de-graded

I have fewer than all of the last assignments but too many. Oh how I hate grading first year student writing.

I realize there is a daunting new aspect to grading, for me at least. The threat of violence. Think that's an over reaction? Try this on for size. (excerpted from the Boston Globe)

BOSTON --A college student accused of stabbing a science professor who gave him a failing grade plans to plead guilty to the attack, his lawyer said Monday.

Nikhil Dhar, 24, is accused of attacking his professor at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell because he was flunking out of school and feared he would be deported to his native India.
...
Police said they found a bloody note in his pocket, which read, "I'm sorry I'm having to do this. But I have no options left. ... You look at me and I will kill you. I have nothing to lose."

Hooker told police Dhar approached her at her home and wanted to talk about failing her class. She said when she suggested going to a coffee shop to talk, he dragged into the yard, hit her and stabbed her in the neck, according to police reports.

Hooker was hospitalized for several days after the attack.

I'm guessing all of us who've taught at secondary or higher level have had a student who didn't do so well, got a lower grade than s/he expected or needed or didn't like how you graded something for some reason or another and who chose to react in an intimidating manner. I haven't even taught that much and I've already had a couple who were on the line and one who went sailing right over it with nasty email.

I'm not talking about the student who asks for clarification or is seeking further understanding of the assignment or the grade. I get that. I'm not fond of whining, but not all of them are whining...and even the ones who are don't bug me that much. They're just a little irksome.

I'm talking about the kind of student who very bluntly challenges with petulance and belligerence. The belligerence is hard to answer with patience and even harder to shake.

So what do you do once you realize you have one of them? If they earn a poor grade after that, or worse, a poor grade for the semester, do you give them the fully poor grade without a second thought or does your concern with the shit storm which might ensue occur to you? Do you even think about it?

I'm thinking about it this semester. I won't go into the details, but the long and the short of it is I have one such student and I fear he has earned a rather low final grade. It's against all my principles to grade the student up - even out of fear that a bad final grade on top of what already seem to be some anti-social behaviors could set him off. But I'd be lying if I said I have no reservations about submitting the grade his work warranted.