Kumashiro defines common sense as the way something is supposed to be or what one would expect. However, that outlook is deeply flawed in the sense that everyone has different ideas of what is “normal” and it may not be the same as your own common sense.

Common sense is extremely important to pay attention to because it helps us recognize the ways in which we are shaped by our environments and our beliefs. When the teacher in the article was sent to Nepal, they were astounded by the differences in the small village and the classroom in which they taught at. However, what was problematic for this teacher was the fact that they were sent there to show the children in Nepal “American” ways of life and our ideas of what common sense is. The education system has taught us that learning is supposed to look a certain way and reflect that of a North American view on curriculum and pedagogy. This is extremely problematic because the way we believe our education system should look may not reflect that of another country. We are often taught to see mathematics, sciences, and English classes as the most important subjects in our education. However, this outlook favours and privileges certain ways of thinking. What we believe schooling should look like benefits some groups while marginalizing others and favours certain ideas, beliefs and practices. In conclusion, the idea of common sense is important to acknowledge because moving forward, we need to accept the idea that there is more than one way to teach and learn.

There are many practices that I believe as “normal” for the education system. After reading this article, I was shocked when I read that school started in February. I have always believed that school should start in September and end in June. Another belief is that teachers should be the ones doing all the instructing and the students should sit, listen, and take notes. One more practice I see as normal is that the most important way to test your student’s ability is to write exams.