Velocity circus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Velocity circus - Essay Example Velocity circus is the only circus that managed to capture the world in one tent and kept it rising in the sky. This magnificent circus is unique and full of wonders of the world. There is nothing too big or small for their attention. They will do a terrific job of interrupting people’s themes. â€Å"This circus was established 1987 in San Leandro by Greg Angelo Herrera†. (Seabock 2). He is a genuine San Franciscan and the artistic director of Velocity Arts and Entertainment and Velocity Circus. The persona of his has become synonymous with the exceptional nature in which he demonstrates the quality of his arts and entertainment. When Greg Angelo has time, he goes to lecture at art schools and universities around the United States. As such, he is an active mentor, teacher and advocate of emerging artists. In this way he has been able to keep the circus up to date with emerging technologies and circus performance types. In this way, the circus is revitalized with new ide as and entertainment acts that ensure every second and subsequent visit feel like the first visit. As Velocity circus continues to inspire others by their uniqueness, this review will include: why they are unique, the author’s opinion on how they performed, and why people should actually visit such a performance. I have experienced wonder when I attended their performance this past Wednesday. They knew how to touch the heart of the audience member and enchant it with awe. Ultiamtely, Velocity has this way of tapping into every individual’s inner desires and preferences in circus entertainment and somehow seeking to meet them. In such a way, the Velocity circus in San Leandro is considered to be one of the most diverse, colorful and unique acts in the world. From magicians to flying acrobats; Velocity has it all. Whatever one desires and is interested in, they are bound to find it there. They also add some form of unique touch to their acts and performances which help t o distinguish it from other circus acts. Moreover, they are lively and can store vivid images of the experience in ones memory for a long period of time; ultimately building anticipation for a next visit. If I would compare Velocity with other circuses, it would be necessary to conclude that other circuses have the same pattern of characters. For example the clown, juggler and some animal acts. Yet, Velocity has more colorful, distinguished characters and every act is different; not like the other circuses. Furthermore, there are absolutely no animals in their acts. The first performance that I thought was gripping was with regards to the glow in the dark contortionists. â€Å"Probably it is the most visual thing you have ever seen† ( Jennings, News Caster ABC 7) .This act exceeded my expectations on every level. Its extreme yoga was able to add a certain element of grace to the performance. I was also highly impressed that she actually trained when she was 9 years old until now. I further loved this act because of the amount of dedication that she was able to put into her performance. In this way you can literally read it in her eyes and her moves. She does it with so much agility and respect that everyone in the audience went silent in amazement and admiration. The fact that she has dedicated a so much into her performance for so many years makes you appreciate it even more. The second performance that was especially noteworthy was with regards to the dancing act. The woman that threw my heart into a wonderful cardiac arrest was named Darkjia. I love the way she danced; it can only be described as something of a dancing goddess. It was the most amazing performance I have ever seen in my life, matching every beat with subconscious moves with her body. She danced like one without a spine; with such much flexibility you would think she has the body of a snake. She has a 3-year-old boy who resides in her home country of Mongolia. At the end of her perform ance she gives an account of her story. She is in San Francisco doing what she does best to be able to

Discuss the Commonalities and Differences Between Communist Economy Essay

Discuss the Commonalities and Differences Between Communist Economy 1976 and Social Market Economy after 1976 in China - Essay Example Under this system government approved the private ownership of means of production. As means of production are handled by the government before 1976, there was always the intervention of government in whatever is done. But with the emergence of socialist market economy, the role of the government shrank into making laws. Under communist economy people were reluctant to work as they were deprived of owning property and the developments that the country received under such a system was too little. When people were allowed to have private property, the made the best use of the resources and this period witnessed the thriving of the Chinese economy. In the communist economy, it was the government that controlled the market mechanism but under social market economy the market forces such as supply and demand took the place of government. When the communist economy tried to bring everything under the control of the government without any consideration to its citizen, the social market econ omy envisages at the formation of a welfare state in which individuals are given priority in all the aspects. Communist economy was upheld only by a simple majority of China, but social market economy has been welcomed by all category of the society. 