The Behavioral Dimensions
of Grades
(borrowed and modified from
John H. Williams,
"Clarifying Grade Expectations" from the July 1993 issue of The Teaching Professor)
| Quality: | "A" or Outstanding Students | "C" or Average Students |
| Ability/Talent | "A" students have special aptitude, motivation, or a combination of both. This talent may include either or both creativity and organizational skills. | "C" students vary greatly in aptitude. Some are quite talented, but their success is limited by a lack of organizational skills, motivation, or time. Others are motivated but lack special aptitude. |
| Attendance | "A" students have excellent attendance. Their commitment to the class resembles that of the teacher. Attending class is their highest priority. | "C" students miss class. They put other priorities ahead of academic work. In some cases, their outside commitments render them physically unable to keep up with the demands of a high-level performance. |
| Preparation | "A" students are prepared for class. They always read the assignment. Their attention to detail is such that they occasionally catch the text or teacher in a mistake. | "C" students may prepare their assignments consistently but in a
haphazard manner. Their work may be sloppy or careless. At times, it is incomplete or late. In a number of cases, they have not read the assignment for the day's class. |
| Attitude | "A" students show initiative. They have both the determination and the self-discipline necessary for success. Their desire to excel makes them do more work than is required. They look up or dig out what they don't understand. | "C" students are not visibly committed to the class. They participate without enthusiasm. Their body language often expresses boredom. They never do more than required and sometimes do less. For many, this may simply be a by-product of having other (higher) priorities (family, work, etc.); for others, this comes from having low self-esteem. |
| Performance | "A" students budget their time well, allowing for more editing and revision of papers, and for better preparation of exams. They ask interesting questions or make thoughtful comments. | "C" students often do not budget their time well for writing papers or taking exams. They rarely say much during class discussion and their answers indicate a superficial understanding rather than mastery of the material. |
| Retention | "A" students are able to retain what they have heard and seen. They bring a background with them to class. They learn concepts rather than memorize details so they are better able to connect past learning with present material. | "C" students tend to memorize details rather than learn concepts. Since they usually cram for tests, they perform relatively better on short quizzes than on more comprehensive tests. |
| Effort | "A" students maintain a fixed study schedule. They regularly prepare for each class no matter what the assignment. They average 2 - 3 hours of study for every hour in class. Their knowledge accumulates... | "C" students study only under pressure. When no assignment is due, they do not review or study ahead. They average no more than an hour of study for every hour in class. They tend to cram for exams. Their knowledge fades... |
Not surprisingly, "A" students make high grades on tests and essays, and their work is a pleasure to grade and a pleasure to read. While time will always be a factor for both "A" and "C" students, the "A" student manages the time and works with me to ensure course objectives are met. If you want to succeed, please be aware that this will take more than just turning in your assignments on time!