Descriptive Essay About Dance - 724 Words

As I wait for the curtains to open, I close my eyes for yet again another performance. My costume, my makeup, my stance, they are all familiar to me, but the excitement never drops. A bright light blinds me, and the cheers of the crowds go off. A few seconds pass and suddenly the music starts. Without even thinking, my body falls into the routine. The rush of the wind, the feel of energy, and the smiles on our faces all bring out the reason we dance. As the music finally comes to an end, we gather for the final pose. Breathing hard, I take in the applause from the audience. Those hours of practice finally paid off. I started dance classes when I was about four years old. I had grown up watching my mom dance gracefully across the kitchen,†¦show more content†¦I ended up forgetting my step due to that and went off rhythm. One by one, the dance started falling apart. In the end, the only people clapping for us were our parents. We were all mortified. We had practiced for so lon g! How could we have done so horribly? Crying, I ran up to my mom and said,  ¨I don’t want to dance anymore! ¨  ¨Why not? What happened? ¨  ¨We practiced so hard, and we all still messed up! It’s not fair! ¨ My mom knew this was all a phase and said,  ¨So you’re going to give up just because you didn’t succeed once? I suggest you try one more performance and give it all your effort. I’m sure you’ll want to continue after that. ¨ I agreed with my mom and went back to class the next day. Surprisingly, my teacher didn’t say anything about our performance. Instead, she told us about an upcoming competition. We were hesitant about taking part, but ultimately our teacher convinced us. This time we worked even harder and were determined to perform well. After three months, we found ourselves once again on the same stage waiting for the curtains to open. We were nervous but determined to do our best and win. Throughout the dance, though we made mistakes, we didn t stop but focused even harder. We couldn t tell how we had done, but we knew we had tried our best. As soon as the dance finished, we got into a group hug and cheered. None of us could stop smiling. At the end of the programme, a lady came on stage congratulating all the participants. We wereShow MoreRelatedNight by Elie Wiesel1271 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿THE CONTEXT ESSAY Written response to a prompt- a statement about the theme which you are required to â€Å"break open† in your response. Theme – â€Å"rites of passage† Example of a prompt: â€Å"Rites of passage presents obstacles which must be overcome† The context essay can take three forms: Expository Persuasive Imaginary THE PROMPT The prompt or stimulus is what must be addressed in relation to the texts you have explored. Sometimes there may be an image as well as text Discussion of the promptRead MoreName And Describe The Two Main Elements Of Point Of View Of A Descriptive Essay1463 Words   |  6 Pagescentral theme or idea about the subject to which readers can relate all the details. 6. What is Point of View? The position from which a writer approaches a subject from. 7. Name and describe the 2 main elements of Point of View in a Descriptive essay. The two main elements of Point of View in a Descriptive essay are; physical relation and psychological relation. A real of imagined physical relation to the subject: a writer could be describing the St. Louis arch by talking about how tall it is, whenRead MoreAnalysis of Desert Rose Essay examples1206 Words   |  5 PagesFor my analysis essay, I chose the song Desert Rose written and performed by Sting. Cheb Mami also wrote and performed the Arabic part of the song. The genre of the song is pop and â€Å"Desert Rose† was released in 1999 but it was well known around 2000 due to its music video which was used in a Jaguar auto mobile commercial. I chose this song because Sting and Cheb Mami speak of longing and desire which is what every human being feels at some point in their lives. In life people always want somethingRead MoreThe Narrative Structure And Emotional Perspective909 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"How It Feels to Be Colored Me† is a narrative essay by Zora Ne ale Hurston that recounts her experience of having her identity being drastically shifted from her personal self to a nameless colored girl living in a predominantly white society. Hurston uses descriptive language, metaphors, and symbols to help the reader empathize with her experience rather than simply understand it at a factual level. The narrative structure and emotional-perspective style Hurston uses makes the events easy to followRead MoreWoman Of Pride By Zora Neal Hurston1222 Words   |  5 PagesEatonville, Florida not being able to fully differentiate between whites and blacks as an adolescent, Zora displayed herself as a jester to the white people that would only ride through town traveling to Orlando (a city in central Florida), she would dance and sing for a few dimes ignoring her family wishes of not talking to the white tourists. Though Zora’s youthful play did not mean anything to her at the time she shows her ignorant bliss of a child. Back then, she was â €Å"everybody’s Zora,† free fromRead MoreZora Neale Hurstons Diction1250 Words   |  5 Pageskairos in her writing. Through these appeals, she successfully creates a strong case for her purpose in writing the essay. She intended to not only share her experiences, but to let readers perceive her emotions as well. Hence, the title stating how it â€Å"feels† to be her. Readers can feel the emotional appeal in Hurston’s writing through her diction. Her choice of words are descriptive, which truly emphasizes the feelings she desired for the audience to develop. Because of her diction, it feels asRead MoreHow One Dance Goes Together Essay1880 Words   |  8 Pages This book is about how one dance comes together, from beginning to end, from choreography to opening night. The author offers paintings and thoughtful placement of words regarding his observations of dancers as they perfect their moves. The book ends with the curtain going up during a performance. This book is ideal for anyone who wants a preview of what goes on behind the scenes of dancing. Grade level Equivalent: 4.2 ( scholastic.com) This book would be a great informational text for fourthRead MoreShort Story : Dance By Elisha Cooper1861 Words   |  8 PagesAmber Doniere ‘Dance’ by Elisha Cooper Activity 1: Activity 2: Activity 3: Activity 4: This book is about how one dance comes together, from beginning to end, from choreography to opening night. The author offers paintings and thoughtful placement of words regarding his observations of dancers as they perfect their moves. The book ends with the curtain going up during a performance. This book is ideal for anyone who wants a preview of what goes on behind the scenes of dancingRead MoreThe Effects Of Hip Hop Music On Adolescents862 Words   |  4 Pagespeople’s views of sexuality. The concern about mainstream hip-hop music and music videos sexualizing women, in particular, is so omnipresent, many can even be referenced as â€Å"rape culture† by embedded sexual violence in the lyrics being disguised as pleasurable elements of hip-hop. The Kaiser Family Foundation in the year 2001 reported that teenagers rank entertainment media as the main source for information about sexuality and sexual health [3]. Descriptive language and sexual imagery in music videos Read MoreThe Harlem Globetrotters, An Exhibition Basketball Team1490 Words   |  6 PagesSearching for the perfect topic in any essay is always tough. So when I began to think about a research topic, I had no idea what to write about. I started to think about all the things that I love doing and have a passion for such as, hunting, fishing, and sports. Although with this research paper I wanted to pick something that is intriguing to me, but I don’t know a whole lot about. When it comes to hunting and fishing, I’m pretty well informed. Although in sports, there are endless opportunities

