Some students' identities are wrapped up in the letter grades they receive for their course subjects. My student, Scott, is a prime example. Scott is a motivated A-student who excels at everything in school. When he found out Friday that he earned a C in my class for the quarter, he burst into tears. Scott's reaction is not uncommon.
Students envision themselves as a particular letter grade or type of student.
They seem to believe their grades are a given, static, an extension of who they are. Not only that, but they see their peers as being specific letter grades as well. I used to think that if I could get all my students to see themselves as A-students, they would be successful. As students, grades were not very important to me, though they were to my parents. Fortunately, my parents also put a high priority on learning.