Louis- Your actions were so wrong at so many levels that I hardly know where to begin, but let's start here:
EXTORTION noun: extortion 1. an exorbitant charge 2. unjust exaction as by the misuse of authority: "the extortion by dishonest officials of fees for performing their sworn duty" 3. the felonious act of extorting money as by threats of violence If I were the student I would be simultaneously complaining to the Chair, the Dean and the College President. Give your head a shake! -Don. Louis_Schmier said: > One Friday, I handed back the students' weekly journals. One > student came up to me asking, "What does this 'AAO' in the margin mean?" > > "'All At Once.' It means you made all your entries at the same > time." > > "No, I didn't" > > "Didn't you?" > > "No" > > "You didn't?" > > "Well, there's an entry for each day," she defended herself > > "What was the one rule for writing journals?" > > "Make an entry each day." > > "Did you?" > > "Well, I didn't have time and I remembered what I had done." > > "But, you found the time at the last minute to date each entry for > the whole week as if you had. You remember the 'Words For The Day' I > once put on the Board? 'Those that live by the last minute, die by the > last minute.' You lied. Twice. You died." > > "I didn't lie." > > "What do you call it when you say you did something and > didn't--twice?" > > Ignoring my question, she asked "Do I get an 'F' for this > assignment?" > > "Not if you learn from you mistake and don't do it again. But, > there are always consequences," I softly say with a caring smile. "It > will cost you. Donuts for everyone. Monday." > > "I don't have the money." > > "Donuts...Monday....Fresh yummy ones from Dixie Cream." > > "Where's Dixie Cream?" > > "Find it." > > "I don't have the time." > > "Find it....Monday....Donuts." > > "I thought you were nice." > > "I am. I'm what you call 'tough nice.' Donuts....Monday....Dixie > Creams." > > She brought them in to the delight of everyone in the class. And > the lesson was learned. > > Goodness knows that there have been tomes written on the subject > of corner-cutting, cheating, and plagarism. The internet is abuzz with > this subject lately as if it was a new-found issue. It is an issue that > grinds teeth, snarls lip, grimaces cheeks, clenches hands, stomps feet, > throws up arms, and shakes heads. Today academics moan about the > high-tech internet as a source of plagarism. When I was a student in > the late 1950s professors moaned about low-tech "fraternity files." > Today, academics moan about e-mailing, surfing, and googling to buy a > research paper. When I was a student professors moaned how easily it > was to ask around and find a ghost writer on campus. The more things > change, the less they change. It's obvious that threats of failure, > probation, expulsion for those caught cheating or plagarizing have > never been deterents much less preventatives. > > Let's face it, the way we put so much weight on grades and honors > and awards and recognition and competition, each day in class--and I am > not exaggerating--is a fearful, crisis-ridden time "that tries student's > souls." > > When I catch someone cutting a corner-cutting, lying, cheating, or > plagarizing, I don't metamorpose into a snarling Queen of Hearts and > scream, "Off with your head." From the incidence of cheating that > persists, the threat of such decapitation, or even a public beheading or > two doesn't do much good. And, if such a sentence offers any lesson, > it is usually a mere "don't get caught next time." It doesn't get to > the root moral and ethical core of things. So, I'm not sure that such > punishment is the more fitting solution than is seizing the opportunity > of a golden "teaching moment" to thoughtfully, systematically, and > comprehensively engage a student in order to get that student to break > his or her habits that undermine his or her avowed values. So, when I > am confronted with what I'll charitably call "corner cutting," I ask > myself, "What great lesson lies in this situation? What is the hidden > value in this situation? Should I care less or stop caring about this > person because he or she is less than perfect and did something wrong?" > > This is my toughest test: not to take such things personally, to > be a man of unending second chances, to be tough and loving, to help > that student see his or her strengths rather than play to his or her > weaknesses, to help that student transform his or her energy, to help > him or her come back into balance. Students needed my understanding! > I have to see their point of view from their vantage point. They have > to see mine. I also have to see the hope that is there so that in > these difficult times I can seize the opportunity. Contrary to a > colleague who disagrees with me, I have "to be bothered." I have to > reach out. After all, I have to diligently teach, enforce, advocate, > demonstrate, and model personal integrity. It is I, not the students, > who has the