Chapter 3 Reflection 3.7

A Good Job Makes A Difference

I interviewed a teacher at west salem high school. We talked about the different levels of income in the school. He told me that at West Salem High there is a very extreme difference in many of the students. Part of West Salem is very high class while there are many parts that are what would be considered low class. We decided for this interview to reference the low income family. We mentioned that a family may make roughly $35,000 annually. This makes a monthly income of $2,900.

In the newspaper We noticed that there are many two bedroom Apartments for roughly $750.00 a month including everything besides electricity. I figured electricity would be on an average of $50.00 monthly. Most families have cable and internet so I will add in $80.00 a month for that. I figured a family will have two cell phones so that would come out to about $100.00 a month. For groceries a month We figured a small family would spend roughly 300.00 per month. I looked up on line that the average family of two sends about $250.00 per month. For entertainment I will budget about $80.00 a month for a family of four to eat out twice a month.

The total expenses come out to roughly $1,400.00. This umber does not include car payment, insurance, or public transportation fees. Health care, medication, and not skimping it on eating out, groceries, or entertainment would probably be more than what I estimated.

Characteristics of Achievement

There are many characteristics that we went over in class, some I agreed with while there were many that I didn’t agree with. I personally think achievement is almost entirely internal.
The first characteristic is that achievement is internally fed. Achievement can not be what others expect of you. You have to feel a sense of achievement personally for it to be true achievement.
The second characteristics that I want to talk about is short and long term goals. To achieve something I believe that you have to plan and work for it. If something miraculously happens it is not achievement. Achievement to me means to set a goal and worked towards the finish.
The third characteristic is that achievement will vary for each individual person. Relating to the first characteristic I think that one person’s achievement would not be an achievement for another. If I were to throw a touchdown pass I would feel a great deal of achievement. If Drew Brees did the achievement would be very different.
Me working for years to become a teacher would be a great achievement because I have had many small goals through the years, passing tests, getting good grades, and getting accepted into grad school. Others may not feel like they achieved as much because maybe it was what is expected of them.