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My Precalculus teacher has such overstrict rules on showing work.

1. On tests, degree signs must be shown in all work. This wouldn't be outrageous except that if the answer is right but a single degree sign is missing in the mandated shown work, the entire question is wrong even with a correct final answer because the "answer doesn't match up with the work".

2. We must show work in the exact form mandated from on class. If even a single step of work is missing or wrong on even one say homework problem, no credit even if the entire rest of the sheet is correct and complete.

3. Never applied to me, but if a homework problem cannot be solved by a student, they must write a sentence describing how far they got and what wasn't doable, or no credit on the entire homework. Did I mention it is checked daily and is 2 unweighted points with 50-100 point tests?

4. On graphing calculator problems, one had to draw a rectangle representing the calculator screen, even for solving systems of equations without explicit drawing graphs as part of the problem, because otherwise, she had "no proof that a calculator was used". It isn't that hard to fake, and it was quite stupid.

5. Reference triangles were required even when completely unnecessary or the answers were assumed copied, even if a better method was shown in work.

And much, much more!

Comments
  • 1
    Fuck math lol
  • 3
    On symbols (units). Look up the story on how NASA lost a Martian probe because somebody used metric and somebody else used English units. Trying not to sound too anal, but in the real world, that kind of thing can be a life or death difference. It's easy to forget when most of us probably do not work on stuff often or ever where it matters that much.
  • 2
    Classic example of "good idea, bad implementation".
    Except for point 4 - what's the fucking point about 'proving' you used a calculator?
  • 1
    @monkeyboy Sure, but there is the caveat that one could remember units in the end, the number that matters, but in the work shorthand once, and as a result get the question completely wrong with a correct and with units answer. I can agree with the concept of some things my teacher did, and don't expect to get docked for it ever even with her implementation, but as @endor says, it is "good idea, bad implementation".
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