End of Term Reflection: On Not Letting Negotiation Overshadow Success
The end of term is here and my students wrote their final exam at the beginning of the week. I am presently in the midst of exam grading but I decided to take a break to discuss a phenomena which is becoming more and more the norm at the end of term.
A great post by Lee Bessette (found here) got me thinking about my former students and the successes they have had. A large majority of them keep in touch with me either via email or through social media platforms. One is a French teacher, another is enjoying a great time in a French immersion program in Nova Scotia, one is doing a master's in women's studies, and yet another is managing her own theatre production company. I still see my student from a few semesters ago in the halls on campus, she always says hello, she is two courses away from graduation. Yet another student passed his IELTS and is taking an advanced science program at university.
All of these great success stories, and there are many more, are what keep me motivated as an instructor. To hear from former students and to see how they are applying what they have learned in my class makes me really happy. I have a few former students who actively refer my course to their friends and their family members; they always say that my style of teaching is exactly what they need. It's a good feeling.
I have to keep these success stories in mind when I am faced with the few unfortunate emails that have become the norm at the end of term. They usually read something like this:
"Dear Professor,
As you know I am in (insert name of program here). In order to receive (higher standing in another course/an internship/ a coop placement/ a scholarship/ a BMW from my father) I require a (B or if they are really clueless an A) in your class.
I hope you understand the position I am in and I hope you can find a way to give me that grade.
Have a nice summer!!! :)
Take Care,
Student who did well in your class whom you used to respect but have now lost respect for because they felt the need to send you an email like this."
What is this exactly? When did education become a business negotiation? And more importantly when did this become okay or acceptable to send to a professor? I understand that students are definitely under pressure as competition for the limited funding and limited internships rises, but how is it okay to send your professor an email basically ASKING for a certain grade, instead of trying to EARN that grade over the course of the term.
I often question myself after I receive an email like this. Have I ever indicated that it was acceptable to email me something like this? What about my teaching, my curriculum, my interaction with them may have indicated that an email like this is something I would be open to?
My conclusion has been along the lines of "it's not me, it's them" or "it's not me, it's the culture of competition." It is only very few students who do send me emails of this nature (I would say under 5% of the total amount of students in any section) however the number of these emails have increased every term.
At a time in the term when I take stock of how my courses have went and determine things that really worked and things that need to be modified next term, this is always something that leaves a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. I usually do not respond to these emails because there is nothing really to be said, or if I do respond it is usually along the lines of: "Thank you for your email, but grades as you know are earned and not given based on need. I understand your position, but it is inappropriate to email your professor with such requests, in fact it goes against the student code of conduct, etc. etc."
Do you receive emails like this from your students? How do you respond to these types of emails?
A great post by Lee Bessette (found here) got me thinking about my former students and the successes they have had. A large majority of them keep in touch with me either via email or through social media platforms. One is a French teacher, another is enjoying a great time in a French immersion program in Nova Scotia, one is doing a master's in women's studies, and yet another is managing her own theatre production company. I still see my student from a few semesters ago in the halls on campus, she always says hello, she is two courses away from graduation. Yet another student passed his IELTS and is taking an advanced science program at university.
All of these great success stories, and there are many more, are what keep me motivated as an instructor. To hear from former students and to see how they are applying what they have learned in my class makes me really happy. I have a few former students who actively refer my course to their friends and their family members; they always say that my style of teaching is exactly what they need. It's a good feeling.
I have to keep these success stories in mind when I am faced with the few unfortunate emails that have become the norm at the end of term. They usually read something like this:
"Dear Professor,
As you know I am in (insert name of program here). In order to receive (higher standing in another course/an internship/ a coop placement/ a scholarship/ a BMW from my father) I require a (B or if they are really clueless an A) in your class.
I hope you understand the position I am in and I hope you can find a way to give me that grade.
Have a nice summer!!! :)
Take Care,
Student who did well in your class whom you used to respect but have now lost respect for because they felt the need to send you an email like this."
What is this exactly? When did education become a business negotiation? And more importantly when did this become okay or acceptable to send to a professor? I understand that students are definitely under pressure as competition for the limited funding and limited internships rises, but how is it okay to send your professor an email basically ASKING for a certain grade, instead of trying to EARN that grade over the course of the term.
I often question myself after I receive an email like this. Have I ever indicated that it was acceptable to email me something like this? What about my teaching, my curriculum, my interaction with them may have indicated that an email like this is something I would be open to?
My conclusion has been along the lines of "it's not me, it's them" or "it's not me, it's the culture of competition." It is only very few students who do send me emails of this nature (I would say under 5% of the total amount of students in any section) however the number of these emails have increased every term.
At a time in the term when I take stock of how my courses have went and determine things that really worked and things that need to be modified next term, this is always something that leaves a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. I usually do not respond to these emails because there is nothing really to be said, or if I do respond it is usually along the lines of: "Thank you for your email, but grades as you know are earned and not given based on need. I understand your position, but it is inappropriate to email your professor with such requests, in fact it goes against the student code of conduct, etc. etc."
Do you receive emails like this from your students? How do you respond to these types of emails?
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