Creative Writing with Photo Inspiration Essay Example for Free

Creative Writing with Photo Inspiration Essay

Global Youth Culture Essay Example for Free

Global Youth Culture Essay Culture obviously varies all around the world from country to country, but the basics are always the same. What makes up culture? Does culture change based on the age of the people or the different generations? Culture consists of language, entertainment through mediums such as music, movies, literature, etc. , fashion, art, food, and more. Culture most definitely changes depending on where you are in the world. For example, it can be as simple as spoken word. The language we speak here in American is vastly different then language spoken over in China or France, and that is one of the fundamental building blocks of culture differences. One thing that is really great and unique about the United States of America is that we have such a diverse mix of people and cultures. America has often been referred to as the â€Å"melting pot† because of the variety of people we have living here. Our culture as a nation has been shaped and molded from all of the people from other places in the world. As a young adult in America, I pay a lot of attention to many parts of our culture such as music, movies, books, and fashion. After exploring the web for blogs from different countries, I found that that doesn’t change throughout the globe. A twenty-year-old student that lives over in London, England is a lot more like me than you might guess. This one blog called â€Å"London Culture Blog† especially caught my attention. I stopped on this blog and started scrolling through some of the posts and realized that a lot of what they are talking about are things that my friends and I talk about too. This was pleasant surprise because ever since I was little, I’ve always wanted to go to England and be just like the British. I thought it was so cool having an accent, wearing cute uniforms to school and having a leading royalty. Although that is still a dream I’ve yet to live out, it was really interesting looking at this blog and seeing that I’m not that far off. Some of the posts on the blog were about things that we talk about in America too, for instance, the movie/ musical Les Miserables as well as International superstar, Justin Bieber. It is very cool to me that there are those parts of our culture that is shared by people all over the world. I find it very comforting and interesting that I could be listening to a Bieber song at the same time as someone across the world. However, as to be expected, parts of the blogs were about artists I have never heard of, and those posts were just as fascinating. I found myself reading about a certain British musician and getting so intrigued that I had to go look up their music. I read a post about a young male musician named Jake Bugg. He was born and raised in England and his music often reflects that. The blogger said, â€Å"His influences stretch back 40 years – he’s got some of the basic song structures of early Beatles’ tracks and there’s more than a hint of the Bob Dylan troubadour style too. He also takes inspiration from the more recent generation of Britpop; at times, he sounds like an early, acoustic version of Oasis. † When I listened to some of his songs, they sound completely different than songs you would hear on everyday radio in America and that’s just because the difference of culture. In my opinion, British music is a lot more meaningful and deep and actually causes you to think and relate to the lyrics unlike some American music. Global youth culture around the world is a lot more similar than I thought I would find. I expected it to be a lot different but the fact is that we feed off each other. We use other cultures to constantly shape and change our own and vice versa. Whether it’s fashion, music, cuisine, or dance, we take ideas and use them to create a new addition to our culture. That’s what ties this whole world together and keeps us so connected.

Production and operations management

Production and operations management Production and Operations Management (POM) is about the transformation of production and operational inputs into outputs that, when distributed, meet the needs of customers. The process in the above diagram is often referred to as the Conversion Process. There are several different methods of handling the conversion or production process Job, Batch, Flow and Group POM incorporates many tasks that are interdependent, but which can be grouped under five main headings: PRODUCT Marketers in a business must ensure that a business sells products that meet customer needs and wants. The role of Production and Operations is to ensure that the business actually makes the required products in accordance with the plan. The role of PRODUCT in POM therefore concerns areas such as: Performance Aesthetics Quality Reliability Quantity Production costs Delivery dates PLANT To make PRODUCT, PLANT of some kind is needed. This will comprise the bulk of the fixed assets of the business. In determining which PLANT to use, management must consider areas such as: Future demand (volume, timing) Design and layout of factory, equipment, offices Productivity and reliability of equipment Need for (and costs of) maintenance Heath and safety (particularly the operation of equipment) Environmental issues (e.g. creation of waste products) PROCESSES There are many different ways of producing a product. Management must choose the best process, or series of processes. They will consider: Available capacity Available skills Type of production Layout of plant and equipment Safety Production costs Maintenance requirements PROGRAMMES The production PROGRAMME concerns the dates and times of the products that are to be produced and supplied to customers. The decisions made about programme will be influenced by factors such as: Purchasing patterns (e.g. lead time) Cash flow Need for / availability of storage Transportation PEOPLE Production depends on PEOPLE, whose skills, experience and motivation vary. Key people-related decisions will consider the following