1.) Cheating is lying. It is showing a teacher that this is what your ability looks like, when you haven't even tried to do the work.
2.) Cheating is stealing. It is taking someone's work and calling it your own.
3.) Cheating is unfair to others. Students who work hard for their grades shouldn't have to compete with those who aren't doing their own work. Also, people will someday believe in your abilities. If your abilities are not real because you cheated, you will let those people down.
4.) Cheating is self-degrading. When you cheat, you are telling yourself that you do not believe in your own abilities.
5.) Cheating is unfair to you. Accomplishment feels good and helps build self-esteem and self-confidence. These are two very important things to a happy successful adult.
6.) Cheating makes the next learning step harder. Using a simple example: if you don't learn your elements in Chemistry class you will not be able to make complex chemical equations. Therefore, to pass you will have to cheat again or start from scratch. It's easier to just learn the basics the first time.
7.) Cheating kills trust. Get caught cheating just once and those in authority will always have a hard time trusting you - even if you never cheat again.
8.) Cheating causes stress. Always hiding and worried about getting caught, these are stressful situations that you have to deal with if you cheat.
9.) Cheating is an insult to those who are teaching you. Knowledge is power and when someone shares knowledge with you it is a gift. Cheating is a slap in the face to those who give this gift to our teenagers.
10.) Cheating doesn't end in high school. It becomes a habit that follows people throughout college and into their careers. Instead of something your teen has done, it becomes a part of who they are as a person.