My Friend's Mother Helps Her Cheat

DR. WALLACE: We have homework four days a week in world history. I do all my homework by myself, but my best friend's mother helps her with hers. I average a B on my homework, but my friend averages an A. I don't believe this is fair. Both of us are competitive and we want the best grade possible.

My best friend is actually cheating and because of her dishonesty, she probably will get a better grade than I will. This really irks me. My mother is mad, too. She wants me to tell the teacher about my friend and her mother, but I said no because I'm not a fink.

I know there is nothing you can do to solve this problem, but if you print my letter, maybe my friend and her mother might stop cheating because I know they read your column. - Nameless, Hammond, Ind.

NAMELESS: If your friend's mother is actually doing her daughter's homework for her, that's not just cheating, it's terrible parenting, because she's depriving her daughter of the opportunity to learn and in effect, condemning her to ignorance.

But if Mom is simply working with her daughter, helping her to understand the subject, that's what homework is all about, and she should be praised. My guess is that this is what's happening.

Forget about grade competition and focus on doing your best. Get feedback from your teacher about why you're falling short of an A, and then think about asking Mom or Dad for help. They'd probably love working with you.

MY TEACHER IS DISHONEST

DR. WALLACE: I have two teachers who don't like me, so they make up lies about me and then call my parents, and that gets me in trouble. My other teachers are not friendly and blame me for things that I didn't do, but at least they don't blab to my parents. Teachers are supposed to be good role models. Being dishonest makes them bad role models. I'm supposed to go to school to learn, not to be deceived. I attend a private church high school. - Nameless, New York, N.Y.

NAMELESS: If you want to know who is causing all of your problems at school, look in the mirror. For some reason you feel that teachers are out to get you. That's just not true! Talk with your counselor and set up a conference with at least two of your teachers, a parent and you to find out why you have negative feelings about teachers in general.

It is important for you to get a good education and your teachers are there to help you do the very best that you can. Give them that opportunity!

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@galesburg.net. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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