I Just Wan Na Be Average By Mike Rose

Mike Rose experienced a few teachers who used corporal punishment to control their classrooms. Brother Dill for example he describes as a “troubled and unstable man who also taught freshman English. When his class drifted away form him, which was often, his voice would rise in paranoid accusations, and occasionally he would lose control and shake or smack us.” (Rose 25) Rose also described his physical education who would use violence to “make men out of us.” (Rose 25)

In the story “I Just Wanna Be Average” the author Mike Rose argues that society very often neglects and doesn’t see the full value and potential of students.

Mike Rose has a long list of acclimations and credentials. He is a publisher, a professor, and “has won awards from the National Academy of Education, the National Council of Teachers of English, and the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.” The fact that he is a successful writer and teacher, and clearly has experience in the education system greatly increases his credibility. From the small background section on Rose in the beginning, the reader knows that the author is qualified to state his claim on this subject, because he is a well educated and well respected man. This is made even more clear through his writing. The premise of Rose’s essay is delivered as a narrative. This is his most fundamental approach in developing his claim. In his essay, he is essentially addressing two audiences; directly addressing those who have experienced the vocational track, and informing those who have not. He is able to relate to both audiences because he was placed into and “remained in the vocational track for two years,” and then was later recommended to “begin his junior year in the College Prep program.” His first hand experience in each educational program

Education means something different for everyone. According to Mike Rose, “a good education helps us make sense of the world and find our way in it” (33). The truth to this is that education affects us in every aspect of our lives. Rose emphasizes the value in the experience of education beyond the value of education for the purpose of custom or intelligence; he explores the purpose of going to school in terms of how he defines himself and his personal growth in the stages of his academic career. In Rose’s exploration of the purpose of school, he also reflects on his personal experiences and how those experiences gave him tools that are applicable to his daily life. Mike Rose’s Why School?: Reclaiming Education for All of Us persuades his audience of the importance of education beyond the classroom, emphasizing how those experiences become crucial to one’s personal growth and potential.

Many are quick to disregard education’s role outside of the classroom. According to Mike Rose, “a good education helps us make sense of the world and find our way in it” (Rose 33). Rose emphasizes the value in the experience of education beyond the value of education for the purpose of custom or intelligence; he explores the purpose of going to school in terms of how he defines himself and his personal growth in the stages of his academic career. By reflecting on his personal experiences and how those gave him the tools applicable to his daily life, he emphasizes why education should never be overlooked. Rose’s use of referencing relatable experiences in a logical manner makes his argument persuasive to the readers and he succeeds in making the readers reconsider why education matters to them. Mike Rose’s Why School?: Reclaiming Education for All of Us effectively persuades his audience of the importance of education beyond the classroom, which proves true in our everyday lives because the essential aspect of education is what we do with it and how it helps develop one’s personal growth.

At Hazelwood High School, they do things differently than at my school. At Hazelwood, most of the people worry about themselves and nobody else. Most of the school doesn’t get good grades and the school does not do anything about it. One day in English class Andy walked out when they were reading Macbeth because it was too emotional for Andy to handle. His friends were concerned and told the school counselor. They said, “But… but… it seems like… like… he needs help or somethin’.” Then the counselor said, “Well, I probably shouldn’t tell you boys this, but he is getting some outside counseling… So you boys can relax and be assured that he is getting whatever help he needs”(100). At Harrisburg High School, if someone had an issue like that, the counselors and teachers would be concerned, even if the person was getting outside help. Another thing about education that is different than mine is the school. In Ronda’s English homework, she wrote, “Our school building must have been built about a million years ago, because it was brown and tall and raggedy-looking, but it fit right in with the rest of the day”(16). At my high school, we are very fortunate to have a very new building to learn inside of. At Hazelwood High, they were not fortunate enough to have a new high school be built. Culture and education are very important pieces of people’s

Rose first explains how the educational system classifies a child’s class. He then proceeds to elaborate on how the vocational class works for those who do not do as well in school. He uses pathos so the reader feels emotional for the less fortunate student in the vocational class. Rose conveys his beliefs by using personal examples. He learns true qualities of people and shares the stories of Dave Snyder, Ted Richard, and Ken Harvey. Sharing the personal indications of what puts the students in the vocational class, gives the reader the notion that they have strengths that do not apply doing well in school. Rose ties the examples together in the end to confirm his opinion that one should never settle being defined as average.

