was my teacher fair? If yes, explain. If no, explain and tell me what i should do.?

Question

every day my teacher makes the class answer a question on a sheet of paper(called daily Q's). If we don't know the answer, she tells us to look up the answer later on and have it answered by the due date(which she announces) After a certain number of days, she collects all the answers with the questions for a grade. However, two days ago, she randomly asked the class to take out the daily Q's and turn them in for points(300). The class complained that she never told us when they were due, but her defense was that she kept on telling the class to get the daily Q's done. Since I only turned in the daily Q from that same day and had all of them at home, I asked the teacher if I could give them to her the next day. She said no, so I asked if I could turn them in late, but she still said no, even though her syllabus states that projects, homework, and daily Q's can be turned in up to four days late with 25 points deduced from the assignment . She never said to bring them to class everyday

Answer 1

This is what I think you should do:

Gather all your "daily Q's" together tonight, and find as many answers to them as you can. Do your very best to answer each and every one of them.

Then, make a photocopy of the teacher's syllabus and highlight the line in which she states that projects, homework and daily Q's can be turned in up to four days late with 25 points deducted.

Hand them all in to her TOMORROW.
Seriously, you need to show her that you care about the assignments and you're not just shoving them under a pile of papers somewhere (even if you were... and if you were, you're just like me, so don't feel bad! we're only human.)

Just try to redeem yourself. Do everything you possibly can to get all those daily Q's answered ON PAPER so you can hand in the whole pile of it to her tomorrow, first thing.

If she still insists that she won't accept it, you have grounds to file a formal complaint, because she's not upholding her own promise.

BUT YOU HAVE TO have an impressive pile of those "daily Q's" before anyone will take you seriously -- the thing is, you can complain all you want about "fair" or "unfair", but according to her rule, you still have ONE DAY LEFT. Get your Q's answered so you can say you did everything you could think of to meet her "requirements".

She may just be testing you, after all...

Good luck, and feel free to post your daily Q's here as well!

Answer 2

Unfortunately 'fair' or 'unfair' probably doesn't matter much. The teacher of a class has a lot of leeway in what she can do. No, it doesn't sound 'fair' to me. Probably your only recourse is to state in a written paper why you feel this way. List all your reasons (like you did above). Explain that if she never indicated that Q's were to be brought to class, then you feel it was unreasonable for her to have expected this. If she stated in writing that they were part of what could be turned in late, point this out. It may be difficult, but try to sound 'reasonable' rather than 'argumentative'. Double check your spelling and grammar since the better the paper is written, the more likely it will have some positive effect. Of course, she's the teacher so getting up a petition may not help either. Some people can't be reasoned with and a petition before a written explanation of your feelings isn't likely to help. Is there a counselor at school that can give advise (someone who knows this teacher and how she thinks)?

Note: By the time I posted this, the previous answer was up. Good advice there. Follow it before contacting a counsellor.

Answer 3

No, she is not being fair from they way you described (although I don't have her side of things).

Perhaps a conference with parents and/or school guidance staff may help. You goal should be to prevent future problems, not demand a change.

Given her personality, don't make it seem as if the meeting is to change her mind about the past, but so that you and your parents can better understand her policies to prevent future problems. You do NOT want to put her on the defensive, but be clear and firm that you feel that this was unfair. In explaining them to you she may see the error of her ways. Or, there may be some information you are missing that she shares that explains her behavior.

And the above poster is right. Turn in your Q's, but make copies of them to keep. Make sure you have that and a copy of her syllabus w/you at any meeting.

If you still really feel that this is an issue to pursue, you and your parents may need to, after meeting with the teacher, schedule an appointment with the V.P., but let your parents make that call. And they should calmly tell the teacher up front at the conference that they still feel that her policies are unclear, and that perhaps a meeting with the teacher and the V.P. might help you and them have better clarity. That the VP might help them to understand each other better. (Again, don't make it seem like you are running to "tattle" on her).

You and your parents may want to get angry, but all that will do is cause the teacher to say that the meeting is over and nothing will get resolved. You must always take the higher ground or you will put anyone in a position to help you in place where they won't be able to. (You can't just be right, you have to act right as well). And you never know. Your teacher may turn out to be right.

You want resolution, but remember, you also have to live with this person every day.

Good Luck

Answer 4

From your side of the story it does not sound like she is being fair. That is when you should let your parents handle it. There is an unfortunate reality that as a student you don't carry that much weight. However, a complaining parent carries a lot of weight. Explain it to your parents, have them call the teacher tomorrow and request a conference with the principal and the teacher to discuss how this could have happened. The teacher will most likely explain her side of it to your parents and then compromise and let your turn it in late.

Answer 5

remember she has your grades so its not fair or unfair as a student you must be always ready to be succesfull and there may be a wrong part on the teachers doing but don tblame the teacher