"Angry Mom Voice"

I gave my first exam in one of my classes today. (Note to self: do not ever take a Basketweave Stitch project to work on while invigilating again.)

I wound up ripping back one row TWICE because I messed up TWICE.

Of course, the first time I messed up it was because I noticed something - two students looked like they were looking on each other's papers. And at first I thought, meh, that's why I make Forms A and B.

Then I walked past them again. They both had Form A. The little stinkers SHUFFLED the exams after I handed out the four for that row so they wound up with the same form. I didn't think I had clear evidence to confiscate the tests, but that was coming.

I cleared my throat loudly and exclaimed "EYES ON YOUR OWN PAPERS PLEASE!"

They jumped and the person I think was the main "looker" sheepishly shifted his posture. I watched them for the rest of the hour and couldn't see any further evidence. (Though part of me hopes that if they were cheating, that they still will earn failing grades: in my experience, the super-prepared, high-grade-earning students don't LET people cheat off them; it's usually people who are marginal at best that do).

But I have to admit that I was surprised at the voice that came out of my mouth when I said "EYES ON YOUR OWN PAPERS." Much louder and rougher and harsher than my normal voice. Not quite a DI voice (and I did say "please," and the word "numbnuts" was nowhere in my statement) but approaching it.

I think it's my Angry Mom Voice. I think every woman has one of these, some of us usually don't use them. (I think mine came out once before, a couple years back, when one of the youth group kids broke a window in one of the church bathrooms...)