areas: Wages and salaries Safety and training Work conditions Leadership and motivation Unionisation Communication ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ production types of production method Definition In our introduction to production and operations management (POM) we suggested that there are several different methods of handling the conversion or production process Job, Batch, Flow and Group. This revision note explains these methods in more detail. Introduction The various methods of production are not associated with a particular volume of production. Similarly, several methods may be used at different stages of the overall production process. Job Method With Job production, the complete task is handled by a single worker or group of workers. Jobs can be small-scale/low technology as well as complex/high technology. Low technology jobs: here the organisation of production is extremely simply, with the required skills and equipment easily obtainable. This method enables customers specific requirements to be included, often as the job progresses. Examples include: hairdressers; tailoring High technology jobs: high technology jobs involve much greater complexity and therefore present greater management challenge. The important ingredient in high-technology job production is project management, or project control. The essential features of good project control for a job are: Clear definitions of objectives how should the job progress (milestones, dates, stages) Decision-making process how are decisions taking about the needs of each process in the job, labour and other resources Examples of high technology / complex jobs: film production; large construction projects (e.g. the Millennium Dome) Batch Method As businesses grow and production volumes increase, it is not unusual to see the production process organised so that Batch methods can be used. Batch methods require that the work for any task is divided into parts or operations. Each operation is completed through the whole batch before the next operation is performed. By using the batch method, it is possible to achieve specialisation of labour. Capital expenditure can also be kept lower although careful planning is required to ensure that production equipment is not idle. The main aims of the batch method are, therefore, to: Concentrate skills (specialisation) Achieve high equipment utilisation This technique is probably the most commonly used method for organising manufacture. A good example is the production of electronic instruments. Batch methods are not without their problems. There is a high probability of poor work flow, particularly if the batches are not of the optimal size or if there is a significant difference in productivity by each operation in the process. Batch methods often result in the build up of significant work in progress or stocks (i.e. completed batches waiting for their turn to be worked on in the next operation). Flow Methods Flow methods are similar to batch methods except that the problem of rest/idle production/batch queuing is eliminated. Flow has been defined as a method of production organisation where the task is worked on continuously or where the processing of material is continuous and progressive, The aims of flow methods are: Improved work material flow Reduced need for labour skills Added value / completed work faster Flow methods mean that as work on a task at a particular stage is complete, it must be passed directly to the next stage for processing without waiting for the remaining tasks in the batch. When it arrives at the next stage, work must start immediately on the next process. In order for the flow to be smooth, the times that each task requires on each stage must be of equal length and there should be no movement off the flow production line. In theory, therefore, any fault or error at a particular stage In order that flow methods can work well, several requirements must be met: (1) There must be substantially constant demand If demand is unpredictable or irregular, then the flow production line can lead to a substantial build up of stocks and possibility storage difficulties. Many businesses using flow methods get round this problem by building for stock i.e. keeping the flow line working during quiet periods of demand so that output can be produced efficiently. (2) The product and/or production tasks must be standardised Flow methods are inflexible they cannot deal effectively with variations in the product (although some variety can be accomplished through applying different finishes, decorations etc at the end of the production line). (3) Materials used in production must be to specification and delivered on time Since the flow production line is working continuously, it is not a good idea to use materials that vary in style, form or quality. Similarly, if the required materials are not available, then the whole production line will come to a close with potentially serious cost consequences. (4) Each operation in the production flow must be carefully defined and recorded in detail (5) The output from each stage of the flow must conform to quality standards Since the output from each stage moves forward continuously, there is no room for sub-standard output to be re-worked (compare this with job or batch production where it is possible to compensate for a lack of quality by doing some extra work on the job or the batch before it is completed). The achievement of a successful production flow line requires considerable planning, particularly in ensuring that the correct production materials are delivered on time and that operations in the flow are of equal duration. Common examples where flow methods are used are the manufacture of motor cars, chocolates and televisions. +++++++++++++++++++++++++ capacity management the meaning of capacity Introduction The capacity of a production unit (e.g. machine, factory) is its ability to produce or do that which the customer requires. In production and operations management, three types of capacity are often referred to: Potential Capacity The capacity that can be made available to