The second question is more complicated. When I give a test where no one does well, I try to identify the cause. Were the questions beyond what was taught? If the questions were appropriate, why didn’t the students get it? At the community college the answer was usually that they didn’t have the background. It that case, I might go back and reteach the parts that were most problematic and then retest. These are the issues that make teaching tough. But even in those situations, it is extremely rare that NO ONE makes an A.

As far as the impact on teacher evaluations, this would be a concern if you rarely got A students in your class. As I’ve said, even at the community college this was rare. In a particular class where no students get A’s, you might take a hit on evaluations for that class but it would not likely affect the trend in evaluations.

The second question is more complicated. When I give a test where no one does well, I try to identify the cause. Were the questions beyond what was taught? If the questions were appropriate, why didn’t the students get it? At the community college the answer was usually that they didn’t have the background. It that case, I might go back and reteach the parts that were most problematic and then retest. These are the issues that make teaching tough. But even in those situations, it is extremely rare that NO ONE makes an A.

As far as the impact on teacher evaluations, this would be a concern if you rarely got A students in your class. As I’ve said, even at the community college this was rare. In a particular class where no students get A’s, you might take a hit on evaluations for that class but it would not likely affect the trend in evaluations.

The second question is more complicated. When I give a test where no one does well, I try to identify the cause. Were the questions beyond what was taught? If the questions were appropriate, why didn’t the students get it? At the community college the answer was usually that they didn’t have the background. It that case, I might go back and reteach the parts that were most problematic and then retest. These are the issues that make teaching tough. But even in those situations, it is extremely rare that NO ONE makes an A.

As far as the impact on teacher evaluations, this would be a concern if you rarely got A students in your class. As I’ve said, even at the community college this was rare. In a particular class where no students get A’s, you might take a hit on evaluations for that class but it would not likely affect the trend in evaluations.

In reality, grades are much more subjective than you might think. In every class, I can tell you who are the “A” students, “B” students, etc within the first few weeks.

This seems to imply that students cannot grow through out the semester. Please clarify as I know that was not your intention.

If you have a class where no one is making an “A”, I would argue you are not teaching it correctly (you have misjudged the level of the class, more prerequisites are needed, etc… See More.)

So, say I’m not teaching it correctly (as might be probable for the first things I teach); now what? How do you rectify the situation without inflating the grades? Are there not institutional barriers to having a class miss the bell curve?

There is a lot of empirical evidence that shows that the grading scale (7 point vs. 10 point) makes little difference in the grades given out. This points to the fact that teachers tend to grade so that the students they perceive as “A” students get A’s. My two cents worth…

What if the teacher does not perceive any A students this semester, but only B’s and whatnot? Can the teacher succeed professionally if they do not give out unearned A’s (student evaluations of the professor and maybe even student complaints to administration would seem to encourage the professor to meet the bell curve and insure that regardless of the quality of the students’ work, at the end of the semester, there wouldn’t there have to be a bell curve)?

In reality, grades are much more subjective than you might think. In every class, I can tell you who are the “A” students, “B” students, etc within the first few weeks.

This seems to imply that students cannot grow through out the semester. Please clarify as I know that was not your intention.

If you have a class where no one is making an “A”, I would argue you are not teaching it correctly (you have misjudged the level of the class, more prerequisites are needed, etc… See More.)

So, say I’m not teaching it correctly (as might be probable for the first things I teach); now what? How do you rectify the situation without inflating the grades? Are there not institutional barriers to having a class miss the bell curve?

There is a lot of empirical evidence that shows that the grading scale (7 point vs. 10 point) makes little difference in the grades given out. This points to the fact that teachers tend to grade so that the students they perceive as “A” students get A’s. My two cents worth…

What if the teacher does not perceive any A students this semester, but only B’s and whatnot? Can the teacher succeed professionally if they do not give out unearned A’s (student evaluations of the professor and maybe even student complaints to administration would seem to encourage the professor to meet the bell curve and insure that regardless of the quality of the students’ work, at the end of the semester, there wouldn’t there have to be a bell curve)?

In reality, grades are much more subjective than you might think. In every class, I can tell you who are the “A” students, “B” students, etc within the first few weeks.

This seems to imply that students cannot grow through out the semester. Please clarify as I know that was not your intention.

If you have a class where no one is making an “A”, I would argue you are not teaching it correctly (you have misjudged the level of the class, more prerequisites are needed, etc… See More.)

So, say I’m not teaching it correctly (as might be probable for the first things I teach); now what? How do you rectify the situation without inflating the grades? Are there not institutional barriers to having a class miss the bell curve?

There is a lot of empirical evidence that shows that the grading scale (7 point vs. 10 point) makes little difference in the grades given out. This points to the fact that teachers tend to grade so that the students they perceive as “A” students get A’s. My two cents worth…

What if the teacher does not perceive any A students this semester, but only B’s and whatnot? Can the teacher succeed professionally if they do not give out unearned A’s (student evaluations of the professor and maybe even student complaints to administration would seem to encourage the professor to meet the bell curve and insure that regardless of the quality of the students’ work, at the end of the semester, there wouldn’t there have to be a bell curve)?