Good Student -A history of education, by F. V. N. Painter and Preparing Teachers for Crisis, by Kumashiro

01/10/2020

In Kumashiro’s article, it begins by telling the story of M. M is a student in the classroom that is seen as a bad student because they are unable to follow classroom instructions very well. In the beginning Kumashiro is upset and thinks that they are an unfit teacher. Throughout the story Kumashiro then notices that M can in fact do many different skills required of them but they have to do it in their own way. Kumashiro states in the article that these students are considered good students by societies standards, therefore if they do not fit these standards that are automatically labelled a poor student. M knew that they were not conforming to societies standards and continually asked Kumashiro if they were “bad”today.

Societies standards do not work for all children because each child is extremely different from the rest and labelling a child as a ” bad ” student simply because they do not think how you want them too is extremely damaging. Students that are privileged by being a ” good ” student are students that fit societies standards and are able to learn/think the same way society expects them too. They are also privileged because they never have to go through the experience of having the negative ” bad ” student label. In Kumashiro’s article many other educators would go up to them and be apologetic for them having to teach M, therefore if M was ever in there classes, these teachers already have a negative preconceived idea of M. These preconceived ideas could potential follow M for the rest of their schooling, even if they being to conform more to society, simply because the teachers have already labeled M as a “bad” student.