Ponyboy, just like his older brother Darrel, his grades are great. Ponyboy said “ I’m suppose to be smart. I make good grades and have a high iq. “ With good grades, you get more opportunities and have more potential for a bright future. Not only he’s good academically, physically he’s in good shape. Good enough for a possible athletic scholarship. “ i'm on the a-squad track team, the youngest. “ Curtis is also a grade ahead, he’s a freshman on the best team. A person goes to school to learn. There’s also benefits like sports, clubs, friends. But, there’s also fights, hatred , and people not getting along. A good student goes to school to get an education and try not to pick fights. After PonyBoy befriended the ‘soc’ Sherri ‘ Cherry ‘ Valance, it was a risky thing to school. Pony and Cherry once said to each other, “ If I see you in the halls at school...don’t say hi. It’s not personal or anything it’s just. “ I know “ I said. ( Pg. 45 ) If Ponyboy did say hi, and Cherry’s soc friends saw, there would’ve been fighting, physical

“I Just Wanna Be Average”, is a book written by Mike Rose, which goes into detail about how he went through an education system that wasn’t designed for himself, but more so for the students that we’re not so smart. In this environment he was with both teachers and students that didn’t care much about school. He went to describe how even though the students wasn’t very educated many of them was special in their own ways, while others just never tried in school. One of the students he meet was Ken Harvey, who when asked about their opinion on working hard to reach their goals said, “I just wanted to be average”. Rose questioned why Harvey would settle for less than he had potential for. During Rose’s sophomore year his teacher checked his school

According to one study, over 7,000 American students drop out of high school each day; that equals about 1.2 million students every year! (“11 Facts,” n.d., p. 1). Mike Rose, the author of “I Just Wanna Be Average” was almost included in this statistic. Luckily, Rose was “saved” by one of his teachers, who stoked his love for learning. In his story, Mike Rose effectively addresses the issues with public education by sharing his anecdote about taking vocational classes and providing “several reasons for the ‘failure’ of students who go through high school belligerent, fearful, stoned, frustrated, or just plain bored” (1989, p. 1). Rose’s purpose for writing “I Just Wanna Be Average” is to inform the general public of the current education system and how it needs to change. Through a relaxed, yet passionate tone, Rose showed that teachers need to be more energetic and engaging with their students. Because schools are unengaging and boring, student dropouts are occurring-- and for the same reasons today as they were thirty years ago. A study that was released in 2005

Mike Rose in his piece I Just Wanna be Average and Richard Rodriguez in Achievement of Desire approach the subject of education from the view point of the uninspired and highly motivated student respectively. Both authors examine the importance of teacher expectations on achievement, and the role school and home environment plays in academic success.

For example, my very intelligent child had been labeled as a “trouble maker” at a young age. He could not sit still in Kindergarten and focus on lessons. He had not yet developed these skills that were expected of him. Children are designed for movement and play. In a formal school setting, these natural impulses are stifled and pushed aside to obtain high test scores. The school system is designed to create a model student conformed to produce model citizens.

While reading Too Cool for School by Ellis Cose I have became aware of various aspects of my ‘schooling’ experience. I realized that I may not have had the best schooling experience, but I never pushed up against the system to get any better. Throughout my life I have attended over 10 schools some very high end others bottom of the barrel. Like Cose, I always knew my intellectual abilities, but I was always so dissatisfied with my situation I didn't make the best of it. Instead of soaking up as much knowledge as possible and making a lesson out of my situation I became complacent. I started to slack off and allow myself to become stagnant to what I knew my abilities were. I allowed myself to be a product of my environment when I should I have

When it comes to school every student behaves differently in the classroom. Once I reached high school I realized that some students cared too much and some students didn’t care at all; when it came to their education. Everyone knows someone who would always come to class but never do anything or someone who never missed a day of class and always participate in class discussions. During my years in high school I’ve observed several types of students and how they behaved in class. In my opinion, most students can be categorized as slackers, over achievers, or standards.

I started school at the age of five, and I had no interest in sitting down and listening to anyone. I loved learning to read, but I really just wanted to outside playing and running around. The teachers always sat me up front because I would distract the other students. It was not that I was a bad kid, I just didn’t fit into the model very well. Don’t get me wrong, I had wonderful teachers who taught me great foundations, it was just the sitting still all day that bothered me, and I still think of that sensation now when I morph into a boring talking head in front of one of my classes. I did not like school very much, and I thought that meant I did not like learning. Boy, was I wrong.