I ONLY DO THIS BECAUSE YOU’RE DOING WELL [STOP ASKING ME ABOUT YOUR GRADES]
Not a day goes by when a student asks me how they’re doing in class. My teaching days have about three guarantees: a student will ask to go to the restroom when they already asked in their previous classes, a student will ask what they’re supposed to be doing even after I’ve written it for them on the board, and a student will ask me what their grade is. While the other two make me twitch a bit, that last one makes me grind my teeth. It goes like this:
Day 1
Student: What’s my grade?
Me: It’s around a 70 or an 80, I gotta look at my gradebook.
Student: How come? I do all my work.
Me (whispering to myself): You don’t wanna reflect on that before making such provocative statements?
Me (out loud): Let’s check my online gradebook. Did you log in and see?
S: Um, yeah.
Me: Did you click on the number?
S: Um, no.
Me: OK, click on the number and tell me what you’re missing.
S: OK, will do.
Me: It’s around a 70 or an 80, I gotta look at my gradebook.
Student: How come? I do all my work.
Me (whispering to myself): You don’t wanna reflect on that before making such provocative statements?
Me (out loud): Let’s check my online gradebook. Did you log in and see?
S: Um, yeah.
Me: Did you click on the number?
S: Um, no.
Me: OK, click on the number and tell me what you’re missing.
S: OK, will do.
Day 2
Student: Mr. Vilson, what’s my grade?
Me: It’s around a 70 or an 80, I got like 140 students, let me go see.
Student: I know I have an 80 in this class, I did what I Only Do This Because You're Doing Well [Stop Asking Me About Your Grades] | The Jose Vilson:
Me: It’s around a 70 or an 80, I got like 140 students, let me go see.
Student: I know I have an 80 in this class, I did what I Only Do This Because You're Doing Well [Stop Asking Me About Your Grades] | The Jose Vilson: