Once, when I was doing my student teaching, I created a test for a “Business Communications” unit. Back then it was all about me, so I titled it “The Greatest Business Communication Test Ever” or something just as ridiculous.
Anyway, for some reason, I thought it was pretty damn good. A great measure of achievement. But after I’d given it, and began correcting it, I soon realized that something was wrong. The students were bombing.
These were seniors at Elk Mound High School. The best and the brightest. We’d covered the material inside and out. And we’d done it with excitement and interest. It was a fun class. The students loved me (remember, everything was about me). I expected each of them to knock that test out of the park. Not because it was easy–but because they knew it (because I was a shooting, shining star of a teacher dammit).
Heh.
It only took me five tests into correcting it to realize something wasn’t right. But it took another ten or fifteen before I recognized this pattern: students kept repeating variations of the same wrong answers.
It was weird.
Like Sherlock Holmes, I dug deeper. Then it hit me. Many of the answers they were coming up with weren’t really wrong!
GASP!!
As it turned out, a lot of the questions were vague enough to allow two (or more) different answers! It all depended on how you read the question and from what source you drew your answer–lecture notes (me-brilliant remember) or the book.
So there I was, 20 tests graded, 20 terrible scores (I’m talking D’s and F’s for students very used A’s), and me with no clear path out of this mess. I was a little over half way through grading. The tests were already marked up. I wasn’t going to go back now and change all the marks and grades.
That would only make me look stupid, creating an unsolvable paradox in the students’ minds. How can somebody so brilliant be so stupid? It’s impossible! And yet . . .
Besides, after reading the questions over again, and again, and again, and then reviewing the book, and the variety of answers, I was starting to get confused myself!
It was a complete Farkboingstumblemuck.
Then I had a brainstorm.
This was a communications class right? We’d studied all kinds of business writing and persuasive methods right? So I made a decision. I’d continue to mark them all wrong. Everything I could find.
Basically the entire class bombed.
You should have seen the looks on their faces when I handed those tests back. It didn’t take long for the objections to start.
“Grades are final,” I said. “Unless, that is, you can craft a letter persuading me to change my mind. Be clear, be concise. Explain your point of view. Provide ample evidence for your argument. You have to convince me to change your grade.”
Of course, they had to be professional–typed, signed, the whole bit. It was great. I tell you I’ve never seen letters so well crafted. A thing of beauty. All the anger and confused emotional energy converted to productivity and channeled right into those letters. It gave them a sense of control. Of purpose. Of power.
No longer were they helpless students at the mercy of an authority figure.
Anyway it worked so well that I often still use a variation of that assignment today with my middle schoolers. Don’t want a detention? Explain to me in writing why you don’t deserve one. Think you should have gotten more time to complete that assignment? Convince me in writing.
I handed back a big portfolio project today. A couple of students didn’t think they got a fair shake. They knew the routine. This is what I got:
Dear Mr. Wondra,
This is a very unfair circumstance. I had two percent knocked off of the total percent. This was due to you not giving me the appropriate information. I was home ill and when I came back, you gave me an assignment but no direction to empty out the rest of my binder.
I was gone the day you gave this information out to our class when A__ asked about this direction. M___ and A___ will both vouch for me that I was absent that day due to the fact that I was suffering of sickness.
I know you understand that this is an unfair gesture towards me. I will make a deal with you Mr. Wondra: if you find this letter not up to your expectations, you can give me a 99% out of the 100% that I worked hard for and deserve. I know that a 98% is good but I deserve the grade that I worked hard for.
H___
This one came with a title:
This Is Why I Deserve a 100%
By: A___ M___
Now I understand that a 99% is a good grade. It is quite unfair for me to understand why I got a 99% when I know I deserve a 100% on the project I worked very hard on. you gave me a ninety-nine percent because you said I didn’t type up my table of contents. But I never even knew we had to do such a thing.
I may be hard of hearing, but I know i would have caught you saying such a thing. I ven have looked on the rubric of requirements and it does not say typing the table of contents is required. If I had known that not typing out my table of contents brought my grade down, I would have typed it up. If you still believe that that should be required for me to get the grade I deserve, which is a 100% then I will type it up right now for you.
Thank you for your time.
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16 responses so far ↓
1 tobeme // Mar 23, 2007 at 10:26 am
You created a brilliant exercise which will server your students very well in the business world after they complete their formal education. You are a great teacher!
Mark,
You are amazing.
First you post highly valuable content on your blog. Those aren’t short or fluffy/meaningless posts. I’m sure you put a lot of time and effort into them.
