Teaching In China: Begging for Grades

11:34 p.m. - 2005-12-30
Begging doesn't suit you

So it is that time of semester again. Time to turn in the grades. Time to recieve the numerous invitations to dinner and offers of beautiful gifts that are even more expensive and beautiful when the student is failing the class. This year I have been a little slow in turning in my grades. Last year I wouldn't tell the students their final grade at the end, because they could figure it out themselves. This year I moved a lot of things to the internet, so I had to show the students their grades on the webpage (private entry, log in required... it is all legal and follows the guidelines from the states... honest!) and the final grades have been slow going because I gave them all the opportunity for extra credit.

So now I have the letters. The ones that berate me for giving a lower grade and impolore me to raise it for fear of being beaten by a father, or ostricized by their village, or ... "because I know you like me, you said I was a good student!". and all that for a B or a C. Don't ask what the F students say. You don't want to know. Or maybe you do. They threaten, they beg, and they flood you with phone calls at 4 in the morning and 11 at night (I never give out my phone number and I have told them not to call without asking permission first...it works for the smarter and more on task ones...).

These students fill my box with notes asking for me to recheck the scores and to recalculate the grades accourding to their desires and wants, as opposed to what they earned. Because in Chinese culture everything is negotiable. Yes, everything. I have seen teachers change grades. (I have it written in my syllabus that if they bug me about the grades they will recieve a lower letter grade, but that doesn't stop them)However, I am not that kind of teacher. And unlike the other instructors at this school, I am not bound by the strictures of the administration. I can not be asked by the "boss" to alter my grades because a student's dad has taken the dean out to dinner.

It really upsets the dean that he has to tell the parents that he is not my boss. I feel for the other teachers. They turn in their grades only to find that the administration has altered the grades, or has given a make up exam to a student who never came to class. If the student works it right, the whole class grade can be based on one make up test they can take as often as they need to in order to get the grade they want. It is especially hard when the other teachers hear that I have failed students...and they stay failed.

If I give a student an F, they can't work their way out of it. I have a reputation on the campus as the teacher with the most standing F's. 13 last year. Half of those were for absences (I followed the schools policy and that is what they got!) and the rest were for cheating. There were only two who failed because they couldn't speak, read, or write in English. And my class is an American University class. I still don't understand how those students could be placed into my class in the first place! The administration must have known that they would fail!

One of the students spent the second semester studying English. He did great and when I saw him again (he is not in my class) he could hold a conversation and could write much better. I understand he is passing the other teachers class this year.. of his own merits. The second is repeating in my class (I am told this is unheard of, but I actually told my failing students that they were welcome to return, that I liked them and thought that if they tried harder they would pass. Apparently some of them listened and chose to come to my class... GOOD FOR THEM!) This student is now passing with a very high grade and I have never seen such improvement in a student, ever before.

Anyway, if you have never taught in China before, these are things that you can expect to face. It is a bit of a culture shock issue for all of the teachers. If you don't believe me, well just wait and see. It is one of the most shocking things to see in China.
Besides the split pants.