As an educator, I hate the bell curve system, but I really hate teachers who say, “You won’t get an A in my class.” It’s not just because it causes students to begin the semester with a feeling that they will fail the course: it’s because it is the teacher admitting to their own failure to teach.
We are literally paid to teach a full curriculum. “I don’t give out A’s” to me translates to “I cannot 100% do my job.” There is no reason a good teacher can’t give you an 80-100% understanding of what is in the course. It’s our job to make sure you understand as much as we can.
A class average of 50 is isn’t a statement of how hard the material is. It’s a statement that the teacher cannot complete 50% of their job.
My grandfather was a professor and he always felt this way. He had colleagues who were very proud of their failing statistics and he always said that if students were failing, the teacher was failing. Your job is to teach them to understand the subject matter.
honestly, “i don’t give out A’s” isn’t just a failure to teach, it’s a refusal to teach. because it means that even if students would be able to understand 80-100% of the material, you won’t acknowledge and confirm it. it’s the absolute worst attitude an educator can have imho. it translates to “i don’t want people to fully understand this material, and if they do, i am not willing to confirm it” which is the literal opposite of what a teacher should be saying,
also, where i went to school, a class average of 50% or worse meant an exam would have to be retaken or approved by the principal.
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Thoughtfulfangirling 