According to the commonsense, to be a “good” student is to be several things. for one, being a “good” student means the be the exact opposite of M, who was a student as discussed in Preparing Teachers for Crisis: A Sample Lesson by Kevin Kumashiro. M was restless and a poor listener (Kumashiro p. ). M often struggled with regular classroom activities and was treated as a “bad” student based on their actions. It is with this in mind that one can conclude that being a “good” student consists of behaviour that is never questioned or corrected. Proper listening skills, sitting and keeping hands to ones’ self, playing with other peers in a positive and gentle manner, and overall requiring no corrections in behaviour or attitude. “Good” students are also always punctual and prepared, providing deep insight into the assigned school work and never running in to class late. It is also important to mention that “good” students do not question class material or assignments by any means. This is perfectly exemplified by student N in this same article, who showed great resentment towards class materials (p. 3). Not only is the material being questioned, but the importance of septic material analysis is also being discussed here. It is as though Kumashiro is illustrating a “good” student as thinking and believing the same forms of analysis and meaning behind certain ideas and themes in books as the school administration. There is no room for alternative beliefs, as those would deter students from the central points and arguments and overall importance of such writings in the classroom, and would further remove students as being “good”.

With this in mind, it is highly evident that students who would be most privileged by this definition of a good student are those who are privileged beyond school. Students who are neurotypical and come from a home that is stable and supportive would certainly fit into this category. By being privileged in this way, students have a significantly easier time participating in education and educational activities that allow them to fall under the title of “good student”. As these students from this specific background face no development, learning, or behavioural issues, it makes it significantly easier for them to do as they are told and come to conclusions in a way that is expected and demanded for students. Even their home life plays a strong role in their sense of being and knowing, and additionally adds to their sense of being a good student.

Of course, with specific regards to the reading A History of Education by F.V. Painter, one must also note the race and culture of which the student is from. In this work, Painter is deeming individuals of Chinese, Indian, or Jewish descent as being “less than” in terns of the overarching themes and stressed subjects in their educational journeys. Painter exclusively focuses on the point of race and culture as influencers in education, as well as how the three together shape an individual to be a simple minded participant in society rather than an actual individual human being. However, Painter’s remarks must be taken with a grain of salt, especially due the time in which his ideas and opinions were crafted. Being that racism was not a well known issue, Painter’s words are rather unjustified in terms of regarding individuals foremother areas of the world. This is evident on p.10, where Painter discusses how “they are hypocritical and dishonest; and, once in authority, they are apt to becoming tyrannical, and even cruel” when exploring the ways in which education differentiates all over the globe. It is highly evident from the sentence listed above that the opinions and beliefs regarding Chinese people as a whole are unquestionably biased and prejudiced. This leads into all of the ways in which the “good” student is shaped by historical factors. For one, students of different races were not classified as “good” students simply due to the colour of their skin and their culture. Being a “good” student at this time revolved around the idea of being a wealthy male in America, pursuing knowledge that deemed to be useless for those in any social class below the wealthiest members of society. Being affluent in topics such as Shakespeare illustrated not just education but wealth as a whole, making the educated individual to appear to be so much more than just educated. a “good” student would be well versed in literature and pursue their education as a means of showing off their wealth. This view of a “good” student has obviously transitioned into a completely different meaning in this day and age, but illustrates how large of an impact history has had on what a “good” student truly is.