Persuading teachers for anything (like getting higher predictions :D)

[Avan:)]

BAsically, i started this forum because I thought that this would be really interesting

I myself am struggling, with getting teachers to predict me higher, because I know

i CAN definitely do it....and restricting my potential in such a way is just HIGHLY unfair, considering

that I got like more than a YEAR to get better

My own adivce (based on HG Bellamy's ^^) is basically to threaten them with whatever you have, as that sounds very very fair to me...but it doesnt work.

so if you have any ideas, feel free to share them

Edited June 14, 2011 by Summer Glau
no text speak

[dessskris]

what?? well I'd say this is kind of cheating it's unfair...

let's say you make your teacher breakfast every morning and then he predicts you a 7 in the subject he's teaching, although you actually don't deserve a 7. let's say... it's just an example. then? it's unfair! everybody can then make your teacher breakfast and get predicted a 7. in the real exam, if you don't get a 7 then there will be a big question mark.

if you want your teachers to write you good but really true reference letters, or predict you a good grade, just be who you are.

just be loyal. be committed to your studies.. show your teacher that you really put in a lot of effort to do your best. present a good quality of work neatly. show participation in class, be active. listen, and answer when your teacher asks the class.

do all the good things and be a teacher's pet! then you'll get a good reference letter and you get the predicted grade that you deserve.

don't cheat!

[Avan:)]

No, i didnt mean cheating in THAT sense.

Se what is going is that this is really unfair, as our teachers told us that our mocks will count only a little for our predicitions and we do not have to worry THAT much because there are other tests that count, etc.

However, once some students started to get like amazing grades, suddenly the teachers are using that grade. And that is so not fair, because i know me and some others did not give our BEST as we kept that thought in mind and we knew that we would improve anyway and go to summer courses, etc.

But how the teachers react now, AFTER the mocks are finished is mean. :/

I need them to predict me higher. But thanks for the advice. I guess I will show them my best side until the holidays and will ask them about it.

[ninety]

I actually have a similar problem to you. I'm currently getting a 5 in HL Maths, but I think I could do better.

At IB level it's quite difficult to persuade teachers to change your predicted grade, because any grade needs to be justified with solid evidence. The IBO are very tight on any suspicious and dishonest practice, so teachers won't want to risk the name of the school just to help students here and there. Even if you 'think' you can improve your performance, without any evidence to back this up your teacher(s) will not raise your grade. And even if you do suddenly jump up a grade in ONE test, it's probably unlikely for your teacher(s) to change your grade(s), especially after the mocks. They need to see some consistency.

What you can do, as I'm doing myself, is to work harder in your subject(s). Show consistent improvement, participate more in class discussions, spend more time on IAs, and just generally be more pro-active. Tell your teachers that you're determined to improve, and then explain what actions you'll take to improve (e.g. I know I'm weakest with Probability so I'll consolidate my knowledge on that topic, I will review my notes after every lesson, blah blah blah). Then, show them some proof. Don't tell them that they've given you an unfair grade without justifying why using practical arguments (not 'I didn't do my best', because anybody could say that).

Also, I'm sure teachers get a lot of students approaching them for the same thing all the time so try to make yourself stand out. Give some convincing arguments.

[Summer Glau]

Maybe I'm interpreting this wrong but as far as I can see, your teachers aren't really doing anything wrong by rewarding those students with better grades. If they put in the effort, improve, and get higher grades, why shouldn't they be rewarded?

Threatening your teacher is not a very bright idea. It can get you into trouble and it doesn't look good to your teachers when you get in trouble for threats.

You have to SHOW that you can do better. Saying 'I have the potential to do better' is like saying you have the potential to play professional basketball but you just started shooting hoops yesterday. Do you have the potential to be great? Of course you do. But you won't be very good until you have practiced for a long time. When you practice, it will show and others will notice. Maybe someone from a big league will recruit you! It's the same thing with your teachers. Show them how good you can be by putting in the effort. Ask questions if you don't understand, review your notes regularly, etc. If you show them, they will notice and reward you.

