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Sunday, February 21, 2010

I Just Wanna Be Average

In "I Just Wanna Be Average" by Mike Rose I really enjoyed how descriptive he was. I was captivated by the detail in which he described the effects school can have on students. How crazy and demanding of an environment it is. School changes people, expects them to excel and strive to do their best. It is a time to define you. The word that stuck out to me was "average" - typical; common; ordinary. However, to be average is not a bad thing. Many students may not want to be average but they may expect that they can achieve nothing more than to just be average. This is because they lack the motivation to excel or even the right person to push them in that direction. It wasn't until his teacher Mr. MacFarland pushed the author Mike Rose to try harder in his classes did he make any effort. I think everyone can relate to that one teacher that actually cared. The teacher that when beyond teaching and pushed their students to better themselves. I also found the description of vocational education and how students were placed there to be appalling. Mike Rose describes a vocational track as "a place for those who are just not making it, a dumping ground for the disaffected." I know it is meant to help these students but in the end it sounds much like it is not challenging them. Overall this article was extremely interesting to read especially about the how affected he was by the way his school taught their students.

6 comments:

  1. I completely agree, his descriptiveness was way above average. I also agree that being average isn't a bad thing. I mean, most people are. That's why it's referred to as average.
    I too had a teacher that encouraged me to push past my own boundaries and go that extra mile. In fact, had it not been for him, I probably wouldn't be at this school or writing this response right now.
    The description of vocational schools was a bit difficult to swallow for me as well. He described it as though the vocational schools were an easy way out.

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  2. My favorite part about his descriptions and details was that he was informing us about a subect like this vocational track schooling, but telling it personally to make it interesting. I think by him relating it to his own life, and giving names of people and places, that he turned a subject that could be boring to many, into a personal topic that everyone could feel connected to.
    I personally have never been in a school where they have these kinds of tracks but i have heard of them and other studies. I understand them and don't agree with them. I think the idea of not giving every child an equal shot at education so early is hurtful to all of the students' success. If anything hold everyone to very high standards so that they all have to challenge themselves and become intellectual members of society.

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  3. Everybody is taught from an early age that you can grow up to be whatever you want to be, whether that is the President of the United States, an actor, an astronaut or Miss America. However, as life progresses most people learn that not all dreams can come true and that's when we have to make a difference between dreams and ambitions. I think that the people that had the chance to turn their childhood dreams into their adult ambitions had somebody behind them, pushing them to become a better person just like Mike Rose had in the form of his teacher. Most times it takes an entire team to make things happen.
    I agree with everyone on the vocational school. You'd think in a country like America, everyone would be given an equal chance. However, if you look into the past it isn't that surprising that they did this and still do it to this day. It's not right and I would never allow my children to go through it but maybe some of the kids that do get dumped into the vocational schools or different tracks are happy with where they are. A lot of kids drop out of school because they're not interested in what is going on, so they get stuck in a no where job. For some kids it's probably beneficial to gain work experienced and have the ability to become high paid experienced workers.

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  4. I think it is a interesting article but what it means to be average? Everyone have their own intepretation of what "average" is. To me, to be average is someone doing okay, not really special or whatever. I think it can related to another word that everyone have their own interpration: normal. To me, to be average means if I'm 6'3" then that is average to me so if you're 5'0" or 7'0" that you are not average at all. I agree that vocational school is not good place for students who wants to do something. Instead, vocational school is designed to prepared you for the future at regular jobs that don't need a college degree at all. However most students in high school want to be successful in the future but at same time, some famous celebrities does miss being "average" like they used to be before they became famous.

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  5. "I Just Wanna Be Average" uses real life examples such as Rose's Spanish teacher to show more involvement and images to help deliver his points, a writing technique lacking in hooks essay. These personal experiences help develop ethos for Rose and show him caring about his writing through this as we have learned. The inability of his teacher to control the classroom may also give hints of hooks essay on self-actualization AKA the teachers failure results from his personal self reservations.

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  6. Before reading "I Just Wanna Be Average", I thought the title was a bit unusual. I questioned myself who would just want to be average when they can be so much more. Then after reading it, I can understand why author Mike Rose chose it. It just goes to show that not every person gets the kind of education they would like. Sometimes people or students are left with what they only have close to an education. Although Mike Rose explained in excellent details of his schooling, teachers, and fellow students, he learned that it's up to him to better himself. As to having a great supportive teacher like Mr. MacFarland, he learned the true value that there are some good teachers out there that truly cares about students like himself.

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