<p>I bet you every teacher locks their car at the school parking lot.</p>
<p>While I agree that a teacher should exercise due diligence, especially with exposing other students' grades, I can see that in some cases it might not occur to the teacher that a sole student they've known for years and regarded highly would cheat if the teacher happened to step out of the room for a minute - </p>
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I got caught by a teacher who've I've known since freshmen year and thinks highly regarded of me and trusts me a lot
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I daresay they could lose their job if they left the money unattended and it disappeared.
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I have a relative who was a branch manager at a bank (and over 25 years with that bank) where a teller left a large deposited check in an unsecured drawer overnight and lost her job over it on the spot. The check never moved, mind you. </p>
<p>I dare say that there is a larger importance placed on money at a bank than grades at a school, although you would think that grades are the 'currency' of a school - the thing that makes an institution respected. </p>
<p>However, there are different rules and personnel policies governing schools and banks (see on going discussion about NYC teachers in rubber rooms). </p>
<p>I know that I had the opportunity to pocket a fairly large sum (the days sales of a consession stand at an arena) of money that was accidentally left in a location that had public access. Upon discovering the money, I took it upon myself to find the nearest security desk at the arena and I made sure that there were other arena managment employees present when I turned over the money to assure that I would not be accused of pocketing the money (if the people I turned it over to conveniently forgot to pass it on). I wasn't thinking of how I might spend the money (not that it would make a meaningful difference in my life - much like the grade change the student did) but thinking of the poor person who might be fired and accused of theft when the money turned up missing.</p>
<p>In the end, though, it is ultimately the responsibility of a student to act within the rules of the school, regardless of the failure of others. If it had been another student accidentally leaving his corrected test on the floor, would the student left alone to copy the answers be any less culpable? I understand that many young people (presumably the OP included) haven't developed the maturity to handle such situations. Given the facts that came out since (the OP's clean record and the punishment administered), I think the outcome was a benefit to the OP that s/he may learn from going forward.</p>
<p>Hopefully, one day, s/he will have the opportunity to apply this lesson to do the right thing and repay the mercy s/he has been granted.</p>
<p>I agree UCSDUCLAdad. I would have left my purse with cash/credit cards in the room with such a kid. Would have let the kid take an exam (not national or standardized with directions). But leaving him with other people's private information is where the difference is crucial in this case. I doubt very much if anyone is blaming the teacher officially, but I do think that she/he knows that this was not practicing due diligence. There are things that are part of the job responsibility and not of personal trust, and the grades of other kids fall in that category. Her purse/wallet is a personal thing. Big difference that Oldforte went into.</p>
<p>I appreciate the point about other kids' grades being at risk. This OP quickly adjusted his own mark upwards, and now regrets it deeply. Fortunately, he did not tamper with other kids' grades in a downward direction although the teacher left him in a position to do so.</p>
<p>Back in the day before computer notes, my academically talented cousin had his handwritten notebook from a year of course lectures stolen during a quick bathroom break at library, during a group study session. He came to understand this was done by other pre-med students who were all studying in public right before a crucial exam. His extremely high grades were "messing up their curve." He took his exam with that handicap, and went on to medical school, as did some of the classmates.</p>
<p>Today he teaches medical students at the graduate level in a university. I assume he's extremely careful with his own computerized notes on all of his students today.</p>
<p>I have a question for everyone. I was caught plagiarizing a paper. I'm a freshman and it is my first offense and I take full responsibility for it. My instructor gave me an F for the paper and told me I have to meet with the Dean. What does the Dean say or do? What should I say or do in response?
Also, in my Student Handbook it says that a first time offense is recorded and put in the student's files and then the material is destroyed/thrown away. Does this mean it does not get forwarded to law/grad schools? Or should I still mention it in my application in the future?</p>