3. How did China become an industrialised economy with in the last four decades? An economy becomes industrialised only when an agrarian society turns into industrial society with social change and economic development. The endeavour China made to reach its destination of a developed economy has been in its culmination for the last couple of decades. In all the areas, the performance of China was spectacular. The first and foremost factor that can be attributed to the success of China in this arena is the rapid expansion of international trade. International trade was accelerated as a result of gradual and incremental trade reforms and opening up of the economy for international trade. As a result, the Foreign Direct Investment increase d. China being a vast country had resources in abundant. Moreover the labour also was cheaper as compared to other developing countries. The decision to use the resources properly helped the development of domestic industries. China’s factory outputs vary from cotton textiles to railway locomotives, jet planes and computers. As the largest economy in terms of population, there is greater demand for commodities in China. In one hand it is a good market for foreign companies and on the other a good supplier as well. The amount china spend in the area of education is huge. The well educated works being more productive contribute towards the industrialisation of the country. The amount China invests for research and development is really note worthy. Advanced technologies help it to produce commodities cost efficiently. Chinese products has got good demand world wide as these products are competent to the products of other industrialised countries. However, it is the decision of the government to open up the economy for foreign countries that helped the fast industrialization. 4. Write a critical note on China’s SOE reforms. The state owned enterprises in China were capable of producing a wide range of consumer goods domestically. The commodities so produced were capable of satisfying the local demands sufficiently. However it had more drawbacks than these advantages. The persons who were at the top of the party were the ones who controlled these enterprises. Since most of them were

Why the Islamic Financial System has the Strength to Mitigate the Dissertation

Why the Islamic Financial System has the Strength to Mitigate the Current Financial Crisis - Dissertation Example The present financial crisis has been held to be a consequence of the failure of the financial systems being followed in various segments of the world. From the evaluation of perceptions of the people across the world, it has been evaluated that they urge towards identification of an appropriate alternative to the present financial system. They desire for an alternative that holds strong prospect of avoiding financial crisis in the future. Following the search for a perfect alternative, it was observed that the Islamic financial system is argued to be the best answer to the present problem of the international economy. Various economists purported that Islamic financial systems bear strong possibility of becoming successful alternative to the present financial system. For critically evaluating the argument, various sources have been reviewed through library search. The findings have been analysed through primarily qualitative approach and presentation of quantitative data about the e ffectiveness of the Islamic financial system. The findings suggested that although the Islamic financial system holds strong prospect to evolve as the most effective financial system of the world, comprehensively it cannot be implemented in the International market. This is because the Islamic financial system is still challenged with certain loopholes, the presence of which can hinder its effectiveness. Evidences have been provided in this research study with respect to the Islamic banking system’s effectiveness in certain portion of the world such as that of Malaysia while at the same time evidences have also been provided of its inefficiency in certain other parts of the world such as that of Pakistan and Middle East. Table of Contents Chapter One: Introduction 5 1.1Background of the Research 5 1.2 Problem Statement 7 1.3 Aim, Objectives and Research Questions 9 1.4 Structure of the Dissertation 10 Chapter Two: Literature Review 11 2.1. Introduction 11 2.2 Origins of Islam ic Banking and Finance 12 2.3. Islamic Financial System 14 2.4. The Islamic Financial System and the Crisis 16 2.5 Strength of the Islamic Financial System 22 2.6 Weaknesses of the Islamic Financial System 26 Chapter Three: Research Methodology 28 3.1. Overview of Research Philosophy & Approach 28 3.2. Research Strategy 29 3.3. Validation of Data Source 33 3.4. Validation of Data Collection & Data Analysis Process 33 3.5. Limitations of the Research Process 34 Chapter Four: Findings, Analysis and Discussion 36 4.1. Introduction 36 4.2. Critical Evaluation of the Facts about Islamic Financial System 37 4.3 Empirical Evidence of Effectiveness of Islamic Financial Systems in other Counterparts of the World 44 Chapter Five: Conclusion & Recommendation 59 5.1. Overview 59 5.2. Facts Generated from the Research Study 59 5.2.1. Challenges Faced by the Islamic Finance System 59 5.2.2. Strengths of the Islamic Finance System that Helped it Survive the Financial Crisis 61 5.2.3. Reasons behin d the Growth in Islamic Finance 63 5.3. Recommendation for Future Works 64 6.0. References 66 7.0. Bibliography 81 Chapter One: Introduction 1.1Background of the Research According to the verse of the Great Allah (swt) about Islamic nation, â€Å"You are the best of the nation raised up for mankind because you enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong and believe in Allah†. The Islamic nations are blessed with the trait of being the world’s best nations brought up from humanity.1 The nation understands its responsibility well that people need to be aggressive in rising against immorality and unfairness. One of such wrong deeds, observed by the Islamic nations, is the economic coercion and injustice that is adversely affecting the world.2 The recent financial crisis initiated within the

