[Kteach2]

We had a Red Ribbon decorating door contest. My class did an awesome job on our banner and I really thought we would win for our grade level (I had a lot of compliments on it). Well, we didn't win. The teacher that one basically did the whole thing herself. Her kids only colored one thing for it. My students did the majority of our banner and I really liked the message. I was pretty disappointed, but didn't show that to my students. We congratulated the other class.

[MissESL]

It really upsets me when the teacher does all the work for a contest like that. We had the same problem with Academic Olympics last year--the whole middle school is divided into groups, then assigned a country in the world. For three days, we eat, sleep, and breathe that country, creating banners, the flag, costumes, etc.
Well the Israel teacher did EVERYTHING for her class and of course they won--she was an art and pe woman! WHAT?
Then the kids who worked hard and thought they did really well got upset, because they knew it had happened. But nothing is done about it!
I'm glad you were able to take it with good sportsmanship. I had some trouble myself last year. :-)

[krazykaye]

Our door decorating contests are always judged by students. They have a rubric that they follow pretty closely. They even come up with rules. Both the rubric and rules state that the decorating has to be done by the kids.

The kids have been very good at picking out winners.

[starrysky]

yeah we have a campaign for 800 API.......and we had a poster contest...my students made the poster and it was so great....another class one, and the teacher printed out things and made it for them.

[minteacher]

Kteach2 you must be at my school. The teacher who won 2nd place for my grade level didn't have anything but a sheet of butcher paper on his door. When the judge came around, the kids were working on it, so she looked at it and decided. They NEVER put the decorations on the door, but they won 2nd place. And the teacher who won 1st place teaches 4th and 5th SPED. He normally gets judged with the 4th grade because his class is on that end of the wing. Not this year.

I won a door contest one time. My kids did all the work. The next year, I had my kids again do the work but the winner was a door done completely by parents. So that year's class was disappointed, but that is the act of school. Teachers are always cheating and competing with one another. Whether it be hiding some teaching method, getting out of bus duty, or having their kid on the tennis team.

It is really pitiful. That we preach against cheating on tests, but try to find all these little in's and out's to our favor.