A Tale of Two Cheaters

After a month and a half of teaching, I have officially caught my first cheater. I felt emotions I never expected to feel when I realized what was happening. It has got to be one of the most blatant attempts at cheating, ever, in the history of cheating. It went a little something like this:

I was giving a science vocab quiz at the beginning of class. Every day, without fail, a group of 4 boys sit in the back of the classroom, 2 in front of the other 2. As I was patrolling the classroom to prevent any attempts at cheating, I noticed something on the back of one of the boys' coats. I came closer to inspect, when I realized that it was the entire science vocabulary packet (yes it was more than one page) taped to the back of this students' coat. This gave the two boys that sit behind him a full view of every answer to the quiz. I am sure I turned bright red as I ripped the packet from the jacket while simultaneously asking "Are you cheating?"...and a little bit louder now..."ARE YOU CHEATING?" I grabbed the tests from them and walked to the front of the room, plotting the students demise. When I got to the front of the classroom I said calmly yet firmly "Jim [not his real name], you are coming with me after class." I proceeded to teach class as if nothing had happened, and I hope that boy sat there ruminating in true fear. I hope he was so scared that he couldn't even read the words on the page of our current novel, Mary Poppins.

Needless to say, I took him to the science teacher and explained what happened. I was so furious, and have not felt that amount of adrenaline in a long time. I was shaking I was so mad. Cheating is so disrespectful and the way in which he cheated shows what he really thinks of me. As for the boy who was taped up, what did he get out of it? Surely he must have known. It could not have been a surprise to him to have a science vocabulary packet ripped from his back. So I ask you, what did he get out of it? Absolutely nothing. He actually had to study for the quiz and know the answers. As for now, I am not sure of the punishment, but I do know the boys are not allowed to sit together again, and they have lost what little trust I had in them. They are going to have to work over time to see if they can get it back. Right now, it is not looking too good for them.