When a teacher catches one of their students cheating, it is extremely unnerving and upsetting. There is often a sense of betrayal. The act is disrespectful, and damages the bond of trust between teacher and student.

It's worse yet when many students are caught cheating. If there's a cheating scandal in your class, involving a conspiracy of many or even most of the students, a teacher can feel very upset and saddened.

If you are a teacher and you find yourself in this unfortunate situation, here are tips how to proceed:

Check them all. When you catch one cheater, you should immediately start looking for more. It is rare that there is only one cheater on an exam or assignment.

Look for telltale signs. Check for students who got high grades on the exam but don't do work in class or turn in homeworks. Check any calculations on exams that require students to show work, to see if the figures make sense and actually add up to the answer given.

Stay calm. Of course you are upset when you find that some of the students you have worked with have cheated on an exam or assignment. You can feel betrayed and disappointed and sad. You won't be displaying the extremes of emotion to your students, but try not to sublimate these feelings into a simmering bitterness.

Don't holler or become enraged when you catch a cheater. It is far better to stay calm.

Yes, cheating is bad. Yes, you are disappointed, and shocked. The students involved will be punished. Be sure to establish a tone in your class that says there will be no tolerance for cheating, to discourage other students from following suit.

This procedure, if followed, will help you maintain a professional demeanor in a difficult situation.

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