This week I had my first quiz of the semester with male students. Last semester I was the stooge with students cheating on me left and right. It was a steep learning curve and I learned a lot.
Going into the quiz I made two parts. For each part I made four different versions. I gave the guys assigned seats. They would have 30 minutes to answer one part. After that time I would collect the sheets and give them the other part. A student taking the quiz would be seated next to a person taking the other part of the quiz. Because I made four different versions of the quiz nobody would be sitting next to a person with any of the same questions as he had.
During the quiz one of my students from last term kept talking to the guy next to him. I gave the evil eye. I yelled at them. Finally, I went back and took their papers and said, "You're done." Both guys sat with a deer in the headlights look. I said, "Seriously, get out of here." They left but I noticed they were lingering in the hallway.
After everyone else got done the two guys came back into the room. My student from last semester tried to explain that they were not cheating because none of the questions on his test were the same as the guy next to him. I didn't bother to ask, "How would you know that if you weren't reading his test." Instead, I asked the other student questions... which my former student translated to him. Finally I said to the former student, "Stop talking. I want to hear from him." That wasn't going to happen. This guy understands and speaks no English.
Six months ago I would have dropped to the floor to have realized I had student who didn't understand a word I've been saying for six weeks.
How is he in my class? I'll address that tomorrow.
So was the one guy translating the test for him? Is that why they were talking? Or was he just giving him the answers? I just wondered how you handled it then - did you flunk both of them?
ReplyDeleteHe was probably giving him answers. Translating a question to a guy that has not read the book or understood a word I've said would be pointless.
ReplyDeleteI didn't flunk the first guy. He will likely fail well enough on his own.