Paris description Free Essays

Like any other day, the sun rose In Paris. It as the beginning of May, when spring blew Its last breezes and the heat of summer started to spread around. The weather could not get any better. We will write a custom essay sample on Paris description or any similar topic only for you Order Now The sky was crystal clear and It wasn’t too sunny. The sun made the whole city looked Like It was covered with a thin, light and golden layer of apple dust. I could tell the weather was perfect since I could open the windows and Just leave It there. It was probably the best time In pans for traveling, when the freezing cold and the depressing rain were all gone. Like any Parisian, my morning started with a crunchy exterior and soft Interior resistant, some slices of crispy honey coated French toasts but my breakfast was definitely incomplete without a creamy cup of cappuccino. Sitting by the windows, those flowery balconies, the cobblestone road, those old black poles on the sidewalk, those classy street lamps had never seemed so real. Along the pavement, plenty of cars were parked in an organizing order even though the parking spaces looked a little bit too small. Excitement took over my whole body. I could not wait to jump out of the window and go on my Paris adventure but those soft noises along with such denude silence in the early morning kept pulling me back to the chair. That peaceful atmosphere absolutely gave me the definition of Zen. It was a typical Parisian Monday. Walking down the street, everyone seemed so busy. The street was crowded with people walking, bicycling, and driving their ways to work. Some stopped along the way to grab a cup of coffee. All of sudden the smell of everyday coffee wasn’t the same. The warm and bittersweet aroma of roasted coffee combined with the buttery and yeasty smell of fresh baked pastries filled the air. At the corner, people walked UT of the billionaires with bags baguette and pastries on their hands. Then, an earthy scent of fresh-from-the-garden flower and a faintly sweet smell of blooming flowers gently spread around. Flower stalls with radiant and vibrant colors glowing under the early morning sun caught my eyes. Even the homeless on the street woke up and got ready for a new day. So I Joined In the flow of people and continued living my dream in Paris. Paris is oozing with art and culture. Artists were almost everywhere and love was In the air. It’s not difficult to spot a Parisian cafe © on the street. The word â€Å"cafe ©Ã¢â‚¬  said It all. It’s so original that there Is so equivalent for Its name In the English language. The cafe © was so adorable with round tables and flimsy chairs on a shady pavement terrace. There were dancing people on the street. People played music with accordions, cellos or even trumpets for money. A man with a beret hat would probably paint a portrait of you In no time. Souvenir stores were filled with tiny Eiffel towers, postcards and â€Å"I heart Paris† t-shirts. The crowds of people were inside the metro station. Graffiti and paintings were all over the wall. Unlike others unique beauty. For centuries, this city has been the laboratory for new ideas of architects and artists, which explains why Paris has bits of everything. Seeing all the historic and majestic buildings would give you a definite aspect of European architecture. Furthermore, a large number of monumental churches were built in Paris. During the French revolution, many churches were burnt down and destroyed but fortunately some of them survived and renovated. To be specific, the Notre Dame looked like a massive masterpiece. I took a closer look from the outside of the cathedral. Every detail of the carvings was so sophisticate and amazing that it left me speechless. The interior was wonderfully classy with all the colorful stained glass, the painted ceilings and everything else in that gothic treasure. If there were a medal for the best-preserved city, Paris would probably win the first place. Along the Seine River, key locks were easily found on bridges, it’s considered as a symbol of love. Lovebirds were holding hands and the music were playing. The scenery would brighten your day right away. And French people were lovely as they spoke softly and the elegant gesture they made. The laughter and conversations mingled with the music melody, created a euphonious chorus of life. The highlight of the day didn’t happen until sunset. It was summer so the sun didn’t go down until nine. Standing from Pont Alexander Ill, the bridge that spans the Seine River, I got the perfect spot to watch twilight in Paris. As the sun began to set, a celestial glow appeared in the sky. As it went darker, the sky turned yellow, orange with a little shades of coral and magenta and the clouds looked like giant marshmallows floating in a gigantic punch bowl with layers of colors. The Eiffel tower was all lit up. The lights started to blink like the stars were playing hide and seek. Just a few moments, the city of lights was in front of me. The attractive golden lights from the Eiffel, the yellow lights from the street, everything was exquisitely amazing. Then, those shimmering lights drew itself onto the Seine River. The reflection started to vibrate like it was trying to send a message as the river flow slowly moved. I Just stood there and did nothing but stared at every centimeter of that stunning scenery. Rambling through the streets, the Paris during the day transformed itself into the Paris that took my breath away. Every corner, every avenue was Just pure magic. On the other hand, not everything about Paris is lovable. This city can get a bit touristy and crowded during summer. If you were too busy enjoying the view, you might be the victim of a pickpocket in Just a blink of an eye. Since this city attracts so many people, the lines in most places were too long and it would probably waste your time. The queue at an ice cream cart on the street took me thirty minutes but it was all worth it. I had a strawberry sorbet. It was a blast of freshness. The sorbet tasted really Juicy and deliciously tangy. It instantly melted in my mouth then a cool smooth liquid flowed down my throat as it cleared away all my feebleness in that boiling afternoon. So, as long as you are careful with your belongings and enjoy Paris to the fullest, the pickpockets and the lengthy lines would be no problems. There goes every beautiful piece of Paris that etched into my memory. As I wandered through the street of this city, splendid works of art were gently unfolding in front of me. The whole experience was priceless. I could throw in more adjectives to describe how surreal Paris was but this city would always be more than that. How to cite Paris description, Papers

Pride In The Crucible Essay Example For Students

Pride In The Crucible Essay I never sold myself! Im a good girl! Im a proper girl!; said Abigail Williams in The Crucible (p.40) That and, They must not blackening my name; more than anything are what we hear the most when it comes the time to save your name. People with excessive pride would risk to lose everything to make sure nobody would spoil their name. They would even accused their neighbours of the worse crime so they would still be part of the good side of the society. In the drama play The Crucible, this is basically what happen to the main characters. Every single move they do, every single word they say and every single thought they have is made in function of what people would think. Accused from witchcraft, the main character, John Proctor, lose all he has because of his pride. The destiny have not be so good either for Giles Corey . His pride for is family may have stood in front of the law and the authorities, and even if he saved everything for his sons, his pride drove him to death. Then you h ave Parris, who for his good name, tries to hide the truth from the community. The only thing he gains from this is weight on his mind and a white name. As you may have notice, pride is one of the most important theme in The Crucible. The main character of the play is John Proctor. Back in time, he had an affair with Abigail Williams and what seemed to be some kind of little detail ends up being the main cause of the accusation charged against his wife, Elizabeth Proctor. The way he always had to watch every single thing he does has driven him to the point that other people are part of his hidden garden and they try to keep his darkest secret away from the rest of the community because they could have reject him. The girl he had sleep with really desires him and after she got involved in a witchcraft trial, she tells the court that Elizabeth Proctor tried her power on her. She thought that his wife would be hang, so John would come back in her arms. The pride of John Proctor is show n in the novel by the way he tries not to tell what happened between Abigail and he. He keeps it for himself as long as he can and when he finally admit it, so it would prove the intentions of Abigail, Elizabeth denies it because she thinks it was a trop against her husband. But in the society he was living, his pride was justified. He would not have been accepted by his community if they would have known his affair with another woman, and the life of the woman he cherishes the most would have been miserable. He had to keep it for him, so life would continue to be as easy as it was. But his destiny did not want it to occurs that way. Then you have Giles Corey. His pride surely stayed stand because of his family. He wants them to be in the good part of the society where they live and not to be reject by the other citizens. Because he was accused of witchcraft, his family could have lose everything but he did not want it to happen to the people he cared the most about, so when the authorities came to him and accused him of witchcraft, he has not deny to be a witch because he knew that it would be useless. He also did not confirm it because he wanted the best for the people he shared his life with and if he had told he was doing witchcraft they would have been putted apart from the society and it was the last thing he wanted. So he died. The authorities just keep on putting rocks on him to make him talk, but he died. He is a victim of his pride and maybe it was not for the best. He may have saved his house and his personal possessions and his family may have continued to live proudly but they have lost the one perso n that were getting them stuff to eat and a roof to sleep. They have lost the man of the house, either it was a father or a husband, the one that everybody loved in first place for what he gives them. His pride is, in some kind of way, justified, because he did what he thought was the best, and as for John Proctor, the lives of the ones he loved the most would have atrocious if he had not have the pride that was burning in him. But there is someone, for who the fact that he was proud and did not want anyone to blackening his name, have been positive; Reverend Parris. Because he was an important person in the community, he felt like he had not to let the truth goes out. He felt that nobody should know that Abigail and her friends were only sporting in the wood and not conjuring spirits. And that, even if it means that few people are going to be accused of witchcraft and be hang. The Devil cannot lives under the roof of a ministry and he is willing to do anything to prove it because h e does not want to have anything to blush about his good name. I cannot blink what I saw, Abigail, for my enemies will not blink it;(p.10). That quote from Reverend Parris shown in a really good way how much he cared about what other people were going to say about him and how much he cared about being respectable. His pride was not justified. He jeopardise life of other people, play with the authority he had on the rest of the community and he got what he wanted. It was selfish and lame. All these characters had their reason of standing for their pride. Either it was selfish or a act of generosity for his family, they ruined their life and died with the truth in their mind and no one really knows what it is. The title of that play, The Crucible, may be interprets easily by the fact that their pride went through a severe test to know if they would really stand for what they were and not let people think what they were not, especially if it was not good. It is clearly shows that some people must stay stand for their pride, for themselves because they would feel betray by the only person that should not have let them down; themselves.

The Novel, The Invisible Man By Ralph Ellison, Opens With The Nameless

The novel, The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, opens with the nameless narrator hearing the last words of his dying grandfather. Throughout the rest of the novel, the messages from his grandfather are omnipresent. They foreshadow his downfalls in the future. He is convinced by his parents to ignore his grandfather's words of wisdom by his parents, but his grandfather is right in the end. INSERT TEXT HERE. The narrator is not only a black man, but a black sheep. The narrator sees his education as his hope for the future. When he looks in the briefcase given to him by the superintendent he sees something. It was a scholarship to the state college for Negroes. My eyes filled with tears and I ran awkwardly on the floor. The narrator could now afford to take his education further. Education is so important to the narrator because it raises his status above the other blacks, but when he tried to use the education he faltered. He feels as if he will be able to contribute so much to the world when he receives this scholarship from the superintendent. This gives the narrator a hope for the future. Towards the end of the novel, the narrator begins to realize the truth about his life. I was and yet I was invisible, that was the fundamental contradiction. I was and yet I was unseen. It was frightening and as I sat there I sensed another frightening world of possibilities.

Sexual Abuse Essays - Rape, Sex Crimes, Sexual Abuse, Free Essays

Sexual Abuse Essays - Rape, Sex Crimes, Sexual Abuse, Free Essays Sexual Abuse Michael Stiefvater Sexual Abuse At one time I thought about how child sexual abuse was growing concern in our society. Stories and interviews on TV and in the paper would keep me aware, but I always thought about how it was always happening to everyone else. One figure that lingered around in my mind was that one in six children would be a victim of sexual abuse. Having six children of my own I thought of these statistics. Knocking on wood so to speak, until it happened in our family. Sexual abuse can destroy a family, especially when the perpetrator is considered a member of the family. It is frustrating when someone that is trusted betrays that trust. Family members become angry , divided and deny that anything is wrong. The effects on the victim is the toughest thing to deal with. The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) defines child abuse and neglect as at a minimum, any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker, which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation, or an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm. Some states have exceptions, but the term child refers to someone not yet 18. Then CAPTA defines sexual abuse as: the employment, use, persuasion, inducement, enticement, or coercion of any child to engage in, or assist any other person to engage in, any sexual explicit conduct or simulation of such conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct; or the rape, and in cases of caretaker or inter-familial relationships, statutory rape, molestation, prostitution, or any other form of sexual exploitation of children, or incest with children.

