Friday, March 28, 2008

Worries over Giving Grade

Since graduation is around the corner, I am faced with the problem of giving grades to graduating students. This was my dilemma for two weeks but now everything is over. Since I've been thinking and was very busy with the fourth year class I even forgot to update my blog.
Yesterday the cum laudes' treated the faculty to a snack of pancit and ham roll. Their parents were even there. If you are a parent of a graduating student with honors won't you feel proud? Maybe that was their feeling yesterday.

I remember when I graduated from high school and I have to look for a university for college. I took the exam at UP, PUP and UST. I did not pass the UPCAT, I passed the PUP entrance exam and also passed the UST exam. I remember taking the exam at UST and the result will be posted a week or two after because that was the last batch of exams it was already the end of March. I was with my mother when we checked the result, luckily I passed the quota course of Psychology and my I will never forget my mother's face, she was almost teary-eyed and I know she was happy and proud of me.

Going back to my dilemma, these graduating students have an average grade in my class, meaning some of their classmates got higher grades than them. My dilemma is that if I give them a low grade, one of the cum laude will not pass the magna standard. One cum laude will not be a cum laude and worst of all, one of the faculty tried to talk to me into giving them a higher grade. I was in conflict. The professor informed me already a month ahead that these three students are running for honors and he is asking for my help to support them.

So last week when the start of the encoding of the grades began, I know he was looking for an opportunity to talk to me and he got his chance. He saw me computing the grades and asked for the grade of the three students. I told them their grades, he said it was too low. He did not leave my side. I told him"Ok, I'll try to adjust my grade" , I tried to adjust my grade told him the grade and that made him happy. After he left, I was really bothered, like I did something wrong, like I did something against my will.

The graduating students were required to ask the professors for their grades and I already informed them of their high grade. Before I left that day, I left a note to the professor telling him that I will have to think about the grades that I told him overnight and informed the honor students of the changes in grade. I asked them to come to school the next day to explain the changes.

I told them that one of the professors approached me to give them a higher grade so that they will know. I gave an additional work to one of the student because if I tried to change her grade, she will no longer be in the honor roll. I informed the two that I will lower their grade and they agreed.

Now I have to face the wrath of the professor. I know I should not have agreed in the first place to change their grades. I feel that I gave them a high grade because the professor asked me but I know in my heart that I can give them that grade if the students asked for my help.

I have these thoughts until today and I want to get over it. I guess I have to move on and start forgetting about it.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

thanks agnes for the comment. :D

Unknown said...

oh no!it's really a hard decision for you.Ya don't think too much about this.Agnes,I finally did changed the new domain.Can you please change the new domain name on your blogroll please.:) thanks!