Brianna TS #15

Date/Time: Wednesday July 17th
Location: Bellamy 338
Topic/Skill: Speaking (Grading Systems and GPA)
Feedback provided to the tutee: Ana and I compared grading scales used to evaluate students in my courses here at FSU and at her university in Mexico. She had some initial difficulty translating the terms into English when I asked her to explain the letters associated with each grade bracket (?) so I told her it would be fine to say the words in Spanish. She persevered, though, we discovered the difference between the satisfactory and unsatisfactory grading system in Mexico and the US. I also explained how unweighted GPA is calculated. Reflecting now I can't give a specific example, but we definitely covered some new vocabulary.
Lesson(s) about tutoring and/or the tutee you learned: Grading and GPA is so different around the world, and sometimes so confusing and complicated! For example, it was very difficult for me to explain the difference between unweighted and weighted GPA, even though I have gone to schools using that system my entire life. I’m sure it is very difficult for international students to adjust to a new grading system, especially at the university level. At the beginning of the semester, instructors might take special care to help make sure international students understand what their grades mean and what is considered a 'good' grade.

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