Education Vision Essay Example for Free

Education Vision Essay I believe that all students should be held to the same standards of education. While there should always be accommodations for an individual students strengths, weaknesses and learning style, there should also be a universal set of criteria by which a students progress is measured. While those standards may sometimes seem exacting to the students expected to meet them, they are far less demanding than what is required of todays workers in an economy where competition has become global. An innovative and creative spirit has become in the last twenty years something that is generally expected of everyone rather than something only expected of the exceptional, a solid foundation in the basic elements of education, math and reading have become ever-more vital to succeeding in the modern world. Where education is concerned, I have found that creativity and innovation can oftentimes be fostered by the experience of overcoming challenges and, thereby, attaining a justified belief in ones own abilities. A student who is taught to take pride in their work and, especially, to take pride is turning a failure into a success is someone likely to succeed in a world where competition is fierce and belief in ones self is the most advantageous thing. Where the application of standards are concerned, I believe that any leader in an educational setting must be held to high standards just as are the students. By holding myself accountable to the highest standards, I gain the legitimacy to expect the same of my students and the ability to inspire them to do more than they may have thought possible. The position of a leader is one that is at least partially earned by gaining credibility in the eyes of those whom I am charged to lead. This can best be accomplished by setting an example; by continually challenging myself with new ideas and new situations while at the same time having the conviction to stand by those practices that have proven effective over time. Having worked as a teacher and a teachers assistant in various settings for the past five years, I have learned that both students and educators must never loose touch with their essential humanity and that empathy must always accompany high expectations. When a student knows that their teachers understand the hardships they face but still expect them to perform at a level of excellence, the student can be assured that they are not being driven unreasonably but are only expected to perform at the level their teachers know that student can achieve. Where sympathy and lowered expectations are really forms of condescension, empathy and high expectations communicate to a student that their instructor has not only high hopes for their student, but also a sincere and justified respect for their students potential. I have always felt a visceral connection and genuine responsibility for the successes and failures of my students. I hope to always be there to help my students experience the satisfaction of success and of overcoming failure.

John Steinbecks East of Eden - A Biblical Allegory Essay -- East Eden

East of Eden: A Biblical Allegory  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In East of Eden (1952) John Steinbeck creates a powerful novel using biblical allegories. By doing this, he can deliver a clear message by describing something unfamiliar to his audience and comparing it to something more familiar. Set in modern times, East of Eden retells the famous story of the downfall of Adam and Eve, and the jealous rivalry between Cain and Able. Steinbeck also creates many other characters throug his novel, that capture a biblical sense and help portray an image of the vast confusion of life. One character that resembles a biblical character is Cathy Ames. Throughout the entirety of the novel, her character portrays that of a monstrous almost inhuman creature. "... just as there are physical monsters, can there not be mental or psychic monsters born? The face and body may be perfect, but if a twisted gene or malformed egg can produce malformed soul? To a criminal, honesty is foolish. You must not forget that a monster is only a variation, and that to a monster the norm is monstrous" (72). These abilities Cathy possessed allowed her to manipulate and control nearly everyone. Her inborn talent enabled her to repress normal emotions of love and thus posses many devil like characteristics. One being the manipulation of sex. In the second half of the story Cathy has married and unintentionally bears the lives of her two unborn sons. Before arriving in their destination of King City, Cathy deviously attempts to abort the lives within her. "He [Dr. Tilson] looked around the room . He stepped to the bureau and picked up a knitting needle. He shook it in her face. 'The old offender - the old criminal. You're a fool. You've nearly killed yourself and you haven't lost y... ...ch children can spend a lifetime trying to decipher the expressions of their love. Sometime later Adam becomes deathly ill. While on his death bed Lee pleads with Adam to forgive Caleb and bless him. "'Don't crush him with your rejection. Give him your blessing! ... That's all a man has over the beasts. Free him! Bless him!" (602). Slowly and with much effort Adam raises his right hand, displaying his act of blessing on Caleb. Like all strong allegories, East of Eden draws one into a world of fictious characters that seem to take on a life of familiarity. The bible, which Steinbeck has chosen to build his novel on, is a book that interests itself not in causes, but in actions and their consequences. By creating biblical allegories, Steinbeck gives a new meaning to an old chapter. Works Cited: Steinbeck, John. East of Eden. Penguin Books USA Inc. (1992).   

