Becoming An Educator :: Education Teaching Teachers Essays

Becoming An Educator Waking up every morning, excited, motivated and ready to go to school. This is how I felt as a child and now how I want to make other children feel. When I attended school all children loved to be there, but in today's society that isn't the case. So many of the rules in school today have changed. So many issues have arose in today's society like war and violence that students are scared to be at school where they feel unsafe but I , as a future educator would like to change children's outlooks on school. There are many reasons for public schools. The rules however changed tremendously. When you walk into a kindergarten classroom today you see students learning their alphabet, their numbers, playing with others, and coloring pretty pictures. This is what education should consist of. Even though everyone bases everything around learning, it has to include fun to catch the students' attention. Education is so important because without an education you can't proceed in everyday life. When you're young, education is fun and then things get somewhat more difficult as you continue on throughout college. You wonder, is it really worth it, doing all this work just to make a living? Yes it is because if doing all this work can lead you to doing something you love then every minute is worth it. When I walk into a classroom I look at every student and set goals for myself and hope that everyday when I leave that classroom I have taught someone something new that they didn't know before they met me. As a teacher I hope to accomplish achievement in my classroom. I will only set my standards at a high level because that is how I was taught when I was a child, I will not push my students to do more then they think they can. I always remember having a teacher walk into your classroom the first day of school and saying, "I want to be just like that when I grow up." I hope my students can look at me and say that and I also hope they learn something they didn't know before. In my classroom I want my students to enjoy themselves but at the same time I want them to walk out of my classroom with a new perspective.

Narcolepsy Essay -- Disorder Sleep Sleepy Health Essays

Narcolepsy Sleepiness, whether due to sleep apnea, heavy snoring, idiopathic hypersomnolence, narcolepsy or insomnia from any number of sleep-related disorders, threatens millions of Americans' health and economic security (1). Perhaps somewhat most concerning of these disorders are those that allow sleep without having any control over when it happens-idiopathic hypersomnolence and narcolepsy. The two are closely related in that both cause individuals to fall asleep without such control, yet narcolepsy occurs without any dreaming during naps (2). For years, narcoleptic people have been falling asleep in corners, concerned, as they have given numerous attempts to try to stay focused and awake. But besides the excessive fatigue that people experience, there surely must be more that can be associated with causing such sleepiness among people at an uncontrolled level. There might especially not be a reason involving the I-function of the brain, as people are not aware of when necessarily they will fall into their deep sleep. Narcolepsy has been clinically defined as a chronic neurological disorder that involves the body's central nervous system (CNS). The CNS is basically like a "highway" of nerves that carries messages from the brain to other parts of the body. Thus, for people with narcolepsy, the messages about when to sleep and when to be awake sometimes hit roadblocks or detours and arrive in the wrong place at the wrong time. This is why someone who has narcolepsy, not managed by medications, may fall asleep while eating dinner or engaged in social activities-or even at times when they are so focused on being awake, yet they cannot be due to their narcoleptic nature. In many cases, however, diagnosis... ...r personal grief. Works Cited: 1)Sleep Apnea, Snoring, Narcolepsy, Insomnia and Other Causes of Daytime Fatigue http://members.tripod.com/~sleephealth/sleepdisorderssleepapnea.html 2)Better Sleep Now! http://www.dreamdoctor.com/better/narcolepsy/6.shtml 3)Center for Narcolepsy: Symptoms and Diagnosis http://www.med.stanford.edu/school/Psychiatry/narcolepsy/symptoms.html 4)Living With Narcolepsy http://www.sleepfoundation.org/publications/livingnarcolepsy.html 5)Sleepnet.com Apnea Forum http://www.sleepnet.com/apnea18/messages/434.html 6)Seratonin: The chemistry of Well-Being http://www.angelfire.com/hi/TheSeer/seratonin.html 7)Sleep Channel: Narcolepsy http://www.sleepdisorderchannel.net/narcolepsy/treatment.shtml 8)Sleep: Alternative and Integral Therapies http://www.holistic-online.com/Remedies/Sleep/sleep_ins_food-and-diet.htm

