Education: The Road to a Better Life :: Teaching Philosophy

Education: The Road to a Better Life Education is an institution we use to teach people what they wouldn't normally learn. Teaching has to give an educator satisfaction in making a difference in someone's life. I want to become an educator so I can teach what I never had much of an opportunity to learn in my years In school. Education is completely necessary in life, without it, life would hold less meaning and excitement. My classroom would be very relaxed. Art posters would hang on the walls, along with diagrams, maps, and sculptures. Projects would vary in accordance to my class levels and areas of concentration and, seats would be moved in according to the media we would work in. I would set up still-lifes when working in painting or drawing. When studying history, I would show the students slides of famous works and people. When painting or drawing, the seating would be surrounding the subject in a circle. When seeing slides or having lectures, seats would be more organized in rows. Bulletin boards would display student works and class assignment reminders. My classroom would be a mixture between authoritarian and non-authoritarian. I certainly do not want to scare them into listening to me, and I do not want them to fear me or hesitate in asking for my help. But, I do not want them to take advantage of me or think that they can get by with not working. Being an art teacher, I would keep my classroom visually interesting without distracting the student's attention needlessly. I would never tell a student he or she is wrong in their artwork, I would only try to help that student reach their goals in the project. Personal art is never wrong and it should only be graded on following directions and putting forth effort. In cases of discipline, I would never verbally castigate a child, that does nothing for their self-esteem. I would tell them to stay on task or else they wouldn't receive a grade for that specific project. I would try to be their friend so that they would feel comfortable telling me things that were important, but I would never lose sight in position. I would be the teacher, therefore I would be in charge of them. I would want them to feel free to tell me things that were bothering them, joke around, and be comfortable in class.

Waiting for Superman Review

Waiting for Superman Waiting for Superman is a documentary that attempts to show inequalities in what is supposed to be a fair public education system. The film is primarily centered on five families and their attempt to secure a better education for their children. The movie shows several hardships the families have to endure and somewhat ironically, the most emotional moment for me involved one young girl not being allowed to attend her elementary school graduation because her mother fell behind on payments at a private school.After watching Waiting for Superman I was divided in my feelings for it. After reflecting on the movie I am not sure what exactly the underlying theme of the movie is other than saying that some public school are bad and some charter schools are good. The movie never goes into the bad schools and identifies problems (other than teacher’s unions) nor does it look at the charter schools and identifies what they are doing to stand out. Waiting for Superma n merely presents a few anecdotes and says there is a problem without ever revealing an underlying problem or a solution.The film loves to toss around numbers such a, â€Å"Fifty years ago the United States had the best education system in the world† without putting anything into context. My first thought when I hear statement similar to this is how do we know? We did not have standardized testing in the states. If there was some form of uniform testing whom got tested? Even though there was mandatory school attendance in the United States at this time, how strictly was it enforced and was it enforced equally among all schools—rich, poor, black, white, etc.Furthermore, fifty years ago most of the industrialized world was still trying to recover from World War II so to compare United States Education in 2009 to 1959 is unrealistic. Furthermore is the spending issue. Yes, we are spending more per student than we were before. However, with the Individuals with Disabilitie s Education Act (IDEA) and No Child Left Behind (NCLB) a lot of that spending is spent on students with learning disabilities.Because much of those funds have been earmarked for specific students and programs (many ineffective) and the increased level of bureaucracy, it is also not equal to compare school funding on a student to student basis from 2009 and 1959. There were several points in the movie I did agree with. I am advocate of many of Michelle Rhee’s, Chancellor of Washington D. C. ’s public school system, decisions regarding the district. I understand many teachers and students are upset about the closing of the schools. However, Washington D. C. as suffered suburban sprawl in recent years that have left many schools only partially full costing the district millions of dollars in energy costs, personnel, and transportation costs. I also advocate for her firing many district personnel. I agree with Waiting for Superman’s analysis that many school distric ts have become to top heavy. Many of these employees in the district offices make the highest salaries in the district—even more than principals. In Polk County, FL, the district office payroll is nearly 8% of the entire district budget.This adds up to over $85M which is higher than the budgets of the largest high schools in the district! I am also bewildered how any high-performing teacher would be against the proposed salary increase that is dependent on evaluations and student success. I am confused as to how teachers (or any profession) believe they have a right to their job regardless of their performance. Despite Waiting for Superman over-simplifying and essentially demonizing teacher’s unions (and I LOATHE most unions including teacher’s unions) I agree that teacher’s should be subject to performance evaluations which might result in termination.I also agree with Waiting for Superman’s advocacy for school choice. I believe parents have the r ight to put their student’s in a charter school if they believe a local community school is not sufficient. Furthermore, I believe that vouchers should be extended to private schools if those schools have met the required state standards. Currently in Florida, only students who have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) could access the McKay Scholarship Program to attend private schools.This law was extended this week to all students with 504 plans to also have access to McKay scholarships. Hopefully this bill will begin to pave the way to a state approved school voucher program in Florida. It is important to point out, and I am surprised that the movie did mention this, that only 17% of charter schools have amazing results. This leads to my biggest problem with the Waiting for Superman. The film attacks public schools as being unfair and not good enough. However, not once does it visit many of the poor charter schools in the nation.Nor does it address what studies show time an d time again is that a student’s background, including socio-economic status and family life, are the greatest indicator of a specific child’s success in school. This is no better exemplified in Anthony. Anthony is a young man that is being raised by his grandmother. His grandmother is raising him because his father died of a drug overdose (no mention was given of the biological mother). The grandmother admitted that when her son (Anthony’s father) was a young she did not understand the importance of education.Now she views Anthony’s education as the most important thing in both of their lives. All five of the families in Waiting for Superman place a very high importance on the education and want their children in the very best schools. This leads to a chicken versus the egg argument that the movie never attempts to answer. Are these â€Å"amazing† private and charter schools get the best results because they have the best faculty, curriculum, etc or do they receive the best results because they have kids in them whose parents put more of an emphasis on education. This is the movie I would like to see made as a follow up to Waiting for Superman.

