A teacher's rant....

[Pawsitive Thinking]

I could never be a teacher - wouldn't last a week without throttling one of the little darlings

[dogzr#1]

For some reason, I'm not surprised. Sounds like something the kids at my school would do, and I don't say that in a way I'm proud of.

However, all through school so far (elementary and middle) I have been labeled the 'smart one' out of my classes. So if there's a test or something, most of the err...not so smart people sit next to me to copy off my answers. The thing I like to do though when I notice someone is cheating of of me, I fill in all the wrong answers and then pretend I'm putting my name on top. My 'cheater' will turn in their paper while I'm filling out my name. Then when they sit I change all the answers to the right ones. Works like a charm! I don't know how many people I've caused to fail an important test.

[Freedom]

Oh my, Dogzr#1, I used to that TOO!!!

Hard to imagine honor students involved in this test stealing (first post). It has to be for the thrill, because they surely don't need it to pass. And they best learn thrills come with a price, now.

[lizbud]

There was a huge deal made about a cheating scandal involving 2nd yr
dental students here not to long ago. It involved older students who should
have known better, but it still happened. So it's not just grade school or high
school age students who make mistakes like this.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dl...AL18/705080400

[mugsy]

What should have happened to the little darlins that did this is they should have been expelled and started their high school careers at our alternative school...but, alas, they take an "F" on the test and a day off of school. The girl who did it is also a cheerleader...nice role model eh? You should have seen the face of the one girl, that I know of, who still had the test when I announced that the test was a different test! lol It was priceless. I enjoyed that immensely! Yep, I am a vindictive one. Unfortunately, the girls that took zeros only dropped about 4% points to fall from an "A+" to and "A". I cannot tell you how disappointed I am in these kids. I have lost an awful lot of faith in them. I definitely won't trust anymore.

[Catty1]

My mom was a teacher for decades....

I heard (not from her) that there were two good things about being a teacher - July and August!

[JazzySteph]

I graduated high school about 3 years ago now, and I know a lot of "good" kids did similar things. I wonder if it may have something to do with looking "cool" or being "accepted". There is a lot of peer pressure around so maybe some of their friends were testing their other friend to see if they had "guts".

Also I wonder if it could have something do with the pressure of schools these days. I know when I was in high school it was pretty much life or death to be a A+ student, be really high in class rank, and get into only the best colleges. Even though they may have a good grade standing sometimes the pressure of their lives in general drive them to make poor decisions.

By all means I don't think any of those are good excuses or anything or they should be let off the hook. Just my observations!

[Blue_Frog]

I cannot tell you how disappointed I am in these kids. I have lost an awful lot of faith in them. I definitely won't trust anymore.

I can see how frustrating this would be for you as a teacher - but try not to lose all faith in these kids -- from your first post --

Two girls stayed after class and told me one of my best girls had stolen copies of my final and was handing it out to other kids.

It must have taken some courage on the part of these girls to tell you what had happened in the first place -- think of the situation that this will put them in with the rest of the class if they find out about it. They went out on a limb to do the right thing and should be commended (at least here) about it.

[Whisk_Luva]

At my school my friends and I are labelled the 'boffs'... (we never care, at least we work hard and will probably get a decent job etc) we also have people trying to sit next to us, most of us arent smart, we just work hard, I hate tests but would never dream on doing anything like what those children did! I just revise and revise and revise, other people in my school would deffo cheat. The annoying thing is most teachers dont realise they cheat and you have to tell the teacher..........

What gets into some kids heads?

[Cinder & Smoke]

I could never be a teacher -
wouldn't last a week without throttling one of the little darlings!

Oh, SO True, so true!!

Years ago in Endwell, New York - my Assistant Fire Chief was a part-time school bus driver.
He "worked" 3rd shift at IBM; I worked second shift; and we played firefighters in the daylight.
He recruited me to drive bus with him ... "Just take a trial ride with me."

"OK, Lou, I'll do a ride-along ... but I HATE getting up in the mornings!"

My Bus Drivin/Ridin career lasted ONE Day!
We started out with a 2-Kid *Biff* *bam* *Sock-em-Up* FIGHT on the morning run!
Louie jammed on the brakes, jumped up, and rattled the windows with a "KNOCK-IT-OFF";
which returned semi-order to the mob in the back. "We" had a chat with the HS Principal.
No Bus for the two combatants for the rest of the week was thought "fair" ... Louie was pleased.

Guess Who was back on the bus that afternoon?

I told Chief Louie I thought my sanity and sleep were a LOT more important
than a little extra money to chauffeur a few junior mobsters around town.

/s/ Phred

[cyber-sibes]

I could never be a teacher - wouldn't last a week without throttling one of the little darlings

You 'n me both! I taught as a substitute teacher to 5th & 6th graders for half a year....and wondered why anyone in their right mind would or could do this for a living - YIKES!!! i don't think I've gotten so angry or frustrated with anyone for years, as I did with one class in particular! A little scarey, cause even though they were 6th graders, a lot of them were bigger than I am! (ok, so I'm vertically challenged). I salute those of you who keep at it. I would have ended up in jail.

My hubby teaches college, and he's tried everything to make tests easier - study sessions, q&a right before the tests, open books, bring your notes, take-home tests, copied problems right from the book....and STILL he finds kids cheating.

Much of what happens to cheating students depends on the school. At one university, the kids could whine & complain to Mommy & Daddy & claim "victim", and get off with nothing, not even a lower grade. Where he is now, they get reported & have fairly hefty consequences. Of course, he's at a military academy now, and "discipline" actually means something.