Anger of Gods Depicted in the Old Testament and Kafkas Book, Metamorph

The anger of Gods throughout both stories leads you to believe that the Gods will not hesitate to take revenge on mankind for creating a world of evil in a world they created for good. The Gods from Metamorphoses and the God from the Old Testament create a world full of life, to live happy and full of grace. The destruction and recreation of the world by the Gods of each book, however similar they may seem, are full of differences as they both teach mankind lessons that should not be forgotten. â€Å"Whatever God it was, who brought order to the universe, and gave it division, subdivision, he molded earth† Metamorphoses pg 685. In the beginning the earth had nothing, no light to call sun, no water to bath in, and no human to walk on the ground that we call land that was not land. The Gods choose to make a playground of sorts. In both literature pieces the Gods divide the heavens and the earth, split the water from the land, light from the dark. The God’s made animals for this land and water and creatures for the air. â€Å"But something else was needed a finer being, more capable of mind, a sage, a ruler, so man was born, It may be in God’s image† Metamorphoses pg 686. â€Å"And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul† The Old Testament pg 54. The Old Testament God thought it was not good for man to be alone so from the bone of man’s r ib he made a woman. The first murder in the Old Testament is the beginning of God realizing that man was evil, â€Å"god saw the wickedness of man† Old Testament pg 56. Cain murdered his brother Abel, out of jealousy of the Lord’s love. Able a Sheppard who brought the fat of the animals and the Lord had respect fo... ...s to repopulate the earth, â€Å"Go from the temple, cover your heads, loosen your robes, and throw your mothers bones behind you† pg 692. Pyrrha being so innocent could not throw the bones of her mother and refused until she would never insult her mother in such a way. Themis over and over told them to do this until Deucalion thought maybe he meant to throw stones behind them. When Deucalion and Pyrrha did this the stones â€Å"began to lose their hardness, to soften, slowly, to take on form, to grow in size, a little, become less rough, to look like human beings† pg 693. All the stones that Deucalion threw turned to man and all the stones that Pyrrha threw behind her became women. Life began to form from other things as well. The moist mud from the waters drying turned to animals that now roam our earth, swim in our seas and oceans, birds that fly in our skies.

Advice to Youth Satire

Andy Diaz â€Å"Advice to Youth† The Object of Mark Twain’s article is to point out that the youths of our society are being told to become just like everyone else and that discourages their individuality. He uses sarcasm, so that he can assume the role of an elder in society, the kind of people he attacks, which instructs younger people how to act. Mark Twain does an exemplary job in copying exactly the types of teachings for youth that have been passed down through the ages. The idea of respecting one’s elders has been around for a long time. The article gives expresses of both adult and teen satire. But it mostly, pokes fun at the stereotypical advice and coaching given to youth through the use of firearms. However, the last sentence has a much darker and more of a bitter tone, and attacks the teachings he has just mocked, â€Å"Build your character thoughtfully and painstakingly upon these precepts, and by and by, when you have got it built, you will be surprised and gratified to see how nicely and sharply it resembles everybody else’s. Twain uses satire in describing the story of the boy who almost shoots his grandmother with what he thought was an unloaded gun. Instead of the classic â€Å"life lesson† story where the gun turns out to be loaded and ends up killing someone, he twists it so that the gun isn’t loaded after all and no one gets hurt. The rule at the root of this piece is the idea that individuality should be educated and that rational teachings are normalizing our youth. Mark Twain is great at mocking known teachings because he looks at it from a different angle, not suggesting that they are wrong but rather questioning if they are limiting originality and freedom of thought. Although, he runs into the certain obstacle that people who follow rational wisdom and tell their children the kinds of things he mocks won’t be as open to his argument because he doesn’t preach rational wisdom himself. He uses irrational wisdom to prove his point.

