Stereotypes and Stereotyping - I Was a Teenage Trouble-Maker :: Example Personal Narratives

Stereotyping - I Was a Teenage Trouble-Maker The time was the fall of 2000. It was my senior year, and we were in our fourth hour home economics class. My best friend and I were about to finish up our two-day presentation on how to bake and ice a cake. Now, with the class and the teacher watching intently, we proceeded to ice the two layer chocolate cake with our bare hands. The entire class broke out with uncontrollable laughter; needless to say our teacher was fuming. Well, to make matters worse, we cut her the biggest piece of cake. Unfortunately for her, she didn't eat it, because it was really good. Now you might think we were a couple of troublemakers, but the fact is we were unjustly failed on the first day of our perfect presentation. The teacher said we left out key parts of our speech, but her observation was wrong. Everyone in the class heard us except her. We weren't trying to cause trouble. We figured we already failed the project, so we might as well have some fun. Experiences such as this one, and man y others have contributed to my history of being stereotyped. Stereotyping is so common in our society that when you meet someone for the first time you are often stereotyped before you even reach "hello." Stereotyping is most often someone's perception of an individual or group based on social status, educational level, race or even looks. Everybody is guilty of it, and everybody has been subjected to it sometime in their life. It is easier to put a label on someone and place them in a category we feel they fit in, rather than to get to know them as a person. I, myself, have been labeled and placed in the stereotypical category of a troublemaker at one point or another in my life. As a result of being labeled as a troublemaker, my views on the characteristics of this stereotype have changed. According to the dictionary, the definition of a troublemaker is "someone who habitually stirs up trouble." I feel a troublemaker is someone who will make waves even if it isn't the popular thing to do. Stereotypes and Stereotyping - I Was a Teenage Trouble-Maker :: Example Personal Narratives Stereotyping - I Was a Teenage Trouble-Maker The time was the fall of 2000. It was my senior year, and we were in our fourth hour home economics class. My best friend and I were about to finish up our two-day presentation on how to bake and ice a cake. Now, with the class and the teacher watching intently, we proceeded to ice the two layer chocolate cake with our bare hands. The entire class broke out with uncontrollable laughter; needless to say our teacher was fuming. Well, to make matters worse, we cut her the biggest piece of cake. Unfortunately for her, she didn't eat it, because it was really good. Now you might think we were a couple of troublemakers, but the fact is we were unjustly failed on the first day of our perfect presentation. The teacher said we left out key parts of our speech, but her observation was wrong. Everyone in the class heard us except her. We weren't trying to cause trouble. We figured we already failed the project, so we might as well have some fun. Experiences such as this one, and man y others have contributed to my history of being stereotyped. Stereotyping is so common in our society that when you meet someone for the first time you are often stereotyped before you even reach "hello." Stereotyping is most often someone's perception of an individual or group based on social status, educational level, race or even looks. Everybody is guilty of it, and everybody has been subjected to it sometime in their life. It is easier to put a label on someone and place them in a category we feel they fit in, rather than to get to know them as a person. I, myself, have been labeled and placed in the stereotypical category of a troublemaker at one point or another in my life. As a result of being labeled as a troublemaker, my views on the characteristics of this stereotype have changed. According to the dictionary, the definition of a troublemaker is "someone who habitually stirs up trouble." I feel a troublemaker is someone who will make waves even if it isn't the popular thing to do.