Week 4: The “Good” Student

What does it mean to be a “good” student according to common sense? Which students are privileged by this definition of the good student? How is the “good” student shaped by historical factors?

A good student in common sense knowledge, would be a student who listens, is not disruptive, does their work, learns and reaches goals all while having little to no problematic behaviours. This idea of the “good” student(s), is targeted to a specific group of children. Children who have an easier time learning, no learning disabilities, they speak, read and write the language in which you are teaching, they are able to hold in their emotions and have less problematic behaviour. Overall the students who are privileged by the definition of “good” students are those who do not have any extenuating circumstances – which is usually a very small number. By having this idea of “good” and “bad” students, we are setting our students up to fail. If the “good” student has a bad day or is having a crisis, that student will probably be called out for their behaviour and reminded that they are a “good” students and need to do better tomorrow. While these students who are painted as “bad”, are not giving the tools and supports they need to accomplish goals throughout the day. Kumashiro discusses that “oppression can result from who we allow students to be”, in Preparing Teachers for Crisis. This can also reiterate that if we are constantly telling our students they are “bad”, they will begin to believe it and achieve what we expect them to.

Kumashiro says in chapter two, Preparing Teachers for Crisis, that crisis is “emotional discomfort and disorientation that calls on students to make change” (p.30). While all students will feel this crisis during lessons or class time, not all will show this discomfort. By having the “good” students, who are able to hide this discomfort from teachers, can actually inhibit them from learning to their highest potential. It is okay for students to go through crisis, and they need to be able to learn how to function in class and learn from those emotions.

In Painter’s, A History of Education, historical factors have shaped the history of education as well as the idea of what makes a good student. The history of education can broken down into three parts: 1) the oriental countries, 2) ancient classical nations and 3) christian education. These historical educations were only created and shaped for wealthy or “civilized” people, education was not made for “uncivilized” people. I think this has impacted the current idea of “good” students, assuming that students who come from stable families will do better in the classroom.