Blog 4: “Good” Students

According to common sense a “good” student is one who sits and listens quietly during class, not one who cannot sit still or is considered a ‘handful.’ The students who are capable of sitting still and quietly listening are the ones who are privileged in this definition of a “good” student. Student’s who do not conform to typical classroom settings struggle and viewed as restless and disruptive. According to Kumashiro, this causes issues because, as he explained in his article, students start to feel at fault and try to ‘fix’ themselves. They blame themselves for not conforming when, in reality, it is not their fault that they do not meet society’s expectations of a “good” student. Kumashiro continues on to stay that the “very ways we think about learning can be oppressive” (22). Students who are not considered a “good” student according to common sense are blamed and identified as a ‘handful’ which can have negative effects on these students. The “good” students are shaped by historical factors because, according to Painter’s article, education is just memorizing information in rooms that are uncomfortable (12). The goal is not to meet each student’s needs, it is to force traditional ideas and customs on students (Painter 11). Those who do not fit the mold of a “good” student are blamed for being different rather than having the education system change itself so a “good” student can be considered more than one who can sit quietly for long periods of time.