Classroom Management-Routines and Procedures Essay

The following in-class activities are in the specialized area K-8. The first in-class activity is the use of centers. In this activity student are able to pick their center that they would like to participate in. Students are given a 20-minute center time that is split into two 10-minute sessions. This allows the students to stay interested in the activity. Types of centers that the students can choose from are: Reading Center, Write the Room, Money Center, Art Center, Listening Center, Pattern Block Center, Puppet Center, Computer Center, or Poetry Center. While students are seated, the teacher reminds the students of center procedures. The children have previously been instructed how to utilize each center. The teacher will choose a stick with the child’s name on it, to determine who gets to pick first and there after. They are reminded that no more than 2-3 people can be at each center, and because of this should be thinking of another center in case the center they first c hoose is full. Students will remain in there seats until everyone has picked a center. The children will hear a bell and are asked to stop what they are doing, clean up their center, and go to their desk where the teacher will now assign them to a different center. During this activity one of my behavioral expectations will be that students are quiet during their center time. Quiet doesn’t mean that the student can’t talk, but they must whisper to their fellow center members if they need too. Center time is still learning time and I want each student to respect that. Students are told that should they break that rule, a warning will be given and then if broken again, they will have to go to their seat until it is time to switch centers. The second expected behavior is that the students stay at his/her center, until they are told to switch. The students are not permitted to roam around the room and visit with classmates at other centers. It is important to maintain a structured, well-balanced classroom environment where students carry over my behavioral expectations from activity to activity. The second in-class activity is the morning meeting board. This activity is done first thing every morning. During this activity we discuss what our schedule for the day will be, take our lunch count, practice our days of the week, months of the year, what the temperature for that day is, daily smart board activities, and many other repetitive activities we do on a daily basis. This activity requires students to be on the floor in front of the meeting board facing me. The morning meeting board requires individual student answers and a high level of engagement. Students are required to sit in an assigned seating area on the floor and remain there until meeting board is over. During this activity one of my behavioral expectation is that there is no talking. Children are not allowed to talk, as it is a distraction to the learning process. Children are told that they are not allowed to talk unless their name is called to answer a question or a group response is needed. The no talking rule, fixes the need for a child to blurt out the answer when it is not their turn. The next behavioral expectation is that students will keep their hands and feet to themselves. It is very tempting to distract your classmate while seated on the floor close to each other. By implementing this expectation, students are learning self-control and the skill of accountability. Students are expected to be able to stay in their assigned area and engage in the activity with little or no distractions. There are many opportunities to take students on the adventure of learning outside the classroom. The first activity is a school wide assembly that would require K-12 students to meet in the gymnasium. The assembly is in an environment that is energetic and fun. The students listen to music by the band, watch or participate in a fun activity with older students, and listen to administration lecture about upcoming events and other important information. This atmosphere will bring out many different behaviors from my students. It is important that I allow them to have a fun, positive experience but with expectations on how they need to behave. My first expectation is that the students will remain in their seats and not move around. With the energy that this assembly will bring, students will need to stay seated so that they are not distracting the other students or those who are putting on the assembly. Students will also be expected to not visit or talk with their classmates during the assembly, as it is a classroom rule to sit quietly while others are speaking. Setting these expectations and explaining why I have them is important for the student to understand. The next out-of-class activity is a field trip to a pumpkin patch. This field trip is a fun, hands on learning experience. The pumpkin patch has a petting zoo, zip line, corn maze, tractor rides, train rides, face painting, pedal tractor racetrack, and many engaging activities. This activity can also bring out an array of different behaviors in children, which the teacher must be mindful of. On field trips there are teacher helpers like volunteers/parents, who go along to help keep a watchful eye on the students. Students are split into small groups and are teamed up with a teacher helper. Teacher helpers are given instructions as to what I expect from my students. One of my behavioral expectations is that the students remain in their group at all times. Students are told that they will not be able to roam about the pumpkin patch without their group and their teacher helper. They are told that the teacher helper will be the one who decides when to move on to the next activity. My next behavioral expectation is that the students respect the property of the pumpkin patch and those who work there. This is already one of our classroom rules and they will be expected to follow it even though we are not in school. A teacher must try to always be one step ahead of their students when it comes to how students will behave in situations. It is extremely important that students always know what is expected of them. A teacher may continually have the child recite the rules over and over, but that doesn’t mean they understand what it means. A teacher may think that the classroom rules are clear and concise, but to a few students they many not be. The first way a teacher can evaluate what her students understand about those expectations, is through discussion. The teacher must state the rule and then explain what it means. The teacher’s explanation should provide examples and scenarios that the student can understand. Allowing the children to give examples that they can relate to, can also help evaluate their understand of the expectation. Another way to evaluate is through role-playing. Children are given scenarios on how to break the rules or follow the rules and then they act it out. The class audience can then determine what rule is broken and how it could have been prevented. The students may also act out how it looks to follow the rule. The teacher can then explain what consequence would be given if rules are not followed. This is fun for the students and allows the teacher to see who is or doesn’t understand the expectations.

