Setting:  La Mesa Public Jr High, 7th Grade Science, the entire class is supposed to be writing down the agenda from the board.  I look over and Kyle (a charming bully, who uses a confused look to attempt to disarm teachers), who is sitting 3 inches away from Lizzie, is copying Lizzie’s history vocabulary homework…word for word.

Me:  “Hand me both papers please.” (saying nothing more, I walk away and put the papers in a stack on my desk)
-Kyle is staring at me for about 2 minutes (an intimidation tactic on the 7th grader’s part).  I act like I don’t see him (in some ways, I really don’t). 
-About 3 minutes later, during a class discussion, Kyle raises his hand.  When called upon, Kyle says, ‘It’s private.  I don’t want the whole class to know’.  I think to myself, ‘Really.?  Is that why you raised your hand during a class discussion?’  It’s kind of like the ‘unspoken’ in the Christian 7th grade setting.
-Now the class is working on independent work.  With Lizzie watching, Kyle comes up and asks me if Lizzie can get her vocab words back. I look him dead in the eye and say, ‘Really?’ I  pause…Kyle employs his confused look.
Me: ‘No’
Kyle: ‘I was just copying the words for the quiz that we have..blah, blah, blah.’
Me: ”Kyle, you were cheating.  And, technically so was Lizzie by letting you copy from her…also, and still called cheating.’
Kyle: ‘Oh.  So she can’t get them back?’
Me: ‘Uuuhhh, no and you should be thankful that not giving them back is the only punishment you’ll be getting for cheating.’
Kyle: ‘Ok.  Can she get them later?’
Me: (now almost laughing) ‘Kyle, maybe you’re not understanding.  Cheating is wrong and not acceptable.  And you know this.  Don’t ask me again.  Go sit down.’

about 15 minutes later, Lizzie comes up to me
Lizzie:  ‘When can I get my paper back?’
Me: ‘You won’t be getting your paper back.’
Lizzie: ‘I won’t?’
Me: ‘No.’
Lizzie: ‘But I wasn’t doing anything.’
Me: ‘You were cheating by letting Kyle copy from your paper.’
Lizzie: ‘But I didn’t know he was copying the definitions, I just thought he was copying the words.’
Me: ‘Lizzie, you were sitting 3 inches apart-you could see what he was writing.’
Lizzie: ‘I wasn’t paying attention to what he was writing.’
Me: ‘Well, I find that hard to believe and regardless, it’s your responsibility to watch what people are doing with your property.  I find it almost impossible to believe that you didn’t see him copying your homework word for word.  Nonetheless, giving out your homework is cheating.  You giving, him taking and copying…that’s what we call Cheating.  You know this Lizzie.’
Lizzie: ‘Oh.  So, I can’t get it back later?’

Really!?!?!