Week Four – A ‘Good’ Student

January 27/28, 2020

What does it mean to be a “good” student according to the commonsense?

A good student is those who are engaged with the class material, quiet and paying attention during class discussions. A good student is also one that won’t talk out of turn, gets all their work done, follows directions. According to commonsense, being a good student means shaping yourself to fit into the expectations that have been created by the school and society.

Which students are privileged by this definition of the good student?

The students that are the most privileged are the ones who can sit in class and pay attention and not be a distraction to those around them. They also take advantage of the learning opportunities, by asking questions, staying on task and completing their work on time. I also think that the students who are privileged are the ones that are blessed with good memories and that are maybe even well-rested. The students who are not as privileged would be the ones who have trouble paying attention in class and are the ones who talk to their peers during class time.

What is made impossible to see/understand/believe because of these commonsense ideas?

I personally believe that what is made impossible to see from the ideas of being a ‘good student’ is that it is taking the true potential away from the student. With students having the idea of what a good student looks like, they might feel that they can’t express who they truly are because they might not meet the standard ‘good student’ ideas. The definition of a ‘good student’ is different for everyone and it can be very subjective. What a good might look like to me, might look something different to someone else.