Mike Rose I Just Wanna Be Average Analysis

Standardized testing has become the main component in determining a student’s capability. A test should not determine if the student has a mind that is above average. In the article titled “Standardized Testing: Undermining Equity in Education”, it states, “Qualities such as a student’s sense of citizenship, ethics, confidence/self-esteem,...respect for others, self-discipline,...are not seen in standardized tests.” Every student is unique and has

Mike Rose had a difficult experience when his test scores got mixed up with another student named Rose. The Rose whose score that he got did not do well, so he got sent to vocational school for two years. He describes his experience during this time and the people and teachers that he meets. He illustrates how the teachers do not really take an interest in actually teaching the students or making sure that they learn the material they are trying to get across. Along with the teachers not caring, more than half the time the students would not even care for what the teachers have to say because they have their minds on anything other than learning. Rose found himself getting the same learning habits as his fellow students in vocational classes.

Mr. Rose presents many descriptive vignettes of teaching professionals in his life who have influenced him both positively and negatively and whom he has retained for emulation or distinction. These characters in his life include teachers from grammar school throughout his college experience. All have in one way or another left a considerable imprint on his recollection of school and learning.

A lot people work very hard and struggle through life trying to be the very best at every single thing they do; this is a good trait to have but, sadly not everyone has this type of work ethic or motivation. Some people just try to get by and go through the motions, often not getting the education they they are rightfully entitled to. This is the type of mentality that Mike Rose discusses in his narrative “I Just Wanna Be Average.” Throughout the narrative, Rose shares personal experiences of mistakenly being set on the wrong track of his educational career due to a mix up with test results. Rose gets placed into the vocational education track, which is where the person he was mixed up with, with the exact same last name was supposed

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.

In the article “Blue-Collar Brilliance”, Mike Rose’s main focus was to convey that there are forms of intelligence than just being intellectual. Rose, suggest that a broader perspective of education allow us to expand our understanding of what intelligence is. Rose explains what our culture views as intelligence: “Our cultural iconography promotes the muscled arm; sleeve rolled tight against biceps, but no brightness behind the eye, no image that links hand and brain” (Rose). In making this comment, Rose urges us to take a step back and to look society’s perception of blue-collar work as not as demanding or requiring as much brain powering as white-collar work. Often people do not realize that a person who has a blue-collar job is just as

The differences were connected with a teacher’s original preparation for the teaching profession, licensing in the particular subject area to be taught, strength of the educational experience, and the degree of experience in teaching along with the demonstration of abilities through the National Board Certification, in which all of these facets can be addressed through policy (Darling-Hammond, 2010).America has not produced a national method containing supports and reasons to guarantee that teachers’ are adequately prepared and equipped to teach all children effectively when they first enter into the career of teaching. America also does not have a vast collection of methods available that will maintain the evaluation and continuing development of a teacher’s effectiveness in the classroom, or support decisions about entry into the field of teaching and the continuance in the profession of teaching (Darling-Hammond, 2010). n order to reach the belief that all students will be taught and learn to high standards calls for a makeover in the methods our system of education in order to be a magnet for, train, support or uphold, and cultivate effective teachers in more efficient ways. A makeover that is contingent in a certain degree of how the abilities or skills are comprehended (Darling-Hammond, 2010).In the last few years there has been increasing

These stereotypes of teachers inspire the general public by showing a “fairy-tale version” of what truly happens in the classroom. The movies make it look like there is always some huge triumph at the end of the day and everyone ends up learning what they need to learn. This does not always mean learning the classroom material. Breault states that in most of the movies studied the teachers are more focused on teaching life lessons as opposed to the basic knowledge that should be taught in the classroom. The article also discusses how the teaches are viewed as heroes who save the students and advocate for them outside of the classroom. The teachers in the movies are praised for never teaching with a textbook or teaching regular course curriculum. The pictures show that the real live classroom is a lot more structured than what is portrayed in

