"So, if I simply improve then I will earn an A?"
Many students think that if they make progress, they will earn an A in the course. I remind students of the grading scale and that in order to earn an A, work must be of high quality. However, I also remind students that I value improvement and progress and that they will certainly get credit for their improvement and progress, but even if they improve a lot, their work may still not be very strong. Finally, I carefully remind students that it is not fair to other students who do the same work but at a much higher level.