he told me that he didn't ask the teacher for extra credit yet but he still wants to. He is even more worried now, since another group project is due (worth 200 points). It was due as of yesterday, but the teacher is only going over two a day. Well DS said that the girl who was suppose to finish her part, took it home on Tuesday night, and brought it back still incomplete. So he went ahead and finished it because he doesn't want his grade to drop any lower.

I again ask him if he wants me to talk to his history teacher and he still says no. So I am going to let him handle it his way. This grade is very important to him since, like I said, he was a stuggling student before, and now since he is doing so much better he doesn't want his grade to drop. He really wants straight A's again. And he is working hard to get it. I keep telling him to quit worring about it, but I can understand where he is coming from. He wants the A. I think he is still going to ask for extra credit, and hopefully it works out for him. But either way I am going to be proud of my son. He sure has grown.

ajksmom · 02-20-2003, 01:12 PM

Cabann- I hope things work out for your son. It is not fair at all that he work so hard and others not. I know that's life and as one who worked teamwork in a sewing factory can tell you it does happen in real life but it's sad that your son have to go through this.

Sounds like you have a great son who is trying very hard to make those grades, I can see why he is so upset especially since the grades don't seem to come easy for him. Good luck to him and tell him that alot of us are proud of the good job he has been doing.

Dolly<3 · 02-20-2003, 03:00 PM

I don't think it's fair.

You have a great kid and I hope he knows that. I also hope he knows that a grade isn't an indicator of what type of person he is, or how smart he is.