The English Theatre during the Tudor Era Essay Example for Free

The English Theatre during the Tudor Era Essay The rule of the Tudor dynasty in England, extended from 1485 to 1603, was established after The War of the Roses between House of York and House of Lancaster. A period of unusual isolation for England from the Continental trends, Tudor period witnessed the developments of drama from the religious plays to Interludes in royal courts and from there to the regular drama in the Theatres. Drama began as an offshoot of the practices of the church and was thus religious in intention. It developed through the Tudor period acquiring a secular character by substituting moral teaching for purely religious instruction. The characters underwent a corresponding change: they were no longer Biblical figures, as in the case of Mystery plays, but personified virtues and vices. The some famous examples of these moral plays, or Morality Plays, as they were called are Everyman, a late fifteenth century work of unknown authorship and The Castle of Perseverance. Another important development in the English theatre during the Tudor period was the Interlude. It was the transitional form between the Morality play and the regular drama, in which the allegorical characters were displaced. Unlike moralities they were meant for amusement and entertainment. It was John Heywood who rendered interludes a definitive place in the development of English drama. He was a court musician and provider of amusements to Henry VIII. The interludes were dramatized at feasts and celebrations to entertain the court and the nobility. Heywood’s well-known interlude Four P’s (about 1520) represented an amusing dialogue passed between a Palmer, a Pardoner, a Pothecary and a Pedlar. Heywood continued his position in the Tudor court during the reign of Edward VI and Queen Mary. In due course of time, the interlude dissociated itself and became independent species of drama that was true to life and more regular in form. The influence of new learning prompted the performances of Latin plays of Terence and Plautus in schools and colleges. The next step was to create English plays on the classical model. The result was the first regular comedy in English, Ralph Roister Doister by Nicholas Udall, produced during the brief reign of Edward VI. It was followed soon after by Gammer Gurton’s Needle, of doubtful authorship, performed at Christ’s College, Cambridge. In the following years several Senecan Tragedies were translated in to English, which provided the model for the first English Tragedy written by Thomas Sackville and Thomas Norton. It was performed before Queen Elizabeth in 1561. It was followed by Tancred and Grismunda in 1568 and Misfortunes of Arthur in 1587. Another popular drama form that was inspired from Seneca during this period was the revenge tragedy. Thomas Kyd’s The Spanish Tragedy (1586) established this kind of drama in England. The rest of the Elizabethan age saw the golden age of English Drama with the rise of the playwrights who were commonly called ‘the university wits’ and of course, William Shakespeare. The Tudor period saw the growth of Dramas from the royal courts to the theatres. With the advent of the Interludes, the demand for the entertainments of this kind led to the formation of small companies of actors maintained in the houses of noblemen. They wandered from place to place performing in inn-yards market places etc. First of the permanent theatre, which was called ‘The Theatre’ was built in Shoreditch in 1576. It was followed by the establishment of eight playhouses in London. The most famous of these early theatres were ‘Rose’, where the plays of Marlowe were performed; ‘Globe’in Southwark and Shakespeare’s ‘Wooden O’, where his masterpieces were first performed. The Art of Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci The era of Renaissance saw the zenith of the European arts of painting sculpture, architecture and literature that was not surpassed in any age. Italy was the epicenter of the Renaissance the chief characteristic of which was humanism. It was a system of vision which extolled human worth and dignity, expressing deep faith in his great creative potential, proclaiming liberty and absolute rights of the individual. The works of veteran Italian artists like Michelangelo and Leonardo da Davinci announced the aforesaid spirit of Renaissance and their works are often considered synonymous with the Renaissance art. Humanism and Renaissance found brilliant expression in the realm of painting, sculpture and architecture. The artists of the time made use of biblical subjects, but their interpretation had little to do with the traditional religious attitude. Da Vinci’s The Last Supper and Michelangelo’s Pieta are examples. Often described as the archetype of ‘the Renaissance man’, Leornado Davinci is regarded as one of the most talented people ever lived, on account of his genius in several fields. Like all Renaissance artists, he looked upon art as an imitation of life. He is praised for stylistic innovations, especially his