British Airways Employment Relations Analysis Management Essay

British Airways Employment Relations Analysis Management Essay One of the largest industries in the global market is the airline industry. The airline industry is part of a business environment that constantly changes because of rapid technological development and the high competitiveness between the airline companies. Even though the influence of technology is more powerful than before it sometimes takes over the power of the workforce in companies, by changing the work structures and jobs descriptions, people will always be the principal factor in the development of companies because of the fact that without people, technological advantages would not be fully exploitable. That is why employment relations are so important for the company’s wealth and future development. Advantages of healthy employment relations are improvement in productivity, better company performance and also problems in workplaces are easier to be resolved. Additionally, extra resources and support are provided to management, employers and the unions on situations that occur within the workplace. One of the largest companies in the airline industry that comes to mind while discussing employment relations is British Airways. BA is one of the largest Airline companies in the world and the largest in the United Kingdom, flying to over 550 destinations worldwide. Since the founding of the company, the increasing levels of market share and company development have been common to the eyes of the owners and the CEO’s of the company over the years. BA employs approximately 40.000 people worldwide. Therefore good employment relations are essential if the company wants to avoid industrial action that will interrupt its operations. As we will see in the following chapters, BA has not only got problematic employment relations but the current situation of the company might be proved fatal to the company’s future. 2.0 EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS KEY FACTS It is not a simple procedure when trying to give a definition to what employment relations is. According to Ed Rose, employment relations is the†regulation of the employment relationship between employer and employee, both collectively and individually, and the determination of substantive and procedural issues at industrial, organisational and workplace levels.† (p.6 Ed Rose. 2001). According to Ed Rose and the definition above, we can see that employment relations is essential for companies in order to keep the relationship between the employer and the employee in harmony urging the workers to work on a top level, in order for the company to have a positive outcome and fulfil the goals set by the company. A balance between the needs of an employer and employee will conclude into a good relationship and in its turn maximize productivity, the workplace environment will be more pleasant, the opportunity for employees to develop their skills further will be increased as well as job satisfactions and they will gain more job security if the relationship is good as a r esult of voice initiatives. According to Salamon (2000), â€Å"a trade union is any organization, whose membership consists of employees, who seek to organize and represent their interests both in the workplace and society and, in particular, seeks to regulate the employment relationship through the direct process of collective bargaining with management†. It can be argued that the above definition describes with some accuracy what â€Å"Traditional British Industrial relations† is all about. In other words British Industrial relations have traditionally been constructed as revolving around the institutions (company and unions) and processes (collective bargaining).

Statistics EXAM Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Statistics EXAM - Speech or Presentation Example To test if a trend exists relating the GPA and the mother’s age at the birth of the child, regression analysis may be used. A simple linear regression is used in this particular calculation. The following table is set up from the raw data. It should be noted that the independent variable is the age at birth while the dependent is the GPA. Since 0.632, H0 cannot be rejected. There is insufficient evidence to support that a relationship exists between the mother’s age at the time of the child’s birth and the corresponding intelligence (as measured by GPA). The number of samples is determined based on the target error and confidence. Since no estimate of the proportion is given, a conservative value of 0.5 is to be used. The resulting calculations are shown as follows: Evaluating the scores of standardized examinations revolve largely around the normal distribution. From this particular problem, the SASS scores differ from the raw scores provided. In order to normalize the values the raw scores must be converted into z-scores and applied to the mean and standard deviation of the SASS. The equivalent z-scores for 151, 140, and 136 are computed below: Interpreting these scores as percentiles show that Robert, Ann and Carlos have percentiles at 90.32%, 77.34%, and 70.88% respectively. To normalize into the SASS standard scores, the z-scores are used with the mean and standard deviation standards. This is shown as follows: Assuming that no correlation exists between the high school GPA and the SASS score, the percentage of the applicants that are denied admission can be determined from the z-score equivalent of 60 on the SASS: From the z-score table, this corresponds to a cumulative probability of 0.7486 from the left. This means that 74.86% of the applicants have a SASS score below 60 and cannot be admitted into the university. This story is very much

Values and Democracy (Politics) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Values and Democracy (Politics) - Essay Example Even though regular elections are, according to Beetham (1992), ‘a continuous discipline on the elected to take constant notice of public opinion’ (ibid, p. 47), the dictate that politicians take pleasure from is the fact that citizens have very little influence on political decisions made in their behalf. The core argument of this essay is that in order to justify the diversity of environmental values and the dedication of citizens, the process of decision making should be to improve and endorse democratic participation. In order to do this, this essay will compare and contrast the relationship of environmental values and democracy in four countries, namely, The United States, Great Britain, Russia, and China: the former two countries being highly democratic while the latter two being less democratic. As reported by the Brundtland Commission, an environmental right should state that â€Å"all human beings have the fundamental right to an environment adequate for their health and well being† (Smith 2003, 104). ... 216). Democracy should be concerned with the composition of the constitution, since the effect of rights is experienced all over the legal, political, and moral areas. Several theories have been used for establishing environmental values (Carrow et al. 1998). Eckersley (1996) sums up the environmental challenge to democratic ideas of rights by saying that the democratic explanation of the moral interest of protection and independence from control needs consideration of the physical situations of its use. As argued by Eckersley (1996), â€Å"we must accord the same moral priority to the material conditions (including bodily and ecological conditions) that enable that autonomy to be exercised† (ibid, p. 223). Environmental values, however, conflicts with the democracy. Yet, the statements above show that ecological values and particular democratic rights are in fact connected. As stated by Saward (1996), â€Å"Rather than being something outside the purview of democratic theory , core environmental concerns are part of it† (ibid, p. 88). The following section will show the connection (or conflict) between environmental values and democracy in four countries, the US, the UK, China, and Russia. Environmental Values and Democracy If one looks at the political guidelines for the environment of the US and the UK, which are highly democratic societies, a particular problem appears as the clearest feature of the political practices, which is shown in their regulations. The problem has its source in knowledge of democracy that respects the involvement of citizens in decision making process to be a must. As shown by this idea, citizens should be given the right to express his/her opinion of and interest

