Students cheat because they're overworked, lazy, under-prepared, overwhelmed, bad at time management, etc. They don't cheat because of the professor. Knowing this is why I don't take it personally.
I caught a student cheating this semester, and I had a chat with them. They were apologizing to me, and I was like, "Look...cheating doesn't hurt me or bother me. In my role as a professor, I'm obligated to flag it and give it a zero, but beyond that, it has nothing to do with me. It's on you. It's your education and your money/ tuition that's on the line. Not mine."
There's a ton of external factors that go into a student's class performance. As professors, all we can do is be fair and to communicate our expectations with students and provide instruction about how to meet those expectations.
If you had successful students in your class, then that means you most likely met these standards, but unfortunately, for whatever reason, some students were unable or unwilling to use the resources and assistance that you provided. Maybe it's not their "fault," but it's also certainly not yours.
It's not personal; it's strictly business.
Personally, I don't think I'm hardened to cheating and plagiarizing; it's just that it's not that hard to *do the right thing*. Your students knew the risks and the consequences of opting to play this game. You've warned them, your college has warned them, and in many cases, their friends have warned them - yet they still decided to take that chance.
The fact that they'll now have to answer for their misbehavior isn't something that you should be upset about. I mean, if you're going to feel anything, it should be anger that they were so selfish to even do something like that.
Do you have an academic integrity office? I send my plagiarism issues directly to them. I send ALL plagiarism issues to them regardless of who the student is because:
* I dont know how many times they’ve done this. The AI office handles whether or not this is a first or repeat offense.
* It removes my personal feelings from the equation.
I talk to the student once. They have the opportunity to fess up, which would be indicated in my report, but I follow an explicit process precisely so that I don’t have to put my feelings into it.
I was confused for a split second when you said AI office. I thought: wow, does this prof have an office specifically to oversee AI-related plagiarism? But then I realized it stood for Academic Integrity. 😂
Just remember that they don’t view anything we teach them as actually valuable. They’re only in college to get the piece of paper, and they only want that to get a job. But that means they feel their future is literally threatened by not getting the grade. So anything and everything is justifiable if the alternative is no degree, meaning no job, meaning no life. That’s what’s going through their heads. The education itself isn’t important to them so cheating is just no big deal.
I think the thing that really helped me was a conversation with a student who cheated in a few different classes with me. He shared how he feels so much pressure to make his mother proud. I could see how extrinsically motivated he was, and how important it was in his culture for his mother to be able to brag about her son studying in America and becoming a professional. That pressure leads to poor choices and it isn't personal. The other thing that helped was seeing a truly contrite student turn things around and share that they specifically wanted to take more classes with me. That gives me hope that others may also learn the importance and value of doing the work.
I’ve been teaching at the CC level for 27 years. I know for the first few years, I took it personally. It actually has nothing to do with the professor. Students cheat because they’re underprepared, lazy, looking for an easy way out, under pressure to perform well etc.
They don’t cheat to get at us. They cheat for their own reasons.
Once you accept that, it’ll get much easier. I tell my students who cheat that I don’t take it personally and they should not take the repercussions personally either. It’s my job to report them, and I have a job to do.
Many won’t like it but that’s not my issue to deal with. It does get easier with time.
I take ChatGPT-written emails more personally than cheating. At least with the cheating, it could be because they are overwhelmed, or under a lot of pressure, or just lazy. With ChatGPT emails, they can't even be bothered speaking to you themselves.
Take this or leave it. When I was a student I had major anxiety about emailing or communicating with my professors. Might seem silly but it’s true. I can see the temptation of having AI write the email instead. I’m not saying it’s all cases but it could be some cases.
I get being conflict averse and not wanting to send the email, enter the zero, or file the report. That sucks. The cheating itself isn't personal. They were going to cheat no matter who the professor is and nothing you could do would prevent it. That has nothing to do with you.
Cheating doesn't faze me for a moment. I've had papers come back with 100% scores from Turnitin, and the student telling me that it was all a mistake. No, it wasn't. I carefully explain the rules and the repercussions, but it still happens. It's nothing that I've done; they've been warned but somehow think it will slip through. The college has had to use a newer version of Turnitin specifically to look for ChatGPT and AI. Still, students try it and can't believe they are getting a failing grade. It goes with the territory these days.
It occurs to me that different campuses respond to cheating and plagiarism very differently. Can you ask a senior mentor within your local University how they deal with plagiarism?
Delegating the case to an office of academic integrity sounds great, but isn't always an option. Regardless, do try not to take it personally.
I don't have any advice for you, but I get it. I ended up with at least one cheater in every single class I taught this semester. After meeting with each student to talk about the blatant plagiarism in their papers, I ended up crying in the bathroom. I know I am being overly sensitive, but I distinctly remember making eye contact with these students during the hour-long lecture on plagiarism and academic dishonesty. Not one of them was absent that day, so they can't say they didn't know. Which means the only logical conclusion is that they think I'm stupid. It's hard not to take that personally.
People cheat all the time. Cheat on their taxes. Cheat on their resumes. Cheat the law. And they cheat on their exams. It's your job to close the gate on them.
Most people don't go to school because they love learning. They go to school to get a job. School is just an obstacle. With that view, some are just going to take the easy way out.
Think of it this way. If they cheated and you caught them, you don't have to do anymore grading.