Scrooges wealth Essays

Scrooges wealth Essays Scrooges wealth Paper Scrooges wealth Paper During staves 3 and 4 it is shown that although the poor cannot be compared with the amount of wealth Scrooge has, their moral richness is far more larger than Scrooges wealth. Everybody had something to say about it, but nobody said or thought it was at all a small pudding for a large family. It would have been flat heresy to do so. Any Cratchit would have blushed to hint at such a thing. this quotation shows how the Cratchit family do not want to hurt each others feelings and have a sense of what is right and in this case what is right to say and what is not. Furthermore the Cratchit family are very religious because they think saying anything bad about themselves is religiously bad and therefore avoid saying anything offensive. This shows their moral richness, and that although they are poor they have more of a sense of moral rightness than rich people. In addition to this the poor have a great commitment to their family; Martha, who was a poor apprentice at a milliners, then told them what kind of work she had to do, and how many hours she worked at a stretch, and how she meant to lie a-bed tomorrow morning for a good rest; tomorrow being a holiday she passed at home. This shows that the poor have more of a commitment to their family, therefore love their family very much. Also this quote shows that the disadvantaged do not take their job for granted like people from the upper class do. Mrs Cratchit cares a lot for her family as she is constantly worrying whether her family will be able to live happily in their unfortunate conditions: Mrs Cratchit left the room alone-too nervous to bear witnesses-to take the pudding up, and bring it in suppose it should not be enough! This citation shows that Mrs Cratchit cares a lot for her family, and though they are living in intolerable circumstances she still tries to make the best out of the things that are available to her family. Another extract that supports this matter is this: Cratchits wife, dressed out but poorly in a twice-turned gown, but brave in ribbons, which are cheap and make a goodly show for six pence. This shows that though the Cratchit family are poor Mrs Cratchit does try and make herself as much as presentable to society as possible, even if it is cheaply. All of this helps to sustain the idea that although the Cratchits are poor, they still try and make the most of their situations and if they have got money, even a little, then they will try and make the most of it by spending it for their family. This contrasts with Scrooge who doesnt want to spend his money, even though hes got the cash. Martha didnt like to see him disappointed, if it were only a joke; so she came out prematurely from the closet door, and ran into his arms. this quotation definitely shows that the Cratchit family love each other very much and the way Charles Dickens writes about this shows the love that Martha and her father share even though they are living in poor conditions. This contrasts with the absence of love and gratitude in the rich who do not care about the poor. Furthermore when the Christmas spirit takes Scrooge to show his future, Scrooges death and Tiny Tims death make a huge contrast because when Scrooge had died nobody was aware of it, apart from the paupers who had come to take his fine belongings. However, when Tiny Tim had died his whole entire family was near him and had mourned for him. This makes a huge contrast because it shows that Scrooge had no one to take care of him whilst he was on his death bed with rats thriving on his body, whereas Tiny Tim had his whole family with him when he died. It shows that though Scrooge is very rich he didnt have anyone for comfort because of his egotistical character, whereas Tiny Tim was a good person even though he was poor. It makes a contrast because it shows that though Scrooge is filthy rich he cannot buy the love the Cratchits have for each other. Throughout the whole novel Dickens exemplifies, through different characters, what the attitude towards the poor should be like. In stave 1 Marley gives an advice to Scrooge towards the poor advising him to care for them. Mankind was my business. This quote shows that Marley is trying to tell Scrooge that one individual is responsible for every individual in society and if this warning is ignored, because they are blinded by ignorance and want, then that person will suffer an afterlife similar to Marleys: I wear the chain I forged in life. Marley is suffering the consequences of being like Scrooge now in his afterlife. Moreover the Christmas spirit shows