Ebt Classroom Management Essay Example for Free

Ebt Classroom Management Essay This is a free additional chapter for ‘Evidence Based Teaching’ by Geoff Petty (2006) Nelson Thornes. It can be downloaded from www. geoffpetty. com. The book as a whole combines and summarises research on which teaching methods and strategies work best, and explains these strategies with examples. See the notes at the end of this chapter for more detail. Can I get my students to behave better? The evidence is emphatic, yes you can! And we know how. There are of course very many strategies designed to improve classroom management and discipline, but which ones work? Robert Marzano (2003) summarised the findings of over 100 reports on classroom management, including 134 rigorous experiments designed to find out which classroom management techniques work best. These experiments were carried out with real teachers in real classrooms. This chapter draws heavily on this ‘meta-study’ of Marzano’s, and compares strategies to find out which is best. Such studies of studies are the best source of evidence on what works as they include and integrate all reliable evidence. For a full account see ‘Classroom Management that Works’ Robert Marzano et al (2003) for the detail, it is well worth reading. These experiments tell us what teachers have made work, rather than reporting hunches and wishful thinking. No special training is required to use these strategies. If you are a reasonably experienced teacher, just experiment with the following methods, and you should get positive results quite quickly. You will need to give them a fair try for a few lessons before you and your students get the hang of them. The investment will be well worth it as their improved behaviour and motivation will begin to show. Less experienced teachers may need more time to make the strategies work. Marzano’s meta-study describes four basic approaches that have been found to improve behaviour in classrooms. Their effectiveness is compared in the table below. Comparing the effectiveness of aspects of classroom management| Average effect-size| Number of students or pupils| Number of studies| Decrease in number of disruptions(Average for the studies)| Summary of experimental data from Marzano (2003)| | | | | Rules and proceduresStrategies to clearly and simply express rules and other expectations of student behaviour. Also to justify these persuasively from the teacher’s and students’ point of view. For greatest effect the rules are negotiated with students| 0. 76| 626| 10| 28%| Teacher-student relationshipsStrategies to improve the rapport, and mutual respect between teacher and student| 0. 87| 1110| 4| 31%| Disciplinary interventionsThe effective use of ‘sticks and carrots’ to enforce the rules described above| 0. 91| 3322| 68| 32%| Mental setStrategies to develop your awareness of what is going on in your classroom and why. A conscious control over your thoughts and feelings when you respond to a disruption. | 1. 3| 502| 5| 40%| Marzano grouped high quality research studies on classroom management into the four categories above, and then calculated an average effect size for each. â€Å"Effect size† is explained in chapter 4, they are a measure of how effective a strategy is. If you don’t know about effect sizes look instead at the last column in the tables: ‘percentage reduction in the number of disruptions’. For example, in experiments on strategies that involve teachers in devising rules and procedures the number of disruptions in the classroom was reduced by 28% on average. This is in comparison with not devising explicit rules and procedures. In experiments, only one strategy can be used at a time. (If two were used, we would not know which caused any positive effects. ) However, you can obviously use strategies in all these categories at once. This will have a greater effect than using strategies in one category alone. However, it is not statistically valid to add the effect sizes or the percentages in the table to find their combined effect. If you find this a bit bewildering, just remember that the strategies that teachers made work best are those with a large percentage in the last column in the tables. However you are unique! You might not get the same results as an average teacher. So the best results will probably come from concentrating on the category that you or your students have most difficulty with, or that you have considered least in your teaching. The final test is what works in your classroom, try the methods for a few weeks and see what happens! I will now look at the strategies that have been found to work best in each of Marzano’s four categories. I will only outline these, and if you want more detail please read the following chapters in my ‘Teaching Today’, which have more strategies and more detail. I am relieved to say these chapters are very much in line with the Marzano findings. Alternatively follow up one of the Chapters in ‘Teaching Today’ that might be helpful: 7 The teacher – learner relationship and equal opportunities page 77 8 Classroom management page 96 9 Discipline and problem solvingpage 108 references at the end of the chapter. Some teachers think a well-planned, interesting lesson will by itself prevent disruption. Or that if the teacher is entirely benign and respectful of students, conflict will simply melt away. This isn’t the case. We often start our teaching careers with these assumptions, but enlightenment usually doesn’t take long. All teachers experience problems with behaviour, it’s just that some are better at preventing it, and dealing with it. But how? The strategies that teachers have made work best in experiments are explained below, with the theory outlined. However, if you are only interested in the strategies themselves look for the strategy icon in the margin: Improving your use of rules and procedures You might be forgiven for believing that how students should behave in classrooms is blindingly obvious, and explanation is entirely unnecessary. However, experiments show that classrooms become much more orderly when rules are stated, or better still negotiated, discussed and fully justified. It seems the little blighters need persuading of the obvious! So: 1. Create rules: Decide for yourself what rules and procedures will maximise learning, and would create a good atmosphere in your class. Alternatively adapt the rules in the box on page 4. Express these rules positively rather than as a list of â€Å"don’ts†. There should be a maximum of about 8 rules at secondary level, some say less at the elementary level. 2. Justify rules. Work out to your own satisfaction a persuasive case for each of these rules, however obvious this is. I’m afraid ‘because I say so’ is not a persuasive justification! Very early on, perhaps in your first meeting with the class, explain that you want an effective, fair and happy classroom, and a set of rules and procedures to achieve this. There are two main ways to do this, set out in 3 and 4 below. 3. Discuss rules with the class. Discuss why we have laws, rules and procedures in football, families, and in society. Ask for examples. (Avoid the off-side rule even if you understand it! ) What would happen if we didn’t have rules? Explain that the purpose of class rules is not to pump your megalomania, but to improve learning, and to ensure people enjoy the class. 4. Negotiate to get commitment. Suggest your set of rules as a start, asking for deletions, additions and suggestions. Be prepared to justify and compromise. (Alternatively ask the class to devise their own set of rules as described in 5 below. ) * Consider asking students to work in small groups to make sticky note responses to your rules. Then display and discuss these as a class. * Consider asking each group to design a poster to illustrate one of the rules, and display these on the notice board. These can then be used as a reminder in subsequent lessons. * Students could literally ‘sign up’ to the rules as political leaders sign treaties. Refer to the rules as ‘our rules’ not as ‘mine’. 5. Get the class to devise their own rules. Especially with older or more responsible groups you could ask them to come up with their own class rules. It may help to start this process off if you give them issues such as ‘how can we make sure everyone gets the help they need? ’. Or you could ask them what has worked in other classrooms. * Students can work in groups to devise rules on different aspects of class management, e.g. bringing materials; talking; attendance and punctuality, etc * The class can then discuss and then vote on suggestions * Then you go away and finalise the set of rules. You have every right to the last say of course. If you reject a popular suggestion explain why. Here is a typical set of rules at secondary or college level. It is of course best to devise your own: 1. Treat others as you want to be treated yourself. Be positive and helpful. Try to help two other people every day. 2. Treat other people’s property at least as well as you would treat your own. 3. Hands up if you want to say something when the teacher, or another student is talking. 4. Don’t distract others from their work. Only talk to neighbours, and only about work. 5. If you are stuck ask neighbours for help first, then ask Mr Petty. 6. No unpleasantness, snatching or hitting. If you can’t resolve a disagreement yourself, or with your group, consult Mr Petty 7. Leave the room better than you found it. The aim here is to get students to ‘buy into’ the rules and to see them as their own, and as worth keeping and enforcing. Other uses of rules * Remind students of any relevant rules before a potentially disruptive activity. This is more positive than only responding to disruption and has been found to reduce disruption by about 25%. You could even gather students around the poster that illustrates the rule(s) and ask them for the justification for it. * If a rule is broken remind the student that, â€Å"we agreed†¦.. † and remind them that they are part of a team so must keep to team rules. Be a ‘team player’ could be a heading on the list of rules * Get students to self assess their own behaviour against the rules with a self-assessment form. Then use this to set themselves targets for improvement. See the example below Self-assessmentIs†¦((student name here))†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. a team player? | I kept to this rule:| | always| often| some-times| never| Treat others as you want to be treated yourself| | | | | Hands up if you want to say something when the teacher is talking| | | | | Don’t distract others from their work| | | | | Etc.. | | | | | | | | | | Improvement since my last self assessment:What I need to work on most is: | If you use self-assessment consider the following: * Asking students to remind themselves of their self-assessed targets at the beginning of a class (see the last row in the self assessment form above). Tell them you will ask them to self-assess any improvement at the end of the same class. * Allow students to reward themselves with a sticky blob against their name on your notice board if they have improved, say, twice running in these self-assessments. Yes I know this sounds toe-curlingly naff, but the less mature students often love this. Strategies to improve teacher-student relationships If you have read chapter 25 you will recognise the value driven management and leadership approach that was so successful in managing staff. The strategies below have reduced disruptions in classrooms by 31% on average. Good teacher-student relations ensure that students have a more positive attitude to the teacher and to learning, and make them more likely to accept rules and any disciplining. They turn the classroom into a cooperative team, and reduce antagonism. So even if you detest the little clutch of demons, its worth developing good relations with them, and if you do, you might find that you don’t detest them quite as much! What is the nature of good teacher-student relations? Marzano (2003) quotes internationally renowned research by Theo Wubbels, whose findings remind me of the old staffroom adage ‘be strict but fair’. Wubbels has found that the most effective teachers are both dominant (strong leaders) and cooperative (helpful, friendly and fair), but they are neither to extreme. This is shown diagrammatically below. The Ideal teacher-student relationship Dominant * Strong sense of purpose in pursuing clear goals for learning and for class management. * Leadership. Tends to guide and control * Prepared to discipline unapologetically Too dominant * Too controlling * Lack of concern for students * Teacher student relations damaged Ideal teacher- student relationship Opposition. * Treats students as the enemy * Expresses anger and irritation * Need to ‘win’ if there is a disagreement between teacher and students Cooperative * Great concern for the needs and opinions of students. * Helpful, friendly * Avoids strife and seeks consensus Too cooperative * Too understanding and accepting of apologies * Waits for students to be ready * Too desirous to be accepted by students Submission * Lack of clarity of purpose * Keeps a low profile * Tendency to submit to the will of the class * Entirely unassertive, rather glum and apologetic The diagram tries to show that the most effective teachers have found an optimal balance between cooperation and dominance. They are not so dominant that they fail to cooperate, nor so cooperative that they fail to lead. The precise approach will of course depend on the nature of the class; some need more dominance or more cooperation than others. Research has also shown that students prefer the dominant-cooperative mix about twice as much as the purely cooperative style, or indeed any other style. Wubbels has found that teachers new to the profession tend to start too cooperatively and with insufficient dominance. However after 6 to 10 years they often become too dominant. To improve student-teacher relations experiment with some or all of the following strategies which other teachers have made work well. Are you better at dominance or cooperation? Ideally you should strengthen your weakest style, even if you also work on your strongest. Many students are coping with stress, difficult home circumstances and worry about abuse, depression, eating disorders and so on. If your students experience such social and psychological strains you will need to attend to these as well trying the strategies that follow. This goes beyond the scope of this chapter. The ‘FATE’ approach in ‘Teaching Today’ may help, as will Marzano (2003). Strategies to increase your dominance (leadership) Don’t be put off by the word ‘dominance’. It means to become an effective leader, to pursue, vigorously and enthusiastically, a clear path towards both important learning goals, and good behaviour in the classroom. It does not mean to strut about in jackboots barking orders. We are doing this for the students, so we need not be shy about taking charge and accepting responsibility. 1. Ground Rules If you negotiate ground rules with students, and consequences for not keeping them as described on page , then you have already shown this attribute to some considerable extent. 2. Orientation Clarify the purpose and the key points in each topic before it is taught, including a persuasive reason for studying it. If you have read chapter 16 you will remember that these methods had very high effect sizes. (An effect size of 0. 5 for a strategy means that if it is done well students learn the topic about a grade better. An effect size of 1. 0 gives a two-grade improvement. By ‘grade’ I mean an improvement equivalent to a GCSE or ‘A’ level grade, but just for that topic of course. ) Strategy| Effect size from Marzano| Goal setting before introducing a new topic. E. g. ‘your goal is to use the information in this topic to solve this problem in the case study†¦. ’| 0. 97| Goals which the students are involved in designing| 1. 21| Advance organisers (summary in advance of what is about to be learned along with a persuasive case for studying it)| 0. 48 for easy topics0. 78 for more demanding topics| Highly specific behavioural objectives â€Å"At the end of this lesson you should be able to†¦Ã¢â‚¬ | 0. 