Then you take the time to reply individually to each and ever one who leaves a comment. Most posts that I’ve seen so far have upwards of 20 or more comments!
Then you wander over here and have become a frequent visitor, leaving valuable comments here as well. Now I’m sure I’m not the only one you read or comment. My point is, holy smokes! I’m starting to feel guilty when I don’t get around to replying to some of the comments here on this blog.
You’re making me look lazy.
I don’t know how you do it.
But thanks again for your visits and thoughts.
Chris
2 frecklescassie // Mar 23, 2007 at 2:22 pm
I wish my teachers did that! I might send them a copy of your column.
Cassie
(9th grade)
Cassie (9th grade),
I’m kidding, of course. I’m sure we’d get along swimmingly.
You’re more than welcome to send your teachers a copy. You are a spitfire aren’t you? I checked out your blog. Oofda. I’m not sure if I wish you were one of my students, or if I’m thankful you’re not!
Thanks for stopping by. Drop by again. I always welcome intelligent visitors and comments. No doubt you would contribute.
Thanks again for the visit and comment.
Chris
3 doodaddy // Mar 23, 2007 at 4:12 pm
Brilliant! Bravo!
What if their reasons aren’t very convincing, though? Can they write you another letter telling you why you should have paid more attention to the first?
Hello again Doodaddy,
Hmm. If their reasons aren’t convincing (if they’re just making silly stuff up), I usually don’t give them any credit. And no, they don’t get a second shot (although that might be amusing). They wouldn’t get it in the real world. Why should I be any different. Unless, that is, I’m dealing with a special needs kid. Then we work on a case by case basis.
Thanks for dropping by again. And I very much appreciate the feedback!
Thanks
Chris
4 frecklescassie // Mar 23, 2007 at 10:37 pm
I am in all honors classes and I am going to be a journalist or an architect one day, and later president of the US in 2032.
I get along well with all my teachers but I know I am a pain in the neck sometimes. One of my elementary teachers got me started on writing stuff in a small notebook that I’d rather be blurting out in class. At first I always showed it to her at the end of class, but soon it was OK to keep the notebook just for me. Now half the stuff I write in the notebook in my purse ends up as blog entries!
Cassie
5 Kenzie // Mar 23, 2007 at 11:22 pm
Chris:
That’s an interesting technique you use! (Also a nice save. LoL )
Kenzie
6 asupremenewyorkthing // Mar 24, 2007 at 3:40 am
That’s a pretty good assignment but I have to ask if you, say in the future, do have another situation where most/all of the grades are poor (and you don’t want to create the paradox) would you ultimately give the students, who decided to accept the grades w/o writing a letter, poor FINAL grades?
I make this point because you were considering changing the already marked 20 F’s to a better grade but mainly for the reason that you didn’t want your brilliance to be overshadowed by this mistake, and appear ’stupid’, did you decide to continue to give everyone bad grades.
Had you decided from the start that the assignment was mainly to see if they would be able to write these letters, it would be a whole different story. But a few of the students, who might have had answers that could ostensibly garnered them a good grade, had you put your ego in the backseat and instead changed their grades, they wouldn’t even be in the dilemma of having to convince you, a teacher whose opinions they respect, otherwise.
If lil’ Jerry Studdebaker felt that you made the right decision to give him an F because he thinks so highly of you then you’re merely punishing him for doing what you ultimately wanted, to have them think you’re brilliant.
Firstly, you have to remember that back then, really the only person that thought highly of me–was me. I got along with that particular class, but whose to say what any one of them REALLY thought of me. In any case, I’ve never met a student so taken with a teacher that they wouldn’t at least question the reason they got an answer wrong or bombed a test unexpectedly.
All humor aside, I was honest with the kids. I told them that after correcting it, many of the questions could have more than one right answer. These were bright and mature kids. This was a business communications class. Plus, now that I think about it, I don’t think I gave them a choice. The letter was a new additional assignment. They got a grade for the assignment and a (new) grade for the test.
The objective for me as a teacher was to help students formulate constructive arguments. You know, can they use tact, can they be persuasive, can they gather and organize their evidence and thoughts in an articulate and understandable way?
I’ve also done variations of this type of assignment in a class discussion format. The bottom line is critical creative thinking and clear and consise communication.
Great question Supreme!
Thanks for your thoughts.
Chris
7 abu ameerah // Mar 24, 2007 at 3:11 pm
“The objective for me as a teacher was to help students formulate constructive arguments.”
sheer brilliance! Chris…you’re a diabolical teaching genius…or something like that.
Hey Abu,
Hmmm… “a diabolical teaching genius.”