Components of the Criminal Justice System Essay

The criminal justice system is made up of many components but the three major components are the police, correctional agencies, and criminal courts. Within the judicial system, the police are the first step. They are the first responders to any crime scene which goes into the investigation process. The investigation process will then lead to possible arrests; the criminal is then booked and processed. They are given a court date and from that point the case is in the criminal courts domain. From that point the criminal courts then conduct a fair and impartial trial. The criminal courts are there to protect the rights of anyone facing processing by the justice system. The suspect is then found guilty or not guilty. If the defendant is found guilty they are then transferred from the county jail, where they were being held, to a state prison or correctional facility. The final step within the judicial system is the correctional agencies. However, appeals may be filed and the criminal will go through the court system again. Correctional facilities have different levels: minimum security and maximum security. The severity of the crime will determine which one of the facilities the criminal will end up in. The structure of the government relates to the criminal justice system in many ways. Like the criminal justice system, the government is also made up of different agencies that must work in harmony to serve a purpose. It also relates to the criminal justice system because the government is who makes the laws. Those laws vary from state to state in terms of penalties for misdemeanors, felonies, infractions, etc. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, â€Å"Under our form of government, each State and the Federal Government has its own criminal justice system† (BJS, 2012). After the laws are made, it is then the responsibility of the criminal justice agencies to enforce them. Although it seems that all of the mentioned entities work separate and alone, which in some cases they do, they are all working for the same purpose, reason, and results. Resource: Bureau of Justice Statistics, BJS, The Structure of the justice system Retrieved from: http://www.bjs.gov/content/justsys.cfm

