Tuesday 3 July 2007

cheater, cheater

today i invigilated a math exam because the teacher who was supposed to do it had to take a kid to the hospital. i was the only other teacher with "nothing to do" so they asked me. i didn't think it was a good idea until they told me there would be a korean teacher in the room with me. all i had to do was stand at the back of class, watch, and listen. no problem.

while i didn't see anyone cheating i still know that they do it... when i give quizzes - once a month to the top classes as a way of determining THE top class of the month - the kids try their best to help each other out. i always tell them before the quiz that if they cheat - talking to others, or looking at anyone else's paper - that i will take it away and count it as zero points.

they always try to argue (or whine) their way out of it when i catch them, but in every class there is always at least one. it's not like my quizzes are the collegiate scholastic ability test or anything... all they get is some candy, a canadian penny, and a certificate!

but the CSAT is another story. you might remember a few years ago when upwards of 1600 students were investigated for cheating on that exam using their mobile phones.

i am also reminded of the two days that i spent sequestered from the world, while working on the gimhae foreign language high school entrance exam last fall. would they do that if they didn't think that someone would TRY to get the answers (or questions) from us?

it's a sad reality that these kids go to school for upwards of 12 or 13 hours a day and are still expected to be A students. i wouldn't be a very good employee if i was forced to work that many hours a day. it's just the way they're brought up though... but no wonder they can't concentrate; no wonder they think they need to cheat - if they don't 'ace' every test and exam they are told they are nothing and will never accomplish anything.

and though i feel sorry for them, thank god i didn't catch any of them cheating today! and i could certainly tell which ones had studied, which ones had had a decent nights sleep, and which ones were wishing they could just lean over and ask for the answer from their friend.

1 Comment:

Webs said...

Students are all contemptible bastards.