Miss Shields Gives Ralphie a C+ on His Theme. What a Meanie!!!

[Julie's Haircut]

In A Christmas Story, Ralphie imagines he'll receive an A+++ for his theme about wanting a BB gun for Christmas. Teacher gives him a C+. Ralphie is devastated.

26 year old stepdaughter called Miss Shields a mean ***** for crushing his dreams. Of course, she's from the generation where you get trophies for showing up, and said Ralphie deserved at least an A- for completing the assignment.

The C+ grade seemed entirely reasonable to me. Back in the 1940s, long before the days of dumbed-down curriculum and grade inflation, a C+ was quite good, not a failure. And nothing he wrote appeared to earn a higher grade.

(I love those scenes where Ralphie is fantasizing about Miss Shields grading his paper, and then the teacher and his mother laughing at him.)

 

[Poohforyou]

You seem very bitter and confused about what childhood was/is/should be.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

It was a B paper at best. Miss Shields was disappointed in the margins, and he had several errors marked in red. C+ is probably about right.


Side note: does Miss Shields grade with a crayon?

 

[ronandannette]

In A Christmas Story, Ralphie imagines he'll receive an A+++ for his theme about wanting a BB gun for Christmas. Teacher gives him a C+. Ralphie is devastated.

26 year old stepdaughter called Miss Shields a mean ***** for crushing his dreams. Of course, she's from the generation where you get trophies for showing up, and said Ralphie deserved at least an A- for completing the assignment.

The C+ grade seemed entirely reasonable to me. Back in the 1940s, long before the days of dumbed-down curriculum and grade inflation, a C+ was quite good, not a failure. And nothing he wrote appeared to earn a higher grade.

(I love those scenes where Ralphie is fantasizing about Miss Shields grading his paper, and then the teacher and his mother laughing at him.)

You seem very bitter and confused about what childhood was/is/should be.

Not super-familiar with this movie, but are you implying that students should, in general, be able to inform a teacher of what grade they're hoping to achieve on any given assignment and then just get it? Yeah, that actually sounds a lot easier than you know, earning it.

 

[Julie's Haircut]

You seem very bitter and confused about what childhood was/is/should be.

Why, thank you. I consider that comment to be a standing ovation.

 

[cijay]

Not super-familiar with this movie, but are you implying that students should, in general, be able to inform a teacher of what grade they're hoping to achieve on any given assignment and then just get it? Yeah, that actually sounds a lot easier than you know, earning it.

No, his getting an A+++++ was in a fantasy/dream sequence until he got his paper back and saw the C+.

Gone are the days when kids get marked on their ability to read, spell and format properly. I would get pretty mad if that's what had happened when I was a kid because reading, spelling and writing were pretty much the only things that I could do well so if every kid got an A+ just for simply turning an assignment in, it would have meant nothing to me. I sucked at math. I'm talking C- was a high grade but usually D. It'd be like my getting every answer in my test wrong and getting an A+ just because I put numbers down on the paper.

 

[RedAngie]

It was a B paper at best. Miss Shields was disappointed in the margins, and he had several errors marked in red. C+ is probably about right.


Side note: does Miss Shields grade with a crayon?

Hmmmm, I watched many times over the years, including yesterday, but never noticed any errors marked in red. Just the C+ on top of the page and "P.S. You'll shoot your eye out" on the bottom. Guess I have to pay closer attention. Yes, it looked like she graded with a crayon. Probably had to for logistic purposes of the movie, so it would show up better on film.

C+ seems like a reasonable grade for that work. Most fourth graders wouldn't write "with a thing that tells time" or whatever the phrase was.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Hmmmm, I watched many times over the years, including yesterday, but never noticed any errors marked in red. Just the C+ on top of the page and "P.S. You'll shoot your eye out" on the bottom. Guess I have to pay closer attention. Yes, it looked like she graded with a crayon. Probably had to for logistic purposes of the movie, so it would show up better on film.

C+ seems like a reasonable grade for that work. Most fourth graders wouldn't write "with a thing that tells time" or whatever the phrase was.

It was a "grease pencil" and not really a crayon, although they were known as "crayon pencils" and other names.

These were used before markers were invented.

 

[BigAlsGal]

It was a B paper at best. Miss Shields was disappointed in the margins, and he had several errors marked in red. C+ is probably about right.


Side note: does Miss Shields grade with a crayon?