influence the planning of senior management (e.g. in helping them to make decisions about overall business growth, investment etc). This is essentially a long-term decision that does not influence day-to-day production management Immediate Capacity The amount of production capacity that can be made available in the short-term. This is the maximum potential capacity assuming that it is used productively Effective Capacity An important concept. Not all productive capacity is actually used or usable. It is important for production managers to understand what capacity is actually achievable. Measuring capacity Capacity, being the ability to produce work in a given time, must be measured in the unit of work. For example, consider a factory that has a capacity of 10,000 machine hours in each 40 hour week. This factory should be capable of producing 10,000 standard hours of work during a 40-hour week. The actual volume of product that the factory can produce will depend on: the amount of work involved in production (e.g. does a product require 1, 5, 10 standard hours? any additional time required in production (e.g. machine set-up, maintenance) the productivity or effectiveness of the factory Constraints on capacity In capacity management there are usually two potential constraints TIME and CAPACITY Time may be a constraint where a customer has a particular required delivery date. In this situation, capacity managers often plan backwards. In other words, they allocate the final stage (operation) of the production tasks to the period where delivery is required; the penultimate task one period earlier and so on. This process helps identify whether there is sufficient time to meet the production demands and whether capacity needs to be increased, albeit temporarily. Production Scheduling A schedule is a representation of the time necessary to carry out a particular task. A job schedule shows the plan for the manufacture of a particular job. It is created through work / study reviews which determine the method and times required. Most businesses carry out several production tasks at one time which entails amalgamating several job schedules. This process is called scheduling. The result is known as the production schedule or factory schedule for the factory/plant as a whole. In preparing a production schedule, attention needs to be paid to: Delivery dates (when are finished products due?) Job schedules for each relevant production task Capacities of production sections or departments involved Efficiency of these production sections or departments Planned holidays Anticipated sickness / absenteeism / training Availability of raw materials, components and packaging There are two key problems with production scheduling: (1) Measurement of performance (e.g. should financial performance be most important (e.g. minimise the amount of stock), or are marketing objectives more important e.g. always produce enough to meet customer demand). (2) The large number of possible schedules often caused by too much complexity or variety in the production needs of the business. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ introduction to break-even analysis Introduction Break-even analysis is a technique widely used by production management and management accountants. It is based on categorising production costs between those which are variable (costs that change when the production output changes) and those that are fixed (costs not directly related to the volume of production). Total variable and fixed costs are compared with sales revenue in order to determine the level of sales volume, sales value or production at which the business makes neither a profit nor a loss (the break-even point). The Break-Even Chart In its simplest form, the break-even chart is a graphical representation of costs at various levels of activity shown on the same chart as the variation of income (or sales, revenue) with the same variation in activity. The point at which neither profit nor loss is made is known as the break-even point and is represented on the chart below by the intersection of the two lines: In the diagram above, the line OA represents the variation of income at varying levels of production activity (output). OB represents the total fixed costs in the business. As output increases, variable costs are incurred, meaning that total costs (fixed + variable) also increase. At low levels of output, Costs are greater than Income. At the point of intersection, P, costs are exactly equal to income, and hence neither profit nor loss is made. Fixed Costs Fixed costs are those business costs that are not directly related to the level of production or output. In other words, even if the business has a zero output or high output, the level of fixed costs will remain broadly the same. In the long term fixed costs can alter perhaps as a result of investment in production capacity (e.g. adding a new factory unit) or through the growth in overheads required to support a larger, more complex business. Examples of fixed costs: Rent and rates Depreciation Research and development Marketing costs (non- revenue related) Administration costs Variable Costs Variable costs are those costs which vary directly with the level of output. They represent payment output-related inputs such as raw materials, direct labour, fuel and revenue-related costs such as commission. A distinction is often made between Direct variable costs and Indirect variable costs. Direct variable costs are those which can be directly attributable to the production of a particular product or service and allocated to a particular cost centre. Raw materials and the wages those working on the production line are good examples. Indirect variable costs cannot be directly attributable to production but they do vary with output. These include depreciation (where it is calculated related to output e.g. machine hours), maintenance and certain labour costs. Semi-Variable Costs Whilst the distinction between fixed and variable costs is a convenient way of categorising business costs, in reality there are some costs which are fixed in nature but which increase when output reaches certain levels. These are largely related to the overall scale and/or complexity of the business. For example, when a business has relatively low levels of output or sales, it may not require costs associated with functions such as human resource management or a fully-resourced finance department. However, as the scale of the business grows (e.g. output, number people employed, number and complexity of transactions) then more resources are required. If production rises suddenly then some short-term increase in warehousing and/or transport may be required. In these circumstances, we say that part of the cost is variable and part fixed. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ quality management introduction One of the most important issues that businesses have focused on in the last 20-30 years has been quality. As markets have become much more competitive quality has become widely regarded as a key ingredient for success in business. In this revision note, we introduce what is meant by quality by focusing on the key terms you will come up against. What is quality? You will comes across several terms that all seem to relate to the concept of quality. It can be quite confusing working out what the difference is between them. Weve defined the key terms that you need to know below: Term Description Quality Quality is first and foremost about meeting the needs and expectations of customers. It is important to understand that quality is about more than a product simply working properly. Think about your needs and expectations as a customer when you buy a product or service. These may include performance, appearance, availability, delivery, reliability, maintainability, cost effectiveness and price. Think of quality as representing all the features of a product or service that affect its ability to meet customer needs. If the product or service meets all those needs then it passes the quality test. If it doesnt, then it is sub-standard. Quality management Producing products of the required quality does not happen by accident. There has to be a production process which is properly managed. Ensuring satisfactory quality is a vital part of the production process. Quality management is concerned with controlling activities with the aim of ensuring that products and services are fit for their purpose and meet the specifications. There are two main parts to quality management (1) Quality assurance (2) Quality control Quality assurance Quality assurance is about how a business can design the way a product of service is produced or delivered to minimise the chances that output will be sub-standard. The focus of quality assurance is, therefore on the product design/development stage. Why focus on these stages? The idea is that if the processes and procedures used to produce a product or service are tightly controlled then quality will be built-in. This will make the production process much more reliable, so there will be less need to inspect production output (quality control). Quality assurance involves developing close relationships with customers and suppliers. A business will want to make sure that the suppliers to its production process understand exactly what is required and deliver! Quality control Quality control is the traditional way of managing quality. A further revision note (see the list on the right) deals with this in more detail. Quality control is concerned with checking and reviewing work that has been done. For example, this would include lots of inspection, testing and sampling. Quality control is mainly about detecting defective output rather than preventing it. Quality control can also be a very expensive process. Hence, in recent years, businesses have focused on quality management and quality assurance. Total quality management Total quality management (usually shortened to TQM) is a modern form of quality management. In essence, it is about a kind of business philosophy which emphasises the need for all parts of a business to continuously look for ways to improve quality. We cover this important concept in further revision notes. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ quality control Quality control is the more traditional way that businesses have used to manage quality. Quality control is concerned with checking and reviewing work that has been done. But is this the best way for a business to manage quality? Under traditional quality control, inspection of products and services (checking to make sure that whats being produced is meeting the required standard) takes place during and at the end of the operations process. There are three main points during the production process when inspection is performed: 1 When raw materials are received prior to entering production 2 Whilst products are going through the production process 3 When products are finished inspection or testing takes place before products are despatched to customers The problem with this sort of inspection is that it doesnt work very well! There are several problems with inspection under traditional quality control: 1 The inspection process does not add any value. If there were any guarantees that no defective output would be produced, then there would be no need for an inspection process in the first place! 2 Inspection is costly, in terms of both tangible and intangible costs. For example, materials, labour, time, employee morale, customer goodwill, lost sales 3 It is sometimes done too late in the production process. This often results in defective or non-acceptable goods actually being received by the customer 4 It is usually done by the wrong people e.g. by a separate quality control inspection team rather than by the workers themselves 5 Inspection is often not compatible with more modern production techniques (e.g. Just in Time Manufacturing) which do not allow time for much (if any) inspection. 