understanding of anatomical structure of human body in order to represent movement. The interest in human anatomy to find the mechanism underlying the gestures and expression was a feature of the Renaissance artists. Da Vinci’s interpretation of biblical episodes had the scent of human life, with all its earthly beauty and vigor. Annunciation, which is thought to be one of the earliest completed works by Da Vinci, portrays the Humanist face of Virgin Mary. Physical aspects of man’s existence were given prominence rather than that of the religious. He is best known for two paintings: Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. The latter was yet another attempt by Da Vinci to humanise the biblical episode of the last meal shared by Jesus with his disciples before his capture and death. His mastery of depicting the expression is evident in the smile of Mona Lisa that baffled the centuries. Da Vinci’s contemporary, Michelangelo was also a multifaceted genius who proved his expertise as a painter, sculptor architect poet and engineer. His out put in every field during his long life was phenomenal. Two of his best known works, Pieta and David were sculpted before he was thirty. In spite of his low opinions about painting he contributed two important works in fresco: the decoration of the ceilings and alter walls of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican. He drew the subjects from Christian mythology but giving it an intense human interpretation thereby catching the spirit of Renaissance. These paintings, for example The Last Judgment and The Fall of Man are among the most works of art in the world. One of his greatest contributions to architecture was the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Michelangelo’s Pieta, carved in 1499, is another epitome of the Renaissance humanism. It is a representation of Mary with the dead Christ across her knees. Following the popular theme at the time he depicted the woes of mother and son as human beings and not as religious symbols. Many depictions of Mary and Christ as a child at that time represented Mary and Jesus as loving human beings. Michelangelo viewed art as something that sprung from inner motivation and from culture. While Da Vinci’s art sprung from the observation of nature and of man, Michelangelo saw nature as an enemy to over come. According to him every stone has a sculpture in it and the job of the sculptor was to chip away all that was not a part of the statue. References Dev, Arjun. (1997). The Story of Civilization. Vol. 1. New Delhi: NCERT.

Pursuing A Career In Teaching Education Essay

Pursuing A Career In Teaching Education Essay Mark Twain once said work and play are words used to describe the same thing under different circumstances (n.d.). When choosing a career, it is important that it does not feel like work all the time. Becoming a teacher requires preparation such as education, summer jobs, skills and having references available for later use. The work a teacher deals with can be physically and emotionally stressful, differ in salary and working conditions and also with the type of people they work with. The potential of a teacher depends on the career path they choose, and the amount of training and schooling they are willing to obtain to go further into their career. There may be disadvantages to being a teacher, but at the same time there are many advantages. Pursuing a career in teaching will be challenging yet rewarding. Teachers have been around since the dawn of time and have always had the same purpose, to educate. A teacher is defined by Merriam-Websters Dictionary as one that teaches; especially one whose occupation is to teach (2004, p. 1016). Teaching is defined as to cause to know or understand; to assist in learning how to do something; show how (Merriam-Webster, 2004, p. 1016). The evolution of teachers started way back in the beginning of time. Teachers started to come about when language was invented through apprenticeship, imitation, and ritual. Teachers became more prominent when the invention of writing came about, because they did not have to teach orally anymore and started to teach children how to read (The World Book Encyclopedia, 2010, p. 97). There has always been someone who has influenced teaching in one way or another. In Ancient Greece, three famous teachers were Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates. Their teaching methods had the biggest impact on Western education (The World Book Encyclopedia, 2010, p. 98). Still today there are people who influence teaching and different methods of teaching. The profession of teaching in constantly evolving with incorporation of the advanced technology. Computers have become a large part of classroom studies and teachers find themselves having to incorporate them into their lessons. Smartboards have also risen into a top teaching tool for teachers. To be able to use these SmartBoards, teachers must participate in certification classes. As a teacher, the main purpose of their job is to be able to guide a student towards a successful future. Teachers have to be capable of working with students and trying to get them to understand new information with becoming frustrated. They have to be responsible and excellent role models. I chose teaching as my possible career path because I believe I possess these necessary qualifications in order to become a successful teacher. There are skills and education required to become a teacher, along with summer jobs and references that can be helpful. The education required for a teacher can take at least eight years to achieve. First they