Back to activities
advanced · 5 minutes
This Grade Is Unfair
A student comes to office hours upset about a group project grade because their partner did not contribute. Your goal is to acknowledge and name the emotion before giving policy or logistics. After they feel heard, explain TA limits and offer one concrete next step.
Objective
Managing Emotional Responses with Empathy
Acknowledge the student's emotion before problem-solving, then clarify TA boundaries and offer one concrete next step.
Success criteria: The ITA explicitly validates the student's frustration before giving solutions, then explains what they can and cannot do as a TA and offers one concrete next step.
Example Phrases
- I can hear how frustrating that is, especially if you feel you carried the project.
- I can't change the final grade directly, but I can help you prepare a clear summary for the professor.
- Let's draft a short contribution summary you can bring to office hours with the instructor.