What is the ‘Good and Ideal’ Student in the Eyes of Curriculum?

What is the ‘Good and Ideal’ Student in the Eyes of Curriculum? 

     Ideal and Good; two words I wished weren’t used in the curriculum, school systems and even the classroom.  Ideal when referring to kids tends to mean the perfect and well rounded students that teachers require all their class to be.  Good is another one of those words we as teachers should not use in the classroom.  Good means that all students are seen as great and can never do anything wrong.  

     The ‘ideal’ student we often describe in the school based curriculum and within our common sense tends to be an individual who struggles in no areas.  They are a student who is well rounded in all subject areas.  Is a strong reader, writer, speller and everything in between.  Can you picture the student, now that I listed many adjectives?  The better question would be to completely erase that picture from your mind instead of replacing it with the notion that the ‘ideal student’ does not exist and never will.  

     Now when it comes to the ‘good’ student we recognize them as a student who can do no wrong.  Often it is the student who is known as the ‘teacher’s pet’ and is friends with everyone in the classroom.  Once again I assume you are picturing this student in your mind?  Now I ask you to completely erase this picture of the ideal good student?  

     Common Sense is a term everyone and anyone can define.  As it considered the obvious knowledge all people perform.  Early on in the semester I took the time to read articles by Kevin Kumashiro who believes and states big ideas on a value titled ‘common sense in education.’  One of those big ideas being common sense is a ‘social stock of knowledge’ In other words common sense is related to all people’s personal knowledge in different subject areas of life, including education.  Common Sense plays a huge role in education, whether we want it too or not.  As teachers it is our job to understand that common sense is not always the best route to take when being a teacher.  In common sense, being ‘good’ means to be a perfectly put together student, who succeeds in all areas of life.  Whether that be math or science subjects, social skills and behavior too.  Common Sense and being a good student goes hand in hand, sadly?  

     As a teacher, I wish this was a harder question to answer, but it is not.  White students are privileged with the title of a ‘good student.’  Wealthy class economic status students are privileged with the title of a ‘good student.’  White men are privileged with the title of the ‘good student.’  These three statements just mentioned are direct examples of ‘good students’ in the privilege definition.  Good students are those who can do no wrong.  Traditionally these three individuals mentioned above can be seen as the classic good student bracket.  

     White, Men and Wealthy three key points to any of the world’s history.  White people have always been considered the superior race that can do no wrong.  Men have always been the gender that needs to be in charge of anything political or social.  Wealthy people are another factor of people who stay superior in history and today.  If students embody being a white wealthy man they will consistently be considered a ‘good student’ in the curriculum and commonsense?