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

In a modern setting, it is difficult to define what exactly a good student is. Looking at a past context, we view a “good” student as someone quiet, a student who asks the right questions, achieves high marks and does not question the curriculum. This is in the example of the common-sense model. 

Kumashiro presents an example of students who do not fit into the category that is a “good” student in the traditional sense. He introduces a student who did not flourish in the traditional or structural classroom. What Kumashiro noticed that once the student was placed in a subject that allowed for more creativity the young student was not given specific guidelines to follow. This is not to say this student is quote on quote bad instead he had a different learning style from the other students. 

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

It is clear that students who are privileged in the “good” student definition, these are the students that excel academically and meet behavioural standards. Students who achieve higher grades are usually viewed as good students, who are clearly paying attention in class, excelling and have the ability to produce strong test results. There is a tendency to group these students in a category, the students who are the main focus and who will most likely succeed in the real world. Attend university and become successful adults. Unfortunately, the students who do not fit the good student criteria tend to be forgotten. These could be students who do not excel in a traditional classroom setting or those who may different classroom expectations. 

What is made impossible to see/understand/believe because of these common-sense ideas?

 When we place the common-sense ideal on students it tends to mask their true potential. This is where incorporating alternative teaching into the classroom becomes important. Different approaches to curriculum can benefit students who are not seen to fit into the category of a good student. This goes back to every child is unique and with this in mind we need to build this into our lesson plan to benefit each of our students. Common-sense needs to be placed aside for a moment to fully understand the uniqueness of each students’ educational needs.