Cheating is a big problem for every teacher I talk to, and the beginning of the year or after Winter Break is a great time to address it. This lesson will open up the conversation about cheating and build a strong classroom culture.
Talking about cheating in your class can improve engagement in your class and improve classroom culture. Having an open conversation about cheating can make your classroom a safe place for students to do their best without fear of making mistakes.
Some teachers are hesitant to spend precious academic class time discussing something like cheating, but I argue that it is time well spent. Cheating is a big problem across academic subjects and the data is almost unbelievable.
Edutopia reported a study of 70,000 students that found that 95% of students admitted to cheating in some capacity. The article on Edutopia is really insightful and is totally worth a read.
Talking openly about cheating with your students with empathy can create an environment where students can ask for help instead of cheating and that is all we want as teachers!
I think it is totally worth it to have this hard conversation with your students.
I made you a slide deck to guide the conversation, and you can download it with this Cheating Lesson Plan Slide Deck link.
The deck has 14 slides and is an open-and-go resource to guide this conversation with your 6-12 students.
I recommend that you have an anonymous way to collect student responses.
Depending on your classroom environment you can do a Google Form, classroom poll in a virtual setting or pen and paper in a traditional classroom. They all work. (Email me if you want to talk about the results! Its so interesting!)
You know your classroom culture better than me, so check over the slides and pick the questions that fit your class and the time you have available.
Be ready to listen to students, even if you are suspicious of their answers, thank anyone who is brave enough to share. Don’t be afraid of the question on slide 10, the feedback you get can be SO useful.
How Do You Convince Students Not To Cheat?
There are a lot of blog posts that give ideas for how to create tests and assignments that are cheat-proof, but I think it is a fool’s errand.
The only way to stop cheating is to make students want to learn and feel safe to fail. Before you click away, I have 5 tips to make that happen THIS WEEK for your students.
Almost all students report cheating, but these 5 things that can almost guarantee that you have less cheating in your class:
- Celebrate mistakes in your class
- Give appropriate opportunities for grade improvement
- Clearly state expectations
- Don’t let anyone leave confused
- Avoid assigning busywork
Let’s break down some of these controversial classroom moves:
1. Celebrate Mistakes
Mistakes are where learning happens. When students make mistakes Jo Boaler says that students have reached “the edge of their understanding.” It is from that place that students can build new skill and new learning.
Remind students that they should be making mistakes, and that is a normal part of learning.
When students skip the struggle and go straight to looking up an answer their brain is not allowed to grow and get stronger.
There is much more to say on this topic. This is real gold in the classroom.
2. Give Appropriate Opportunities for Grade Improvement
I know this is controversial.
Most students reported cheating because they wanted a good grade. Well, what if students are encouraged to do their best knowing they can always improve their understanding and get another chance at an assignment.
I understand that there are lots of logistical challenges here, but know that it is worth it.
You can offer alternative assignments in lieu of a re-test. You can also ask for corrections with explanations. This can deepen student understanding, which is the real goal.
Check your school policy on this.
3. Clearly State Expectations
Be sure that students know exactly what is expected, in writing is best.
Should a written assignment be written with help or completely independently, should a math homework paper be done alone or with help, can you use your textbook on the take home quiz?
Avoid hurt feelings and angry emails by laying the whole thing out in writing. Take the time to ask for student signatures on these expectations frequently.
4. Don’t Let Anyone Leave Confused
When students have a big assignment, test or project due give students a chance to tell you if they are lost.
I am thinking of my math students. I work with students who have failed big tests in the past, so they are used to feeling behind and confused. These are some heavy negative feelings, no wonder they cheat to avoid feeling dumb.
When students feel like they cannot complete an assignment successfully they are more likely to cheat.
Give students a space to ask for clarity before they engage in a difficult assessment. This could be:
- Office Hours
- Email Q and A
- Video Lessons
- Text Book Pages
- After School Tutoring
- Lunch Tutoring
5. Avoid Assigning Busywork
Choose graded assignments carefully, and be sure that they are all worth grading.
Drill style worksheets with multiple choice answers can be seen as busy work and students reported cheating on this type of assignment.
Graded assignments should measure a particular skill in a meaningful way, but this is a much bigger conversation than this blog post. I have worked in districts that require a certain number of graded assignments each week and schools where grade inflation is a big problem.
Do your best to create meaningful assignments and balance the time you are committing to grading those assignments. Take advantage of programs that can speed up grading and use rubrics to communicate your expectations with students.
Should Students Be Punished For Cheating?
Even when we do our best to create meaningful assignments, create a nurturing classroom culture and have had open conversations with our students about cheating, you may still have students avoid work by cheating.
What do you do then?
When a student is caught cheating, be sure to document the cheating and keep records of all conversations. Talk to the student first and ask them about the assignment. After speaking with the student, contact parents and school administration to document the academic dishonesty.
I recommend that the student receive a zero on the assignment and be given the chance to re-submit for full credit.
By offering the chance for full credit you communicate that you believe the assignment is worth doing and that you prioritize the student’s learning.
Some classes may be difficult to create new assignments easily. I recommend that you have students write a letter to a friend explaining how to do the assignment that they cheated on. This will give them the opportunity to really prove that they understand the material.
How to Prevent Cheating On Tests
Students report cheating because of a desire for good grades. Tests usually have a big impact on grades and they are a common time for students to try to cheat, but you can address this.
Communicate that tests give students data on what they know and don’t know.
Tests are not a “gotcha” moment. They give students and teachers feedback on the teaching and learning that is going on in the classroom.
Take time to go over test results with students, treat tests as learning experiences.
Offer Re-Takes
The finality of a test is one reason students may cheat.
Offering a grade-recovery option can reduce cheating.
I will not pretend that this is not a controversial practice, but you can adapt it to fit your style and school policies.
A re-test can be any way students prove mastery of a skill you were measuring with a test. Practice on Delta Math, a Book Report, a letter to a friend.
Ask Students To Sign Their Test
Adding a statement to the beginning or end of a test asking students to confirm that the work they are turning in is theirs can reinforce your expectation for academic honesty.
Create the Classroom Culture You Wish You Had
Looking back at your own academic history, when were you most tempted to cheat? What made you consider cheating?
Create a classroom culture where students are free to learn deeply without fear of mistakes.
I am a math teacher, I see the high anxiety my students experience and these classroom practices have proved helpful in my classroom. One student called my class a “safe place to struggle” and I wanted to cry.
It is worth it!
Thank you for all you are doing to support your students.
