What does it mean to be a “good” student according to the commonsense?
I had a hard time thinking about what a “good” student is according to commonsense in Kumashiro’s text. He started off this chapter with a story of a girl, M. M didn’t listen or act in the same ways as the other students so they were deemed as troublesome and unable or unwilling. Another story told was of a boy, N. He was also a student deemed as unable or unwilling because he wasn’t as interested in the mainstream learning styles or approaches and he would much rather question these approaches than follow them. These anecdotes in Kumashiro’s text lead me to believe that a “good” student is one who listens intently, follows directions laid out before them, works hard at achieving good grades and test scores, and by learning norms and idealized behaviours they are shaped to be a desired student by society.
Which students are privileged by this definition of the good student?
Based on the definition of a good student under the commonsensical ideal there is only a small select bunch of students I feel benefit the most. These students seem to be the ones who are already privileged by society. The reason I feel this way is because the traditional approach to school and teaching/learning is laid out to benefit those who are already in a position of privilege so these students get labelled as good students. On the reverse of this, those who do not succeed at the traditional approach to school or teaching/learning is already at a disadvantage. These students may struggle more and not succeed as well as the others making it seem as if they are bad students and thus being labelled as such.
What is made impossible to see/understand/believe because of these commonsense ideas?
I think the commonsense idea makes it hard for educators to adapt their teaching strategies to accommodate “good” and “bad” students with trying to reach their requirements set out before them. I also think this idea of commonsense makes it hard to change the routines in which you use everyday when it comes to teaching. It can be difficult to understand the oppression associated to this commonsense idea and I think if you have a hard time understanding it, it could be because you’re more privileged under the commonsense idea than others.
My Experience as a “good”/”bad” student
Looking back into my experiences in the K-12 school system I consider myself as a “good” student. I always got my work done on time, I completed my homework by the due dates, I put in effort, I listening in class, I asked questions and contributed in group discussions, I attended class regularly and overall, I was at an advantage. Besides growing up on the poorer side of the working class scale, I was a pretty privileged person in the eyes of the education system. I was at a greater advantage than most children and I feel like this helped me become a “good” student. I hardly ever argued with my teachers and I always did what they asked, this is one of the main reasons why I feel as if I fit the “good” student narrative. I seemed, and still do, fit the idealized concept of a good student in the eyes of society.
Kumashiro (2010). Against Common Sense, Chapter 2 (pp. 19 – 33) – “Preparing Teachers for Crisis: What It Means to Be a Student”
How do you feel about the use of language of labelling ‘bad’ and ‘good’ student?
Hey! I don’t particularly like it because it creates a label to use to define a child and their abilities. I would much rather avoid using them but it has become so common place to use these words. No student is ‘good’ or ‘bad’ in my opinion.