Ugh Hil, I hate that student. Frankly I think you shouldn't reply to that last email. You're done. If she wants to challenge your grade, fine, because A) you won't be involved and B) the process will end up validating your grade anyway.

I'd probably reply something along the lines of, "I will deduct one point from your overall grade for each time I have to answer the same question regarding your grade." I would then insert this policy into my next syllabus.

She's actually the fifth student (out of 28) to email asking for a higher grade. All the others backed off after the first "no."

My dad is a tea freak, but he hates messing with loose leaf (I know, I know, but my dad is a stubborn rock)

Mighty Leaf sells its great loose leaf in boxes of single serving mesh bags! I still think their mesh bags don't let the tea breathe enough, but if he won't let go of his bags when loose leaf is so unquestionably superior, there are options to prevent him having to deal with the mess. And yes, the mess is a pain in the ass.

She's actually the fifth student (out of 28) to email asking for a higher grade.

That's just a whole world of WTF to me. I don't understand that mindset but I do understand that it's prevalent.

1 ask , 1 no ... not where I was then, but at least they let go. the re-asking is whining.

I don't think it would've even occurred to me that I could negotiate for a higher grade.

I don't think it would've even occurred to me that I could negotiate for a higher grade.

I might've tried with a particular problem, like "You marked this wrong, but I think it's right because..." but not arguing up a final average. (At my high school, pretty much everybody would try to argue grades up, and there were plenty of times that we were successful.)

I don't think it would've even occurred to me that I could negotiate for a higher grade

Especially not in a class like math, which is pretty objective! I mean, in something with more of a class participation grade, or several essays that aren't on a point but a "so an A on this one, and a B on that one and a B- and a B+ means you average...ummm...."

But even then, I probalby would've just bitched to my friends, not actually asked for a higher grade.

This would be why I majored in a science. Even if I ended up with a pretty low GPA in it. Also, called "I know that I procrastinated and could've done better because I"m a perfectionist, so I totally deserve the low grade because *I* know how much better I could do"

Yeah, with something like a writing class or a business class or something, I could see some utility in attempting to argue (*argue*, not *pester*) for a better grade, by making a case for why your performance on specific tasks was better than the teacher graded them.

But math? I'm sorry, but your grade is a measurable value against an objective yardstick. If you wanted a better grade, you should have given correct answers.