must obtain an undergraduate degree and then continue to obtain a bachelors degree. Some teachers choose to go further into their education and receive a masters or doctoral degree. Pursuing the higher degrees requires more schooling while also maintaining a job as a teacher. Masters and doctoral degrees are not necessary to become public school teachers. Traditionally to become a public school teacher, a complete bachelors degree from a teacher education program and license are required. Depending on the grade you want to teach, certain courses are required to take in college. If becoming a high school teacher, usually major in their field of study. (U.S. Department of Labor, 2010-11) If a person wants to pursue a career in teaching they must attain a teaching license. To attain a teaching license there are requirements. To obtain a license, you need a bachelors degree, a completed approved teacher training program, a certain number of subject and education credits, and supervised practice teaching (U.S. Department of Labor, 2010-11). A person must also possess certain skills to even consider becoming a teacher. These skills help to develop the type of teacher they are going to be, whether they are communicative or authoritative. Teachers must have the ability to communicate, inspire trust and confidence, and motivate students, as well as understand the students education and emotional needs à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ recognize and respond to individual and cultural differences in students and employ different teaching methods à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ should be organized, dependable, patient and creative à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ also must be able to work cooperatively and communicate effectively with other teachers, support staff, parents and members of the community. (U.S. Department of Labor, 2010- 11) When a person is a teacher, they need to be able to communicate with their students in a way that they can understand, they also need to be able to be someone that a student can trust and depend on. If a teacher is disorganized, their classes will also become disorganized and no learning will take place effectively. A teacher must also be able to change their lesson plans depending on the type of children they are teaching because not every student is the same. Some students may be willing to learn, while others may find it difficult to concentrate on anything going on. There are summer jobs that can help in the field of teaching. A camp counselor is one summer job that can be helping if wanting to pursue a career in teaching. Camp counselors constantly deal with all different types of children and can definitely help in learning how to be patient with students and children. Working as a summer camp counselor also puts oneself in a position where there are counselors working together , which teachers also do. Other summer jobs that may be helpful in a teaching career are babysitters, coaches, and umpires (U.S. Department of Labor, 2010-11). Each of these jobs requires working with children persistently, and learning to communicate with them in a creative way. References help to secure a job position at a school, good references may make the difference between deciding between two candidates. Good references could be former employers, coworkers, or teachers or anyone else who can describe your abilities and job-related traits (U.S. Department of Labor, 2010-11). References, skills, summer jobs, and education are all necessary to prepare for a career in teaching. A career as a teacher ranges in salary, hours worked, the people you work with, and working conditions, but always has the same amount of vacation time, even though it may be broken down differently. A teacher has to deal with working conditions wherever they teach. The conditions may be satisfactory, or may not be, but either way they have to be able to do perform to their best abilities. As a teacher, you are constantly surrounded by students, willing and nonwilling to learn. It can be frustrating and rewarding. There are large classes, heavy workloads and old buildings with no technology, it can be stressful. A public school teacher has no control over what they can teach. They are held accountable for poor state test grades. Isolationism can result from being around kids all the time. (U.S. Department of Labor, 2010-11) Working conditions cannot determine how a teacher teaches, they need to teach the way they would in ideal working conditions, surrounded by ideal students and ideal classes. When students are doing poorly in their classes, it is always perceived as the teachers fault. They are constantly being blamed and having to face criticism even when they are performing their job the exact way they should be. The average work week consists of forty hours, with some more due to extracurricular activities (U.S. Department of Labor, 2010-11). Teachers decide to pick up more hours during the work week by chaperoning dances, leading clubs and volunteering at school funded events, in order to receive a higher pay check. The average salary ranges from $47,000 to $51,800 according to the numbers of May 2008 (U.S. Department of Labor, 2010-11). The salary of a teacher is no where close to where it should be, with all of the different responsibilities they are held accountable for, so that is why they cho ose to participate in extracurricular activities. Vacation time for a teacher remains the same for each one. The only aspect of vacation time that differs is when the vacation takes place. Depending on how the school