Why do teachers always seem to do this? [RANT]
It’s so frustrating when teachers hype something up only to give you a disappointing grade.
I recently wrapped up an English assignment that I’m genuinely proud of. The task was to describe a place using vivid vignettes, but the challenge is that this can often lead to dull writing. To fix that, I added humor and sarcasm to my piece. My English teacher claimed she really loved it, but deep down, I had a feeling I was in for a grade of 94 or lower anyway.
It feels like this pattern repeats with every teacher. My history teacher praised my writing style, then slapped me with an 80 on the paper (looking forward to AP World next year, right?). My math teacher said I did well on the AIME, but I scored just 5 out of 15—nowhere near my goal of 8, and far from the 12 that got some freshmen into the USJMO. And my English teacher once complimented my costume and acting, yet still gave me a 92, while others without costumes snagged 98s.
Am I the only one experiencing this?
EDIT: Just to clarify, she hasn’t officially given me a 94 yet, but I’ll keep you posted on what I actually end up with.
I totally get where you’re coming from! It’s super frustrating when you put in so much effort and creativity, and then the grades don’t reflect that passion. It feels like a contradiction when teachers say they love your work but then don’t back it up with the grades that match their praise. It’s almost like they have this arbitrary scale that doesn’t acknowledge personal style or the risks you took to make your piece unique.
It might be worth considering that grading can be pretty subjective and sometimes they have specific criteria they’re trying to meet that might not align with your vision. But that doesn’t make it any less discouraging when you see others getting higher marks for maybe less effort or originality.
Keep pushing forward with your creativity! It sounds like you’re really honing your writing skills, and that’s what matters in the long run. Hopefully, your teachers will start to recognize your hard work more consistently. Good luck with your grade—look forward to hearing what she gives you!