OK, "Bad Blogger Warren" has let his week get the best of him, and has neglected, once again, his duties in journaling. I don't know why, but I have been just "blown out" this week. Maybe it is all this stress being put on us by CATS? If I am in this bad of a shape, what condition are my kids in?

Cheating, have I caught some? Yes. Have I done the same thing in each instance? No. I guess I was running a principals-based classroom before I ever read L&L. In each instance I have handled the incident in the way that I thought would:

- Leave the student in NO DOUBT that what they had done was unacceptable under any and all circumstances.

- Leave the student as intact as possible.

- Get the most "bang" for the least expenditure possible. No need to go nuclear if the situation does not warrant it.

My school has a no tolerance policy for cheating. The consequences are dependent on the circumstances/degree/situation, etc. I caught two young ladies talking to each other during a CATS-like assessment in my classroom last year. Since it was a "CATS-like" assessment I treated it as my administrator would if it had been CATS, with severity. They both got a "0" for the test. No questions, no appeal, etc. This is how I feel it should be as well. What part of "no talking" do they not understand?

I have talked with several teachers on my team and throughout the school on this subject in the past. Most, if not all, agree that it shouldn't be tolerated. However, like most issues when it comes to classroom management, the key is consistency. I believe there should be immediate and severe consequences for cheaters. I managed to get through K-12 without ever doing it, they should too. It becomes, eventually, a test of character.