year is, a teacher works ten months with a two month vacation during the summer. If it is a year round school, teachers work eight weeks, on vacation for a week, and have a five week midwinter break (U.S. Department of Labor, 2010-11). Teachers also have vacation time during the holiday breaks that students are off from school, such as Winter break and Spring break. Having a career in teaching comes with physical and emotional stress. Reese interviewed Sewell, a teacher at a college, and states: Sewell has to prepare, teach, grade, and counsel all by herself. She has seventeen classes she is responsible for teaching à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Sewell finds that preparing for a class requires an enormous amount of time. It takes a lot of preparation just to go in there and teach for an hour. Sewell notes. Her students arent the only ones who get stressed. Some days are so trying because there is so much to balance, Sewell adds. (2003) Teachers regularly have to teach, grade, prepare and counsel for their students, which adds a great deal of physical stress, with all the paperwork that comes along with it. The emotional stress can pertain to counseling because the students problems come out into the open and a teacher has to be there to listen, and depending on what the students are telling them, it can create internal conflicts for the teacher, adding on more emotional stress. Emotional stress can also come from the students not participating in class, or not paying attention and doing poorly on the exams, and may make the teacher feel as if they are not doing their job the correct way. There are various kinds of people that a teacher works with. Baccio is a teacher in a juvenile detention center and according to Redman Baccio works with inmates ranging from ten to eighteen years old who may have mental illnesses and may be unmotivated. She teaches them to read, even though they should know how to (2008). Teachers usually come across students who are unwilling to learn and tend to do nothing in their classrooms. Teachers have to be able to persuade these students to try and learn, but that does not always happen. There are of course students who are always willing to learn and teachers look forward to guiding and enlightening them. Teachers work with students, but also have coworkers. As a teacher you work with many other teachers as well as supervisors and have to be able to work with parents and the community (U.S. Department of Labor, 2010-11). When teachers work together, they are usually brainstorming ideas about how to improve on lessons, which books to read, how to keep students engaged in conversations and all around try to be creative. Teachers are usually evaluated by a supervisor sitting in on a lesson every once in a while (Reese, 2003). The evaluations help a supervisor to see if a teacher is really doing his or her job. The different factors that are incorporated with the caree r of teaching may lead some to rethink this option. Having a career in teaching can lead to higher positions on a possible career path. People vary in their opinions about the advantages and disadvantages of teaching. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the advantages of being a teacher are that you have the ability to help someone achieve a goal, you can help to make the right choices about school and life, and you get to see the difference that you make in a childs life (2010-11). Redman quotes Boccio when she says People like to be successful, so as [the students] start to get some good grades back, and feel that Im really watching them carefully à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ most of them meet that challenge; most of them are actually quite successful (2008). Reese illustrates that Sewells students admire her for what she does and are always willing to help if she has a lot going on. This helps her students learn organizational skills that they will need as teachers (2003). The main advantage of being a teacher is that they are an inspira tion to other students and are watching others become successful. Of course there are disadvantages of being a teacher. Disadvantages of being a teacher are that is a stressful career, can involve unruly and violent behavior, students may be unmotivated and you are held accountable for their failures, there is little control, and can lead isolationism (U.S. Department of Labor, 2010-11). One of the challenges of Boccios job is continually accommodating new additions to her classroom without making those students feel as if they have missed out or unable to participate right away. It is a stressful environment, and many of the students have mental health issues, both of these elements affect classroom behavior and how Boccio enforces rules. (Redman, 2008) This is truly a disadvantage for a teacher because no two students are the same. Teachers have to make their lesson plans understandable for every child they teach and make sure the lessons convey the same message across each student. It is difficult enough to try and have one student understand what is going on, but they have to be able to communicate it to twenty to thirty students. The future outlook of a career in teaching was determined by the U.S. Department of Labor, Job openings will result from the need to replace the large number of teachers who are expected to retire over the 2008-18 period. Jobs should be more available in inner cities and rural areas than suburban districts. The supply of teachers is expected to increase in response to reports of improved job prospects, better pay, more teacher involvement