Will teachers be understanding about my failing grades if I was sick.

Pre-College Topics High School Life
1

Hi, I’m a junior in the IB program. Tomorrow is my school’s report card pick-up and parent/teacher conference day, and I am absolutely terrified about my 3rd quarter grades. Originally, my cumulative GPA adds up to about a 3.8-3.9ish average (im too lazy to do calculate the exact cumulative right now). However, my mark for this quarter dropped from all A’s and B’s to a 2.1, since I missed the week before spring break from a chronic bacterial infection, in which all of my classes unluckily for me had important projects/exams that were due within that time period.

My recovery from the infection lasted until the end of spring break (which is a week off from school), and I have been making up a ton of work. I still have more tests and essays to catch up on, but I’ve been making progress. Sadly, my current grades are 4 B’s, 2 C’s and 1 F in World Literature HL. I know for sure that 6 of my grades can still be an A before the semester ends, but I am unsure about my World Lit class.

I’m so scared of my World Literature teacher, because he’s very strict and a harsh grader, and will yell at his students if they’re a slacker that gives him a hard time. I couldn’t talk to him on the day I returned because I had to make up a test right after his class during my lunch period, and I inconviently couldn’t talk to him today either as he stayed home to take care of his sick son. I’m planning on talking to him on the one missing assignment that pulled my 91% to a 27%, and showing him 3 doctors notes I received over the 2 weeks I was sick.

Will he understand, or do you think he’ll rag on me for failing his class?

P.S. Quarter grades do not show up for affect my transcript in terms of balancing with the end of the fourth quarter. It’s basically just one big report card.

2

If you have doctor’s notes, I believe he will be understanding. After all, he just stayed home to take care of his sick son. Maybe he will be sympathetic! ^^

In the event that he doesn’t change the F, I would go to your guidance counselor for help.

3

If you have a medically excusable absence (and proof to back it up) then he should have to follow your school’s “make up” policies. They vary by school, but you should be able to find out that information from your school administration.

Discuss with your teacher as soon as possible - be proactive and he will likely be more flexible. Your grades might be low until you make up and turn in the work - if quarter grades don’t go on your transcript then that isn’t as much of a concern. If they do go on the transcript, see if that can be modified after-the-fact due to your illness (i.e. once you turn in the work they change your 3rd quarter grades). Make a plan and make sure that your teachers are on board to ensure your grades are where they should be.

4

Get a doctor’s note and have your parents talk to your guidance counselor about what has been going on. You should be able to make up work and not fail because you got sick. Do not try to do this on your own.