Scrooges lonely death when they travel to the future and shows him that he is dead on his bed. a gray-haired rascal, nearly seventy years of age the author is trying to teach scrooge a lesson that if he continues to be heartless towards the poor then nobody would care for him and during his death he would be left alone like the Christmas spirit was showing him presently. Furthermore, towards the end of the novel the ghost tries to make Scrooge feel guilty for what he had done to underprivileged in the past. The phantom tries to show Scrooge how because of him the poor are living in unbearable conditions, but are still grateful for everything they have. The ghost does receive Scrooges attention to how he is responsible for the things he had done to the poor: Spirit! said Scrooge, Show me no more! Conduct me home. Why do you delight to torture? This extract shows that Scrooge is feeling culpable for the things he had done to the unfortunate; before he looked at them with scorn and disgust but now he considers watching the poor and the ghosts of his past in agony, deeming it as torture for himself. This may be a jovial, comic ghost story, but it is also a very serious description of Victorian social attitudes towards society. Charles Dickens makes it very clear of the results of disregarding his caution towards the underprivileged: Most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is doom unless the writing be erased. From this quote you can see evidently that Charles Dickens is trying to send a message to us, the readers of the novel, that if we as human beings continue to ignore the poor then doom will be written in our fate. The message that Charles Dickens is trying to send us through this book is that the rich and middle class should not ignore the poor or they will suffer greatly for their actions in their afterlife. This message is relevant in todays society that does not believe in an afterlife. This is because although there are people drifting away from the religious side of life there are still religious people who exist in society who believe in these sort of messages that there should not be any sort of inequality in society-both status wise and race wise. Also though there may be non-religious people or atheists in society who dont really abide by rules and regulations of a religion, but, they still have morals and a sense of feeling of how they should treat the poor. Therefore whether you look at it in a religious point of view or a non-religious point of view you will still find that such morals and messages are still significant in todays world.

Midterm - HIST Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Midterm - HIST - Essay Example The meeting took place at Versailles on May 5, 1789.1 The success of the goal was the creation of a national assembly. As a result, it was a success as the event laid a foundation for the creation of a new constitution. Secondly, the revolts led to various changes in France. The revolts broke out in the name of saving the third state from Louis XVI. Later, the revolts engaged in addressing the ineffective land holding system. In addition, the revolts led to fear among the citizens and many-formed militia fearing attack from foreign troops.2 However, the fear created helped in influencing the national assembly in instituting crucial reforms. The nobility passed momentous reforms in the national assembly. For example, the assembly passed a declaration of the rights of man.3 Consequently, there was spread of liberal believes in the country. For example, there was access to public office, end of exemptions from taxation, and the people were allowed take part in making of laws.4 Moreover, there was a guarantee in the freedom of speech and the press. Moreover, the march to Versailles was instrumental. The march resulted from king failure to return to Paris he was against changes. The march largely comprised of women. The march forced the king to accept new decree by the national assembly.5 The king returned to Paris and feudalism was abolished as well as Declaration of rights.6 The other significant issue was the process of overcoming the enemies of the revolution. The effect was setting of revolutionary courts for trying the enemies of the revolution. This came to be known as the Reign of terror.7 The consequence was a creation of more space for the church as they were given place to reopen. Moreover, there was a passage of a new constitution and the establishment of a national legislative assembly. The other significant step was the coup d’Ã ©tat. A general known as Napoleon Bonaparte led the coup. The revolution was as a result, of

