Unreasonable Expectations

By Riley Wagner, Editor        Published: November 12, 2019

“I have a D. My teacher said, ‘Nobody deserves an A unless they really really deserve it and if the project we are doing makes her cry.’ Also, we are doing the same project as the seniors and she said all their projects were trash. How do I deal with this bad teacher?” -Anonymous

At Northwest, educators have exceptionally high expectations, especially in our program areas, but that doesn’t make them terrible. Most teachers simply want their students to succeed and push them to do well. With this in mind, I’ve heard numerous accounts of students being kicked out for poor performance solely in their chosen curriculum. 

The first step to passing the class is an acceptance of your responsibility in the situation. Getting a good grade in a hard class requires effort. In this case, at least the teacher admits to giving out As, so it's possible. 

Take action by respectfully asking your teacher for assistance or clarification on an assignment before or after school. Showing the will to improve vastly increases the odds of passing a class. Often, instructors are beat down trying to help kids that simply don’t care.

Next, be nice to the teacher in class; seem interested in what they have to say and answer questions. Being in their good graces makes the instructor more likely to give out free passes and second chances. Even if the instructor’s personality is abrasive, take the effort to be kind.   

Continue this strategy for a couple of weeks, and your grade will probably be raised from doing better on assignments. However, if the teacher is unwilling to help at all, it may be time to talk with a counselor or parent. Encourage other students who feel similarly about the teacher to speak up alongside you; the more students and parents complain, the more is likely to be done about the teacher. 

Please write in to riley.223463@nv.ccsd.net for more questions about getting through high school (relationships, teachers, parents, friends, stress, etc.).