The Myth of Inferiority
Hard Lives Need Extra Help Stated in “The Myth of Inferiority” by T. Allen Culpepper, students who have hard lives are justified to having late papers, excessive absences, rewrite opportunities, but never plagiarized work. Throughout the article many examples are stated to support why. Students deal with financial instability, cope with economic hardships, and are always competing with obligations between family, work and school. College students are newcomers and beginners to the world of being adults. We are trying to become our own people and have our own individuality to help us throughout our lives. College is where we begin to face some hardships to help us along the way. On page 328, paragraph 2, Culpepper states, “being a first-generation college student, coping with economic hardships and a lack of intellectual confidence, balancing economic responsibilities, with competing obligations to employers and families.” He says specifically he desires to work with those students in need of more help because he knows the need. We might be so busy with trying to help raise our families that we cannot get an essay done on time, or we are getting so far behind on our rent that we have to put in so many hours at work, we cannot attend all classes and fully complete a project before its due date. When trying to develop ourselves, extra help form teachers is vital. If something like this occurs, then an extra opportunity to help ourselves should be given. Culpepper writes in paragraph 2 of page 331, “Do not misunderstand: Teachers should be willing to do whatever it takes, within reason, to engage students with the course material and to ‘meet students where they are.” Culpepper defines this statement as teachers should do whatever they can possible to help their students, even if given an extra opportunity. This does not mean that teachers should let the students run the show and let them get by with whatever they want. Students should not be allowed to turn
Cited: Culpepper, T. Allen. “The Myth of Inferiority.” The Reader. Ed. Judy Sieg. 3rd Edition. Boston: Pearson Custom Publishing, 2010. 298. Print.