Reflective Review of Youth Work Practice

My decision to study E131 Introduction to Working with Young people was based on my desire to cement my experiential learning by developing my knowledge of theoretical concepts through academic study. I have worked with young people for seven years, and the majority of my training thus far has been practice based. My current role is as a group worker in a therapeutic community for children and young people. The therapeutic community is a residential provision with a specialist education and therapy centre for children and young people with attachment disruption and trauma leading to social and behavioural difficulties.We also work with children displaying sexualised and self-harming behaviours. The therapeutic milieu which exists within the community is underpinned by an attachment focussed approach and provides stability for chaotic behaviour and a disregulated emotional state. The therapeutic provision is underpinned by an integrated team approach which includes Child Psychotherapy , Clinical and Forensic Psychology, Educational Psychology, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Social Work and Counselling.Prior to beginning Open University’s E131 Introduction to Working with Young People, and due to the highly specialised nature of the work I do, I held the belief that I had little to learn relating to youth work. The most significant, and surprising, realisation I experienced whist working through the module was that I will never and can never know everything there is to know about youth work. In fact, the very nature of my role within the Therapeutic Community may have narrowed my view of young people to only the most damaged individuals, which in turn has narrowed my outlook on the issues that young people are faced with today.A young person commented ‘†¦you can’t talk about â€Å"understanding young people† – all young people are different, so you would have to know different things to understand them all’ (The Open University, 2005, Study Topic 3, pg 5). This statement impacted me in a way that I didn’t expect. Not only in my working life, but also in my view of young people in general. When working with the most damaged children in society the danger is that all young people become viewed as potentially violent, harmful and not to be trusted.This view is contradictory to the very nature of youth work as set out in the National Youth agency’s Ethical Principles, which states ‘youth workers have a commitment to treat young people with respect, valuing each individual and avoiding negative discrimination’ (Harrison and Wise, 2005, pg 20). Although I do not feel my practice is discriminatory, my somewhat insular views on young people, and preoccupation with high risk behaviour in my working life, may have negatively influenced my ability to ‘value the individual’.This is an area that, due to my learning throughout the module, I have made a concerted effort to address. I have renewed my efforts to look past the negative behaviour and the diagnoses to view the young people I work with as individuals who are not defined by their circumstances. This has had a positive impact on my working practice as I continue to reflect on ways in which I can be more open to the individual needs of the young people with whom I work. The learning throughout the module has also given me the opportunity to come to terms with and challenge another view I was unaware I held.I had given little consideration to the view I held on youth work in general other than my belief that the work I do is not technically ‘youth work’ but rather more specialised and important. This is a view I now consider to be arrogant and unhelpful. Howard Williamson states that the ‘public perception of youth work is still largely locked into ideas about youth clubs and table tennis and pool’ (Williamson, 2005, pg 70), and prior to beginning this module I mus t admit that I held a similar misconception.However, Williamson’s account of his own experiences of youth work and the positive impact it has on the lives of young people has altered my perception. Although this has not directly impacted on my working practice, it has enabled me to view my role as a group and individual worker within the wider context of youth work, and realise the importance of broadening the experiences of the young people with whom I work, through valuing the opportunities on offer within the wider community.The shift in my view of youth work has also enabled me to consider the challenges that exist in my own work setting. One of the fundamental principles of youth work is the ‘voluntary principal’ (Jeffs, cited in The Open University, 2005, Study Topic 12, pg 5). This is described as ‘the kind of work where young people can choose not to take part†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (The Open University, 2005, Study Topic 1, pg 5). Within the setting of a t herapeutic community, and specifically within the context of my role as group worker, I find it difficult to describe the opportunities on offer for the young people as voluntary.For example, the therapeutic, social and educational workshop programme, which young people who are resident in the therapeutic community have access to during the school holidays, is considered to be voluntary, although it is incentivised through access to days out and rewards for attendance. However, some of the young people resident within the community may consider that their placements are not voluntary, making it difficult to consider any of the interventions on offer as such.Although I accept that youth work in its truest form should be voluntary, it has been difficult for me to accept that the work that takes place with the young people within the Therapeutic Community is any less valuable. The young people with whom I work are the most damaged in the country and would not be able to access the type of support they need without what Mark Smith calls coercive forms of participation (Smith, cited in The Open University, 2005, Study Topic 2, pg 31). Should we let them choose to avoid forming relationships and realising their potential forever simply to retain a puritanical view of what youth work is supposed to be?Or should we, as adults, do everything in our power to prevent these young people, who society has already failed, become casualties of that failure? Mark Smith also introduced the idea that targeting ‘at risk’ young people for focussed work as a negative progression in terms of youth work in its purest form. Smith feels that ‘the identification of specific target groups has the potential to lead to a narrowing of the diversity of young people worked with’ (2003, cited in The Open University, 2005, Study Topic 2, pg 30).Although I agree with Smiths statement, I am also aware of the funding limitations which exist, and am a strong believer that the most vulnerable or ‘at risk’ young people in society are a priority in terms of accessing the support they need. Despite my desire to defend the work I do, and its less than voluntary nature, my practice has been positively impacted by reflecting on the reason why the ‘voluntary principal’ is so highly regarded in relation to youth work.Within the process of planning the therapeutic, social and education groups within our group work programme, I have realised the important of extensive consultation with the young people to ensure the topics covered are relevant to them; something they are interested in and value, rather than what I feel they need or want. In this regard, I have been able to ensure that group participation is due to values that are closer to the concept outlined by the ‘voluntary principal’ than the idea of coercive participation.The impact of my shift in perspective on the young people within the therapeutic community is ye t to be evidenced, but the planning process for the groups has been much more focussed. Bruce Tuckman (cited in the Open University, 2005, Study Topic 6) has identified the five stages in a group’s life, his concept names the stages as Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing and Morning. As a group worker this concept underpins my practice in that my observations of the group and its progress are linked to identifying the stage in which the group is functioning and adapting my role as facilitator accordingly.Due to the chaotic nature of the client group within the therapeutic community the group regularly revisits the Storming stage of group development. In Study Topic 6, (The Open University, 2005, pg 27) this stage has been identified as a time when ‘there may be overt or covert antagonism towards the group worker’. When reflecting on my role as group facilitator, the reaffirmation of the pressures placed on me during this stage has been helpful. I have been rem inded about the importance of regular reflection in relation to the emotive aspect of group work in order to ensure the experience is safe and effective for the young people involved.In addition, the reflections of Guy Butler-Madden a Youth Support Worker at Lowbridge Youth Centre (Audio theme 6), in relation to the ‘storming’ stage of the DofE groups, impacted my learning through developing a shared understanding of some of the more challenging aspects of group work with others who work in a similar field. The final area of the module which has impacted on my learning is the importance of reflection. Study Topic 10 introduced the work of Donald Schon (1996) who advocated the ‘reflective practitioner approach to professional decision making’ (cited in the Open University, 2005, Study Topic 10, pg 6).Schon emphasises the importance of reflection for professional development and problem solving, rather than relying on ‘off the peg solutions’. Thi s concept has significantly impacted my approach to the work I do, in as much as I have introduced a weekly reflective space with my colleagues in order to consider decision making and problem solving in a formal setting. The act of practicing the art of reflection in a formal setting should impact my learning in that reflection will become second nature, thus improving my practice.In conclusion, the most significant impact my learning from the module has had on what I have already learned in my work with young people, has been identifying and challenging some of my preconceptions. In particular I feel that studying E131 has helped me gain a better understanding youth work in its purest form, its purpose and its values; and has allowed me to view youth work as a valuable tool in aiding young people through their transition into adulthood. My understanding of group process has been cemented and I have developed an insight into the challenges faced by other organisations in relation t o group dynamics.Finally, I have learned the value of effective reflection, and how professional development through using my knowledge as a fluid tool to enable effective decision making, rather than having a ridged view of the way an issue should be approached, can lead to more positive outcomes. All of these areas have impacted on what I have already learned from working with young people by allowing me to view my role within the wider context of youth work. My outlook has shifted insomuch as I now feel part of a wider agenda which seeks to enable young people to transition successfully and positively into adulthood.

