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  1. #1
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    Who's right, me or my teacher?

    I go to high school right now in an university-preparing computer-specialized class. That means, once we're done with our studies we should be able to become civil engineers and programmers. And we've got a multimedia subject. It sucks. So we got this assignment where we are supposed to interview someone. My multimedia teacher doesn't like that I joke around with my assignments (I did a comical music video and she gave it a C- instead of an B because I took too many initiatives) so I was aware of the risks when I made an interview with my pal where the premise was that I interviewed a murderer who in the end turns out to be just an addicted Grand Theft Auto player. Today I got to know what grade I got on it. I would've gotten a B, but since my interview was unrealistic I got a F and now I have to redo the whole thing from the start.

    I wouldn't have a huge problem with it if it wasn't for the fact that everything was perfect except the fact that it was unrealistic. Editing was great, the way I interviewed was great, the answers from my questions were short and to the point etc. But it was unrealistic. So I have to redo it. I know that people will start saying that I'm a bitchy teenager for this but I find it, here it comes, unfair, that I made a perfectly good interview but it didn't live up to one of the teacher's craves and therefore I have to redo it. I'm okay with a lesser grade, I think I deserve a lesser grade than usual because I played Russian Roulette, but a F? That feels pretty overkill.

    So here's the arguments against me that I've come up with:
    - She's my teacher, she makes the rules and I should obey them.
    - I knew the risks but I did it anyway.

    Here's my arguments for me:
    - If multimedia (making music videos and interviews) is in a class for people who are becoming programmers and civil engineers and is not there for creative purposes, then why is it there?
    - Again, I shouldn't have to have a perfectly well interview and then fail the assignment because it was unrealistic. I did the stuff correctly otherwise, and I have followed the course's goals, isn't that what primarily counts?
    - And again, I understand a lesser grade because I didn't follow one of her craves, but failed? That's overkill.
    - In a way the interview is realistic since it's revealed later that we're talking about a game and not in real life. Yeah, that's a weak point, but still.

    I hate to be the teenager that bitches about something because he didn't get it his way, but in this case I actually feel that my F was unjustified. What do you guys think? Is my teacher right and I'm just a bitchy teenager?

  2. #2
    Deleted
    a tip : teachers are always right unless you want a detention :P

  3. #3
    I think your next interview should be asking someone questions about how the whole 'interview' format gives an unrealistic perspective on a topic.

    (I once failed an open-topic story writing assignment because I wrote a sci-fi short. My replacement was deliberately an "oh look it was all a dream" story which passed. Go figure.)
    Last edited by Leven; 2012-02-17 at 03:00 PM.

  4. #4
    You didn't follow the criteria therefore you deserve to fail the assignment :O
    Quote Originally Posted by Cattaclysmic View Post
    The evidence for leprechauns is immense - do you know how many socks dissappear on the world scale... This means that the chance of leprechauns exists is the same as them not existing - therefore you cannot deny their existence

  5. #5
    Women are just like that, they don't really like people making jokes or being creative. Just bad teacher that's all.

  6. #6
    Giving you an F instead of a B means nothing more than: don't fuck with me and cut the crap already, I'm serious. Simple as that.

  7. #7
    Pandaren Monk
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tomatketchup View Post
    - If multimedia (making music videos and interviews) is in a class for people who are becoming programmers and civil engineers and is not there for creative purposes, then why is it there?
    Based on what you said, it sounds like your "creativity" tends to be in the similar crude/crass humour category. That tends to get very old very quickly, and usually won't get you anywhere outside of high school. I would honestly take the F as a lesson. You're getting older, so you need to demonstrate that you're putting thought and seriousness into your academic work. Mix it up a bit and prove to your teachers that you can output different styles of work. You should also litmus test your ideas by running your ideas by the teacher first. That will give you a good indication of what kinds of adjustments, if any, you should be making.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Mongoose19 View Post
    Women are just like that, they don't really like people making jokes or being creative. Just bad teacher that's all.
    This is somewhat true, not all female teachers are like this, but a lot of times, yes.

    I'm on your side, OP.
    It's a class to help you with a profession that requires you to be creative, and she is stifling your creativity.

  9. #9
    Some teachers just ain't got any fun in their lives, can't do anything but leave those alone to rot IMHO.

    Other than that, I think you should become a bit more serious with such a person as a teacher, if you don't want to fail (obviously you don't have problems doing what you have to do).

