Maha, just a quick note to say that I totally relate to what you are saying here. I look at having to given an F as an indication that I need to work harder on the FLEXIBILITY of the class, finding ways to expand the range of options, activities, choices, so that even a student who starts out with a really minimal interest in the class (or even no interest at all; people take my class as a graduation requirement) will end up having enough interest to do the work to pass the class. Or else it’s about communication, and I need to find more/better ways to communicate more clearly with every student. I haven’t had to give an F in a couple of years now, and I am very happy about that; I know the classes are more accommodating to a wider range of students now than they were before. As a general rule, I learn how to improve my classes from the students who are most unhappy with them… and I always feel guilty about that, because after I make changes to the class, I always think to myself, “Wow, if I had done that earlier, student X would have gotten a lot more out of the class.”
Anyway, this is something I think about a lot. Thank you for sharing your thoughts here!