When looking back to Kumashiro’s reading, to be a “good” student. My understanding is schools often expect students to get their work done in time. I was having them do essays and assignments—teachers giving tests to students to test their knowledge of what they have learned through the lesson. Kumashiros pointed out that one student named M said, “If I thought that what we were reading was interesting, or whether I was teaching it just because I had to.” (Kumashiro, pg. 21). N commented that he ‘Wanted to make sense of a book, but the book had its correct way of interpreting it, and that’s what mattered on exams” (Kumashiro, pg. 22). Reading these two quotes tells us that schools have the same standards as always, like Getting your work done to graduate. “I thought I had understood the “themes” or significance of a novel, only to learn that my understanding failed to incorporate ways that racism played invisibly in the story.” This quote refers to the ways of society—schools like not to change the standards of the school system because it’s the right way. (Kumashiro, pg. 30)

Which students are privileged by the definition of a good student? My understanding is that the students that are determined as “good” are the ones that follow society’s standards. The standards are just following the norms of what everyone else is doing. I believe that bars keep everything together and organized in a community.  Nobody wants to change the way the world is or change the way the standards are. I believe  shoolsneed to focus on what the student needs, instead of the standard norms in the world. Kumashiro explains that people that follow norms are the ones that are given advantages from the education system. If you follow the standards of today’s society, you will dominate other people.

Responding to the question “How do historical factors shape a good student.” When I read “A history of education,” many elements can be shaped as a “good” student. Painter told us that everything taught is in “order of things” when looking at the book. This comment means that if the student is brought up in this world, they need to know society’s standards. Painter talks about how “Growth and development transform childhood into youth, and youth into manhood.”( Painter, pg. 2) This quote means that being a “good” student, you need to follow society’s path. Everyone has a way they take to complete the standards of the world. The one excerpt from the book that I thought was interesting was “To meet the ends of life, and the body must grow,  the mind is developed, and the moral nature trained.”( Painter, pg. 2) This quote means that everyone develops into today’s society.

Kumashiro (2010). Against Common Sense, Chapter 2 (pp. 19 – 33) – “Preparing Teachers for Crisis: What It Means to Be a Student” 

Painter (1886). A History of Education