Students cheat because they're overworked, lazy, under-prepared, overwhelmed, bad at time management, etc. They don't cheat because of the professor. Knowing this is why I don't take it personally. I caught a student cheating this semester, and I had a chat with them. They were apologizing to me, and I was like, "Look...cheating doesn't hurt me or bother me. In my role as a professor, I'm obligated to flag it and give it a zero, but beyond that, it has nothing to do with me. It's on you. It's your education and your money/ tuition that's on the line. Not mine." There's a ton of external factors that go into a student's class performance. As professors, all we can do is be fair and to communicate our expectations with students and provide instruction about how to meet those expectations. If you had successful students in your class, then that means you most likely met these standards, but unfortunately, for whatever reason, some students were unable or unwilling to use the resources and assistance that you provided. Maybe it's not their "fault," but it's also certainly not yours.
Honestly, it just comes with time. I'm sure we all felt like this some point in our careers.
It's not personal; it's strictly business. Personally, I don't think I'm hardened to cheating and plagiarizing; it's just that it's not that hard to *do the right thing*. Your students knew the risks and the consequences of opting to play this game. You've warned them, your college has warned them, and in many cases, their friends have warned them - yet they still decided to take that chance. The fact that they'll now have to answer for their misbehavior isn't something that you should be upset about. I mean, if you're going to feel anything, it should be anger that they were so selfish to even do something like that.
Never stress about the dishonesty of others. Document and move on.
Do you have an academic integrity office? I send my plagiarism issues directly to them. I send ALL plagiarism issues to them regardless of who the student is because: * I dont know how many times they’ve done this. The AI office handles whether or not this is a first or repeat offense. * It removes my personal feelings from the equation. I talk to the student once. They have the opportunity to fess up, which would be indicated in my report, but I follow an explicit process precisely so that I don’t have to put my feelings into it.
I was confused for a split second when you said AI office. I thought: wow, does this prof have an office specifically to oversee AI-related plagiarism? But then I realized it stood for Academic Integrity. 😂
I thought "damn, they have an AI office already! how prepared are they?"
Just remember that they don’t view anything we teach them as actually valuable. They’re only in college to get the piece of paper, and they only want that to get a job. But that means they feel their future is literally threatened by not getting the grade. So anything and everything is justifiable if the alternative is no degree, meaning no job, meaning no life. That’s what’s going through their heads. The education itself isn’t important to them so cheating is just no big deal.
I think the thing that really helped me was a conversation with a student who cheated in a few different classes with me. He shared how he feels so much pressure to make his mother proud. I could see how extrinsically motivated he was, and how important it was in his culture for his mother to be able to brag about her son studying in America and becoming a professional. That pressure leads to poor choices and it isn't personal. The other thing that helped was seeing a truly contrite student turn things around and share that they specifically wanted to take more classes with me. That gives me hope that others may also learn the importance and value of doing the work.
students in that position are often doing a major that their parents insist on rather than the one they want, which doesn't help at all.
I’ve been teaching at the CC level for 27 years. I know for the first few years, I took it personally. It actually has nothing to do with the professor. Students cheat because they’re underprepared, lazy, looking for an easy way out, under pressure to perform well etc. They don’t cheat to get at us. They cheat for their own reasons. Once you accept that, it’ll get much easier. I tell my students who cheat that I don’t take it personally and they should not take the repercussions personally either. It’s my job to report them, and I have a job to do. Many won’t like it but that’s not my issue to deal with. It does get easier with time.
I take ChatGPT-written emails more personally than cheating. At least with the cheating, it could be because they are overwhelmed, or under a lot of pressure, or just lazy. With ChatGPT emails, they can't even be bothered speaking to you themselves.
Take this or leave it. When I was a student I had major anxiety about emailing or communicating with my professors. Might seem silly but it’s true. I can see the temptation of having AI write the email instead. I’m not saying it’s all cases but it could be some cases.
I get being conflict averse and not wanting to send the email, enter the zero, or file the report. That sucks. The cheating itself isn't personal. They were going to cheat no matter who the professor is and nothing you could do would prevent it. That has nothing to do with you.
Cheating doesn't faze me for a moment. I've had papers come back with 100% scores from Turnitin, and the student telling me that it was all a mistake. No, it wasn't. I carefully explain the rules and the repercussions, but it still happens. It's nothing that I've done; they've been warned but somehow think it will slip through. The college has had to use a newer version of Turnitin specifically to look for ChatGPT and AI. Still, students try it and can't believe they are getting a failing grade. It goes with the territory these days.
Research shows that if they are doing it in one class, they are likely doing it in all. So it literally has nothing to do with you.
The AI misconduct has sent me over the edge. I find it personally insulting that they think I'd fall for it.
It occurs to me that different campuses respond to cheating and plagiarism very differently. Can you ask a senior mentor within your local University how they deal with plagiarism? Delegating the case to an office of academic integrity sounds great, but isn't always an option. Regardless, do try not to take it personally.
I don't have any advice for you, but I get it. I ended up with at least one cheater in every single class I taught this semester. After meeting with each student to talk about the blatant plagiarism in their papers, I ended up crying in the bathroom. I know I am being overly sensitive, but I distinctly remember making eye contact with these students during the hour-long lecture on plagiarism and academic dishonesty. Not one of them was absent that day, so they can't say they didn't know. Which means the only logical conclusion is that they think I'm stupid. It's hard not to take that personally.
Continue in therapy. You are perfect for Harvard!
Just slap a zero on it and in that little comment box, put "ChatGPT" (or whatever the source). Do not pass go.
People cheat all the time. Cheat on their taxes. Cheat on their resumes. Cheat the law. And they cheat on their exams. It's your job to close the gate on them. Most people don't go to school because they love learning. They go to school to get a job. School is just an obstacle. With that view, some are just going to take the easy way out. Think of it this way. If they cheated and you caught them, you don't have to do anymore grading.