Horrible teacher

[ohdisco]

My english teacher is very liberal when it comes to illegal immigrants from mexico (she's mexican I believe). Most of my essays are about how illegal immigrants hinder our society (or technically, my county I live in). She's failing me on reasons that I don't think are justified. I wrote a rough draft on an essay, and she gave me full credit. I finished the essay, and she didn't even give me a point, stating that I didn't follow directions. My second essay, we were supposed to write about how illegal immigrants effect (negatively or positively) our county (santa clara county). I talked about how they hindered our county in the educational, medical, and occupational fields. Everything was cited, and was from credible sources. She gave me half credit based on the fact that my essay was created on "grand generalizations". I have facts backing up every argument I held, so how is that a generalization?

The whole class is an extreme bias, but if I drop the class, I'll get a W (withdrawl) on my transcript. I'm going to transfer to UCSC the fall after the next, and I don't want this horrible teacher to mess up my chances just because we don't agree on a topic. On the other hand, I have a 49% in that class, so I'm thinking an F would look much worse than a W.

Gah, what should I do?

 

[ArchieImagineer]

My english teacher is very liberal when it comes to illegal immigrants from mexico (she's mexican I believe). Most of my essays are about how illegal immigrants hinder our society (or technically, my county I live in). She's failing me on reasons that I don't think are justified. I wrote a rough draft on an essay, and she gave me full credit. I finished the essay, and she didn't even give me a point, stating that I didn't follow directions. My second essay, we were supposed to write about how illegal immigrants effect (negatively or positively) our county (santa clara county). I talked about how they hindered our county in the educational, medical, and occupational fields. Everything was cited, and was from credible sources. She gave me half credit based on the fact that my essay was created on "grand generalizations". I have facts backing up every argument I held, so how is that a generalization?

The whole class is an extreme bias, but if I drop the class, I'll get a W (withdrawl) on my transcript. I'm going to transfer to UCSC the fall after the next, and I don't want this horrible teacher to mess up my chances just because we don't agree on a topic. On the other hand, I have a 49% in that class, so I'm thinking an F would look much worse than a W.

Gah, what should I do?

I had a problem with a professor as well. There is a system of checks and balances within a college. Your professor has to answer the the chair, who answers to the dean. Email both the chair and dean and request appointments with them. Cite that you are having problems with a specific professor and you wish to bring certain issues to their attention. At the meeting bring your essays with you. I suggest a newly printed copy, and the originals that she marked up. Give them the new essay and ask them to look it over pointing out any errors they see. Then show them the essay marked by your professor. If you are getting these low grades due to a biased professor it will be blatently obvious and your chair/dean will do something about it. It might not change your grade (in my case it did) but at least this professor will rethink their grading techniques for the future. Your chair/dean will give you further recomendations, such as speaking to your professor about extra credit. And as much as it pains me to say this, maybe you will have to let your personal beliefs take a back seat for this class. Hopefully your next english class wont have such a biased professor.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

 

[ohdisco]

I had a problem with a professor as well. There is a system of checks and balances within a college. Your professor has to answer the the chair, who answers to the dean. Email both the chair and dean and request appointments with them. Cite that you are having problems with a specific professor and you wish to bring certain issues to their attention. At the meeting bring your essays with you. I suggest a newly printed copy, and the originals that she marked up. Give them the new essay and ask them to look it over pointing out any errors they see. Then show them the essay marked by your professor. If you are getting these low grades due to a biased professor it will be blatently obvious and your chair/dean will do something about it. It might not change your grade (in my case it did) but at least this professor will rethink their grading techniques for the future. Your chair/dean will give you further recomendations, such as speaking to your professor about extra credit. And as much as it pains me to say this, maybe you will have to let your personal beliefs take a back seat for this class. Hopefully your next english class wont have such a biased professor.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

Well, she's the English Department chair, so it'd only be the dean, and it's an online class, so I don't have an essay that she's marked up. I talked to my mom, and I'm going to drop the class, but I think I'm going to talk to someone about what happened so it doesn't happen to anyone else.

 

[Alyssa88]

Is it possible that she wanted you to look at both sides of the argument? Maybe you weren't doing enought ot justify your side. If she is giving you poor grades because your views are different then you hsould definitely take action, but speak with her first.

I tend to agree more with you professor, but I don't think she hsould be giving you porr grades simply for your views.

I tend to argue alot with professors in papers, and have never had a problem with it, in fact most really like it (since i am not simply repeating their info, just disputing it). Hope everything works out, can you still drop the class at this point?

 

[ohdisco]

If she would've said she wanted it to be on both sides, I would've written a paper on both sides of the argument. She told us to choose between immigrants helping Santa Clara county, or hindering Santa Clara county. I chose that they hindered the Santa Clara county, and I was penalized for it.

I've already decided that I'm going to drop the class (obviously a W isn't that bad on a transcript; my cousin has several, and she got accepted into UCSC), and I'm going to make an appointment with the dean to talk about her actions.