If you are on good terms with your teacher then it's more likely that you'll get good reference letters as well

[Avan:)]

@ ninety: DUDE, that was some AWESOME advice

THANK YOU

@ Summer Glau: Well, it is not exactly that we did not work hard, it is just the fact that the teachers changed their opinion immediately after the mocks

We knew that we had a year and we already were ready to get started with proper IB courses and proper revisions from summer...but the mocks were before it and they told us that it would not count much at all. And now they are using it as our real ones

kind of unfair, if you ask me...

But THANKS for your post,

[Sandwich]

What did you expect the teachers to use for your predictions if not mock exam results? I'm not sure they're 100% at fault for saying that mocks aren't that important - it's true, they aren't, but they are the only evidence of achievement under exam circumstances so of course they're likely to be considered to form your predicted grades.

I should also point out that your grade is just as likely to go down in IB2 as it is to go up. You learn more topics, some of them more complex than ones you've done before, so a teacher is unlikely to predict you any higher than the standard of work you've been handing in/showing in exams. Some teachers predict a grade below whatever it is you're currently getting to compensate - IB2 is a year to learn more stuff that's more difficult and potentially harder for you, not necessarily a year to improve.

If you wanted a high prediction you should have displayed the capacity to attain a high grade. Unless you have evidence that you're getting high grades and that a teacher has given you a low prediction (in which case, approach your head of 6th form/IB coordinator/someone in charge to complain), you've got to pull your socks up and put the effort in. It's difficult to complain about being under-predicted if you've got no evidence that you can achieve. If you desperately need a slight change to predictions to meet a University offer, I suggest discussing it with the relevant teacher and outlining ways you've thought of to help yourself meet the standard required, but otherwise nobody is obliged to up your predictions.

One thing my friend did to improve her prediction she managed to agree with a teacher - she'd been predicted a 4 for HL Maths and needed a 6 to be considered for the course she wanted to apply to at Uni - was to ask him to write a second mock exam for her to sit and improve her grade a few weeks afterwards. Worked for her, and worth trying if you're desperate.

I don't know how your school works but it is also possible you'll have a second set of mocks. I think I had some at the end of IB1 and then some at the very start of IB2 as well. Possibly you can work very hard for the second set and get yourself a better set of predictions. But yeah, the moral of the story is to always put your effort into mocks 'cause predicted grades are important!

[zwingli]

The best thing you can possibly do is get your teacher to like you a lot.

Persuasion becomes much easier after that..

[Avan:)]

YEah, it is not like i am a bad student.. hehe

And now I just came from school and I should let you all know that my teachers said that

anything CAN change until september when UCAS hits us in our face. Until then NOTHING is impossible

maaan, I was floating on cloud 7

I was so mad that I got predicted a 5 in MAths HL and I asked my teacher whether I could get a 7 ^^ , as the cheeky boy I am... and he was like: well, if you improve like that i think a 6 would ve very very positively optmisitic of the teacher...and for a 7 you have to be excellent in the next weeks.

aaaah....thank god. I CAN DO THIS! hehehe.....Now i am just googling for some good tips to ace maths hl which is a bit tough but not impossible

I loved the advice you gave! THANKS

[Keel]

One of the things universities like to do after each session is to compare predicted grades with actual grades. It gives them a good idea of how well students will do in the future and how reliable the prediction process is. Thus it is not suprising that some schools have a bad reputation for giving high predicted grades to students when they achieve low actuals. Its quite common for students to try to push their predicted grade up but what they do not realise is that they are putting their school's reputation at stake and possibly jeopardizing future applicants from that school. For the session 2009, our school had to write apology letters to many universities for the great difference in predicted grades and actuals. So I am quite sure that some universities are cautious when handling applications from our school.

So by all means, scheme all you want but do take your school's, teacher's and future students' welfare into account. Maths HL is hard. On top of UCAS, you may have other things such as your EE, ToK, internal assessments ect. So while you may have potential, you must be careful in determining whether you will reach such potential. It is possible to interfere with the prediction process, but do yourself and others a favour and think thrice.

I label many people at my school selfish for getting their parents to write complaint letters, comparing other students’ predictions with the ones they’ve received to put pressure on teachers and for working real hard for the mocks but doing bugger all after.

[Avan:)]

Yeah , Keel, I totally agree!

Our school is completely aware of that and has explained it to us and we all understand that quiete well. They need more evidence and confidence to do that, and it makes complete sense.

Thank you for pointing this out on this thread, for the sake of others too,