"Could I see the answer key?"
Freshman math. I had gone over their homework answers, and then I gave them a practice test to work on.
Howard had not had his homework out when I read out the answers. This should have been a red flag. But I figured checking his answers late was better than never, so I let him see the key.
(Junior-level math and sometimes sophomore-level, the teacher will leave a key the kiddos can see. Generally, they're really responsible with using it.)
Twice I passed Howard on my way around the room. Both times he was talking to his neighbor, the key forgotten on his desk.
"If you're still not checking your work when I pass the next time, I'm taking this back."
On my third time by, Howard was busily copying the key.
"Did you even do the homework?" I asked.
He hadn't. And he begged me to bring back the key.
We argued. He explained that he needed the homework points to help his grade. I pointed out that the homework was supposed to be done by him, not copied. He didn't see my point.
So much so, Howard asked again later (twice!!) if he could have the key back. I pointed out that he had time right then to actually do the assignment. (We were on two hour block periods for state testing.)
Did he do it? Of course not. He didn't even do the new assigned work.
Gee, I wonder why his grade is so low.
Did you ever copy your school work? Did you like math?
Today's A to Z Challenge post brought to you by the letter...
HAHA.....NO I NEVER copied homework. I did it. Did I LIKE MATH? HECK NO! I dislike math. I have always disliked math and I still cont to dislike math. LOVED History.
ReplyDeleteI'm in a history class today. Next week I'll have a couple stories :)
DeleteIf they spent as much brain power on doing the work as they use in avoiding the work...
ReplyDeleteMath was not my strong suit. Hated it in high school. I was fotunate that my liberal arts degree didnt require any math classes.
I know. I've tried to tell them. But they are freshmen, and freshmen are still children in so many ways.
DeleteAnd he really thought he could get away with it! I was okay with math but I never went beyond Freshman Algebra. I did occasionally copy work but it wasn't a habit of mine to do so.
ReplyDeletebetty
I never really copied homework, but my sisters made the job for me once or twice ;) Maths are not my best talent, even now. I don't dislike them, they dislike me ;))
ReplyDeleteOhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh........I couldn't stand math. The highest I went to in high school was Algebra II.
ReplyDeleteFor some incredible reason, I managed to get an 'A' in College Calculus, though.
Thank goodness for open-book tests and extra credit assignments.
STILL hate math, though.
And it probably hates me.
My parents would always check my homework when I was in school so I never had a chance to cheat. Or at least not like Howard did. Not sure why he cared about one assignment if he wasn't going to try on any other assignments either.
ReplyDeleteI think he's turning a corner in his development. I would not be surprised to find him taking more care of his schoolwork next year. But, yeah, he's not thinking very clearly if he thinks copying is the way to go.
DeleteI hate to admit it but I didn't need to but even still I did it once for fun at technical drawing class. I know a lot of us were doing it. I felt sorry for the Andrew who got nailed. Mr Goddard held Andy's paper up and put on a right show. He walked around the entire class waving it like a trophy. The cheaters all sat smug smirking. Some of us owned up later, didn't let Andrew get burned for that prank.
ReplyDeleteWith his willingness to lie and cheat, this kid's going to go far in corporate America.
ReplyDeleteNo, I never copied. No, I hated (not just disliked) math. I hit a big wall in 6th grade and never found a way to climb that wall.
ReplyDeleteThat's too bad. I hit a wall with long division, but then algebra suddenly made sense.
DeleteMath sure wasn't my best subject.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on
I also sub and I really enjoy your posts.
ReplyDeleteThanks.
DeleteI never had enough faith in another person's intelligence to copy their work. I did, on occasion, allow my work to be copied during class. Usually for the foreign students.
ReplyDeletep.s. I finished the Mara-Alice-Hank story for L, per your suggestion.
Yay! I'll check that out, probably tomorrow. (I take the weekends off from blog visiting.)
Delete:facepalm: Just doing the work would be less effort sometimes.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness. Poor Howard. He's got a long hard road ahead of him.
ReplyDeleteCan't say I'e ever copied my homework. Although, particularly with math, having the key to check the work is probably a good way to learn where and why mistakes were made.
No I don't think I have copied assignments. Because I was always worried that I would be caught.
ReplyDeleteI liked math. I never had much problem with it.
These kiddos do it out in the open, like they don't realize other people can see them. Sigh.
Delete