I have this student, we'll call him Skippy. Skippy is a middle-of-the-pack kind of student. Some things he's better than some of the other students. Other things he's just not.
Skippy is EXTREMELY grade conscious. He wants every tittle and jot of every single assignment spelled out in such a way that it basically makes a contract that if Skippy does A, B, and C, Skippy gets an A+. When things don't go exactly, precisely Skippy's way, he has this little frustration breath sound that he makes. Loudly (readers who have ever had pre-teens, you know what I mean).
I've tried to be positive - really I have. i have reminded myself that being a little vague on assignments is a career-long weakness of mind. I have reminded myself that being really, really, super clear on directions is benefitting all of my students. I have found out Skippy's interests and pretended they are interesting to me to. I've made small talk. I haven't been snippy - not even once.
Today, I gave back grades an assignment Skippy got a B+ on. Since Skip didn't succeed at two major components of a 9-component assignment, I thought this was more than generous.
In the back of the room, I overhear the sound, followed by "I just think she grades me really harshly. I'm going to talk to the program director."
I dislike Skippy. Really, I do.
What should I do? I feigned temporary deafness, and reminded all the student that I will be most happy to meet with them to go through their projects in excruciating detail. But is that the right approach?
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I think you've done all you can - and reminding them that you'll go over it is the right approach in my mind.
I used to be Skippy...well, at least in the super grade conscious part. I don't know that I was a middle of the pack student though ;-) ANYWAY...with people THAT obsessed, they'll never be satisfied, and as long as you know that you honestly graded him fairly compared to everyone else, you've done your job. And the director should back you up if they're worth their salt. IMO. :)
Also - I have limited teaching experience but I have had a problem student who was similar and I found being firm was key. If he thought he could steam roll me (which he did in the beginning) he kept pushing and pushing trying to get the grade even though he didn't earn it. So that might be it too. Just a thought.
Blow him off. But be sure to let him know you are available to talk if he wants to talk about his grades or anything. That way he can't go to the program director and say you aren't willing to discuss his grade with him.
Let Skippy whine his whiny shit to the program director. Warn the program director that he might be dropping in for a diaper change. You've been generous, it doesn't work with Whiners.
jc
Stay the course. Sounds like you've done everything right in my book.
FWIW, when something like this happens, I take comfort in the fact that other students did meet my expectations for an A, so it was possible for Skippy to do the same. He just didn't. The fault for that is not mine.
I always follow up comments like that by giving the student directions to my chair or dean's office and when the chair/dean is usually in. I find that usually calls the bluff of the students trying to bully me, and if they're not, then that's helpful information for them. If I think that they will speak to someone, I let that person know ahead of time though.
Many wise points made already. I'd second the idea that firmness really does wonders with certain characters. It doesn't sound like he is going to go away. But if you don't want to just write him off and have trouble ignoring his remarks (understandable), firmness sounds like the appropriate response. Prepare yourself to unemotionally inform him (in private) that the grade is generous, if anything. Other students simply out-did him. "It wouldn't be fair to the other students" if you gave him a higher grade.
While you're at it, you might inform him (in an informative, unemotional tone) that you can hear his negative remarks and you consider them out of place (or unprofessional) in a college setting. [You'll have to decide if this might help. Some students--men in particular, for me--respond well to authority and power, especially when expressed without emotion.]
I'm not sure what you can do here. Maybe next time you're going over a grade remind him effort does not automatically equal grade. That he might be able to work to get a better grade, but more work does not necessarily equal a better grade. Also you might try to remind him a grade is a grade and does not "define" him. Because it sounds like he's taking this really personally. Maybe I'd suggest he grow a thicker skin, but that would probably just piss him off or alienate him more.
Midwest Prof had a good idea as well, obviously if plenty of other students are getting A's they are doing the right things and he is not. I hope the director has your back instead of expecting you also to be "nice". Maybe that's another point, that if you are too "easy" in your grading he will not learn the material, and then will do poorly in the future. But I've noticed many of my classmates will bemoan the amount of time they put into something relative to their grade, often they don't realize time does not correctly correlate to a better grade.
First, you have nothing to worry about if Skippy-The-Meanie talks to the PA. Not that you're at all worried about this.
Second, I agree that you've done all that you can do. I have a Skippy-esque student in my class this quarter. She has said aloud that she has "issues" with the course content.
I pretended not to hear her, although I did indirectly address her concerns (very diplomatically) later in the class discussion. She's also blamed missing drafts on me ("since you didn't respond to my email, the one I sent after missing class, I don't have a draft today").
I emailed her twice now and have stood my ground, but I've done so with a respectful and professional veneer. Inside, I wanted to tear her a new one and get snippy. But I refrained.
Skippies are not worth the head-ache.
I agree with everything P has said (as well as others) and would offer the same advice. The semester is over soon and he will go away eventually. In the meantime, being professional and responding some but not too much should cover your posterior in the eyes of the admins. Also hope your admins have your back on this.
I hope this isn't like the current Skippy in my world, who is a major in the program and so has me for a couple of semesters in a row.
I was hoping the answer would be smack Skippy into the next year ; )
Problem with students like this is that even if there weren't a grade--I actually teach in a program where we don't award grades; it's all pass/no credit--the student will still obsess over having everything neatly codified and not realize that education is as much (or more) about process than the number of units or letter grade at the end of the process. So these students are risk-averse, narrowly focused on what is...arguably, I know, but it's what I believe....the least important part of the deal.
All of my Skippys are majors, alas!
I would offer the same advice as the rest, BTW; nothing new to add...
I like what Tree of Knowledge said. Seems like that would acknowledge you heard the comment and were not concerned about the results if he should talk with the program director. Being confident in what you had done and conveying that to the students is most important as well as letting them know you are available if there are any grade questions.
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