Blog #2- The “Good” and “Bad” Student
What does it mean to be a “good” student according to the commonsense?
Kumashiro explains that we often associate the “good” children with those who conform to the specific guidelines created by society on how we should behave, the knowledge we have, and the skills we can achieve. Kumashiro goes on to explain a situation that they were involved in with a student; M. M was seen as a “bad” student because they found it hard to conform to the classroom format. M didn’t like to sit still for long periods of time, usually talked out of turn, disrupted the class, and didn’t like to share. Common sense is telling us that these behaviors mean that the student is “bad” and the behaviors to be a “good” student are typically opposite behaviors.
Which students are privileged by this definition of the good student?
The students who were privileged by the definition of the “good” student were typically those who did not fall under the oppressed categories. Kumashiro explains that the well-educated students who grew up and had previous knowledge about certain topics they were learning about were also deemed the “good” students. The wealth they may be backed with is helping them with basic needs in order to do well in school. A teacher’s job is not to create people that will “fit in” society, it is a teacher’s job to help youth critically explore and learn the world around them.
How is the “good” student shaped by historical factors?
The “good” student is shaped by historical factors because education has been seen as a way to prepare youth for civilization and to be an active part of society. Colonialism is a word that describes the historical factors that shape a “good” student. Students were expected to dress a certain way, act a certain way, speak a certain way, and overall be someone who is acceptable in the eyes of the administration. All of these factors that were historically taught are now seen as being a “good” student.
Hi Ashley! Your blog post is great. It is evident you read the assigned readings and learned lots of information from it. I really liked the way you said, “A teacher’s job is not to create people that will ‘fit in’ society, it is a teacher’s job to help youth critically explore and learn the world around them.” I think this comment really takes what we have been learning in class and applying it to the readings. How do you think teachers’ can help the students in their classroom that do not fall under the umbrella of a “good student”? How did Kumashiro help M in the classroom setting?