6 Working capital is tied up in stocks which cannot be sold 7 There is often disagreement as to what constitutes a quality product. For example, to meet quotas, inspectors may approve goods that dont meet 100% conformance, giving the message to workers that it doesnt matter if their work is a bit sloppy. Or one quality control inspector may follow different procedures from another, or use different measurements. As a result of the above problems, many businesses have focused their efforts on improving quality by implementing quality management techniques which emphasise the role of quality assurance. As Deming (a quality guru) wrote: Inspection with the aim of finding the bad ones and throwing them out is too late, ineffective, costly. Quality comes not from inspection but from improvement of the process. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ total quality management tqm Total quality management is a popular quality management concept. However, it is about much more than just assuring product or service quality. TQM is a business philosophy a way of doing business. It describes ways to managing people and business processes to ensure complete customer satisfaction at every stage. TQM is often associated with the phrase doing the right things right, first time. This revision note summarises the main features of TQM. Like most quality management concepts, TQM views quality entirely from the point of view of the customer. All businesses have many types of customer. A customer can be someone internal to the business (e.g. a production employee working at the end of the production line is the customer of the employees involved earlier in the production process). A customer can also be external to the business. This is the kind of customer you will be familiar with. When you fly with an airline you are their customer. When Tescos buys products from food manufacturers, it is a customer. TQM recognises that all businesses require processes that enable customer requirements to be met. TQM focuses on the ways in which these processes can be managed with two key objectives: 1 100% customer satisfaction 2 Zero defects The Importance of Customer Supplier Relationships Quality Chains TQM focuses strongly on the importance of the relationship between customers (internal and external) and supplier. These are known as the quality chains and they can be broken at any point by one person or one piece of equipment not meeting the requirements of the customer. Failure to meet the requirements in any part of a quality chain has a way of multiplying, and failure in one part of the system creates problems elsewhere, leading to yet more failure and problems, and so the situation is exacerbated. The ability to meet customers (external and internal) requirements is vital. To achieve quality throughout a business, every person in the quality chain must be trained to ask the following questions about every customer-supplier chain: Customers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Who are my customers? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What are their real needs and expectations? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ How can I measure my ability to meet their needs and expectations? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Do I have the capability to meet their needs and expectations? (If not, what must I do to improve this capability?) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Do I continually meet their needs and expectations? (If not, what prevents this from happening when the capability exists?) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ How do I monitor changes in their needs and expectations? Suppliers: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Who are my internal suppliers? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ What are my true needs and expectations? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ How do I communicate my needs and expectations to my suppliers? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Do my suppliers have the capability to measure and meet these needs and expectations? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ How do I inform them of changes in my needs and expectations? Main Principles of TQM The main principles that underlie TQM are summarised below: Prevention Prevention is better than cure. In the long run, it is cheaper to stop products defects than trying to find them Zero defects The ultimate aim is no (zero) defects or exceptionally low defect levels if a product or service is complicated Getting things right first time Better not to produce at all than produce something defective Quality involves everyone Quality is not just the concern of the production or operations department it involves everyone, including marketing, finance and human resources Continuous improvement Businesses should always be looking for ways to improve processes to help quality Employee involvement Those involved in production and operations have a vital role to play in spotting improvement opportunities for quality and in identifying quality problems Introducing TQM into a Business TQM is not an easy concept to introduce into businesses particularly those that have not traditionally concerned themselved too much with understanding customer needs and business processes. In fact many attempts to introduce TQM fail! One of the reasons for the challenge of introducing TQM is that it has significant implications for the whole business. For example, it requires that management give employees a say in the production processes that they are involved in. In a culture of continuous improvement, workforce views are invaluable. The problem is many businesses have barriers to involvement. For example, middle managers may feel that their authority is being challenged. So empowerment is a crucial part of TQM. The key to success is to identify the management culture before attempting to install TQM and to take steps to change towards the management style required for it. Since culture is not the first thing that managers think about, this step has often been missed or ignored with resultant failure of a TQM strategy. TQM also focuses the business on the activities of the business that are closest to the customer e.g. the production department, the employees facing the customer. This can cause resentment amongst departments that previously considered themselves above the shop floor. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Shakespeare Finds Love On A Midsummer Night :: essays research papers

