Primrose Road

Students today and their view of how grading works amaze me. I turned in grades two weeks ago and so far have received five emails from students with grades ranging from A- to B, asking me if there was anything they could do at this point (after the end of the semester) to raise their grade half a letter so that they wouldn't lose scholarship money. First of all, if they are at risk of losing scholarship money and got an A-, B+, or B in my class, it likely means that *my* class isn't what's causing the major problem with their GPA, which suggests to me that they assume that 5-foot-2 in-her-late-twenties not-yet-Dr. L. is more likely to say, "aww, I'll raise your grade so you can get your scholarship money" than is, say, the 60-year-old math prof who gave them a C. Which makes me laugh a bit, because, really, grades are earned based on work done during the term.

I also like it when students assume I'm the *nicest teacher ever* when they earn an A or A-, even though they actually earned the grade because I give challenging assignments that force my students to work hard.

There needs to be an essay collection entitled " 'You Are So Nice, Can I Please Have an A?' : On Being Young, Short, and Female in the University System."