Why Do I Have an F? That’s the question Eliana Osborn hears after midterm grades go out. She teaches developmental English at Arizona Western College.
“Is there any way I can get my grade higher?” comes the plaintive e-mailed complaint. Yes, I reply. Come to class every week and do every assignment.
That is not the answer many of them want to hear. They want extra credit, chances to make up tests, magic points that appear out of nowhere just because they asked.
She lets students rewrite essays to improve their grade, even if that means rereading an essay through four revisions. But some don’t take advantage of the opportunity, yet wonder why the F remains an F.