The forest outside Athens is filled with changelings, magic, and ancient myth: in other words, the stage is set. The night is silent and still as four mortals alternately hate and love, monarchs of the faerie world clash wills, and the mischief of one irrepressible woodland sprite weaves a spell over all. The breath of the darkness is lit with the glow of foxfire; hearts are broken and mended within the span of short hours. In the bower of the Faerie Queen a man transformed by magic slumbers peacefully. The pen of William Shakespeare has captured the imagination and hearts of audiences and readers alike across the world and through the decades, but his classic romantic comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, offers something much more profound. Shakespeare has found insight into the heart, and, through his verse, best exemplifies the complicated and capricious emotions found there. The play, much like reality, is sprinkled throughout with gems of humor, and it will continue to fasc inate as long as there is love. Shakespeare’s characters are certainly the most important part of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. All action must be carried out through them; all ideas must be transported to the audience through their moves and dialogue. The first and most obvious characters are the four mortal lovers. The women, Helena and Hermia, are respectively tall and fair, short and dark; there are no other notable differences between them. The men, Lysander and Demetrius, have no differences in personality that are remarked upon in the text of the play. Outside the walls of Athens, inside the enchanted forest, the courts of Oberon, king of the faeries, and Titania, his queen, hold sway. The two magistrates quarrel often, but know they are meant for each other, no matter how they scowl. Their adventures include Bottom, a town actor turned into an ass by Oberon to seek revenge on Titania. The last major role in Dream is Robin Goodfellow, more commonly known as Puck. He is mischievous and playful; his role in the faerie court is to entertain Oberon and run his errands, as he tells the faeries in Act 2 when he is introduced. In human nature and all its facets, there is a certain amount of inherent mirth, including sarcasm, and Shakespeare does not neglect this mirth in his writing. First, humor is used as a sort of release valve.

A Studentss Guide to First-Year Writing Essays -- Personal Narrative

A Students's Guide to First-Year Writing My Literacy in America Gloomy. That’s how I remember my year of kindergarten. It may not have been quite as dim as my memory shows, but my fear darkened that phase. I am not quite sure how my age affected my perception of things, but my first memories of this country I don’t regard as pleasant. If I had come to the United States as an infant, I would have been better off. Not only because infants don’t communicate using words, but also because my stage in literacy did not coincide with my peers’. As a five-year-old, most of us have already learned to speak. I was five, just like all the other children, and I spoke as the other children did, but I spoke Portuguese and my classmates spoke English. In essence, I was racing with time. Although my age blinded my insight toward the race, I was trying to catch up to my peers in that I had to learn to speak, as well as follow the new things taught to us in kindergarten. Though the objectives in kindergarten are nothing native English speakers would consider challenging, for me the word â€Å"nap† stood as an obstacle! My first day is as clear as a sliding glass door. I walked into the classroom hesitantly, frightened of what the new surroundings would entail. At first the other children didn’t notice my differences because my physical appearance differed only slightly from my new classmates’. But it wasn’t long until they discovered the new addition to the class. The American kindergarteners formed a circle around me. To them, I must have been this neat new kid who came from a whole other continent. For me, they were attackers, and their weapon was the tongue. I cringed at every foreign word shot at me. How could they be so... ...lways pictured it as a task to accomplish so that I could fit in with my colleagues. After the death of my uncle, because the language was a connection to him, I found myself using the language to provide a link to him. As I progressed from grade school to higher education, I realized that I had grown to like reading and writing. I often listened to the complaints of assignments from my peers, and I could rarely identify with them. "I think this paper is going to be fun"; don’t be caught dead saying that out loud! At this stage in my life I find enjoyment in having time to convey my emotions on paper out of free will. I can’t imagine how I would feel if a sudden lapse appeared in my schedule and I could read for my own gratification. I would go ballistic! Since these incidents are highly unlikely, I will be content in polishing my skills through schoolwork.

Stonewall Jackson Essays -- essays research papers

Stonewall Jackson, born January 21, 1824 was one of the most famous confederate generals and one of the best officers to serve for General Robert E. Lee. But Jackson wasn’t just born a general, he earned it. Since his parents died when he was very young, life was very rough for him. He was raised by his uncle, Cummins Jackson, a miller who lived near what is now known as Weston, West Virginia. Later on, he was appointed to the U.S. Military Academy. He had to work several times harder than the other cadets to learn the lessons in school because of poor education when he was young. But his grades slowly increased until he graduated. He was said to have been in the upper third of his class. His military career had just begun. As soon as he received his commission as lieutenant of artillery...

