Today in class, I caught 6 of my boys cheating on a pretty meaningless homework assignment. They were supposed to be typing their Latin America Outlines, and being the highly bright and intelligent boys they are, they decided that one of them would type the outline, and then they would just change the name on the top and print new copies with the names changed, and turn it in for a grade.
Being the observant teacher that I am, they were easily busted. My principal and I decided we would tag-team the disciplinary procedure after lunch. It was great!!! 4 of them were bawling profusely, which was perfect. They felt remorse and will probably never spend another day in the principal's office again, in their entire life.
However, there were 2 who just sat there and acted as if we were just wasting their time. This concerns me, because they really didn't see a problem with having someone else do their work for them, and still be able to get the credit. I see frequent visits to the principal's office in their future.
This is what I hate about group projects (even though this was an individual assignment). There is always one person who does all of the work (usually me) and then the rest of the group gets to skate by and still get credit. I remember when I was getting my Master's Degree. I had finally had enough of that crap and I told the professor about this girl in my group who hadn't done anything for a particular project we had been working on. She failed the class and eventually dropped out of the program. I see this as a good thing because she probably wasn't going to make through anyway, so in a way, I was just saving her money in the long run.
That's what I told the mom of the boys who had done all of the typing for this assignment. He needed to tell the other boys NO and make them do their own work. It will only benefit them in the end.
6 comments:
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"You cheated!"
"Pirate."
This is the line from 'Pirates of the Caribbean' that my friend's son said to her when he was busted for cheating at his school and she confronted him. He's also a 6th grader, but not in the GT class.
So, what's the state of gifted education in CO?
Pezda: Pretty bad in my opinion. There are some great private schools for gifted kids, but the cost is outrageous. Truly gifted kids have a tough time, and often get put with the high achievers. In the district I teach in, the gifted kids are among our highest drop outs.
I really don't have much of problem with cheating because for my lower level kids they gain little from cheating of underacheivers's low level work. Sad in a way.
But I think gifted kids get short changed everywhere.
My son is in the gifted program at his school (only in ELA - boy mixed ability math kills him). Now that he's in 6th grade he has discovered if he doesn't care about a topic his grades will suffer. But some of his teachers don't seem to get that if they make a spark he'll rise to the stars.
Mathman: That is the key... not just with gifted kids, but with ALL kids... make it interesting, relevant, fun, set the expectations high, and they will rise. My hope is that becoming an administrator, I can help teachers with this...
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