In this story, “Blue Collar Brilliance” the author Mark Rose protested that intelligence can be consistent by the amount of education a person has done. Rose advises that blue collar and service jobs lacks more intelligence. In the essay, Rose talks about “how he grew up observing his mother as a waitress in coffee shops and restaurants” (1034, Rose). He describes his mother as charismatic because she loves her job and a hard worker, also she puts her heart and soul in being a waitress. Rose describes her mother’s job on how she what orders people wanted, how much time it took for each dish to be made, and how she became a professional at analyzing the affecting rights of her customers and employees. “ He also describes his uncle’s job  at the General Motors factory and demonstrates tons of amount of intelligence that was mandatory of him as he jumped from being in the production line to administer paint jobs” (1036, Rose). “Rose explains in the story on how he observed different blue collar workers and he came to the closure, that each blue collar worker has a skill that takes a great deal of mind power to master” (1038, Rose).  The central claim of the story is, “many kinds of physical work does not require a high literacy level” (1041, Rose). Some examples of this claim would be, “like anyone who is effective at physical work, my mother learned to work smart, as she put it, to make every move count” (1034, Rose). “I couldn’t have put it in words when I was growing up, but what I observed in my mother’s restaurant defined the world of adults, a place where working habits of blue-collar workers and have come to understand how much my mother’s kind of work demands both body and brain (1034, Rose). “Still, for Joe the shop floor provided what school did not, it was like schooling, he said, a place where you’re constantly learning, Joe learned the most efficient way to use his body by acquiring a set of routines that were quick and preserved energy” (1036-1037, Rose). “He lacked formal knowledge of how the machines under his supervision worked, but he had direct experience with them, hands-on knowledge, and

Teaching is not a lowly job as most people think. Teaching is a profession that is highly, commendable just like banking, nursing and other professions. However, some people often ridicule the teaching profession merely because of its poor pay, poor career prospects, not to mention the perceived monotony of the daily routine writing lesson plans and preparing lecture materials. Despite all these criticisms, not many teachers have defended themselves. However, in the article “I am not a babysitter,” Heather Robinson takes a stand to defend the teaching profession effectively by appealing to ethos, pathos and logos. This

Parents and professors speculate why children no longer display excitement and ambition for learning. Most share the common goal of educating the youth to take on the “rights and responsibilities of citizens” (Ravitch 109). Unfortunately, educational requirements have strayed from the original purpose and began to aim their attention toward the “importance” of standardized testing. As a current high school senior, my experience has been that students are branded by their grades and test scores as if they determine who we are as a person. Diane Ravitch’s “The Essentials of A Good Education”, successfully critiques the extensive use of standardized testing in order to pursue change in our education systems and prove that focusing on test scores corrupts a child’s inner creativity.

“I won’t learn from you” is a classic and powerful group of essays written by Herbert Kohl. The first three chapters “I won’t learn from you”, “The tattooed man”, and “Excellence, Equality, and Equity” all explore ideas that students are more in charge of their learning than most individuals believe. With these theories, students and teachers can help improve each other in every way. Kohl writes a variety of humorous stories, lessons on teaching, and inspirations to be a teacher to any child, regardless of their race, gender, religion or abilities. He addresses serious issues in the public school system, such as reforming to the demands of the school district, adapting the curriculum, and the many pressures as an educator. Kohl helps the

In the essay “I Just Wanna Be Average” Mike Rose reveals how society often neglects and undervalues a student's true potential. Like Mike Rose, I believe that students will float to the mark that is set for them because no matter the pathway to hit the standard, eventually everyone gets there. Throughout the text, Mike Rose goes on to explain how teachers generally set a standard for students. Rose then makes a clear point by saying that students shouldn’t have to exceed what’s asked of them. Both Mike Rose and I agree with the fact that some students will dumb themselves down in order to fit in with others. I also found it very relatable how Rose mentioned that some teachers may expect a bit too much from their students.

Why should we improve if we can just be average ? That’s how Mike Rose felt in school everyday as a kid in story called "I just want to be average".Ken Harvey was placed in vocational classes which the teachers made him feel as if he shouldn’t even improve but to lower your intelligence. None of his teachers gave him that inspiration to go even further than the average student. Rose goes of explaining how he was in environment that really didn't keep that flame lit inside of him to want to keep learning. All he wanted to do was to just get by like any other regular person going into class copying and just being straight up simple minded.

“Our educational goal [is] the production of caring, competent, loving, lovable people” . The students found in the schools across the United State are the future of America. They are the doctors, teachers, business people, lawyers and many other roles, that will be out in the workforce in the years to come. What they learn in school will impact them immensely; it is the responsibility of a teacher to give students the best education in order to ensure the common good of the future. It is essential for students to not only learn content matter, but also the skills to enable them to participate in a democracy. Due to standardized testing, the emphasis of education has become on score and rankings rather than learning. A standardized test does not look at the whole student, the scores provided are on a very narrow aspect of education. In the classroom, there are countless ways for teachers to assess the student as a whole person not as just a score. Standardized tests scores should not be the sole criteria for determining a student’s academic achievement.