WWYD: math teacher with strange grading policies

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:9th grader? Who isn't asking for you to butt in, but rather specifically is asking for you to stay out of it? And health and safety isn't on the line?

"Okay, honey, I trust you to handle it. If you need me, I'm here, let me know."

Don't snowplow this.

More OP trolls, lame.

[Anonymous]

Do what my husband always does! Nothing.

He’s too busy mismanaging his office work too.

[Anonymous]

You could make an argument for team testing. But this system seems way too convoluted (if true). Confirm every detail, then go to the principal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You could make an argument for team testing. But this system seems way too convoluted (if true). Confirm every detail, then go to the principal.

No, you could not make a sensible argument for team testing in high school math. It’s insane. What the heck.

[Anonymous]

Still waiting to find out what school this is...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Email the teacher to clarify then follow up with administrator. If this is true, it’s insane

+1

ASAP!

[Anonymous]

OP here (again) - I talked to several other students and parents this weekend and everyone verified the partner grading for quizzes (it is not done for tests - that was my error). Everyone seems to hate the system but as far as I can tell, no one has complained about it. I do worry that if I talk to a school administrator and they get the teacher to stop this practice, the teacher will take it out on the students in some other way by making tests harder or no longer giving partial credit (the tests/quizzes are really hard - teacher will include problems unlike those done in class/homework - but the teacher is typically generous with partial credit). I should still talk to someone at the school, right?

[Anonymous]

With this new information, I'd want to know a little more before I'd complain. Or, at least approach the teacher in the spirit of inquiry. How much do quizzes really count? In any math class my kid had in school, you'd have to have low failing quiz average to move the needle from a low A to a C. You said the tests are really rapid, but are the quizzes? Or is there actually time to be collaborative. With high stakes, rapid assessment, this partner scheme makes no sense, but if it's actually set up to encourage collaboration and learning with lower stakes on the final grade, it sounds like it could be a positive. It's also really normal for difficultly in math to ramp up around this time. Make sure this isn't what's going on and your kid needs an excuse!

[Anonymous]

If parents complained in a timely and thoughtful way that teacher would not be around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With this new information, I'd want to know a little more before I'd complain. Or, at least approach the teacher in the spirit of inquiry. How much do quizzes really count? In any math class my kid had in school, you'd have to have low failing quiz average to move the needle from a low A to a C. You said the tests are really rapid, but are the quizzes? Or is there actually time to be collaborative. With high stakes, rapid assessment, this partner scheme makes no sense, but if it's actually set up to encourage collaboration and learning with lower stakes on the final grade, it sounds like it could be a positive. It's also really normal for difficultly in math to ramp up around this time. Make sure this isn't what's going on and your kid needs an excuse!

OP here - thanks for this. According to my kid and his friend, there is not time on the quizzes to collaborate. Currently my kid's entire grade is made up by 2 quizzes, which is what made me ask the questions that led me to understand this entire partner quiz situation.

This was not part of your question but for additional context, the teacher does not grade the quiz that is not counted towards a grade. So this partner quiz situation also cuts the teachers grading in half. I obviously do not know if that is a motivating factor for the teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With this new information, I'd want to know a little more before I'd complain. Or, at least approach the teacher in the spirit of inquiry. How much do quizzes really count? In any math class my kid had in school, you'd have to have low failing quiz average to move the needle from a low A to a C. You said the tests are really rapid, but are the quizzes? Or is there actually time to be collaborative. With high stakes, rapid assessment, this partner scheme makes no sense, but if it's actually set up to encourage collaboration and learning with lower stakes on the final grade, it sounds like it could be a positive. It's also really normal for difficultly in math to ramp up around this time. Make sure this isn't what's going on and your kid needs an excuse!

OP here - thanks for this. According to my kid and his friend, there is not time on the quizzes to collaborate. Currently my kid's entire grade is made up by 2 quizzes, which is what made me ask the questions that led me to understand this entire partner quiz situation.