I really like the way that rolls off the tongue. ‘Sgot a nice ring to it. Alright. That’s it. I’m printing up business cards right now. Just need to come up with a cool graphic to go along with it. (rubbing hands together and snickering like some kind of goofy, bumbling mad scientist)
Thanks for that. You made my day. Diabolical? Hell yes! Genius? ‘Eh, maybe not so much.
Later Abu, I like your style.
Chris
8 Omni // Mar 28, 2007 at 10:46 am
The ability to persuade people is probably the most important communication skill there is; not only is it the key to success in the workplace, it can make all the difference in the dating world as well. You really gave your students a boost in that area-well done!! xo
9 lollie pop // Apr 5, 2007 at 4:44 pm
well chris, i would have to say, you claim that this “technique” helps the kids, but did you ever stop to think it just maybe makes them mad. If i was a student in your class i would not like you make me write you a letter, instead maybe just listen to what the say, and have to live with the fact that you mad a mistake. Actually thats probally the reason you even came up with this less then smart idea, you couldn’t accept the fact that you had made a mistake….
well maybe it’s time for to live with that and be more understanding to your students.
The tipical teenager, has so much going on in there life, other classes, homework, and then you making them do another assignment just to get the grade they probally deserve.
In one of the actual letters you posted…
“this is why i deserve a 100%”
She states that not even the rubris said that her contents had to be typed.
May i also bring up in another blog you posted, you said you wish you had more time to post more on this blog. may i suggest spending less time, posting notes you found, your self centered ideas, and even pointless posts, and maybe spend more time being more thourgh in your rubrics that your students grades depend on…..
Thanks for your time….
lolliepop
(P.S) Also i would think about not swearing so much on this blog, i relize you a grown man, and i doesn’t matter, but what if your students saw it, what kind of example would you be setting
10 mrc // Apr 22, 2007 at 4:50 pm
This is a great story. I also think it’s cool that you let us in “behind the curtain” to see that teachers often come up with good ideas through accidental circumstances. The power and importance of good writing can’t be overstated! This is the first year that I’ve used writing in my math classes and I have found it to be extremely useful as a way to quickly and accurately assess what students know. It’s inherently scaffolded because students can writing up to their ability level. The only issue is with language learners… haven’t figured out what to do about that yet.
Thanks mrc,
It is so nice to here that you are using writing in math class–and that you’re finding it useful. Keep up the good work!
Chris
11 Beda // Aug 25, 2007 at 6:54 pm
One perpetually in trouble son found a way around his and my inability to communicate. While confined to his room he wrote his feelings on paper, pointing out where he thought each of us was wrong. Yes, even him. He proposed a solution and worked at it. This son used this method several times in his teens. I still treasure those poingant notes.
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13 Football: A Metaphor for Spit Wads // Dec 19, 2007 at 2:24 pm
[...] mentioned before that, in an effort to keep kids writing and thinking, I’ll often have them request things of me (change of grade for example) in writing. Obviously, logical reasoning and compelling details are more effective. In short, if [...]
14 sara // Jun 5, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Im sorry but i cant help it!! i think if i was one of your sTudents i would be pretty angry after all how could i trust your teaching when you gave me a test that you graded the first 10-20 wrong i’m sorry =[
15 Liara Covert // Jan 13, 2009 at 7:02 am
It is meaningful to invite people to reflect, to better understand the nature of their results and why they get them. This method can be applied in other areas of life outside of school to boost confidence and self-understanding.
16 Thomas, Waukesha, WI // Feb 3, 2009 at 10:23 pm
Chris…. I love to read blogs! Some times better than a best seller.
As a 60+ year old, I was over whelmed by this article. If 80% of all teachers were to have your insight and vitality (as this article clearly proves) in bring out the “thinking aspect of life” to younger students, how much better this world could be.
I say…. if you can’t sell yourself for a better grade, you don’t deseve it; which they will learn later, if you can’t sell youself in a job interview, you won’t get it!
And something I drilled my children when they were in high school. The people that actually mold and give you your unique character in life, are the people that you meet and associate when your 20-25 years old. So enjoy your teens, because you will still have alot more to learn.
Glen
Thanks for those kind words Glen. I’m not sure about percentages, but I can tell you this–there are a lot better teachers than me out there. The longer I do this, the more amazed I am at how many energetic, creative and thoughtful souls there actually are out here on the front lines.
At any rate, thanks for stopping by and sharing the experience you had with Direct Buy. I’m shaking my head about it. I hope you stop back again to share your thoughts on other issues.
Chris
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