The commonsense notion of a “good” student implies that we want all students to be silent, obedient, and capable of learning in only one way. According to the commonsense, “good” students are able to sit at their desks all day and absorb information that is told to them by their instructor. They are not supposed to engage in any “off-task” behaviour and they most certainly should never question what they are learning. The “good” student is able to finish all of their school work without delay and strive to gain individual success in their class and school. This student should also be able to perfectly balance their school work and extracurriculars to ensure that they are “well-rounded”.
There are some very specific students that are privileged by this definition. Those that are able to sit still for extended periods of time, absorb information by listening to an instructors lecture, and believe every word that their instructor tells them about a number of specific topics. These “good” students may also include those that have enough money to not work during their high school years, afford nutritious meals throughout the day, afford basic health care, and have some way to get to their school with little trouble. This idea of a “good” student rarely includes students who learn in one of the many other ways (eg. don’t learn by sitting in a chair for six hours a day). If we are to focus on Canadian schools, It also leaves out many people who do not learn in these ways because of difference pertaining to their culture. The current school system in Canada is set up to largely advantage White, Euro-western students. Not to mention, middle to upper-class families and students have the upper hand in many instances. As Kumashiro’s article points out, schools are set up to let those with the most power learn in comforting ways.
This commonsense idea has made it impossible for us to recognize multiple intelligences, the nutrition and physical health needs of children and young people, and the systems of power and oppression that affect everyone in this country and further. In this commonsense understanding, we hardly recognize that students have a home life outside of our classrooms unless we see the “negative” consequences of it.
Aurora Lay-Street 
Hey Aurora,
This post is really insightful, I like that you mention how commonsense only tailors to certain learners, I can attest to this. I was always a squirmy kid who got in trouble with the teacher. Styles of teaching need to be fluid in a way that allow different learning environments to shift gears for students like this. One of my favorite examples of such was in my ECS100 placement, my co-op teacher would take her one hour period and split it her classroom into five stations, the first was focused on reading alone. The second reading with others. The third had ipads and recordings available to listen to and play with. The third was a table with the teacher who would assess and help with individual questions. The fourth was a games station where kids would play little board games the teacher designed to keep them busy and learning. The final stage was worksheets, where students would focus on the handout given to them. She would have about 5 students in a group and would have them rotate ever fifteen minutes or so, it was great because the kids never stagnated at one station and it kept their mind engaged!
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