12| Another way of setting goals is to discuss with students the assessment criteria for the task they will do, as long as they really understand these. 3. Authoritative body language Appear absolutely confident and in control, especially when you are not. When interacting with students, especially if dealing with misbehaviour, your dominance is conveyed by ‘body language’. This includes proximity, confident posture, and tone of voice (not shrill or angry, but authoritative. ) In Teaching Today I describe the ‘PEP’ approach, which stands for: * Proximity: dominance is increased by walking closer to the student. Walk around the classroom, if you notice students about to misbehave stand by their desk. When you talk to students stand a little ‘too close for comfort’ but don’t invade ‘personal space’. This is not an easy judgement. * Eye contact: Holding eye contact expresses dominance, especially if you hold it for some time. What you say will be taken more seriously if you hold eye contact first for a few seconds, then say it maintaining the eye contact, then maintain eye-contact for a few seconds more. * Posing questions. Rather than telling a student off for not working, ask questions such as ‘Why have you not started? ’ Do this with proximity and eye contact. This has much more effect than getting angry or raising your voice, and will make you appear much more in control. The combined effect of close proximity and sustained eye contact can be very powerful indeed, so don’t over do it. Strategies to increase Cooperation Being cooperative sounds easy, until you notice it means being cooperative with the worst behaved students in your class. This can try a saint. As so often in educational problems, we have a vicious cycle to deal with here, but with determination we can turn it into a virtuous cycle: Vicious cycle The student misbehaves more or works less well You are less positive, friendly and fair towards the student You dislike the student more and/or†¦ The student dislikes you and your classes more In your direct control Breaking this cycle is hard, but it can be done. If you succeed it ensures the student behaves better, learns better, but it also makes your life much easier. You will need to have negotiated clear rules with your students as described earlier, then you can start to break this cycle. This requires a great deal of emotional generosity and/or patience and restraint. If you cannot muster the generosity, try acting! Probably the only part of the cycle you can break is: ‘You are less positive, friendly and fair towards the student’ here are some strategies that break the cycle here: 1. Catch them doing something right. Keep an eye on them, and when you notice they are doing something right, even by accident, comment on this positively in private. ‘Well done, you’ve made a start’. Many students who misbehave are attention seekers, and if they earn attention for behaving well, they are less likely to steal attention by misbehaving. You can even bribe such students: â€Å"That’s an interesting start, when you’ve finished the question let me know and I will have a look at it† A promise of attention like this will often motivate students, but do keep your promise. See Madsen et al (1968) 2. Put the student into ‘intensive care’. There is a violent method to do this, which in your darkest moments often appeals! Here is a legal way. As well as ‘catching them doing something right’: Smile, use their name positively, ask for their opinion in class discussion, try to find something positive to say about their response. Make a point of looking at their work, and comment favourably about any genuine effort or achievement. Talk to them about it. ‘That’s an interesting point, what made you think of that? ’. Keep high expectations however: ‘I know you can do this’. Be patient and helpful. If you react like this it shows you are not ‘rattled’ by their misbehaviour. Warning! The above advice can be overdone. Don’t try too hard with ‘intensive care’ especially, as you will be disliked if you appear desperate to be liked. The trick is to make your behaviour seem very natural, and the way you teach everyone. So you must give this same attention to at least some well-behaved students nearby too. More general advice about increasing cooperation includes other ways of showing that you value students as individuals: 3. Learn and use their names 4. Communicate informally with students, Don’t just talk about learning issues. When they are coming into, or going out of the classroom ask their opinion: â€Å"Do you think your haircut would suit me? †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. â€Å"What do you think of the new library? †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Ask about hobbies, attitudes and opinions, 5. Use eye contact and proximity to spread your influence about the whole room. 6. Negotiate difficulties with the class. â€Å"I am having problems with students not giving in work, what’s the problem? What can we do about this? † The strategies on page 17 and 18 also help with cooperation. Improving disciplinary interventions The strategies that follow reduced disruptions in classrooms by 31% on average. There has been a heated debate for some decades over whether teachers should use mild punishments, or should only give students praise and recognition for appropriate behaviour. You may not be surprised to find that Marzano’s meta-study, having statistically compared these approaches, shows that you are best doing both. However, while nearly all teachers will use mild punishments, few give enough recognition for good behaviour. If you only use punishments, such as telling students off in response to inappropriate behaviour, then you can create a negative, nagging image for yourself. Also, attention-seekers will begin to misbehave in order to get your attention, as it is the most effective way. Effect sizes are from Marzano (2003)| Average effect-size| Number of studies| Decrease in number of disruptions| Disciplinary Interventions| | | | RemindersReminding students of relevant rules just before they start an activity. E. g. reminding them of the ground-rules for working in groups before starting a group-work activity | 0. 64| 70| 24%| ‘Sticks’ Mild punishments| 0. 78| 40| 28%| ‘Carrots’ Strategies that reward students for appropriate behaviour including recognition, praise, symbols etc. | 0. 86| 101| 31%| ‘Carrots’ plus ‘sticks’Using both mild punishments, and strategies that reward students for appropriate behaviour with recognition symbols etc. | 0. 97| 12| 33%| Reminders. Many teachers are reactive, waiting for disruption and then responding to it, yet reminding students of the ground-rules for a forthcoming activity is a very positive and quite effective strategy. If you have agreed class rules, and students have designed posters to illustrate them, gather students round the posters to discuss the rules, and ask questions about why we have them. This need not take long, yet has reduced the number of disruptions in experiments by almost a quarter on average. Carrots: strategies to reinforce appropriate behaviour. This works better than just telling students off, and most of us don’t do it enough. Try these strategies: 1. Tokens or symbols Here is an example. A teacher asks each student to start off the lesson with five behaviour ‘points’. Or they might only do this with two or three problematical students. The students write five ‘1’s on a piece of paper on their desk. During the class the teacher places an extra ‘1’ if the student is working well, and crosses one off when they are not. Students often don’t need an explanation for the removal of a point if the class rules are clear. Simply praising good behaviour also works remarkably well, Madsen et al (1968). At the end of the class the student records how many behaviour points they have on a proforma. This might ask them to set targets for improvement. They might also be able to exchange these points for privileges such as sitting where they want, or giving out materials etc. It is important to explain the system you use and why: ‘to help you become better and more mature learners’. It should not be seen as a bribe even when privileges are given. These are often laughed off by teachers, but they really work and are greatly underused Tokens and symbols can include: * A ‘thumbs up’ sign, wink, smile, praise etc to a student working well. It works especially well with problematical students * ‘Official Pat On The Back’, this can be public or private. It is fun to ‘say this with capital letters’ and administer it with mock ceremony, but not sarcastically * Recognition in class notices, bulletins or notice-boards * Round of applause†¦ or even standing ovation! * Encouraging words * ‘Open microphone’. The student is asked to speak to the class to explain how they succeeded, or, if you are brave, to make any point they like. * Smiley faces, points, or stickers on a privately held record card, that you can ask to see and use as the basis for discussion on behaviour improvement. * Smiley faces, points or stickers on a publicly displayed class list * Badges: e. g. â€Å"I’m an improver† â€Å"The gal done good† * Displaying work * Letters home saying that behaviour is good or has improved. Most students regard this as very significant and it doesn’t cost that much. You could also use e-mail, text message, or phone message, but letters are permanent and you don’t even need to put a stamp on as students will be keen to take them home. They can be used to earn: * Privileges such as sitting where you choose, helping to give out materials, leading groups, being allowed to present to the class, etc * â€Å"Class pressure points† which the class can ‘spend’ to persuade you not to set homework one particular week, or to allow more time to prepare for a test etc. * The opportunity to choose the work they do or the way they work. E.g. be able to write up their work on a classroom computer. * Letters, e-mails or text messages home, after say three weekly improvements * College or school certificates for mature behaviour. These can be given in half-termly ‘award ceremonies’ presented by the head of department * Being chosen to present to another class, or at parent’s evening or open evening * A class trip or visit earned if the class all improve in behaviour * Home privileges such as being allowed to keep your TV or computer games in your bedroom, to rent a video or buy a computer game. This clearly requires parental involvement. See the case study in the box below. 2. Self-assessment Students can use the self-assessment process described on page 5 to award themselves points or stickers etc. 3. Contingent rewards: These makes use of peer pressure to improve behaviour: a. Class carrots if the whole class behaves or improves. E. g. If the whole class reduces calling out instead of putting their hands up, then the whole class earn pressure points (described in the above box), or are allowed to go and see the Art Department’s final show of work. Success needs to be defined carefully, for example no more than three people calling out in each class for at least one week. b. Class carrots if a specific individual or group of students behaves well or improves. This needs to be treated with caution. E. g. â€Å"We are all going to help to keep Philip in his seat. If you are next to him remind him if he moves. If he does move, don’t talk to him. If Philip doesn’t get out of his place inappropriately for a week, the whole class gets five Team Player Points and Philip gets ten. † ‘Sticks’: strategies that involve mild punishment. This works best in conjunction with the ‘carrots’ above. Marzano’s metastudy stresses that the effect of this strategy comes from consistency rather than severity. Case studies with the use of rewards and punishments. TES 16th June 2006 www. tes. co. uk/search/story/? story_id=2250510 Duncan Harper, Head of a Special school says many children are miss-labelled as ‘autistic’ or having ‘Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder’ (ADHD). He believes their poor attention span etc is due to being too tired to work after spending four to five hours a night watching TV or playing computer games. 20% of his 58 children are diagnosed autistic, and 50% ADHD. But Harper thinks non are autistic, and only 2 have ADHD! He develops excellent relationships with the parents, who are contacted by phone every two weeks. He arranges with them to remove TVs and computer games from bedrooms if the student’s behaviour/tiredness does not improve. Harper himself made seven such removals that year. A recent inspection graded the school as outstanding in all categories. Evidence is growing that poor sleep is affecting students’ behaviour, thinking and learning. Try Googling ‘sleep student attainment’. Consistency and assertiveness The punishment itself seems less important than your consistency in expecting a rule to be obeyed, and your assertiveness when talking to students or punishing them when you have to. Assertiveness is not the same as hostility. It is linked with ‘dominance’ mentioned earlier and means that when you deal with class management you are firm, unemotional, matter of fact, unapologetic, confident and business like. It often includes a reminder to the student that you are implementing agreed class rules, not personal dictats. Being hostile angry or very strict is less effective, and may suggest to students that you are losing control. Be assertive Imagine you are dealing with a student who has been persistently talking. You have warned her that if she talks inappropriately again, you will move her. Despite this, she continues to talk. You could get angry, sarcastic and over-strict at this point. But it is more effective to be assertive: 1. Proximity and eye contact. Walk up to the student (proximity), with a firm upright posture, and fix them with eye contact . There should be little emotion in your voice or face. Just a business like confidence. 2. Ask for what you want in a decisive manner, act as if you mean it, and expect to be obeyed. The pitch of your voice should not be shrill, only slightly raised. â€Å"I want you to move next to John now. † â€Å"But Pete started it† 3. Listen, but use the broken record. Listen to such legitimate objections. It sometimes helps to repeat the objection to show you have listened as below. However do not accept denials, blaming or other arguing unless a genuinely strong case is made. It is the student’s duty to keep the class rules despite difficulties. Repeat what you want. â€Å"Even if Pete did start it, you should not have talked again. Please move now. † â€Å"But that’s not fair† (This process of listening, perhaps acknowledging what was said, but then repeating what you want continues as long as necessary. This is sometimes called the ‘broken record’. ) You remain firm unruffled and business like. â€Å"We all agreed our class rules are fair. Please move. † 4. Defer discussion but require obedience. If the student persists tell them that they are wasting valuable class time, and must continue this conversation after the class. In the meantime they must move. Repeat this once if necessary very firmly. 5. Withdraw. If they still don’t move remind them that defiance is a very serious There is a list of responses to inappropriate behaviour in Teaching Today 3rd edition, pages 117-8 offence and that they must see you after the class. Walk away to signal the dialogue is now over. The student might now move. If not, seek guidance from tutors and class managers; defiance is a health and safety issue as they might not even stop doing something dangerous when you tell them to. 6. Use Discipline Plans. If a student does not respond to assertive behaviour like this and problems persist, consult tutors and managers. Sit down with the student in a private one to one situation, and draw up a ‘Discipline Plan’ Allen. T (1996) * State the relevant class rules and explain why they help everybody learn and help create a happy classroom * Ask the student why they have a problem keeping the rule(s) and what would help them keep it better. Stress that the rule must be kept despite the stated difficulties. Ask them to become a team player.