  10. #10
    I Don't Work Here Endus's Avatar
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    If the assignment was to interview someone, then you need to actually interview someone. What you did was write a fictional story about an interview. They aren't the same thing, and your teacher is absolutely correct in giving you an F for not actually doing the assignment, however good your production might have been on its own merits.


  11. #11
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    Teachers make the rules, deal with it. You already knew what would happen and you still did it.

    Quote Originally Posted by Mongoose19 View Post
    Women are just like that, they don't really like people making jokes or being creative. Just bad teacher that's all.
    Wat

  12. #12
    The Patient Mr Gnomage's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JimmyHellfire View Post
    Giving you an F instead of a B means nothing more than: don't fuck with me and cut the crap already, I'm serious. Simple as that.
    Pretty much this. It doesn't matter what you think is appropriate for the assignment, you're not the one in charge or giving grades, yet. Maybe one day, you will be, but for now you're a snarky kid that should be obeying directions and getting some good grades. :P

    That said, I'd like to see that interview..... Ha. ha.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by xsublymonalx View Post
    I'm on your side, OP.
    It's a class to help you with a profession that requires you to be creative, and she is stifling your creativity.

    The thing is that it's not really creativity. Trust me, I'm a guy who's done substitute teaching before. I've seen it tons of times. For some reason guys in particular think it's cool/creative to come up with some sort of crass presentation that incorporates video games or something pseudo-shocking. It's more for the sake of getting laughs out of friends than actual legitimate thought.

    I would have also given the OP a poor grade. As I said in my earlier post, if nothing else it will be a lesson to prepare him for environments outside of high school where things like that just won't fly.

  14. #14
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    So here's the arguments against me that I've come up with:
    - She's my teacher, she makes the rules and I should obey them.
    - I knew the risks but I did it anyway.
    that's completely irrelevant. she gave you an assignment and specified how you had to do it. did she say that the interview had to be realistic? if yes, you are dumb and deserve to fail. if no, she's in the wrong, no matter what the interview was about.
    so if she did indeed wrongly gave you a bad mark, you need to take it up with your student council/headmaster or whoever handles disputes between teachers and students. teachers have to follow just as many(if not more) rules than students, don't just let her fuck you over if you were honest on your part.

  15. #15
    It's really hard to make any sort of objective observation because A) we haven't seen the interview and B) we don't know the other two sides of the story.

    But, lacking that, I'd say... you took a chance, and it blew up in your face. If you want the grades, play it safe. Save "expressing yourself" for your friends.

  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by Alaitoc View Post
    Teachers make the rules, deal with it. You already knew what would happen and you still did it.



    Wat
    In this case I mean female teachers which are like that in majority. In my school days I met 3 female teachers that were ok, rest of them were just horrible.

  17. #17
    If you say once you're done you shuld be able to become a civil engineer or a programmer then i guess you should act like one on your assignments and since that wasnt specificaly what she asked, you failed.

    In the future when someone pays you for doing a certain thing, he/she is not expecting you to treat it like a joke or do your own ideas.

    You were aware that interview might go wrong and you had previous situations to support that idea and you still did it? Well...

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mongoose19 View Post
    In this case I mean female teachers which are like that in majority. In my school days I met 3 female teachers that were ok, rest of them were just horrible.
    I found the exact opposite to be the case. Male teachers were usually insufferable.

  19. #19
    An F seems kind of harsh from one point of view... a nod to your creativity would have been nice I guess. On the other hand, look at it this way:
    That means, once we're done with our studies we should be able to become civil engineers and programmers.
    I'm assuming that means she's supposed to be preparing you to get a job in the real world doing this work. Part of the real world is knowing your boss, understanding what they want from you, and understanding your limitations. Great, you took initiative and got creative! But what is your boss supposed to do with this product you've presented that's completely different from what he asked from you. Chances are (at least from my experience :P) that any kudos they wanted to give you for innovation will be overridden by the fact that in the end the work didn't get done the way it was supposed to be done, and since shit flows downhill, he may or may not get grief from his boss in turn. Does that make sense? I can definitely see both sides, and that creativity you have is very valuable... just learn when to use it.

  20. #20
    Did the assignment require that the interview be realistic? If that was one of the criteria, then she's right and you should have followed her directions. But if that wasn't stated directly, then I don't see how she can take points off for something that wasn't even in writing. Either way though, there's not really much you can do except remake it, since she is the teacher and in high school you have about as much control over anything as an ant does. At least now you know that you can't joke around in her class anymore, for future reference.

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