Compare and Contrast Sir Gawain and Beowulf

Heroes come in many forms, yet traits such as: courage, honor, and loyalty, reappear as themes throughout the personality of a hero. The characters of Beowulf and Sir Gawain each represent a version of a hero, yet each comes across quite differently in their respective story. A hero can be said to truly win if he remains constant to his noble values when put in any situation that crosses his way. When measured by that criteria, Sir Gawain stands out above Beowulf as a true hero, due to his command of both personal and spiritual power through the use of thought, as well as valiant deeds.Gawain embodies many of the characteristics of the chivalric knight and hero, among them, modesty, honesty, commitment, loyalty, and courage. Although he is almost beyond reproach, he does commit a single error, accepting the lady's green girdle. This sets him apart from Beowulf. Distraught with his sin, Sir Gawain, concerned with maintaining his reputation and image as a chivalrous knight, admits he a ccepted the lady's green girdle to the host. This lie, once it is revealed, becomes the means by which the mild hubris that afflicts Gawain is exposed and also the means by which the hubris can be corrected.This flaw completes the character of Sir Gawain, for in his humility he becomes a lasting hero. Beowulf, is quite different in this respect, written in a perfect light in the absence of any flaw. This exemplifies the superior honor of Sir Gawain over Beowulf, because he is able to confront his sin and gain virtue, while Beowulf is portrayed as void of any wrongdoing, unable to denounce any defect in his person for lack of its existence. Beowulf is indeed an epic hero and king.What is especially interesting is that the way in which the tale is structured and narrated permits the reader to observe two different types of heroism: the heroism of youth and the heroism of an older, wiser, and more mature warrior. In his youth, the physical characteristics of heroism are emphasized. Beo wulf is recalled as having performed physical feats that no other man was capable of doing, and such feats required immense reserves of courage, such as his battle with Grendel in the hall, Herot, and his journey to Grendel's mother's lair inthe glimmering pool where he fought and defeated her. In his older age the feats of heroism are more subtle, more abstract, and one might question his decision to battle the dragon, which would ultimately result in his death. However, the code of the hero compelled Beowulf to defend his people one final time; he seemed to trust that a younger hero-warrior would rise to the occasion should death befall him, as it did. In â€Å"Beowulf,† the hero-king is faced with challenges that are both physical and moral, both threatening his life.Like Sir Gawain, Beowulf has all the requisite characteristics of a hero and like Sir Gawain, he is invested in protecting his reputation, yet in this respect, Beowulf chose pride over being humble, which Sir Gawain emanates. Beowulf does not know when to stop fighting; even in old age he is still waging war against evil forces, this is a prime example of his selflessness, sacrificial, yet boastful personality. Sir Gawain, was also selfless when he volunteered to behead the Green Knight, sacrificial when he chose to approach the Green Knight at the end of the tale, yet he never boasted or praised himself for these accomplishments.Sir Gawain was virtuous in his deeds, adhering to the chivalric code of earning the praise of God rather than the praise of fellow peers and subjects. Surely Beowulf and Sir Gawain are heroes. They hold heroic qualities such as bravery, valor and chivalry. But it is interesting to note that there greatest qualities are often their downfall. Beowulf, void of any downfall, was a great king and warrior, dying in his last feat of slaying a dragon.To the contrary, Sir Gawain fell to the sway's of women by accepting the lady's green girdle, yet after he had heroically faced the Green Knight, he continued to wear the girdle to display his shame. However, In considering heroes it is important to remember that for as strong as the values are, if they are to be considered true heroes, they must have their faults. This should not discount from their achievements, but serve to enhance them. For this reason, Sir Gawain is more honorable than Beowulf.