Help, I need advice to write to a teacher?

Question

Before this semester I had a 3.7 or higher, mostly A's. However, this semester, one of my sisters passed away from an accident, and because of this my grades were affected greatly. I was always depressed, and it distracted me from school. Now, my grades are barely C's, when I had never before had a C on my transcript. One of my teachers asked why he thinks I deserve a better grade. How should I respond?

Answer 1

Be honest.  Let your teacher know how your sister's death has effected your study skills and your consentration.  You may benefit from some counseling.  Although you were close to your sister, it shouldn't be hurting your grades.  Having someone to talk to may help you find a way to put it into perspective.

Answer 2

I think being honest would be the best option. However, I would also make it clear (if you are asking for better grades) that you you are willing to do extra credit or redo old assignments. When my father died I had trouble with a class, and my teacher was not very sympathetic when I told her what was going on. She thought I was trying to use my father's death to better my grades without working for it. When I offered to do extra credit (at my own pace) she agreed and I was able to better my grade.

Answer 3

be honest stupid

Answer 4

Ms/Mr (name),

As you know, my prior GPA was a bit higher than 3.7. You may wonder why you see my grades suddenly dropping. However, I assure you it's not because I don't try. Recently, my sister passed away during an accident. This really stresses me out, as I'm really close to her. I am currently looking for ways to cope with this. Please give me a chance to prove to you I'm a better student. We just have bad days along the way.

Sincerely, (your name)