I always joke that my mother gives the best guilt trips, and my students tell me I must take after her. Well, one of my juniors was caught cheating last week on an assignment for another class. Even though it wasn't my class, I know this kid will ask me for a college recommendation, and I just had to talk to him about this. Well, according to the guidance counselor, this kid had apparently shown no remorse, so the guilt must have been in full effect because the conversation went on for an hour, and he was very much in tears for the second half of it. I get a pit in my stomach when they get that upset, but I will say one thing for guilt -- it definitely breaks down walls. (Even though I'm the world's biggest wimp, and the minute they start crying, I turn on soothing mode instead of guilt mode... some lesson I'm teaching Chat Icon )