Defeating Cheating In The Classroom

Many students have succumbed to the mindset that cheating is okay. Whether finding it necessary to keep grades up to participate in sports, get into a good college, keep grade-influenced privileges, or otherwise, more and more students have begun sneaking peeks at their neighbor’s paper to ensure their own scholastic success. Sadly, because it has become so commonplace, many teachers have given up trying to fight it, accepting it as a “fact of life”. Victor Gallis, former educator and Suite101 contributor, has written an article in an attempt to combat these norms and give practical advice on how to defeat cheating in the classroom. According to Gallis, the first step is to institute a school-wide honor code. While the complexity of such agreements will vary from grade to grade, the elements of a successful honor code do not change. Students should guarantee the following:

• All homework completed is a result of my own effort • All sources have been properly cited (in the case of writing, reports, etc.) • All test answers given are a result of my own effort

In addition to signing a copy of this honor code in the beginning of the school year, Gallis suggests developing a shortened version to be placed at the beginning of each exam, writing assignment, etc. to keep students’ commitment foremost in their mind. Be sure to read the entire article for more helpful tips on defeating cheating in the classroom!

Students Who Cheat: What Teachers Can Do to Stop Cheating

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