General Thoughts on Grading:
My responsibility as a teacher is to grade both achievement and effort equitably and fairly, regardless of how I feel about my students individually. I have worked hard to develop a grading system that rewards most those students who both put in the most effort and created the highest quality of work.
In my mind, final letter grades generally translate as follows:
A means "outstanding". By definition, this is an honor grade reserved for students who show achieve far above and beyond the classroom norm. Students who receive A’s not only produce the highest quality work but also show effort through consistent achievement on all assignments, punctual attendance, and contribution to discussions.
B means "above average". Often students who are only capable of producing C-quality writing receive a B grade because of above average effort, as evidenced by attendance, contribution to discussion, and willingness to seek and receive help from the instructor or others. Conversely, often students capable of A work receive B grades because their effort, as evidenced by attendance, quiz scores, homework etc., is below average or is not, at least, outstanding.
C means "average" or "meets the requirement". Students receive C grades when their work or effort meets the minimum requirement, as evidenced by assignment, quiz and homework grades, and attendance and contribution to the class.
D grades are given to students who complete all of the assigned work but fail to meet minimum standards or fail to attend regularly.
F as always means "fail". Students most regularly fail my courses in three ways: failing to complete assignments, failing to complete assignments on time, and failing to attend class.
In short, the final grade students receive will be based entirely on points earned and lost through assignments, quizzes and homework, attendance, and (to a small degree) contribution to discussions. Unless I have made a mathematical error, final grades are non-negotiable. I won’t grade you down because I don’t like you, and I won’t grade you up because I do like you.