Mike Rose's article "I Just Want to be Average" was an unfortunate account of schools that use track systems. I feel that this system discourages students learning because in it there are no incentives to do better in school. Perhaps that is why his friend says that "[he] just wants to be average" (89). He feels this way because he knows the excelling will not put him any further in life in the vocational category that he has been placed under.
On the other hand, I admire Rose's drive to become something more. Although it took a strong teacher to come along and encourage an interest in learning in him, it was up to Rose to do the work and decide to not just be average. This ties in to concepts in Rodriguez's article "The Achievement of Desire." Rodriguez noted that many children, especially "working-class" children do not do well in school because they do not seek to further their education and they settle for mediocrity. However, I feel that for anyone, especially "working-class" children to be successful, they must seek knowledge in the way Rose did, even if there is not a driving force such as an inspirational teacher.
For myself especially, I find that I have to work hard everyday because I do not want to be average. Being in the condition that I am in now I could stop working right now, as many people would, but because I do not want to be like everyone else I put every effort into getting assignments done, meeting deadlines, and continuing to go to class!
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"That woke me up, Average? p.166,"I Just Wanna Be Average",Mike Rose. I agree that when he heard that answer to a question asked by the teacher in class,that this is when he decided that he wanted to be more than average. His decision motivated him in class, when his test scores are 98 and 99 this causes his teacher to take notice and he is then switched from Voc. Ed to College Prep Classes.
ReplyDeleteThe strong teacher you talk bout in your Blog does encourage him to be more than mediocre then he tells him, "Listen, you can write"p. 171, this is when he is told of his talent for writing. He becomes a very motivated student who wants to move beyond the boundaries of his working class neighbor,he says "and it allowed me to act as through I were living beyound the limiting boundaries of South Vermont" p. 173. South Vermont is described as a economically depressed street in Los Angeles. In this neighborhood the "working-Class" child goes into Vocational Ed for two years due to an error, which wasn't discovered. During this time he goes from being an indifferent student, to a student who becomes more than average.
I also agree with you, that you have to work hard if you want to be more than average.