“The Trouble of a Troublemaker,” by Austin M. is a reflection on his life during elementary school. He recalls how being a troublemaker in school led to consequences, and a lowering of adult’s expectations of him. It covers the feeling of fear when sent to the principal's office, and how people begin to expect less from you. At my middle school, there are sorts of children. There are the angels, the misfits, and the ones in between. The troublemakers are the ones that constantly get in trouble for some reason they thought was funny. Teacher look at these students in a different way, and do not push them in the way they push their higher achieving students.

A big part of growing up is being able to look back on your past and realize what you did wrong. When Austin mentions how he turned over a new leaf in high school, and started to behave. A big problem that some children have today is that they do not want to change because they think it would be virtually impossible.

Austin’s piece tells us an important message that you can always change how people view you. If you change the way you act, people will begin to see you differently. They will respect you, and it will make you feel better in the end. This piece also taught readers another valuable lesson. Your past will shape the future. It can shape it for the better or for the worse. Austin’s future could have gone on two different paths, but he chose the right one in the end. I respect your choice and hope you serve as a role model for other students like you.