If you find a student cheating in exams, what will you do as a teacher?
By karjyo
@karjyo (830)
India
July 28, 2008 9:46am CST
Am a teacher by profession. Right now exams are going on in my school. Today while invigilating i caught a student cheating from the book. He started crying and i felt bad for him. If you are at my place what would you do- take action against him and report the matter to the school authorities or just leave him with a warning?
2 people like this
24 responses
@klaudine (3650)
• Indonesia
28 Jul 08
In my opinion, if he's crying he must be feeling sorry for cheating. If I were a teacher I would give him one more chance, an oral exam is enough to thet his knowledge about the subject and can be done quick enough. And of course in oral exams there are no way he's going to cheat again. of course you should give him a warning, and tell him if he does it again, you wouldn't hesitate to make a report about him.
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@klaudine (3650)
• Indonesia
28 Jul 08
Good, but I hope you really give him a shock teraphy so he wouldn't dare to do it again. I don't like cheating and I don't like people cheating because it's not faor for me who study hard and end up having the same score as they are who learned nothing and cheat
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@dropofrain (1167)
• India
8 Aug 08
I think this is a very tough question. I feel he needs to be punished in some or the other way so that he learns a lesson in lifw and does not land up doing bigger cheats when e grows up. A lesson, I beleive is must for him but it should not be too harsh that it leaves a bad imression on him.
@devilsangel (1817)
• United States
28 Jul 08
Well if I was a teacher and I caught a student cheating I would probably fail them for whatever exam he/she was taking. It wouldn't matter if they started crying or not, they shouldn't have been cheating.
If it were like a college exam then I'd also report them for cheating. I don't think they should be let off for doing something that is compltely wrong.
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@Gargoyle0134 (1257)
• United States
28 Jul 08
I would remove the kid from the room and give them an F. Easy decision. It was not your choice for them to cheat, so their tears should not make YOU feel guilty. They chose not to study.
I would leave it at that..but not allow them to feel that evry bad thing they do..they can escape consequences by crying. A good life lesson for them to know later on in life. (You would do this person a favor by teaching them..good beahviours gain good consequences. -Bad ones gain bad consequences. Period. Stay firm, yet caring. They got caught cheating and need to learn from this. It will serve them better later in life.)
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@Gargoyle0134 (1257)
• United States
9 Aug 08
No, I am not a teacher, but I AM a retired psychotherapist and learned quickly that those kids that are given excuses and ways to get out of consequences do not do well later in life. Thye ended up in my office or in residential treatment homes where we I had to teach them that this worls has rules that do need to be followed, and that taking sgort cuts or tring to make excuses or cry their way out of trouble does NOT work in real society.
Also, I home-schooled my own kids. One time my son decided to get his answers to his homework from the back of the book and one answer said on his paper "Answers may vary!" I FAILED him on the assignment, made him do it over on his OWN and he was restricted from TV, the phone and his games..and he was in the house for a week!!
Needless to say, today he is in college, does his OWN work and is suceeding! (Straight A's/a 4.0 average and scholorships. I think he knows now..cheating does not work in his best interest.)
It is OK to be firm, yet fair. Kids learn welll from this. Teachers that let a kid get away wiht cheating or pass them to the next grade when the child ids not capable of doing the work are only harming the child's future. Nothing wrong with a little being strict? -As long as it is paired with compassion.
@careful (12)
• China
28 Jul 08
i was caught cheating once, but i did not cry and i am a girl. i don't know how old the boy is but when a boy cries, it must be a very serious matter to him. he seems to be a very senstive boy and not used to cheat. don't report to the authorities, please.
@headhunter525 (3548)
• India
8 Aug 08
Cheating is cheating so I think I would report. If I don't report I think I shall not be doing the work assigned to me faithfully. But I am given the power not to report then things become different.
1 person likes this
@nrjena (32)
• India
30 Jul 08
Do not feel sorry or bad. It is human by nature. When somebody weeps, as by nature one feels bad, blaming upon hiself/herself. It is human behaviour. But you must call him at some place, may be chamber, and explain him in a simplistic way. He must realise this event/ his fault and in future will make it a practice to abstain from this type of wrong practices.
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@hellcowboy (7374)
• United States
30 Jul 08
If I was in your shoes it would depend on the circumstances,for example,what grade do you teach?If it is a young student I would most likely give them a warning and tell them if they ever did it again I would have to tell the principal,but if it was an older student who knew better I would take them to the principal or call their parents and tell them what their child did.
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@nuttshell (1)
•
29 Jul 08
Hello, I am a juvenile probation officer and I believe in second chances. If this student doesnt do this all the time and you fell he was sincere then I would just give him a warning and let him know you are watching him.
@Chlorosa (8)
• Indonesia
29 Jul 08
Of course report the matter to the school authorities. That's the best. The student would likely not do that anymore and so the other student who watching it. Although you (the teacher) maybe disliked, it's for their sake. But you do need some courage to do that I think...
@tekiboi (57)
• Philippines
29 Jul 08
if I'm at your place, I will not tolerate such actions, even though he cries so much, why??? if you just give a warning he might do it again cause he will think that if he cries, you will forgive him again, he just learn the lesson on a tough way...
1 person likes this
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
28 Jul 08
I think it would depend on the student. Does he try in your class or has he been slacking off every day, not turning in assignments and not paying attention in class? If so then you should consider reporting him because he doesn't care about learning the material. But, if he's been a pretty good student who has tried you might just want to let him off with a warning.
@nupats (3564)
• India
28 Jul 08
well cheating is bad if it is the board exams then i would have taken his paper away..i would check the child and give him a stern warning or maybe put a -5 on his answer sheet as a punishment...some step has to be taken or else all other children will take liberty..i might leave with one warning..first and surely last..take care..happy teaching
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@mansig (67)
•
28 Jul 08
If i would be there at your place than i'll definately punish him because these days teachers leave the students after the warning that's why they are not improving.if we will punish them than they as well as others will learn from that.otherwise they will not take it seriously.
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@majestic12 (270)
• United States
28 Jul 08
Crying doesnt work here...anybody can shed "alligator tears."
Basically, he needs to be made aware that cheating is wrong and the penalty for cheating/lying is far less merciful in the real world.
I would give a warning, one warning, and the test he took is considered an F.
He needs to realize the consequence of cheating or he wont learn and better himself....after all, it isnt your fault, heis only hurting himself by cheating.
Second time it happens, report him.
Address the class so all of them know that the tests are essential and nothing good comes from cheating...and do not point the student out.
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