the best student might not understand something yet, but wants to.. the best student is the very best for a lot of good reasons.. the best student:

• helps the teacher go slow
• helps the class get repeats
• helps to keep the class whole

when the teacher pays attention and is aware of the best students in the classroom, important messages control the class:

• we're all in this together
• no one gets left behind
• if you want to learn, you are the best
• you are helping me teach.. thank you! you're the best!

[edit] dear teacher

dear teacher: who is your very best student? is it the super-star student who gets everything right? you know, that bright shining star who, um, sometimes can't help but make other students feel, uh, like maybe a little less-than-best? can we do any better than that?

[edit] barometer?

TPRS calls this "best student" the "barometer" student.. this metaphor, in the context of storyasking, may have two weakness:

1. might suggest slower students are bad weather
2. might be less translatable to other cultures
3. could there be a simpler, more clear moniker?

[edit] best

since storyasking aims to simplify and clarify TPRS terminology, and since we are free to grow, learn and share, we can also think of "barometer" students as the "best students" in the group.

[edit] better

this is a wiki so it's easy to include better ideas =)