I had to go watch the sequence because I've seen that movie a thousand times and I was almost positive there were no other marks on the paper besides C+ and You'll shoot your eye out. From what I can tell that's all there is.

Since she didn't mark anything wrong it really does look like she gave him the C+ because she didn't care for his choice of Christmas gift. Poor Ralphie. Can you imagine being shot down by your teacher like that. No pun intended.

And yes she graded with crayon. Lol

 

[dodukes]

He actually misspelled Christmas but it was not marked wrong.

 

[usnuzuloose]

If I remember right they looked something like this…

 

[usnuzuloose]

If I remember right they looked something like this…

They may have been a little fatter than this.

 

[RedAngie]

It was a "grease pencil" and not really a crayon, although they were known as "crayon pencils" and other names.

These were used before markers were invented.

Ah, yes, red grease pencils. I had forgotten about them, but can now recall them.

I had to go watch the sequence because I've seen that movie a thousand times and I was almost positive there were no other marks on the paper besides C+ and You'll shoot your eye out. From what I can tell that's all there is.

Since she didn't mark anything wrong it really does look like she gave him the C+ because she didn't care for his choice of Christmas gift. Poor Ralphie. Can you imagine being shot down by your teacher like that. No pun intended.

And yes she graded with crayon. Lol

I disagree. There was nothing "wrong" per se with the paper, but nothing worthy of a higher mark. A C+ was a decent grade for the quality of Ralphie's work. Except in his mind, a C+ wasn't a failing grade; it was average, as was his work. I don't believe for a second that the teacher lowered his mark because of the subject matter.

She wasn't even swayed by the fruit basket bribe. Speaking of which, I wonder if Ralphie bought that out of his allowance. Even back then, a fruit basket (with a pineapple no less) was kind of expensive. I doubt his parents would buy that to give as a teacher's gift. Then again, maybe years later Ralphie only imagined her gave her the fruit basket, but really gave her a single apple instead.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Not super-familiar with this movie, but are you implying that students should, in general, be able to inform a teacher of what grade they're hoping to achieve on any given assignment and then just get it? Yeah, that actually sounds a lot easier than you know, earning it.

I thought he was saying the grade was about right, and complaining that someone of a younger generation thought Ralphie deserved an A?

(I also don't understand where the first of your three quotes came from, but maybe I'm missing something.)


Anyway, as a teacher, I wouldn't have given him an A either - especially back then, when C really did mean "average". He's supposed to be nine, right? I usually see a little more sophistication in the A papers by that age.

 

[tvguy]

I'll bite, even though "A Christmas Story" was the worst movie ever made.

Regarding grades. DD graduated from High School in 2009 and went to a California State University. Her incoming class had the highest SAT and ACT test scores in CSU history, and the highest average GPA.
Once on campus they also had the highest percentage of any class need to take remedial English and Math.
Yes, our schools appear to be failing at educating our kids and more concerned about their self esteem. And the sad thing is, these kids will get into the working world where bosses will only care about the quality of their work, not their self esteem.

 

[Happy_Haunt999]

If I remember right they looked something like this…

They may have been a little fatter than this.

Actually those are colored pencils you posted a pic of. This is a grease pencil

They were also known as China Markers...

 

[usnuzuloose]

Actually those are colored pencils you posted a pic of. This is a grease pencil

They were also known as China Markers...

Thank you thats what I remember. Takes me back….

 

[Happy_Haunt999]

Thank you thats what I remember. Takes me back….

Welcome! I totally forgot about these things until this thread lol. I loved using those, until I had to peel them haha!

 

[usnuzuloose]

Welcome! I totally forgot about these things until this thread lol. I loved using those, until I had to peel them haha!

 

[PollyannaMom]

I'll bite, even though "A Christmas Story" was the worst movie ever made.

Regarding grades. DD graduated from High School in 2009 and went to a California State University. Her incoming class had the highest SAT and ACT test scores in CSU history, and the highest average GPA.
Once on campus they also had the highest percentage of any class need to take remedial English and Math.
Yes, our schools appear to be failing at educating our kids and more concerned about their self esteem. And the sad thing is, these kids will get into the working world where bosses will only care about the quality of their work, not their self esteem.

This is so true (except for the review - I enjoy the movie!) DS doesn't believe me when I tell him that C is supposed to mean average work, Bs used to be very respectable, and As were something to really be proud of. He says to the kids "C is the new F".)