in school policy, and greater public interest in education. The projected employment for 2018 is about a thirteen percent increase in kindergarten, elementary, middle, and secondary school teachers. (2010-11) There is a good chance that by the time the 2011 high school graduating classes receives their bachelors degrees, there will be more opportunities for those looking to pursue a career in teaching. Teachers have the ability to further their careers by furthering their education. Dale Carlson is now the superintendent of the school district of Holmen, Wisconsin. In a magazine article, he talks about how he got to where he is now. Dale Carlson has just become the superintendent of the school district of Holmen, Wisconsin. He previously worked for thirteen years at Parker High School in Janesville, Wisconsin, serving for nine years as a principal and for four years as an assistant principal. Carlson started his career as a math teacher in Mausten, Wisconsin, and taught for nine years in Houston, Minnesota, and La Crosse, Wisconsin. (Carlson, 2009) In order to progress his career, he had to attain a higher level of schooling. To become an assistant principal, principal, administrator, or deal, usually requires a masters degree (U.S. Department of Labor, 2010-11). Carlson had to obtain his masters degree before he could become an assistant principal and start his way up to superintendent. There are many advanced careers from teaching. A teacher can become an assistant principal, principal, administrator, chief academic officer, dean, chairperson and more. Teachers can even become superintendent of their districts (U.S. Department of Labor, 2010-11). The possible outlook for a career in teaching can result in higher positions and responsibilities. Pursuing a career in teaching is a very demanding but exhilarating career. Teaching demands a lot of time with grading and preparing, but at the same time is exhilarating because it helps students to advance in life. From the research, I feel that I am suited for a career in teaching. To be suited for a career in teaching, a person must be very patient and are always trying to get students or children to do their best. They have to want to help others understand new information and succeed at it. They have to be willing to lend a hand to a coworker or student in need. Teachers must be tolerant of others and have a high threshold of patience. I feel that I am suited for a career as a teacher because I harbor these necessary qualities. To attain my goal, I need to pursue advanced schooling and take classes dealing with different types of people. Although there are disadvantage and a great deal of stress that go along with pursuing a career in teaching, there are many advantages, such a s watching a student learn something new and helping students make difficult choices. Teachers are such an important aspect of any community, and will always be, which is why I would love to look as teaching as a possible career choice.

The Journey Home: What Makes a Hero Essay -- Essays Papers

The Journey Home: What Makes a Hero What constitutes an epic story? Certainly, literary expectations have come to define a story as a series of events revolving around one or more characters. An epic, however, must possess one attribute that a story may or may not contain; a hero. The Odyssey is an epic and therefore, it does contain a hero and perhaps even more than one. A hero cannot simply just exist, though, he or she must be shaped into the role through a series of adventures and misadventures that help the reader sympathize and identify with the hero’s progress towards a specific goal. The Odyssey proves no exception as the hero Odysseus’ ultimate goal of returning home to his beloved Ithaca is hindered by a sequence of events that create the story. Although his own contribution to delaying his return home must not be overlooked, it is primarily the desire of the gods which greatly affects Odysseus progress towards Ithaca. Although not as prominent as the roles of the Gods, Odysseus’ own actions do impact his journey home, even if it is only negatively. Odysseus is a proud man and at numerous points during The Odyssey his ego derails efforts to return to Ithaca. Perhaps this is clearest when Odysseus and his men land upon the island of Aeaea. Home to the beautiful goddess Circe, Odysseus and his men are initially oblivious to the perils of the enchanting island. After a band of Odysseus’ men are tricked and turned into pigs by the goddess, though, Odysseus is warned of a similar fate and subsequently confronts and threatens to kill the goddess. Instead, however, Circe begs to lie with Odysseus and even swears an oath insisting there is no more hidden mischief in store for Odysseus and his crew. While... ...the hero of an epic, to be brimming with anything less than intense pride. Part of what breeds a hero is confidence so one cannot fault Odysseus for having faith in his own abilities. The negative and positive influences of the gods, though, are vastly superior as they truly dictate the epic. Whether it is Poseidon’s fury, Zeus’ wisdom or Athene’s lure to Odysseus, there is absolutely no question the god’s overwhelming substantial impact upon the tale is leaves the deepest imprint upon the reader. Works Cited - Homer. The Odyssey. London: The Penguin Group, 2003. - Nelson, Christopher B. "Homer and the Power of Men That Have Chests." New Criteriorn November 2003. 27 January 2004 <http://0web6.infotrac.galegroup.com - Sellar, Tom. "Homer's Homecoming." American Theatre September 2003. 26 January 2004 <http://www.newcriterion.com>.

