In Kumashiro’s text, the story of M showed me what it means to be a “good” student according to commonsense. He explained that M was a student who would not follow instructions, would not listen quietly, and would become restless when having to sit for long periods of time (Kumashiro, 21). In the eyes of Kumashiro, he believed that this student’s behaviour was a “sign that [he] was not being an effective teacher, … and therefore that [the student] was not learning and becoming the student that [he] desired” (Kumashiro, 20) or that society desired. After reading this article, I am able to conclude that a “good” student is an individual who listens attentively, does well on exams and assignments, and behaves in ways that deem appropriate for a school setting. Overall, a good student is an individual who can become someone who will do well in society and is able to conform to higher standards within an educational setting.

By learning about what a “good” student is according to commonsense, it is easy to say that those who are privileged are models of these students. Privileged meaning that individuals who are able to be successful in classrooms where educators practice traditional teaching that place “value on certain kinds of behaviours, knowledge, and skills” (Kumashiro, 22). Students who may learn differently and do not conform to the kinds of students that society tells them to be will more than likely be seen as a “bad” student who doesn’t listen and doesn’t care about their education.

The commonsense ideas of a “good” students makes it difficult for teachers disrupt this normative. Due to the pressure being put on educators to make citizens who will function well in society, they may feel uncomfortable with straying away from traditional education. Therefore, the individuals who may not learn in these ways will always be deemed as the “bad” students. This can create the never-ending cycle where the students who are more privileged will be more successful, and the students who are not as privileged will often be overlooked and less successful.