The significance of Jerusalem to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam Essay

The significance of Jerusalem to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - Essay Example armed can defend the physical territory which cradled a religion, yet so as the one favored or preferred by people with the authority (thus making it political). One such city, undergoing fierce territorial pursuits in lieu of its three cradled religion -- Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, is the holy city of Israel, the Jerusalem. Jerusalem is central to the religion, Judaism. Geographically and historically, this city bore the city of David and its main Temple, of which existed the Ark of the Covenant (Prior 71). Inherent to almost all religions, the Judaism’s hold for Jerusalem as its holy city is primarily rooted by its being the place of origin and the existence of an important relic, the Ark of the Covenant. Symbolically, the Temple’s destruction and the Jew’s oppression have become events that were to be endured and triumphed over to be able to accomplish the â€Å"return of the Jews to Zion† (Hoppe 22). Indeed, the world had been witnessed to the Jew’s sufferings. Consequently, they view the return to their holy city, Jerusalem, of which they were repeatedly ousted, as the ultimate reward for refusing to give up in this religious-territorial battle. For the Christians, Jerusalem, as its holy city, lies on the fact that the place is the event for Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension, as well as the ‘descension of the Holy Spirit on the early Church’ (Prior 71). The Jerusalem City, cradling these important events, naturally marked its place in the Christian history and piety. However, what strengthened the city’s position in the Christian norm is the discovery of Jesus’ tomb in the city (Hoppe 22). The tomb’s existence in Jerusalem sealed its place in the Christian norm that even if pilgrimage was not considered the religion’s tradition, it was nevertheless encouraged. The Muslims consider Jerusalem to be one of its three holiest places, apart from Mecca and Medina (Prior 71). Jerusalem’s holiness in the Muslim context is based

Customer Service Operation and excellence (Scenario Based Project Essay

Customer Service Operation and excellence (Scenario Based Project Report) - Essay Example It is therefore important that the management of academic libraries understand that successful service organisations like successful product oriented firms, must understand the way the customer goes about making a decision to purchase a service, how quality is evaluated, and in what ways a company can present a â€Å"differential advantage† relative to the competition (Berkowitz et al. 1997, p. 352). According to Quinn (2007) in recent times the educational community, generally and the library profession in particular have placed increasing emphasis on the service quality model. This model has customer satisfaction as its primary objective as traditional measures of academic library quality such as collection size becomes secondary. In assessing service quality the customer compares expectations about the service offered to actual experience with the service. Gap analysis is a tool that is used to identify the differences (gap) between what is expected and what is experienced. According to Berkowitz et al (1997, p.353) this type of analysis requires consumers to assess their expectations and experiences on dimensions of service quality as described in the table that follows. Dimension Definition Reliability Ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately. Tangibles Appearance of physical facilities, equipment, personnel and communication materials. Responsiveness Willingness to assist customers and provide prompt and efficient service Assurance Knowledge and courtesy of employee and their ability to convey trust and confidence to customers Empathy Caring, individualised attention that is provided to customers. Table 1 – Dimensions of Service Quality Adapted from Marketing 5th Edition – Berkowitz et al (1997, p. 353) Dimensions of service Quality in Academic Libraries In the context of service quality and customer satisfaction, of importance, is the need to look at the service that the library provides in order to see how i t can fulfil expectations. The role of the library is to provide resource materials for its customers. But, who exactly are these customers? They are students, administrators, faculty members and the general public. Reliability In terms of reliability the library must be able to provide the student with a book, journal or other resource material which will enable the completion of a required task. While the librarian is expected to provide the service in a timely manner, there is the need for the student to exercise some skills in how to access required materials to carry out his or her role. The librarian however, is available to provide some guidance but the student independence is of extreme importance in the development of worthwhile skills which will be required in the future. The student or faculty member will need, at some point in time, the necessary guidance from the librarian, who possess the necessary skills and experience, and who will be able to provide information and resources that will be useful in carrying out the required task in a timely manner. Tangibles While the aesthetics of the environment is of extreme importance, it is not very important in a non-profit making environment as it is in a profit making organisation. However, the library as a facility for research and a learning environment should provide a measure of relaxation and comfort that is conducive to studying. The emphasis is on providing an environment that will allow for the