How is the theme of childhood presented Essay

The Romantic era ushered in a whole new way in which children were perceived. Romantics did not believe in the â€Å"Seen but not heard† attitude towards children. The Romantics often busied themselves trying to understand what made a man, what shaped a person’s personality to create the adult. Three poems in The Lyrical Ballads, all by Wordsworth, deal exclusively with the theme of childhood. They are We are Seven, Anecdote for Fathers and The Idiot Boy. A famous quote by philosopher Jean-Jacques Rosseau states that â€Å"Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains†. By this he meant that we are all born without any laws or morality and that these are ideals we gain only as we age and get exposed to them by society. This sentiment is reflected in the aforementioned poems, as this belief is one of the reasons children were so celebrated by the Romantic movement, they were untainted by the societal rules forced upon them, and so were a part of nature in a way an adult could not be. In We are Seven, Wordsworth relates a conversation between the poem’s narrator and a young girl. The young girl claims to have sixth brothers and sisters, however she says that two of them are dead. Despite the narrator’s attempts to convince her that makes only four brothers and sisters, five overall, he eventually concedes that is â€Å"Throwing words away† as the girl is not able to truly comprehend the realities of death. In this poem Wordsworth juxtaposes the cynicism of the narrator’s view of death with the innocence of the young girl’s view. The narrator’s view is that although she did have six brothers and sisters, she now only has four. The girl’s brother and sister are no longer alive and thus cannot be considered human, and equally can no longer be the girl’s brother and sister in any real sense, so he only recognises her as having four siblings. The girl however does not see death in that manner. Although she is aware that they are dead, she is not able to properly understand what this means. As the author says â€Å"What should it know of death? † To her, even though they are dead, they are still her brother and sister, just as much as her others and so she sees herself as one of seven children. In the poem Wordsworth gives a vivid description of the girl, referring to her as â€Å"rustic† and having a â€Å"Woodland air†, which overtly links her to nature. The fact that the narrator says that her beauty â€Å"makes me glad† shows that Wordsworth is indirectly calling the girl, her innocence and nature, which the girl is close to, a wonderful thing which should be celebrated. Both The Idiot Boy and Anecdote for Fathers deal with the imagination. In Anecdote for Fathers the narrator asks his son whether he prefers their home at Kilve or Liswyn Farm. The child clearly has never contemplated this, however as his father originally praises Kilve more than Liswyn Farm, he says that he prefers Kilve, as he believes that is what his father wants to hear. His father however questions his answer, which the child is not prepared for. Looking around in panic he sees a weather vane and responds with â€Å"At Klive there was no weather-cock, and that’s the reason why†. The narrator is ecstatic with his son’s answer, as he sees his son’s ability to imagine an innocent answer so easily. The father wishes that he could â€Å"Teach the hundredth part of what from thee I learn† The tone of excitement in the father’s response seems to stem from Wordsworth lamenting the fact that although he is able to understand how children are able to use their imagination in such ways, he is unable to mimic them, as he has already succumbed to the social ideals. In The Idiot Boy Wordsworth the effect of society on an adult by comparing the imagination of a child and his mother. In this poem a woman, Betty, is caring for her sick friend, Susan. Although Susan requires urgent medical care, Betty cannot leave her alone in her state, so she sends Johnny, the â€Å"Idiot Boy†, her mentally handicapped son. She gives him very clear instructions that he is to go straight to the doctor and straight back and not stop. Hours later he has not returned and Betty begins to worry about â€Å"sad mischances, not a few†. In the end Betty decides to go and look for him. As she is out calling his name, she starts to imagine her son being dead or hurt based on what she sees. For example when she sees a pond she imagines that her son may have drowned in it. Eventually she discovers that Johnny is safe and well, and has merely been playing for hours, imagining himself picking stars out of the sky, being a hunter and being a warrior. The contrast between the imagination of a child, with an extra layer of innocence due to his mental handicap, and his mother is incredibly stark. While Johnny’s imagination has kept him content for hours, Betty’s has, in a shorter space of time, made her start to contemplate suicide due to the grief it instilled within her. We then find that Susan has recovered for exactly the same reason that Betty felt such despair, all she was able to think about were horrible ways in which Betty and Johnny could’ve been hurt and was able to draw strength from her sadness at being unable to help. In the end, when asked what he had been doing for hours, Johnny merely replies â€Å"The cocks did crow to-whoo, to-whoo, and the sun did shine so cold†. Wordsworth called this response Johnny’s â€Å"glory†, which very accurately sums up the Romantic ideal of childhood and innocence being a thing to cherish, which was one of the messages Wordsworth and Coleridge tried to present with the Lyrical Ballads.