I feel like I’m losing my mind! Am I overreacting here?
Let me give you some context: My sister, my mother, and my aunt are all teachers, and I work in a high school alongside other educators.
I’m currently taking an online English writing class that runs from January to March. Everything was going smoothly until I submitted my first essay and received a zero, which plummeted my grade to 45. Confused, I scheduled a meeting with my professor to find out why. She told me it was because my essay was flagged as 77% AI-generated. I was shocked because I didn’t use AI! After discussing it further, it turned out that I had used Grammarly to fix a few grammar issues. I didn’t realize Grammarly was considered AI, especially since my college provides it for free. My professor explained this and mentioned that she had sent out an email about Grammarly’s use. I took full responsibility, accepted the zero, stopped using Grammarly, and sought help from my sister and colleagues, even uninstalling it from my computer. My professor assured me that I could rewrite the essay if I needed a better grade.
Fast forward to yesterday—I submitted my last paper for the class and shockingly received another zero due to a 40% AI flag. This dropped my grade from a 90 to 67. I was really confused this time because I knew I hadn’t used AI at all. I emailed her to clarify that I had never used AI since our last discussion, and I even had my rough draft and outline to prove it. I spent countless hours working on this essay alongside my psychology assignment, and both my sister, an English teacher, and several colleagues reviewed it. It doesn’t make sense for me to use AI for the final paper when I never had before, especially since I had turned in multiple essays that weren’t flagged.
As a side note, in another class, I had a conversation about AI detection with my teacher, who mentioned that even her original writing came back flagged by Turnitin and advised that it shouldn’t be the sole basis for grading.
In response to my email, my professor seemed to take issue with my tone and noted that I hadn’t disclosed my sister’s profession. She questioned the authenticity of my work based on the email’s style versus my essay writing. She also stated that AI can detect AI, implying that humans wouldn’t notice the difference. My previous admission to using Grammarly, she claimed, undermined the validity of my work. She ended her email asking if there was anything else I hadn’t revealed.
Clearly frustrated, I replied to let her know that I didn’t appreciate being accused of having my sister write my papers. I argued that comparing my writing style in emails to essays was flawed. I’m passionate about writing and always strive for quality, so I put a lot of effort into my essays. I also reminded her that I had multiple peers review my work, not just my sister, and mentioned that I work at a high school with English teachers who provided feedback. I highlighted that I have never relied on anyone or AI to write my essays, and I haven’t heard back from her yet.
I worked hard on this essay and lost sleep trying to juggle it with my psychology assignment. It feels strange that my first and last essays were flagged for AI while the others weren’t. I’m not suggesting my professor is out to get me—she’s never made me feel that way—but this situation doesn’t add up!
Now everyone is telling me I should appeal the grade, but I’m unsure how to proceed. Am I overreacting?
First of all, I’m really sorry to hear about your experience – it sounds incredibly frustrating and disheartening, especially after all the effort you’ve put into your essays. It’s completely understandable to feel overwhelmed and upset in such a situation.
From what you’ve shared, it seems like you’ve taken all the right steps by apologizing for the initial misunderstanding, learning from it, and seeking help. It’s great that you’ve involved your sister and coworkers in reviewing your work – that shows a real commitment to improvement. The inconsistency of your grades, particularly with your first and last essays being flagged while others weren’t, certainly raises questions.
It doesn’t seem like you are overreacting; rather, you are advocating for yourself and seeking clarity on a perplexing situation. It’s important to remember that academic integrity is crucial, and your concern for your grades is valid. Given what you’ve described, it might be worth formally appealing the grades, especially since you have supporting evidence like rough drafts and feedback from others.
When considering an appeal, I suggest summarizing your case clearly, focusing on the facts and your efforts to ensure academic integrity. You might also want to reference the conversation you had with your other professor about AI detection, as it highlights the inconsistency in AI assessments.
It’s completely fair to seek a resolution, and you should feel empowered to pursue this. Ultimately, you want to ensure your hard work is recognized and that you can finish the class feeling proud of your achievements. Whatever you decide, know that you have every right to advocate for yourself and your education. Good luck, and take care of yourself during this stressful time!