Responding to a message by Tina, to Charles on ...
TB>Most teachers that I have come in contact with, do not look for cheating
TB>in their classroom and when (or if) they ever catch it, they aren't tough
TB>enough on the student.  If you give room for error, error will 
TB>occur.  Teachers need to punish cheaters and make them realize 
TB>that it is wrong.
With a generalization as broad as the one you've painted, of course 
you've got to be partially right - and partially wrong.  *Some* 
teachers don't look for cheating and *some* teachers go too easy on 
cheaters, but there are also *some* who watch for it and *some* who 
come down very hard on cheaters.
The issue, however, is more complex than that and it has been 
compounded by the increased use of permissible cheating, known as 
"cooperative learning."
As an institution that serves the public, schools must be sensitive 
to the feelings of parents who don't want us teaching morals, even 
when it comes to cheating.  On more than one occasion, when I've 
given a child a zero for cheating in my class, parents have come 
storming in to the principal demanding that a re-test be given or 
another chance be given to complete the assignment.  Sometimes the 
administrator caves in - sometimes we stand our ground - but it is 
never a foregone conclusion that cheating is a serious enough 
infraction that we always win.
Sometimes there just isn't enough proof to warrant giving a zero or 
assigning detention.  I may know in my heart that a student has 
cheated, but if I can't prove it or get the child to admit to it, 
there's not much I can do.
Sometimes the parents cheat for the kids.  On a number of occasions 
I've had work turned in that the parent has done for the child.  
Again, if I can't get either child or parent to admit to it, there's 
not much I can do.
Finally, there's the issue of "cooperative learning" in which we 
encourage the slower kids to steal from the brighter kids.  Students 
are assigned to groups and each child is given a special role - one 
serves as group leader, another serves as recorder and yet another 
serves as monitor - keeping everyone on task.  *BUT*, as we all 
know, some kids work harder than others so one or two in the group 
have all the ideas, do all of the work, and the others get the same 
grade as everyone else.  Some teachers badly overuse this teaching strategy.
Cheating is a bad behavior, but teachers are not cops nor do we have 
the time to play detective over every assignment given every year.  
If it's obvious, I punish the kid, but if it's a questionable call, 
I'll walk away from it.
Chuck Beams
Fidonet - 1:2608/70
cbeams@future.dreamscape.com
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