This was not part of your question but for additional context, the teacher does not grade the quiz that is not counted towards a grade. So this partner quiz situation also cuts the teachers grading in half. I obviously do not know if that is a motivating factor for the teacher.

He doesn’t count the quizzes so I don’t get the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With this new information, I'd want to know a little more before I'd complain. Or, at least approach the teacher in the spirit of inquiry. How much do quizzes really count? In any math class my kid had in school, you'd have to have low failing quiz average to move the needle from a low A to a C. You said the tests are really rapid, but are the quizzes? Or is there actually time to be collaborative. With high stakes, rapid assessment, this partner scheme makes no sense, but if it's actually set up to encourage collaboration and learning with lower stakes on the final grade, it sounds like it could be a positive. It's also really normal for difficultly in math to ramp up around this time. Make sure this isn't what's going on and your kid needs an excuse!

OP here - thanks for this. According to my kid and his friend, there is not time on the quizzes to collaborate. Currently my kid's entire grade is made up by 2 quizzes, which is what made me ask the questions that led me to understand this entire partner quiz situation.

This was not part of your question but for additional context, the teacher does not grade the quiz that is not counted towards a grade. So this partner quiz situation also cuts the teachers grading in half. I obviously do not know if that is a motivating factor for the teacher.

He doesn’t count the quizzes so I don’t get the problem.

The quizzes do count towards grades (in total they are approx 15-20% of the grade). for a partner quiz, the teacher pairs students A and B. They each take a different quiz and are allowed to collaborate (but there is typically not time for that), The teacher then only grades one of the two quizzes (for example only student A's quiz is graded) and both students are assigned student A's grade on the quiz.

[Anonymous]

It’s standard to award partial credit in math. If that stopped then I’d complain about that too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With this new information, I'd want to know a little more before I'd complain. Or, at least approach the teacher in the spirit of inquiry. How much do quizzes really count? In any math class my kid had in school, you'd have to have low failing quiz average to move the needle from a low A to a C. You said the tests are really rapid, but are the quizzes? Or is there actually time to be collaborative. With high stakes, rapid assessment, this partner scheme makes no sense, but if it's actually set up to encourage collaboration and learning with lower stakes on the final grade, it sounds like it could be a positive. It's also really normal for difficultly in math to ramp up around this time. Make sure this isn't what's going on and your kid needs an excuse!

OP here - thanks for this. According to my kid and his friend, there is not time on the quizzes to collaborate. Currently my kid's entire grade is made up by 2 quizzes, which is what made me ask the questions that led me to understand this entire partner quiz situation.

This was not part of your question but for additional context, the teacher does not grade the quiz that is not counted towards a grade. So this partner quiz situation also cuts the teachers grading in half. I obviously do not know if that is a motivating factor for the teacher.

He doesn’t count the quizzes so I don’t get the problem.

The quizzes do count towards grades (in total they are approx 15-20% of the grade). for a partner quiz, the teacher pairs students A and B. They each take a different quiz and are allowed to collaborate (but there is typically not time for that), The teacher then only grades one of the two quizzes (for example only student A's quiz is graded) and both students are assigned student A's grade on the quiz.

Yeah, no, if this count towards the grade, he should not be grading them for someone else's work, that's not the same as doing group work. I would complain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here (again) - I talked to several other students and parents this weekend and everyone verified the partner grading for quizzes (it is not done for tests - that was my error). Everyone seems to hate the system but as far as I can tell, no one has complained about it. I do worry that if I talk to a school administrator and they get the teacher to stop this practice, the teacher will take it out on the students in some other way by making tests harder or no longer giving partial credit (the tests/quizzes are really hard - teacher will include problems unlike those done in class/homework - but the teacher is typically generous with partial credit). I should still talk to someone at the school, right?

The person who is insane is YOU. There will not be retaliation. Stop thinking that way. You are actively hurting your child. Don't teach him this either.