Comparing Social Class in Baby of the Family and Black Girl Lost Essay

Social Class in Baby of the Family and Black Girl Lost      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Socioeconomic indicators such as education, income, and occupation are measures of social class (Social World). The novels Baby of the Family (Ansa, 1989), and Black Girl Lost (Goines, 1973) are examined to determine the intricate role one's environment plays in dictating the type of life one leads. "The class you are born into and raised in, class is your understanding of the world and where you fit in. It's composed of ideas, behavior, attitudes, values, and language . . ." (Social World). The contrast will analyze the affect assimilation, resistance, and the environment has on social ranking.    "Ratios of people of color, as well as women, are often much lower in socioeconomic status" (Social World. In Black Girl Lost, Goines' Sandra is born to a dysfunctional family in dismal surroundings. She is a product of a single parent home of which is headed by her mother, Sandie. According to research, women who are heads of single parent homes tend to incur increased stress, lack of social support, and financial strain (Social World). These factors could be arguably what drove Sandie to retreat into alcoholism. It is the common belief that the environmental situation one is born into is replicated. Sandy desperately avoided any comparison to her mother to dispel the cycle. "I just don't like for anyone to call me Sandie. That's my mother's name, and I don't want to use her name no way" (Lost 31).    In Baby of the Family, Ansa's Lena, the youngest child of a middle class family, is born into a life of privilege with all the advantages of wealth. The novels contrast by giving an account from either side of the spectrum; growing up privileged verses gr... ... that one is born into greatly affects social class in society. The strong contrasts between Lena and Sandra's situation show how assimilation calls for the abandonment of old lifestyles and conformity to the mainstream ideals. Environmental surroundings, ethnicity, birth, and the degree of assimilation all affect where one will end up in regards to socioeconomic ranking.       Works Cited Goines, Donald. Black Girl Lost. Los Angeles, California: Holloway House Publishing Company, 1973. Ansa, Tina McElroy. Baby of the Family. San Diego: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1989. Graham, Laurence Otis. Our Kind of People. New York: First Harper Perennial, 2000. Salins, Peter D. Reason Magazine On Line 1997. http://www.reason.com/9702/fe.salins.html Brown Nathan, et al., Living in a Social World 1998. http://www.muohio.edu/~psybersite/stereo/

Social Welfare System in Hong Kong

Question 1: Identify one type of the social welfare, discuss its services of Hong Kong and a)explain its values, rationales and objectives; b)ways of service delivery; c)discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the service and d)make suggestions to improve the services in future. CSSA—AN INTRODUCTION The comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme (CSSA) is surely one of the most influential social welfare in Hong Kong, in terms of money and beneficiary.In the fiscal year of 2010 alone, 19 billion was spent on CSSA, which increased noticeably by 40% as compared with the expenditure ten years ago. As at the end of 2009, total number of CSSA cases amounted to 289 139, representing an increase of 25. 3% over 1999. CSSA accounted for 8. 6% of government recurrent expenditure, compared with 7. 5% in 2000. During 1999 to 2009, the average growth in total number of cases per annum was 2. 3%. In fact, the growth rate of CSSA cases is expected to accelerate because the growth of eld erly population will peak in 2016-2026.In other words, the problem is not coming yet. But it will within 10 years. In view of the potential alarming situation, there is an urgent need to investigate the effectiveness of the scheme. This essay will give a brief review of the captioned scheme as well as to discuss possible ways to improve the services in the future, making the most effective use of government resources. CSSA—ITS VALUES, RATIONALES AND OBJECTIVES The CSSA Scheme was introduced in 1993, replacing the former Public Assistance Scheme, and evolved over the past 20 years into the current complex system.It is designed to provide a safety net for individuals or families who cannot support themselves financially for various reasons such as old age, disability, illness, unemployment and low earnings. The CSSA Scheme provides financial assistance to bring the income of such individuals or families up to a prescribed level to meet their basic needs. All CSSA recipients are entitled to free medical treatment at public hospitals or clinics. It is administered by the Social Welfare Department (SWD) and is non-contributory but means-tested.APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS To be eligible for assistance, the applicant must satisfy the residence requirements, that is, to have resided in Hong Kong continuously for at least one year before the date of application and be a Hong Kong resident for seven years. Yet, exception can be granted for discretion. They must also pass both the income and assets tests. To pass the income test means the applicant’s total assessable monthly household income is insufficient to meet their total monthly needs as recognized under the Scheme.To pass the asset test means the total value of the capital assets held by the applicant is below the prescribed limit. If the applicant lives with other family members, the application shall be made on a household basis. On top of the basic subsistence support, there is a number of supplement s, like disability, old age, community living, single parent, transport supplement, which is too excessive to mention here. A person can make an application directly to a social security field unit, or by referral to the Social Welfare Department by another government department or a non-governmental organization.Upon receipt of an application, staff of the SWD will conduct investigation and verification of the applicant’s circumstances. It is usually completed in a month and is very convenient. CSSA—ITS STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES Generally speaking CSSA has been quite effective in providing a safety nets towards the needy, whether the amount of grants is sufficient or not is subject to argument, one has to acknowledge the fact that there is no major starvation/freezing death caused by poverty in recent years. The general living conditions and nutrition’s of the poor improved, compared many years ago.In the past, social welfare is just a feeding station, or remedy measures after the problems exist, CSSA, with its recent reform of adding more and more subsidies like disabilities, elderly, transport supplement†¦etc, is a rather complicated cash transfer framework, which definitely, effectively created a safety net and contributed a part of improving peoples’ living standard. It seems that CSSA was able to fulfill the very basic philosophy of social security policy and social policy in general terms, which is residual or remedial. CSSA is somewhat a passive scheme as a rescue if the applicant himself, or his family failed to help.It is remedial because it functions only if you fall and will not prevent you from falling. This is of no doubt that CSSA can solve immediate issues, but not the root of it. In fact there are changes that CSSA can make to help better cope with this problem. Moreover, there is room of improvement of the efficiency of the scheme, as it has become more and more complex that something can be done to make it mor e efficient as a safety net. And as progress, it is vital that we look at the possible policy that can be adjusted to better cope with the situation as things do change over time.One of the major characteristics of CSSA is that it is a means tested scheme. In a nutshell, as long as the applicant meets the requirements, the applicants are entitled to get the benefits, as a matter of right. What they do is to assess the quantitative elements of the applicants, such as how many assets they have, how much they earn per month, the severity of his sickness, and treat them as fair as possible, without looking at their background, their ability, the reason they apply for the scheme.As a government servant, I comprehend the difficulty to do so because their job is to do assessment on the financial criteria. But CSSA is not just simple financial assistance, ideally speaking. When the unemployed come for assistance, their problem is not just short of money for assistance, they are unable or no t willing to find jobs which they do not like or do not match their skills or think the wage is too low for him. Recent news reporting a postgraduate graduated from The Chinese University of Hong Kong is an example. CSSA applicants have problems besides financing.I dare say a considerably proportion of staff running the program are not equipped with the skills that can deal with the key issue, thus missed the chance of preliminary investigation of the candidate while looking at the documents and data before the grant. However, CSSA is far from sufficient to provide something constructive, to help the recipients for taking constructive acts to participate in society. Right now we see that, the community is increasingly dependent, which is harmful. The CSSA should abandon the passive strategy of simply looking at needs and handing out cash.This can be done by demanding the recipients to take steps to help themselves as a prerequisite to receive the payments. It has in fact already bee n adopted and have a positive result. With the introduction of the intensified Support for Self-reliance Scheme measures in June 2003, there was a rapid deceleration in the rate of increase in unemployment cases during June to September 2003, the number of cases also started to decline as from October 2003 to October 2008. But the unemployment case started to rise since 2009, and almost reached the level of 1999, which is the year of financial crisis.As a suggestion, the said scheme can add community service work as a component of the criteria of getting subsistence, such as to clean toilets in governmental departments, of some minimum hours per month as a way to encourage them to contribute to the society. Back to the postgraduate in CU as an example, of course he will get something better than looking after elderly as a job! Even if he cannot do so what he has done will be beneficial to the society. Moreover, the scheme is becoming more complicated as more and more supplement and discretionary items have been added.It is no longer a system that is administratively simple or efficient. The lack of training of the said officials and the complexity the system deter the efficiency of the officials to tackle the applicants specific needs, rather in a degree enhanced their reliability on CSSA. Alternative of solving the problems, despite of training workers, is to tidy up the current structure of the administration, such as diving the recipients into categories, with their own eligibility criteria, referrals, conditions of assistance and kinds of help to offer.Bureau working on this will be, despite more systematic, will have a much more clear idea of how to help the applicant and in turn, the applicant received a better idea of their benefit and get better helped. For instance the financial needs of the elderly should be considered with their health care. They may, because worrying insufficient money to pay their health care, save the already little grants receiv ed from CSSA, sacrificing their living quality. There seems little cooperation with the Social Welfare department with relevant charity organizations.The same applies to other groups, like, for single parents family, which they save the CSSA for family services. I have already made the point through the above that CSSA, generally speaking is effective and have done a good job in providing a safety net to Hong Kong, by a one-way handout of cash. But it can, in fact, requiring the recipients to contribute back to the society by adding a component of voluntary services element into the scheme. This, on one hand can screen out people who do not really need CSSA, thus focusing to the resources and attention to those desperately in need.And on the other hand to help those screened out forcing them getting back to the mainstream. And as mentioned about, the efficiency of the CSSA system can be more efficient by adopting a categorical approach, better matching the skills of staff working th erein and the background of recipients. In a nutshell, CSSA do create some sort of dependency because, looking at the amount of CSSA cases and the economy of Hong Kong it is not very much correlated. That suggests that the determining factor for the number of people on welfare is, maybe the welfare system itself.Therefore it is very critical for the government to formulate its social welfare policy so that the policy will not create dependency by itself, better organizing structure of manpower, so the budget can save a few billion and most importantly, better matching of resources and helping those really in need. (1719 words) Reference: 1. Research and Statistics Section, Social Welfare Department, Statistics on Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme, 1999 to 2009 2. Social Welfare Department, A Guide to Comprehensive Social Security Assistance

