<p>I was bullied in high school by an English teacher who didn’t like the way I reacted to his (really awful) poetry. I’d carried high A’s in the class all the way through, then stupidly responded to an “anonymous survey” of the class with some critical remarks that were traced back to me and suddenly, truly out of nowhere, ended with a B+ for the YEAR. I don’t doubt that teachers do this sort of thing.</p>
<p>The thing you need to learn here is that confronting these sorts of personalities directly doesn’t get you very far. Never, never, not ever, no matter what the provocation, do you get into an argument that results in yelling. It’s great that you’ve been able to get your test grade and lab grade changed but now you’ve got this teacher angry with you and determined to give you the lowest grade he can justify. You need to turn this around. The way to do this is to turn into a sycohphant and a vigilant record keeper, uncomfortable as that may be. Keep a count of the number of times you’ve participated each day. Approach the teacher only in positive ways and with a smile on your face and ask him how you can improve, assure him of your eagerness to do well in his class. Remind him that you’ve participated x times each day and ask how much more he’d like you to contribute. </p>
<p>At the same time, see if there is a teacher or advisor who is willing to intervene on your behalf. Get your parent to stay on top of this if necessary. If my straight A kid suddenly came home with a C+, I’d be more than a little bit unhappy and I’d want some compelling proof that it was appropriate.</p>