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Re: grade-grubbing & course selection



Michael Edmiston wrote:
Digby Willard says he doesn't see students avoiding hard graders. I
see lots of it.

No, I said I see lots of students who are not avoiding hard graders. It's
not the same thing. I'm sure there are students here who avoid hard
graders, and I know there are college-bound students who avoid hard classes
(there's a difference, though I think hard classes tend to be taught by
hard graders). I also believe my first-year course is avoided by those who
select courses largely on the basis of anticipated grade and workload;
thus, I don't get to know those students and see how they choose courses.
But I have seen lots of students take classes knowing that they were not
going to get an A.

We have a regular physics course in addition to the IB course I teach.
Every year at the semester, a number of students switch to regular. Soem
of them do it on the basis of their grade, some on the basis of workload,
and some because they know they're in over their heads. But quite a few of
the college-bound students with the lower grades stay with my course, for a
variety of reasons.

Digby