Sushi King

OUTLINE CONTENT| PAGES| introduction| 2| Question 1 (9 degrees of method)| 3-6| Question 2| 7-9| conclusion| 10| Appendix and reference| 11-13| Introduction Sushi King first opened in 1995, pioneering a new era of Japanese cuisine in Malaysia with our unique ‘Kaiten Sushi’ or ‘Revolving Sushi’ with quick service restaurant concept. Offering range of Japanese cuisine where everyone can enjoy it t really affordable price. With the nice environment that they have , they are really gaining quickly popularity to become the favorite among locals foreigners taste. From a single outlet in Kuala Lumpur, we have grown to encompass over 70 (and counting) restaurants nationwide, distinguishing themselves as the largest sushi chain of restaurants in the country. The affordable price, efficiency of services from their restaurant had proved that they have the distinctive advantages, our specially equipped sushi-making machines and conveyor system showcasing quality sushi in a hygienic environment, as we offer quick and fresh food to suit today’s fast pace of life. The unique experience of selecting from a variety of sushi dishes on the revolving conveyor belt at leisure has attracted a wide variety of customers from all walks of life, from Japanese tourists and expatriates to even those initially unfamiliar with Japanese cuisine. Today, we have expanded our expertise to include specialized catering services for a variety of events and functions. As they continue to grow, we set our sights on further regional and eventually international expansion. Come and indulge in the Sushi King experience today. Question 1 Based on your understanding of Services Management, please explain to the Regional General Manager of â€Å"Sushi King SDN BHD† the findings of your study on his company pertaining to the 9 methods (degrees) of classifying services 9 Methods (Degrees) Of Classifying Services Intangibility In Service Management, there are nine methods (degrees) of classifying services. This method helps the company to classifying the services according to the characteristics. The first degree of classifying services is degree of intangibility. In terms of degree of intangibility, all services can be placed on a continuum ranging from low to high intangibility. For example, the higher the intangibility of Sushi King, the more difficulties customers experience when evaluating the offering. Intangibility can poses problems for the operating system since intangible things cannot be stored. Besides that, intangibility things are also difficult to standardize, making the quality much more dependent on the employee providing that particular service. Service also cannot be readily displayed or communicated. In Sushi King if the worker posses to high intangibility, it will be difficult for customer to experience on what they perceived for that services when evaluating the performance. Customer Contact Required Customer contact required has one of the characteristics that is the fact that demand for the service is often instantaneous and cannot be stored and that a flaw in the service operating system will have an immediate, direct effect on the consumer. The interaction between the employee and the customer means that the service employees have to be both competent and communicative. Therefore it becomes even more important to select and train employees that fit these criteria in order to perform their jobs well as front office employee. In sushi king, the interaction between employees and customer is very important as it will perform their ways of job very well in order for them to have both competent and communicative. Simultaneity This is not necessarily the same as the previous dimension. Production and consumption can occur simultaneously without the customer being present. Home banking and phone banking, for instance, allow the consumer to consume the service without face to face contact with the sushi king service provider. This is not necessary same as contact of customer required. In order for sushi king to provide the best service to the customer, what they can do is they need to face to face with their customer in order to allow them consume the service, production and consumption still occur simultaneously. Besides that, with that customer can affect each other while employee might affect the outcomes. Heterogeneity Employee and customer are the source of heterogeneity. As a result, there will be more heterogeneity in high consumer contact organizations. . In order to perform really well, Sushi king need to standardizing the operating system might be away to reduce this homogeneity. The implications are service delivery and customer satisfactions depend on employee and customer actions. For example, when employee serve customer in bad ways, it will affect the sushi king in names as it will gives bad pictures of sushi king. Perishability This dimension is of course closely related to the degree of intangibility and the degree of simultaneity. Means that the lower the goods component in the offering and the more consumption and production overlap, the higher the degree on perishability. As a consequence, these offerings cannot be stored. Managing the operation system by means of capacity management thus becomes more complex. Capacity management itself will influence both the employees and the customers. For example, customers of Sushi King will experience shorter waiting times, while the employees will have to adapt to more flexibility. The implication of this dimension is it is difficult to synchronize supply and demand with services. Other than that, services cannot be returned or resold. Demand fluctuation over time Dimensions related of previous point, the more demand fluctuates the more capacity management becomes important. The implication of this dimension is manager of Sushi King also faced with the challenge of continues fluctuation in demand, for instance. When the demand for the services is higher than the capacity management, the company effectively loses its chance to serve the customer. When the demand is less than the capacity, the company will loses revenue owing to unused resources. Since the capacity is a fixed component, the only viable option for the service manager is to find strategies that assist them to influence demand, strategies which can attract customers to voluntarily alter their demand. Additionally, excess capacity or low demand will not only affect the company's profit, but will also affect the quality of service that experienced by customers. Service customization Customization refers to the need and ability to alter the service in order to satisfy the individual customer's particular preferences. In terms of degree of service customization, unlike goods which are mostly purchased ‘off the shelf’, services can be much more customized. This is especially true when there is a high degree of overlap between production and consumption. For example, a meal at Sushi King, which is assembled from prepared items, is low in customization and served with little interaction occurring between the customer and the service providers. The implication of degree of customization is it will affect the ability to control the quality of the service being delivered and the perception of the service by the customer. Labor intensity Labor intensity can be defined as the ratio of labor cost to plant and equipment. A firm whose product, or in this case of Sushi King service, it requires a high content of time and effort with comparatively little plant and equipment cost would be said to be labor intense. Customer interaction represents the degree to which the customer can intervene in the service process. Service direction: towards people or equipment Personal services like hotels and restaurants are more towards people while transportation are equipment. In sushi king they need to focus more in their service direction to people as it will be more important as people will give the perception towards their restaurants including their services. Question 2 Prepare a short proposal to the Regional General Manager whether the â€Å"future Service Direction† of Sushi King SDN BHD should be towards people or equipment and how to achieve that. Service direction towards people or equipment is one of the classifying services that refer whether company wanted to focus towards people or equipment. Sushi king is restaurant, with that in what that I think, sushi king need to be more concern on people where they are actually providing foods and services to people. For the future direction, sushi king need to be towards people because they are the one who consume what that sushi king had. In sushi king, they are required to prepare their worker with people oriented service in order to well perform in what that consumer wants and needs. Their worker also need to have different value and skills to really success fulfill customer needs. Sushi king future service directions is people so it related to customer relationship management (CRM). It is a widely model for managing a company’s interactions with the customers and services prospects. It also involve using technology to organize, automate and synchronize business processes, principally services activities for instance, but also those for marketing, customer service and technical support. The overall goals of customer relationship management are to find, attract and win new customer, service and retain those the company already has and reduce the costs. Most of the companies nowadays are difficult of improving customer service in order to impact customer retention levels. Customer relationship management can be achieved through the raising customer satisfaction levels that require comprehensive systems approach. There are several steps in building relationships of worker and customer. The first step is to setting a clear customer experience strategy. To establish a good strategy certain key practices are required. First one is staff at sushi king need to understand the overall organizations vision and mission, next, sushi king staff need to define customer organizations customer service direction as well as value and they need to ensure customer service is defined as a key responsibility for the business or department. Second step is to selecting correct people in order for sushi king to be having just a good worker. When recruiting employees to provide customer service, the process often tends to concentrate more on functional expertise, technical competence and knowledge rather than interpersonal skills. However, lack of the right attitude can drastically impact client satisfaction levels. Research has in fact shown that attitude is the most important requirement like skills and functional expertise can be taught. Therefore in selecting the right people, sushi king need to define the critical job requirements and develop scenario-based interviews/assessment centers to screen and select candidates. Sushi king needs to involve multiple team members in the hiring process and ensure evaluation is based on objective not based on subjective criteria. Third strategy is to developing, motivating and managing your people Even though you have hired the right people, there is still a need to orient them into the organization’s customer relationship culture and define key communication skills. Therefore to build a customer relationship culture, it is important for sushi king to provide training in key areas required to deliver exceptional personal service as well as reinforce these skills using ongoing coaching and feedback. Sushi king also need to measure current performance levels and reward performance using a combination of monetary awards and non-monetary recognition. Other than that is establishing effective service delivery processes that provide the foundation for smoothing or inhibiting the material service element of the customer interaction. Efficient service delivery systems appear transparent to the customer. The critical elements in ensuring a positive material customer experience are sushi king needs to mapping the service delivery processes and evaluating critical success points in the process. Sushi king also needs to defining service standards and objectives for these essential points and establishing service delivery procedures to optimize material service as well as sushi king can create service level agreements to smooth internal service delivery. Next is building in continuous improvement, no matter how effective the service delivery processes, or well-trained the service deliverers, things go wrong. Products have faults. Customers get frustrated. Things slip through the cracks. The organizations that are built around managing the customer experience are able to resolve these issues effectively. In order for sushi king to recover effectively, it is necessary for sushi king to actively seek customer feedback and complaints as sushi king cannot improve if you don't know what went wrong in the first place. Sushi king also needs to train staff on how to handle customer complaints effectively using the correct mix of empathizing, apologizing and resolution as well as make sure that the real problem is solved, not just the symptoms. Sushi king also need to focus on proactive (prevention) as well as reactive (cure) problem solving. Lastly is ensuring managers are the key change-agents consultants, we observe that senior management often has the vision, intention and commitment to introduce a comprehensive customer relationship management system. The make or break element is in involving middle management in the change process, and empowering them to be the key change-agents. To do this, it is important to sushi king to engage the management team early and often in the process and its involve management members in articulating the customer experience strategy. Sushi king also need to teach managers coaching skills so that they are able to articulate and reinforce the key personal service skills and use managers as facilitators when rolling out interpersonal skills training. Rewarding managers on establishing, monitoring and updating service delivery processes as well as ensures managers are able to act as an example to their teams. As a conclusion, sushi king really need to build customer relationship in order to gives the best future service direction towards people. Conclusion For the current condition in sushi king, their service actually got little bit of lack in giving service to their customer. With a bit of improvement and innovation, I am sure that they really can come out with very good service quality that people may perceive. Reference http://www. sushi-king. com/

