High school teachers can be incredibly frustrating. As a Grade 12 student, my marks truly matter, but it feels like the teachers grading them couldn’t care less. It’s as if their goal is to push me back a year, and honestly, that might seem more appealing given the circumstances.
I had my sights set on getting into Western MedSci, but I’ve found myself having to lower my expectations because these teachers have tanked my entire class’s performance. A smart friend of mine, who aced calculus with a 98 without studying, was also let down by our physics teacher, resulting in a level 2 for him and a level 2- for me. It’s disheartening to see this monkey-see-monkey-do mentality at play. In frustration, I dropped that course even though it was easy; the teacher just made it unbearable.
I have my suspicions that my English teacher is biased because no matter how hard I work, I’ve been stuck at an 85%. I spent three hours on an essay with another English teacher and still didn’t get the results I expected. I’m decent at algebra and similar subjects, but these grades just don’t add up. Only five students managed to score in the 90s in that course, and the rest of us were limited by some inexplicable ceiling.
Now, my Advanced Functions teacher went on leave again—typical for her—and we ended up with a sub who just wasn’t effective. It’s frustrating because the teaching was solid, but the grading was all over the place. How do I end up with a 64% on two unit tests when I’m told that “homework equals easy test”? The tests are out of 32 marks, and one mistake can send you spiraling down.
Biology was my saving grace; every day I endured through class just to get to that subject. It’s the one area where I feel like everything clicked—“perfect, down to the last detail.”
This semester has been a mixed bag so far. I totally bombed my first calculus test with just a 66%—and it was rates of change, which should be easy! My first chemistry test on electrochemistry was a bit better at 74%, but that’s still only 20% above class average, which makes no sense considering it felt straightforward. Only one student scored above 90%, and that was a perfect multiple-choice score along with nearly perfect on the short answer section. What gives?
Honestly, I feel like Schrödinger needs to publish a new set of equations to explain this madness. Everything looks logical on paper, yet in reality, it’s just a mess.
I get where you’re coming from, and it sounds really frustrating to feel like your hard work isn’t being reflected in your grades. It sucks when it seems like teachers are grading unfairly, especially when your future depends on this.
It’s tough when you see friends who are usually consistent getting similar low marks—it really makes you question what’s going on behind the scenes with the grading. Teachers should be there to support you, especially in your final year.
The stress of trying to get into a good program adds another layer on top of everything. It’s good that you found biology as a positive outlet, but it’s upsetting that other classes feel like such a struggle, despite you putting in the effort.
If you haven’t already, maybe it’d be worth discussing your concerns with a guidance counselor or someone who can help. You deserve to have your hard work recognized, and there might be ways to address the situation. Hang in there—your determination to keep pushing through will pay off!