March 6th, 2012.
The French Language Arts teacher in this scenario, Mme. Wagner, has a high acheiving student in her class. He has always performed well, but has become distracted and tired by his job. He received a low grade on his final exam and his final grade was 70%. His teacher is now struggling with whether to adjust his mark or not, feeling that a 70% doesn't accurately reflect his work.
My initial thought was to leave the student's mark at a 70%. I then read further, and was struck by this question: What difference would it have made if Pierre had been sick or participated on a school team? Indeed, that would have made a huge difference. After all, it's not as if this young fellow has a choice. He works for his father, and fathers tend to be demanding. Perhaps Pierre's father places little value in academic achievement or the subject of french and wouldn't allow his son to study. The child should not be punished for the actions of his father.
I think that it would be okay for the teacher to adjust the marks of her student. A final grade should take into account the work over the course of the entire semester, and the teacher should have the right to adjust it where they see fit. As I was responding to this situation, I was reminded of the previous vignettes where I wished the teacher was able to adjust the mark for the student who was continually achieving low marks. I realized this about myself: I think it's alright if a low-achieving students mark is bumped, but not if a high-achieving students mark is bumped. Consistency is key when teaching, and I am thankful that I was able to see this error in myself.
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