More than 80 percent of teens admit lying to their parents about something, and more than 60 percent admit to having cheated on tests, according to an article in today's Washington Post. That brings back memories of the time I was asked to speak at the Lamar Middle School Academic Assembly in the late 1980s.
I praised the seventh and eighth graders who were being awarded for making top grades for the entire school year, and noted that they did things the right way- they didn't cheat to receive their honors.
Then I told the story of someone who did. When I was a freshman at East Newton High School, I was not doing well at physical science to put it mildly and a major test was coming up.
Though I tried to study, I could not understand the material, so finally I decided to try something different, something I had never tried up to that point. The physical science class was seventh hour and I had a study hall in the cafeteria sixth hour. After spending a few minutes making a futile effort to understand my notes and the material from the textbook, I devised a plan. I began writing a few notes on the bottom of my shoe.
It occurred to me that when I walked to my next class, the notes might be erased, so I tested it by asking the teacher if I could get a drink. I walked in a normal fashion down the hallway and when I looked the notes were still there. Phase one was successful. Since I only had a couple of lines written, I figured I should see if the notes could be removed by rubbing vigorously against the floor just in case the teacher were to catch on. I tried it and the notes were gone.
When I returned to the cafeteria where the study hall was held, I furiously scribbled notes on the bottom of both shoes. Since the teacher had indicated we would have to be able to draw a diagram of a steam engine, I turned to the page in the book with such a diagram, pulled up my pants leg and drew it on my leg. I was ready for the test.
The bell rang and I bopped down to the science classroom, confident I was going to ace the test. Of course, that was not the way things worked out. Not one thing that I had on the bottom of my shoes was on the test and instead of drawing a diagram of a steam engine, Mr. William Keith, the teacher, had us draw a picture of a turbine engine.
I flunked miserably.
After I related that story to the Lamar Middle School students, I noted that it proved once and for all that cheaters do not prosper. I felt pretty good about that speech, especially when an eighth grader approached me while I was covering a track meet at the high school later that week.
"Mr. Turner," he said, "Your speech meant a lot to me."
Beaming, I replied, "Thank you, that's always nice to hear."
"We had a test today and I put the answers on the bottom of my shoes and I didn't miss a one."
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