Critical commentary Essays

Critical commentary Essays Critical commentary Essay Critical commentary Essay Essay Topic: A Streetcar Named Desire Earlier in the scene Blanche questions Mitch with regards to what Stanley has told him about her and Blanche remarks that Stanley is rude to her. Mitchs reaction, that he is surprised to hear that and [doesnt] see how anyone could be rude to [her], suggests his feelings towards her are sincere and give the audience a deeper insight into Blanches character and how she represents herself. In Blanches earlier scene with Mitch she appears innocent to the world of domestic abuse and tells Mitch she isnt properly dressed and therefore cant sit and have a cigarette with him (although she is easily persuaded.)Mitch believes that she is the pure Southern Belle she wishes to be seen as but in scene nine, after he has looked into Stanleys accusations, he realises she has been promiscuous in the past and, as Stanley does in scene ten, tries to take advantage of her. Blanche tells Mitch how Stanley must hate her since he insults her but then she suggests, perhaps in some perverse way he No! The idea that Stanley might actually be attracted to her causes her to make a gesture of revulsion Before finishing her drink to try eradicate the feelings of uncleanliness.The use of alcohol to mask difficult emotions is a recurrent theme in the play and in Williams own life. The use of the word stalks to describe Stanleys movement through the rooms at night make him appear carnal and animalistic, as well as suggesting the possibility that the rape in scene ten was premeditated which is supported by Stanleys line in scene ten, Weve had this date with each other from the beginning! Blanche talks about the lack of privacy in the flat since there are only portii?res between the two rooms at night. This is an example of her fear of being revealed for who she really is, a theme which is exemplified throughout the play through the use of light imagery. The idea of light appears at the end of the extract after Blanche has explained her husbands suicide to Mitch. She says, And then the searchlight which had been turned on the world was turned off again and never for one moment since has there ever been any light stronger than this kitchen candle This is a particularly interesting line since throughout the play Blanche actively prevents herself being in strong light, perhaps suggesting that she worries that if people knew what she had said to her husband she would be abhorred and blamed for his death. The word again indicates that the searchlight had been off before she met Allen and that it is her love for him that suddenly turned a blinding light on something that had always been half in shadow but since his death no one has been able to compare. Death is a major theme in this extract as well as throughout the play.It is inextricably linked to desire which is shown through Allen Greys sexuality leading to his suicide, Blanches relationship with the student causing her lose to her job and the rape in scene ten which resulted in her being institutionalised and ostracised from society. Although not all of these are physical death they are all metaphors for the destruction caused by desire. Mitch asks Blanche her age, a fact she refuses to disclose, as if by retaining that piece of information she can remain youthful and return to a time before Allens death and her demise.Tennessee Williams shows the audience her reluctance through the use of stage directions (She makes a nervous gesture. ) Mitch wishes to know because he has been talking to his dying mother about her and when she asked Blanches age he was unable to say. When he tells Blanche his mother is sick and wont live long. Maybe just a few months the topic of death is addressed and Blanches tale of her husbands end is made known to the audience in full for the first time.Both Blanche and Mitch have difficulty saying death and instead Blanche says the person I loved I lost and Mitch says She wants me to be settled before she Williams makes this particularly poignant by their consequent actions; Mitch, clears his throat twice, shuffling nervously around with his hands in and out of his pockets while Blanche crosses to the window and sits on the sill, looking out and then pours herself another drink. Both their reactions are very solitary, showing the audience their loneliness.Homosexuality was still considered a mental illness at the time A Streetcar Named Desire was written but, although not accepted, it was tolerated in New Orleans unlike in Mississippi where Allen and Blanche lived. When describing Allen, Blanche points out, There was something different about the boy, a nervousness, a softness and tenderness which wasnt like a mans, although he wasnt the least bit effeminate looking. This tenderness is what Blanche is looking for in every sexual relationship she has ever had but no one has ever been able to provide.Blanche refers to his sexuality as that thing, showing her repugnance which was echoed on the dance-floor at Moon Lake Casino when she said the fatal words, I know! I know! You disgust me It is in this extract that we come to understand the significance of the Varsouviana. Her husband, the man he had been in bed with and Blanche all went to the casino but pretending nothing was wrong. This pretence fooled no one and Williams shows it looming through the use of the Varsouviana in the minor key.After the shot the polka initially stops abruptly but resumes in a major key possibly suggesting the problem of Allens sexuality was resolved and in some ways , it was almost a joy to be free from the pain his sexuality had caused him. The Polka music increases but unlike in every other scene of the play it fades out rather than requiring Blanche to drink until she hears the shot suggesting she is soothed by Mitchs affection rather than merely obliterating her problems through alcohol.BibliographyRoudani, Matthew C. (ed. ) The Cambridge companion to Tennessee Williams. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.