Korean Job Discussion Forums

[The Lemon]

Today kicks off a magical period - the semi-annual Beg Week, where students check their grades that teachers have entered into the computer, and come around the offices to beg.

Sometimes the teacher makes a mistake in the number-entering, and in those cases the students are perfectly entitled to ask for a correction. When I see I've made such a mistake, and it happens, I'm very apologetic.

But more often - like, in my case, 5 minutes ago - the student simply regards the final grade as an opening bid to further negotiations. The concept of "personal responsibility" is utterly foreign to these students, and they view the grade as one I've given them, not one they've earned. Some students routinely visit all of their teachers, going from office to office like they're Trick-or-Treating, giving the "I need a higher grade" whine the old college try in the hopes that some of their teachers will bite. I wonder how many do. I try to show them the door, politely but firmly, as quickly as possible once I've determined they have no legitimate cause to complain.

In the case of the student a few moments ago, she got a D but wanted something higher. On reviewing my gradebook, she actually earned an F, as anyone who gets a 60~65 (pass) on my exams really got a mid-to-high F and I've bumped them up over the line, as the administration has encouraged us to do. But Santa doesn't visit a student's home twice in one Christmas.

Maybe at the more serious schools closer to Seoul with the better students, "Beg Week" is a more muted event. Anyone else enjoying the festivities?

[Real Reality]

The Lemon wrote,
The student simply regards the final grade as an opening bid to further negotiations.... Anyone else enjoying the festivities?

Yes.

I bought extra tissue for the festivities. But, I did not buy any correction fluid. For some strange reason, my computer is not functioning properly. I cannot seem to change the final grades and scores (except downward). Perhaps, I should contact the technician in the computer service center.

[calypso]

Why don't you just give everyone one grade lower than they deserve? When they "beg" you raise their grade, then look better in their eyes.

[Real Reality]

calypso,
You are a genius.

Oh wait, I thought about that before. And, since I am not a genius you cannot be one.

[the_beaver]

Write a long spiel about the curve and how it's university policy that is to blame -- which, for one of my classes, is true.

[calypso]

[Real Reality]

calypso wrote,
"Yes I can."

Then, I can be too. However, I was genius before you.
I am pre-genius.

OK?

[prosodic]

[Real Reality]

prosodic,
There are geniuses among us.

Can we subtitle this thread?
To university teachers - Happy Beg Week!: The games professors play.

[prosodic]

[The Lemon]

Is my theory correct that students in Seoul do this less than at the lesser schools? Or does this problem plague Seoul teachers too?

[Confused Canadian]

[the_beaver]

[posco's trumpet]

Had two students this term: one was easy to send packing (I'd given him a B when he'd missed enough classes to fail, according to university policy), and the other was a typographical error on my part.

I used to get more complainers, but laying things out beforehand helps. I also tell students that if they find a mistake they're free to contact me, but that 'frivolous complaints will result in lowering your grade by 1/2 letter.'

[hellofaniceguy]

At the start of each semester, every student is told that "I don't give you grades, you earn them." No exceptions. If you ask me to change your grade, I'll make an exception in your case and lower the grade. Why? Because you had the audacity to ask me a dumb thing to do. So now you'll take personal responsibility for your request. And yet, I still get the whinners!
It's goes in one ear and out the other!