greatest responsibility to create an ethical culture that > nurtures the virtues of integrity, honesty, and fairness. > > Now, I agree that there must be consequences, but I'm not sure > flunking or expelling will turn straw of anger and blame into gold of > apology and responsibility. I firmly believe such a student can be > rescued and is worth the try. I've never met a student who isn't a good > person and who has convinced him/herself that he or she is doing a bad > thing. Self-interest has too often a powerful tendency to incapacitate > our ability to live up to our moral principles. The greater the sense > of survival the harder we shut the door as if the louder the slam the > more valid our positions. We're all ethical in our own eyes whether it > is the pursuit of a promotion, a grade, tenure, a grant, a GPA, a > whatever. If we understand that, if we understand that we've done > that, we can be caringly understanding. With time and effort, with > caring, he or she just may see the error of his or her way and be > rehabilitated. Casting a student aside or out is the easy way out. It > doesn't confront in the flesh the common belief that it's right and > proper to do whatever you have to do to get whatever you want, that > ethics is irrelevant and integrity is a weakness. It's harder, and more > meaningful, to help a student face him/herself, to look in the mirror > and see that he or she isn't' as upright he or she pronounces him or > herself to be, to confront the fact that he or she is morally and > ethically infirmed. > > When I confront a student, he or she invariable will say "What > about the others?" or "Everyone is doing it" or "It's no big deal" or > "I didn't know" or "It didn't hurt anyone." > > To the first question, I answer firmly, "We're talking about you, > no one else;" to the second rationalization, I say more firmly, "Who > cares;" to the third excuse, I say even more firmly, "It sure is;" to > the fourth statement, I say still more firmly, "Sure you did. Stop > lying. See how it has become a habit;" and to the last explanation, I > hit with both barrels, "Sure you are. You're hurting yourself. You're > > disrespecting yourself which means you'll be disrespectful to anyone. > If you're willing to lie to yourself, you're willing to lie to anyone. > I know you're better than that. Do you?" > > I tell him or her, with a caring concern on my face and a firmness > in my voice, that he or she is not responsible for what anyone else > does. He or she is only responsible for what he or she does. I tell > him or her that there are two kinds of students: ones who lie, cheat, > and plagarize; and ones who don't. Whether each student cheats or > doesn't cheat depends on the kind of person he or she is. The cheaters > find excuses not to be honest; they trivialize character; they are > changed by others; they succumb to temptation; they're indifferent or > ignorant of the moral implications of what they're doing; at best they > know what they're doing is wrong, but do it anyway; they suffer from > "moral flabbiness; they're on the path to ethical suicide; they > sacrifice their self-respect;" they put convenience above principle. > The non-cheaters put principle above convenience; they clinch tightly > to their dignity and self-respect; they're enrolled in a "moral > fitness" program that tones up their ethics and values;" they find the > courage to do what is right because it is the right thing to do; they > refuse to be changed by others; they have the strength to resist > temptation; they won't let their conscience be suborned by pressure. > > "Tell me, do you get any sense of accomplishment or fulfillment by > cheating?" I ask. > > "I get a better grade," I sometimes hear. > > "Yeah, but at a hell of a price. Where's your self-respect? You > won't get better and you won't live better a life. I guarantee that it > will catch up with you in some way at some time and bite you in your > ass." > > Then, I hit them square between his or her eyes and ask him or > her, "So, tell me, I want you to hear it, I want to hear it, right now, > no bs, to my face: which kind of person are you? Are you a good person > or a bad person?" I stand in his or her face until the student faces > him/herself and I get an answer. > > Invariably, I hear, "I'm a good person." > > Invariably, I lovingly snap back, "Then, act like a good person! > > Make it a good day. > > --Louis-- > > > > > Make it a good day. > > --Louis-- > > > Louis Schmier www.therandomthoughts.com > Department of History > www.halcyon.com/arborhts/louis.html Valdosta State University > Valdosta, Georgia 31698 /~\ /\ /\ > (229-333-5947) /^\ / \ / /~ \ /~\__/\ > / \__/ \/ / /\ /~ \ > /\/\-/ /^\___\______\_______/__/_______/^\ > -_~ / "If you want to climb mountains, \ > /^\ > _ _ / don't practice on mole hills" > -\____ > > > > > > > > --- > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To unsubscribe send a blank email to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
