Teachers: What do YOU do to prevent cheating? And how do you deal with it when it happens?

When I was doing my student teaching, the teacher told me to determine what I wanted the students to learn (what my objectives are). First, prepare the test. Once that is done, prepare the lesson. This way you cover the material you want covered and you already have a test prepared.





I have found that this works well. I make different versions of the test by changing the order of the questions. I may change numbers in problems so that the answer is different.





When preparing the lessons, I make up a study guide that covers the main points in the unit. This is given to the students to help with studying.Teachers: What do YOU do to prevent cheating? And how do you deal with it when it happens?
First and foremost, obviously, I work very hard to be vigilant during test taking. I also make more than one version of the test-usually around 3. Since I teach high school my students are not only cheating inside their particular classroom, they are cheating by giving answers in the halls, at lunch, etc. By now they know that I have more than one version of the test that I pass out differently each test time-sometimes it's one form per class, others are different just between morning and afternoon, or sometimes all three are passed out in every class at random. I also find that the more they know about the test and the better prepared they feel, the less they will cheat. That has changed my whole viewpoint when giving information on how to study for a particular test!Teachers: What do YOU do to prevent cheating? And how do you deal with it when it happens?
The prevention begins with the first class at the eginning of the year. The students vote on good class rules and agree as a class on what punishment is appropriate. They are great at coming up with creative ways to make each other squirm.


Here are a few samples of what they came up with:


If you cheat on a test: you run the risk of having to share your grade. Half for you, and half the points for the person who let you cheat off their paper.


If you leave trash in the room, you have to come after school and help straighten up the whole classroom.


If you disrupt class, you have to stay after class for one minute and lose your 'go to the locker and schmooze with your friends' time.


If you forget your homework, you are next on the volunteer list. This is a very risky position, since it could mean anything the teacher decides she needs. This is usually something really awful like demonstrating something in front of the class, putting your answer on the board, or being called on multiple times to answer questions.


Other ways to punish:


No bathroom privileges for a week.


You get the scutwork, or the least desirable task when in group work.


You have to read the long paragraph in class readings.


You have to collect the papers/ pass them out/ get folders/ textbooks, etc. for everyone for a day.


If a teacher needs help doing scutwork, you get to volunteer. Lots of times, there are things going on at lunch that the counselors and teachers need help with. Polls, voting, surveys, volunteering to pass out handouts on campus for student functions, etc.





That way, the students are part of the creation and enforce


ment of the rules.





Other great ways to help a student stop cheating or displaying undesirable behaviors are giving them punishment in disguise. They have to help you crate a board for the next day, or create a powerpoint presentation for class. If you are lucky (and observant) enough to know what their talents and strengths are, utilize them. Nothing inspires a student more than having his talents displayed and made useful. Provide little ways to help. If you have old canvases and oil paints laying around, put them to good use. Sketch pads, charcoal any art stuff. Music and sound are also geat inspirations. Have your wayward students make up a compliation of mood music for certain radings or just for background noise when working individually.


One fun trick I had was to announce that the class clown is to teach part of class today. Then I become a student. When the student gets comfortable and really gets into teaching whatever it is, I turn into the most obnoxious student in the world. I raise my hand, interupt, shout out I need to go to the bathroom, ask if this is for a grade, bargain for extra credit, squeak my desk (or tennis shoes), start a conversation with the students next to me, throw little pieces of paper, mumble about how stupid this assignment is, get out of my desk and pick something up that I meant to throw in the trash can, sharpen my pencil, ask for a pen, ask if i can start this over tattle on someone, start puting on makeup, show pictures of my cat to the kids nearby, call somebody's name as they pass in the hall, and soon. By the time the new teacher catches on, he or she is red in the face. They go humbly back to their seat, and tell me I'm crazy. But they have been presented with the shoe on the other foot.





Keep in touch with the other teachers. If a student is causing problems. Send out an email asking his other teachers for helpful suggestions. If they are smart, the rest of his teachers that day can help you and each other and lay down the law as well. One day of having all his teachers breathing down his neck can truly make a student rethink his priorities.
I make multiple copies of the test and make sure students sitting around each other have different versions. I spread the students out throughout the room. I walk around the room constantly. When I do sit down for a minute or two, I NEVER sit at my desk. I always sit at a desk at the back of the classroom so I can see any little movement of the students' heads.





If they do cheat, they get an automatic zero. If they cheated with someone, they both get zeros. No ifs, ands, or buts.
Give every other student a different test. Create two tests, they can have the same questions just in a different order. When they are caught cheating, they get a 0 and their parents are notified. IF it happens more than once they get detention.