Sent an email to a teacher, don't know if it was ok?-read it!?

Question

Hi, this is (name) from your hisory class and I had a few quick questions. I was wondering if there is ANY possible way that I could raise my grade to an A. I currently have a B with the score of 179.5/200. I will only need a few more points because your total is extremely low, and it is very hard for students to get a fair grade with only those points because it is not as balanced. Just as much as 5 extra points could change my letter grade. For a few suggestions I have been going through my papers and found a few ify grading marks that you may be able to rethink. Also I sort of recall you saying something about getting points if you hold on to the policy sheets til the end of the year, that we may be able to get like 10 or 5 or even 4 points!? Just for your information my math class currently has 554 points as a total, spanish2 has 789, lifeskills has 947.5, honors english has 660, bussiness2 has 739.5, and science has 579, leaving your running total at 200! Please I am seriously begging you do give us students a little extra credit opportunity maybe due at the end of class/day on monday. or even the study guide could be worth some points. We will all very MUTCH appreciate this opportunity if you decide to offer it. lifeskills gave out 10 extra points for birthdays, and 15 at the end of the year for not using bathroom passes! and more opportunities on tests and worksheets, and sewing projects(10)! spanish 2 gave out 3 extra points every quiz if we did the online activitys, about weekly. math gets a bonus opportuinity each quiz, and half extra credit on our quiz score for corrections (3 correction a quarter!) please i could go on and on, but hopefully this is registering that i and many others are desperate for a little bonus opportunity, the worksheets from the beggining of the year with your policy could be a great idea, shuster (best history teacher of all time) did the same thing with his policy and ext. 10 pts at end of year if we had it! or even that homework you gave us, but never gave us any points!! it was like a whole page of writing basically an essay, on pg 853 #1-3. students if they still have it may be able to turn it in? you have kids and u will be happy if they had a teacher who gave them a TINY little extra bonus for some points at the end if they weren't even the only ones asking for it, to help turn their whole frown/stresses/worries/etc. upside down sooo pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee? -pretty pretty pretty please!

Answer 1

I don't think it's bad that you added in something about his kids. It presents your argument in a way that he could relate to.

Answer 2

first of all, you should write your teachers in a more formal way. (paragraphs, proper sentences, proper spelling (don't use "u", etc. and use spell check (much is spelled wrong and it's in all caps so that stands out right away))

other than that, you kind of talk about too many different things.

this conversation would have been better in person.

if your teacher is mean, than saying things like "I found a few ify marks" or 'but other teachers do this' likely won't mean anything to him.

Answer 3

You started off with an actual argument, then just started whining.  Pick one.  Personally, I would stick with the argument -increase your chances of getting him to agree.  One question, though is why dont you just ask him in person?  Its a lot more personal, and you can argue properly that way.  I don't really understand the part about his kids, and I'm not sure why thats even in there, but I can't see him getting mad or anything.

Honestly, I wouldn't have sent this email.  Sounds mean, I know, but its true.  You shouldn't have compared his grading system to other teachers, because it was fine without that.  The mutch was a bit corny.  The whining was annoying.  You were good by giving the problem and then giving honest ways of giving you the points without just handing them out, but the comparisons and presentations wouldn't exactly make me happy if I was your teacher.  They kinda seem a bit disrespectful as well.

Advice for next time: Only if you can't see him/her in person, then write an email.  Make sure you have good grammar/spelling because they will listen better that way.  Give a good argument, but don't make it too long because they don't want to read that much.  A little whining is ok, but as a joke not really as actual whining.  Don't say how wrong their ideas are, and definitely don't compare them to other teachers -just say why you think you should get extra points/ whatever you are asking for.

anyway, hope he agrees -I hate when my grade falls just a few points short...

Answer 4

Not acceptable. Number 1, you should've talked to this teacher in person. Number 2, you sound really pathetic. And Number 3, this teacher might take you more seriously if you focused more on your spelling and grammar.

Answer 5

i think if you wouldve stopped before the "just for your information stuff" it wouldve been really good and effective ,but i think you crossed the line and got a little whiny,maybe he wont mind it...but i would

Answer 6

It's a little weird that you mentioned his kids like you said, but otherwise I think it's a good letter. [=

Answer 7

Kudos on making me laugh hard for the first time today. wowee wow wow

Answer 8

Your email was a little bit of a beg fest, but I think the general point was understand, and you laid out your case well. Next time, it might be better to speak with the teacher in person, and just straight out ask if there is any extra assignment you can do to up your grade a little.

Answer 9

Don't beat yourself up  It is so wordy -  really really long.  that there is a good chance he didn;t read the whole thing.  ( I wouldn't).  Instead, call and leave a message or speak to him in person, be brief, be smart and precise.  Make your point and say thank you and leave.    thats all you can do.

Answer 10

You have to respect his grading, stop comparing him to other teachers like that, that's just wrong. I doubt he'll respond in the way that you want, but hopefully you won't get in trouble.

Answer 11

the pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee pretty pretty please sort of spoils the whole serious negotiating.

and, the grammer, speech, puntcuation is terrible. i am sorry, but you need a buisness format and need to brush up those skills before even considering to write a formal letter such as, to your teacher.

Answer 12

If I were your teacher, I wouldn't have read it all the way through, and I'd look over my grades and make very sure that I could document the grades you had.  As a matter of fact, I had a student who wrote me one of these little pieces of drivel, once.  It was pitiful.  It wasn't an e-mail -- written out on 7 pages of a legal pad.  I kept it and passed it along to my Department Chair, in case she showed up in somebody else's class.

She did.  I saw her two semesters later -- on the last day of class composing pages of some kind of diatribe on the same kind of legal pad.  I watched her, as she went and asked the librarian where the teacher's office was, because she wanted to leave him a "note".  

Mind you, it's the last day of class . . .and she doesn't even know where the teacher's office is.  GMAB!

If you were so worried about your grades, about 16 weeks ago was the time to start being concerned.  Challenging the teacher about the way she grades and demanding justification?  

It's a little late to start crying.  No -- way too late.

Answer 13

why dont u just tell him in class?

Answer 14

It seems fine, it just makes you seem desperate. Mentioning kids isn't always a bad thing to do, it makes them feel sympathy for you.

Answer 15

I think you sound like a huge whiner.  You show almost no respect to your teacher in this email.  You start off okay, but then descend into comparing your teacher to others, which is in no way fair to him or her.  You have absolutely horrible grammar and punctuation throughout the entire thing.  It would not surprise me at all if your teacher chose to ignore this email entirely: if I recieved it, that's what I would do.

Answer 16

Ummm..it was pretty bad to say..something about his kids...but I did read through it all..and it wasn't all that bad!!  U just told him that u needed just a little more extra credit points!  No biggy...He/she might not give u more..but u never know!  He/she might talk to u about it..and maybe talk about those extra credit points!  Good Luck.. :)

Answer 17

you kind of begged to much and it wasnt right to compare him to other teachers

Answer 18

Not OK.  You should have met with him/her in person.  Your lack of writing skills and inability to spell make it very difficult to read.  I would scan the note, and delete it, with no response.