Average

Mike Rose 

1)   After having his tests scores confused with Tommy Rose, it seemed that Mike received a second rate education by teachers who were not qualified to teach Voc. Ed, and not inventive enough to keep a student’s mind involved. This is especially true for a class of hard to reach students. I have had teachers that were meant to do what they do; teachers that made me look forward to class. I have also had teachers that have no business in the classroom. The right teacher can make all the difference in the world as can the wrong teacher, and it only takes one.

2)   I feel that the Vocational Education that the students of Our Lady of Mercy’s school received lowered the student’s expectations of themselves and the expectations that others had of them. “Students will float to the mark you set.” I believe this statement to be true, the students of these classes learned to have a don’t care attitude. This was to protect them emotionally and socially.

3)   Some students can check out while others adopt humor or sarcasm and even bullying to cope. Ken Harvey just gave up on pushing himself past the point of average. He decided that it was good enough to be mediocre.

4)   What I am finding disorienting about college is that it has been so long for me since I was in school that I have forgotten things I haven’t used and things have changed so much. I feel a little out of the loop and definitely out of my comfort zone. The only thing I know to do is to keep going and to be honest about my insecurities. I know that I am not alone.

5)   In being honest I was placed in EH (Emotionally Handicapped) classes in elementary school and then later diagnosed with mental illness. I understand having lowered expectations but that just means that I have to work a little harder.

 

I found “I Just Wanna Be Average” full of rich character descriptions; this allows the reader to visualize each person and brings the story to life. I will use detailed descriptions, such as sight, smell and sound to try to place my reader right there with me in my own narrative.