" Students will float to the mark you set." This is a statement that was said by Mike Rose. I disagree with this statement because it is up to the student to meet the set mark. If a student is not interested in the subjection isn't willing to apply themselves, they typically are the students that don't meet the set mark. From my own experience, I never applied myself in history as much as I should have because I was simply not interested in the material. It was my senior year in Government and I still could not tell my teacher what year the revolutionary war began. He seemed quite disappointed seeing that I was his student in previous years. I also disagree with this statement because some students will go above and beyond the set mark because they are inspired by the material of the course. From a personal experience I know someone who was so involved with the material they were doing extra learning online at home and would return to have conversations with the teacher. Lastly, I will argue that a student will also let his/ her group of friends determine whether they like or dislike the material, which could have an effect on whether the student will achieve the mark set by the teacher.
In this section, it seemed as though Rose gave up to fast on his educational career when he was placed on the vocational tract. Throughout this piece he snaked further into an "I don't care" attitude, even though he cared; it wasn't until a mistake was found that his view began to change. If there was a lesson to be learned from Rose's selection, I learned that you shouldn't let a mistake, friends, or placement test make you feel like you can't make a change. I also learned that you shouldn't have to conform to a specific group because being different and showing our strengths is what makes us unique. Rose's education was a struggle from the beginning, but he was able to defeat that monster and continue his education on a path that made him feel satisfied.
I agree with a lot of your statements from this article. I also think that there is some truth to Mike Rose's statements as well. I completely agree if a student is not interested in a subject they will most likely not apply themselves. I too could have cared less about what battle won what war how many years ago. I think though what Rose is stating is that it is a teachers job to facilitate this interest. "But mostly the teachers had no idea of how to engage the imaginations of us kids who scuttling along at the bottom of the pond". I feel like the right teacher, professor, even homeless person can make a subject captivating for a student. The more I enjoy a teacher, the better I do in the class. I will find that when I enjoy a teacher I am trying my hardest; it is almost like I don't want to disappoint them. It is then that I have the highest marks.
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