Want to know what stood out clearly to me this week? American culture has so degraded our families and morals to the point where we are now faced with innumerable "problem" children that we don't know what to do with except feed them through our school systems, and
hope they turn out okay (if they don't drop out before they graduate.)
As teachers we are expected to perform miracles and turn these undisciplined, often unloved, and many times unwanted children into useful, productive citizens who will enter our workforce and have the skills necessary to be successful. We are sent into combat with a pillow, ear plugs, and sunglasses... soften the blows, plug your ears to the things that you hear, and cover your eyes when things aren't happening like they should... oh and by the way... if those three tools don't work... try reasoning with them, and somehow through your smooth words, tireless efforts, a few detentions, and threats they will magically transform into the desired product when they cross the stage at graduation having cheated and lied their way through school.
Over this semester, I have seen, heard, and combated these things; however, this week there was a climax. I don't intend to, nor did I, plan to look the other way or stop my ears from hearing. This week my plant and soil science classes learned to identify various common flowers and tools used with floriculture. All went reasonably well. The arrangements turned out well, the identification reviews went well, but Friday things changed. Friday was exam day. The students were given explicit directions as to how the exam was to work. Since there are 22 students in the class and 45 items to identify, there should be 1 student at every other item for the duration of the exam. Once the timer goes off, you move to the next questions and so on until the exam is complete. Each of the 45 items were given in a word bank on their exam, so that if they could not remember one, they could find it in the word bank. They were also told that if they could not remember one, leave it blank, and at the end of the exam they would be given a second opportunity to look at the items. Furthermore, they only needed to know 40 of the 45 items, which equates to 5 free ones or bonus.
Within less than 5 minutes, students started grouping together rather than staying spread apart. Turning their clipboards to their buddy and copying answers. No problem... they just lost 5 points right then and there... I walked over and made the deduction on their test. Others decided to print pictures off of the internet which they labeled and kept under their test... that didn't work well either as I confiscated papers and took off more points. Did they need to cheat? Absolutely not. They knew the answers in the review quite well.
Some might say... just go through the items 1 at a time while they are sitting in class, and have them write them down... guess what... the room is packed at 22 - no room to spread them out - thus the reason I utilized the shop class to spread them out. Take home test.... even more disaster... about 5 students would do the work, and the rest would copy. These kids, if they pass their classes, will walk across the graduation stage, not by their own merit or honesty, but because they worked the system and cheated their way through. Unfortunately, many will, and some already are, facing consequences with the law because too many adults have looked away, stopped their ears, muffled the blows with a pillow, and "passed" them out of exasperation. That does not meet the expectations that we will turn out productive, honest, hard-working students.
So, for all of you teachers, future teachers, and others who work with impressionable, young, love-deprived students, stop hurting the students by looking the other way. If you care about them at all, use everything within you to show those students you care by giving them the consequences their dishonest and unlawful actions deserve - because if you don't, the state penitentiary will house them at your expense once they graduate!
You can write me off as extreme, but children need to know that someone cares about them. Ignoring their behaviors, that will someday put them in the hands of the law, isn't caring, nor is it doing your part in teaching children and young adults the character traits and morals needed to become successful in this life or prepared for the next one. The next time you hear of a mass shooting, medical malpractices, or someone short changes you and pockets the difference, remember that each time you look the other way when students are cheating, accept a known lie, or turn the other way when you see them involved in unlawful activities without any attempt of correction, you are helping to create more of these problems.