A Day in the Life of a Teacher Essay

I hear the sound of my alarm clock at 6:30am. Time to get up! I wish it was Saturday, no school! No, I’m not a child, nor a student, but a teacher! You don’t think we enjoy everyday at work, do you? No. That’s rubbish. Let me continue with my story of a day in the life of a teacher.  As I force myself out of bed, a chilling thought comes over me. It’s Wednesday. This means I still have three whole days to get through until the weekend. Better get a move on if I want to make it on time. First, I take a shower. I do this every morning to liven myself up and to prepare for the day ahead of me. Today first up we have a whole school assembly. That’s one reason why I don’t like Wednesdays. The other few reasons I particularly don’t like the day Wednesday is that I have recess yard duty and in the afternoon is the paper parade. I step out of the shower, thinking such thoughts of what has been happening in the last few days and what I have to do today. I get dressed and go out to have breakfast. Mmm, I like breakfast, my last chance in the morning to relax and not think about work, but it eventually creeps into my head anyway. Once I am finished I remember and organize, well I try to remember and organize everything that I will need. Which is a lot. When I arrive at school, about 10 to 8 I park, load up my stuff and walk to the front office. In the staff room I have a social chat to the other teachers, we talk about assembly, make our coffee or tea and get ready to leave. With a mug in one hand, handbag and everything else in the other, we back onto the staff door and out the front office. You can always tell a new teacher, they haven’t got the art of getting out the staff door in the morning perfected yet. I make my way to class avoiding the students and setup and wait in the class until the bell goes at half past 8. Outside the kids are eagerly waiting to be let inside, like a pack of puppies waiting for you to open the door just so they can jump all over you with their muddy paws. What do they eat, must be something like froot-loops. Which would explain not just the sugar rush but a for a few others something else too. As soon as we are all in class, which doesn’t take long, I give announcements and ask the class to take their chairs to assembly. When we arrive I round up my class, and once everyone is seated its time to go home. I wish! Though it is about 20minutes later. At the beginning of every assembly we stand and sing the national anthem. Which doesn’t sound like an anthem at all. Instead of sounding like we are proud and free, it’s sung in a droning tone. When we sit down I shush all the chatters and the assembly begins. As a teacher it’s our duty to listen to what is happening around the school while also keeping a small eye, quite like a hawks, on the class. We all usually sit back, act interested and see all the small things that go on. Like the two kids who like each other keep pretending to ‘look around the room’ but are really trying to catch a smile. Then there are the bad kids, who are trying to make peashooters and all the usual blabbermouths who can’t even wait until recess to talk. Since this assembly is so boring and I am bored I will go over, grab the troublemakers and sit them next to me. The rest of assembly goes on like this and is pretty much a huge waste of time and effort. At the end we ask our class to move off. We head off and back to class, when we are all finally in class I give out a quick spelling test. It’s really a time waster and a fill in until recess. When the bell goes I think of how nice it will be to relax in the staff room. Then a student comes up and mentions something about handing a form in today, Wednesday. It hits me then that I have to do.. yard duty. Out I go, trying to avoid the smaller kids who seem to want to follow me around, some even cling my leg . At the end of recess I have a 5minute break in the staff room. Some break! I quickly get a drink and then hear the bell, time to go to class. Back in class its maths time. Everyone lines up, and then I tell him or her to go inside. I ask my class to sit on the mat after about 10minutes and 2 disagreements everyone is seated. I have release time so I wait for the principal to come, because he is taking over my class. Release time, although it is called ‘release’ is a time where we just do things that aren’t done yet. Like marking work, writing a program, or putting together all the things we need to. I have reports to write, since it is the end of the term. There are a few simple things to do when writing reports to make the process as simple, easy and stress free as possible. First sort out the kids. There’s the good, the bad and the in between. The in between are really good kids, which you personally don’t like and torture for the fun of it. Then write a set paragraph for each of the groups, with 3-5 different wordings, which really mean the same thing. Once children are categorized the fun begins. Comment after comment is inserted into the report, but when I feel that a student stands out, I add my own personal touch. Two words -Be creative. After report writing I have to mark work, this is a very slow and boring process. After a few minutes a fellow teacher of mine comes into the computer room to tell me that the Principal has left for a meeting and I will have to go back and take my class, even though there is only 10minutes until the lunch bell rings.