Q&A for How to Get a Teacher to Raise Your Grade

Yeah, absolutely. Keep in mind, though, that teachers are humans and that you shouldn't always try to negotiate your grade. You should do it during the teacher's office hours so that you show that you're interested in what is being taught. Show that you're making an effort!

Try talking to your teacher from a place of interest in learning as opposed to just getting a higher grade. Ask them something like, “How can I learn more from the situation? Can I take back my homework that I didn't do well with and then be able to answer those questions again?”

Don't use those words. Meet with them before or after class and say something like, "I would really like to bring my grade up for this class, is there anything I can do to accomplish that?"

Don't assume everyone else understands. Some may think they understand, but really they don't. Some may be sitting there confused and also too afraid to speak up. In any event, your tutor's job is to answer your questions. Let him/her do it. Learning the material is more important than potentially feeling silly for asking.

Approach her before or after class and tell her that you need help but you feel uncomfortable asking questions because she has scolded you in the past. Listen to what she has to say and try to see things from her perspective. Maybe she'd prefer you to wait until she's finished with the lesson to ask your questions instead of interrupting. If that's the case, write down your question so you won't forget it, and ask when you're permitted. If she has no explanation or if she scolds you just for approaching her, tell your parents what's going on.

Teachers go into that profession because they like helping kids learn. Give your teacher the chance to help you.

Yes. That's the question pretty much every good teacher is hoping to hear from their students. Teachers love to know that you're serious about doing well in their class and improving your work, and they'll be more than happy to give you advice on how you can get better grades in the future.

You may find some helpful tips in wikiHow article Deal With a Bad Grade .

Show your parents the grades you had before you started working with the tutor, and the grades you are getting now. Tell your parents that she really has been helping you with your school work, and that your current grades are evidence for that.

If your teacher is legitimately verbally abusing you (insulting you, calling you names, etc.), then tell the principal, or tell your parents and ask them to call the school and file a complaint. If she's just reprimanding you, even if it's for something you didn't do, all you can do is calmly explain that you didn't do what she thinks you did. Don't argue, it will only make things worse for you.

Steer clear of bribery in this situation; teachers who use rubrics won't bend the rules just for one student, no matter how hard you try to convince them. Find or ask your teacher for a copy of the general rubric, so you know what he or she is looking for while marking your assignments, and use it to produce better work in the future.

Ask your teacher about it.

You should try to explain to them that you did your best and studied for the test beforehand. Tell them that you'll be putting more effort next time, and make sure that you try to go over the material more than you usually do.

Innocently ask them what you can do to improve your work. Don't bring grades into the discussion; keep the impression that you're genuinely interested in the class and committed to studying hard. Go over homework and tests with your teacher, who can keep you on the right track. You could also ask if there are any extra assignments or projects you can do out of interest and to improve your understanding of the material - your teacher could even be generous enough to give you extra marks for these!

Approach him/her before or after class with your questions. They may have a policy where they don't want people interrupting the lecture to ask things. If they're completely unwilling to answer your questions at any time, talk to the principal about this, because your teacher is not doing their job.

Just be polite and respectful. Approach them before or after class and begin by saying, "May I speak to you for a moment?" Then launch into your story. Explain how/why you missed the assignment and how you plan to make it up or make sure you don't miss another one in the future. As long as you're polite and humble about it, your teacher should at least be willing to hear you out.

Keep up the hard work in class. Focus on studying, doing well in your homework, and passing your tests. Don't make bumping your grade up a big thing at the moment; having a B puts you in a good position already, even without the extra credit. Who knows, she could still offer you some!

If you have an 89.7%, there's a good chance your teacher is going to round your grade up, but if you want to know for sure, just approach him/her before or after class and say something like, "I was just wondering if there was any way I might be able to raise my grade to an A before the semester ends. Do you think this is possible?"

You could try by asking for extra credit, but be prepared for the teacher to say no. Your grade is very good as it is, and bumping it up by just 1% isn't really a big difference.

See if they're willing to give you any extra credit assignments. When you ask, tell them that you want to make sure you understand the material instead of saying you're trying to bring your grade up.

It may not be that the teacher 'doesn't care'. Has your work really improved? Grades are given for a reason; a lot of teachers won't budge unless you can prove that your work is worthy of a higher grade. Try to get better marks on your homework, study to get higher scores on tests, etc., then the teacher will have concrete evidence that your grade deserves to be raised.

I'd bring this up with your head of school (whether it be a dean, principal, or a headmaster). If enough is done, the teacher could either be fired (in which case you'll have a reasonable substitute for the rest of the year), or required to give due dates (in which case your teacher will start being reasonable). There's no immediate solution for this, however.

Try talking to your parents. Maybe they can schedule a meeting with your teacher to talk about expectations for grades. It might help to have everyone on the same page.

Ask them before or after class when no one else is around. Perhaps you could ask without saying those exact words. You could say something like, "I've been working really hard, but I've noticed my grade has slipped from an A to a B. Is there anything in particular I can do to bring it up?"

If you're unable to convince your teacher to raise your grade, you should refrain from asking him to do so. Instead, approach him either before or after school and ask him, "I want to know what I can do to understand the material better in this class. I currently have a B+, and I'd really like to make it an A. Do you have any advice for me?"

Yes, definitely. Just calmly explain what went wrong and how you plan to bring up your grade before the end of the term.

You could try, as some teachers are sympathetic to students just missing out on the next grade up. Make sure you have many examples of really exceptional work and that all your recent assignments came back with As. Then you can say you've really worked hard toward getting better marks, and a B doesn't reflect how much you've improved.

Arrange a meeting with the principal over what has happened. As the principal has the most authority of anyone in the school, they should be able to get hold of the project as proof that you wrote your name on it.

Devote as much time as you can to doing homework and studying for tests. Participate in class - be sure to raise your hand and be ready with an answer when a teacher asks a question. Teachers love students who pay attention, behave themselves in class and do well in their assignments. Having them like you can help them have a good impression of you.

If you have a good reason for not doing the assignment, tell the teacher why you didn't do it and ask if you can submit it late for partial credit, or do an alternative assignment to make up the one you missed. Even though it's worth asking, be warned that not all teachers will allow this.