I’m having an argument with a student who rarely speaks.

Last week I expressed my displeasure at his having copied large sections of Wikipedia and presenting them as his daily personal journals. This has him pouting. He complained last week during the required “research what happens if you plagiarize” assignment, and he complained this week too.

This week involved him declaring he liked the other teachers at the school better (I would, too) and saying how he didn’t understand how I could possibly think that what he did was plagiarism. My profound response, written in the margins of his journal: “Because it was plagiarism.”

I also gave him some encouragement as my angry response has him questioning his plans to study in the USA. I told him to stick with it but that I can’t help him if he insists on presenting work that isn’t actually his work. The purpose of the journal isn’t to fill the pages, but to practice writing.

Sometimes, I try to be the good cop. Or at least I will, once I figure out what the good cop does other than offer a cigarette and a glass of water.