Found 9th grader has been copying math homework

[Anonymous]

My DD who is a freshman in high school left her math folder on the table and I noticed she has a handful of papers with a friends name on them. I wasn't sure if she was copying notes or what but when I looked at them I noticed that she was copying Math assignments from a friend who has the same math class (different periods) as her. She has never mentioned having trouble in math, always performed well on tests in the past and has never gotten anything below a B.

I asked her why she had another girls school work and she told me all of the 5th period Geometry kids copy off their friends in 3rd period Geometry. She said that their teache doesn't check math homework for right/wrong, she just checks to see if it's done and she told me that doing it "is a waste of time." I don't even know where to begin. I'm so upset that she thinks it's not important to actually do the work, also that she thinks it's ok for a friend to do all the work and she benefit from it. I told her this stops now and she told me I was overreacting and didn't understand how high school worked.

Is this happening with your kids? I think a punishment is in order but not even sure what an appropriate consequence would be.

[Anonymous]

I copied homework all the time at that age. They assigned so much more than was necessary, and I was too busy to put all the work in.

- PhD economist.

[Anonymous]

punishment: more oversight, does the hw the night assigned at the kitchen table. you watch it get done. hs teachers don't check math homework for anything but whether it is done. tests will weed out those who don't know it.

[Anonymous]

OP! You need real problems.

[Anonymous]

Um, that is cheating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:punishment: more oversight, does the hw the night assigned at the kitchen table. you watch it get done. hs teachers don't check math homework for anything but whether it is done. tests will weed out those who don't know it.

And yet, OP's DD passes all the tests.

[Anonymous]

I think this is a situation of "Don't ask, don't tell." As long as my kid is getting good grades on the tests and understands the work, just don't get caught and don't flaunt it in front of me.

[Anonymous]

I copied as a kid as well. There was way too much homework and sometimes I just didn't have enough time to do it all.
Not a big deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think this is a situation of "Don't ask, don't tell." As long as my kid is getting good grades on the tests and understands the work, just don't get caught and don't flaunt it in front of me.

+1. I did this as a student too, so I can't really object. I think it's a function of how much busy work is assigned and as long as material is understood and grades are good I wouldn't encourage the behavior but don't consider it something for me to get involved in. That's between the kid, the other student, and the school.

[Anonymous]

I can't believe there are parents who think this is OK! It's cheating! I don't care what your justification is--you don't teach your child that it's okay to copy someone else's work. You have failed as parents. FAILED.

[Anonymous]

She will learn a real-world lesson when she flunks a test. She needs to be self motivated to do the work and appreciate that the work has a purpose. I don't think there is much you can do except express disappointment. And don't let her tell you a low test grade is a fluke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't believe there are parents who think this is OK! It's cheating! I don't care what your justification is--you don't teach your child that it's okay to copy someone else's work. You have failed as parents. FAILED.

You can't be serious.

[Anonymous]

WOW. I cannot believe all these people think it's okay. If there's too much homework, the student needs to have the conversation with the teacher that they are unable to get it all done, and could they work out a system (I teach algebra and have kids set a time limit. If it takes them longer than 30 minutes, have a parent sign the paper and turn it in to me. They do not lose points, and I know that the kiddo needs more help).

Or I had a kid one year who could ace everything with his eyes closed. Regular homework was too easy for him. I'd give him the assignment everyone got, but tell him he only had to do the last 3 (the challenge problems) or whatever. Or sometimes I'll tell kids that if they get 100 on the test I'll forgive missing homeworks. Less than that, you needed more practice.

There are options besides cheating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:punishment: more oversight, does the hw the night assigned at the kitchen table. you watch it get done. hs teachers don't check math homework for anything but whether it is done. tests will weed out those who don't know it.

And yet, OP's DD passes all the tests.

with B's apparently. most likely she's in Algebra right now, and a good foundation is important.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I copied homework all the time at that age. They assigned so much more than was necessary, and I was too busy to put all the work in.

- PhD economist.

so did I and I only started getting As on my math tests when I started doing the homework for myself.

- same degree as you.