The other shoe drops

Well, that didn't take long. Did I forget to knock on wood when I was going on about how I love my students?

*sigh*

Yesterday I caught one of them red-handed, cheating on a paper. An entirely cribbed (verbatim!) paper was turned in for credit. At first I felt foolish, like I had been taken. But over a manhattan or two, I did realized that I was not duped. I caught the fraud and was not the fool here. However, I do resent being played for a fool. And by a very ingratiating student, too.

Rrrrrgh.

Although it is a heartbreaker to realize first hand that this stuff does happen, and that trying to be a great teacher won't always prevent this nonsense, I can't say that I'm any less enthusiastic about my position. The same day, another student told me I am "the bestest" for a silly little favor I did. Not that I really am the bestest, but that at least one student appreciates a kind gesture makes up for the bullshit that scamming assholes will pull.

There will always be both types of students. And as long as that is the case, I'll still love what I do.