-Round a 79% to a B? You got that 79% only after a lot of other considerations--a dropped test, rounding many of the assignments to the closest 5 points, homework that was only checked, not corrected. There is a dividing line somewhere. It's too bad that you fell below the line. As I tell you in class, if you want a B in the class, don't aim for 80%, aim for at least 85%. If you aim for 80% and just mess up slightly, it could knock you down below the 80% mark.
-Let kids borrow calculators during a test? It is your responsibility to have the necessary items with you, pen or pencil, paper, etc. I also don't have 35 calculators to provide one for each student, nor am I willing to be held responsible for a student who claims "your calculator was messed up; that's why I got the problems wrong." In "real-life", your boss will expect you to show up with your equipment, whatever that may be-- a stethescope, a briefcase, etc. This class is a model for your real life. Bring your own non-graphing calculator for each test.
-Tell us how to use our calculators during a test? It takes too much time and you should know how to use your own equipment LONG before you get to a test, that's part of being prepared--coming to class with the appropriate materials. As I said above, I am unwilling to give any student a reason to avoid the responsibility for his/her own lack of preparation.
-Let us use our TIs? TIs and other graphing or programmable calculators have a few nasty drawbacks. I learned long ago that students were programming extra things into their calculators like entire problems, write ups on how to solve problems, etc. This kind of calculator can store plenty of information on the screen that can be done in advance then easily used during a test. Additionally, some of these instruments have the capability of "beaming" information from one side of a classroom to another. Sorry; bad idea.
Another huge problem with the graphing calculators is that students are no longer able to create good graphs for themselves. It is crucial to be able to read and construct graphs using good graphing techniques. Check out the stock report or weather report on the local news. Look at the LA Times or USA Today. There are LOTS of graphs and charts providing you with all kinds of information. It is a necessary skill and one that students who rely on their graphing calculators to think for them are far less able to use.
-Let students make up quizzes? If you miss a quiz, your grade on the test of the same chapter will be your grade on the quiz. This is the fairest way I have found to be sure that you have grasped the concepts that were covered on the quiz.
-Give everyone the same test or quiz? For some reason, giving students the same test or quiz leads to "wandering eyeballs". Additionally, students in later classes would ask questions that were specific to the test that had been taken earlier in the day. For these reasons, and others, I generally give at least four different versions of a test (changing values, elements or units) and I sometimes in the middle of a day switch the entire set of tests for another set of tests. Please note that you are given tests that ask the same kinds of questions so no one gets an easier or harder version.
-Answer questions on test/quiz days? See the above answer... I found that students would come in and ask questions that made it clear that people were telling the questions after they saw the test. I will answer questions before school, or at the very beginning of Support on Wednesday if only first period has taken the test so far, but not beyond that time.
-Curve tests? Rarely do I feel a need to do so. On most tests there is a significant number of A's--enough to prove that it is quite possible to earn a superior grade. Just count on the test grade NOT being curved and do the best that you can.
-Allow cheating? You are kidding, right???
-Allow students to come to class late? In case you haven't noticed, we start class right at the bell and work for the entire period. When a student arrives even two minutes late, it generally means it will be several minutes before that student actually catches up with the class. He or she is distracted and off-task and most often causes others around him or her to be distracted as well. (do you have paper? what did I miss? what is that written on the board?)
-Let us slide on tardies? It takes five tardies before you are subjected to any real "discipline" for being tardy to class. The majority of students have zero tardies to class. Students often try to convince me that there is some legitimate reason for being late to class, but there just isn't. On any given day, something might go horribly awry and you might possibly not make it to class, but that's still not anywhere near five tardies. If your life is a continuing series of disasters, you should probably change the way that you're living.
If you knew that you got a million dollars for being in your seat before the tardy bell begins ringing, and that every bit of it actually disappeared the very instant the bell first rang, you would do WHATEVER it took to get to your seat in time, wouldn't you? Treat this class like that.
-Ignore the fact that we miss class? I am legally responsible for you from the minute the bell rings beginning class to the minute it rings ending class. If you're ditching my class and I don't notify someone of your absence, I can be held liable for the trouble you get into. Sadly, this has happened before at this very school. The parents of the student in question did sue the school district. I am unwilling to put myself, the school district or you (which is really my bottom line) at risk like that.
Even if you are "legitimately" absent, there is a cost. If you miss class, you miss out. You cannot get all the informaiton we talk about in class from notes or even from my explanation during Support. You miss out on the questions other students ask and my explanations for those questions.