Home Is Where the Heart Is

Growing up in foster care kids never grow to understand the phrase, â€Å"Home is where the heart is. † This phrase isn’t making reference to a house or a tangible item in your life. An emotional connection you have with someone or something is what I believe home represents. The feeling of being secure, knowing you’ll be taken care of no mater what you say or do, and always feeling like your loved and wanted. Hundreds of kids have grown accustomed to the feeling of hopelessness and loneliness. Kids have grown accustomed to feeling like they don’t belong anywhere; I was once one of those kids. I remember the bone-chilling feeling of seeing the black almost hearse-like car coming to take me away from the only place I was familiar with. I remember the feeling of confusion, the feeling of sorrow, and the feeling of anger. I remember getting into the car and smelling the old, damp, mildewed scent of previous the rider’s tears. The tears I had grown so accustomed to. I remembered how I wished to scream and squeal, like the brakes, when the car stopped at my new quarters. I remember telling myself, â€Å"Don’t get comfortable Josh, because you won’t be here long, right? I’ll be home soon. Right? † I remember the feeling of being abandoned, the feeling of being unwanted, feeling just plain alone. Throughout my years as a foster child and adolescent, I moved in and out of countless houses, met and said goodbye to countless families, friends, and teachers. I remember the Bensons; they took me in when I was seven. I had already been moved around eight times. The first thing they said to me was, â€Å"It’ll be okay, you don’t have to worry anymore, you’ll be here for a long time. The weight of uncertainty lifting off your shoulders is a good feeling; in fact, it could be the best. Being able to take off your shoes, plunge down on the couch, and say hello to someone who says hello back. Having the ability to look someone in the eyes and, not only feel, but here, â€Å"I love you. † Home to me is all of those things tied together and put in my back pocket, saved for a rainy day. I grew comfortable and unworried the two years I didn’t have to pack around any extra weight with me. It was presentation day, in my third grade class. For my presentation I chose an animal, the cheetah. Did you know that a family of cheetahs will stay together until the babies are all grown up, and will support each other? † I gave my presentation and was feeling good about it. I was chosen to hold our class pet, the gerbil, he was brown and smelled almost exactly like an old crusty sock, I was overtaken by the joy of his warm pulsing body. My class and I were sitting in a circle around my teacher, listening to our daily reading of the second Harry Potter, when the door opened and the sound of my teachers voice was cut short of telling us what happened next. Two gloomy adults came in, a man and a woman. The man was tall, dressed in nice black slacks and a black sports jacket, the woman was short, dressed in black dress pants and a red sweater which had thirteen black buttons straight down the front. My teacher excused herself and met them at the front of the class. My friend and I started laughing at the gerbil; he was doing summersaults on my lap and almost fell off. â€Å"Josh,† my teacher called my name, â€Å"Come up here please,† I gave the gerbil to my friend and went to the front of the class. As I was walking to the front of the class, I noticed my teacher’s eyes; they seemed to be turning a glossy color, almost like two wet marbles shimmering in the bright sun. The two people dressed in black were smiling down at me with blank expressionless looks on there faces and said â€Å"hello. † Their words were cold and harsh. I noticed a sharp fast glare, almost like needles, injected from my teacher to the two people dressed in black. My teacher knelt down to my level so we were both eye to eye. She stared at me with her big marbles and said, â€Å"Josh, these people are going to take you out to lunch. You need to go with them, OK Josh. † My teacher’s eyes were getting wetter, â€Å"You need to be a big boy, OK Josh. You be a big boy now. † Before I knew it, she had engulfed me into her chest, wrapped me neatly into her arms, and covered my head with her chin. Warmth and love surged through my body as if I was hit by a bolt of lightning cupid had mistaken for an arrow. I felt a warm drop of water hit my head. â€Å"OK Josh, it is time to go,† said the large man dressed in black. I felt his cold hand grab my shoulder, abruptly stopping the lightning from continuing through my body, forcing it out of me. My teacher released me, stood back to her full height, and pricked them agin with her needle. The woman dressed in black took my hand; her hand felt like an ice cube, cold and damp. The man and woman led me away from my teacher, away from my friends, away from my security, away from my love, away from my peace. As soon as I got into the lifeless car, all of the lost feelings returned to me at once. â€Å"It’s happened again. What’s wrong this time? Was it me? Maybe I can take whatever I did back and say I’m sorry? † â€Å"Josh, we’re taking you to another house. An enormous weight hit my chest; I couldn’t breathe, I felt my eyes swelling, my nose began to run. A salty liquid hit my mouth again and again, my memories flooding out, like millions of bees swarming and stinging after their homes have been breached by smoke, engulfing me. Just as I had felt for years and years kids are still felling today. Kids still feel unwanted and unloved, kids still don’t have the consistency and trust they need to become who they are and construct their home, and kids still have the lay their head down every night and wonder if the pillow their laying on will be the same tomorrow night. Kids in foster care may have a house but they don’t have anyone they can make a home with. People in the foster system are so concerned with is putting kids in houses (not saying that this is a bad thing), but they should focus more on the home. Instead of being full of emptiness the kid’s homes that they create, should be full of trust and security, truthfulness and consistency, laughter and love.

Analysis Of Option B, By Sheryl Sandberg - 964 Words

‘9 ¾Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Career Advice No One Gives You â€Å"There must be a mistake! This [ticket] says platform 9 and 3/4. Theres no such thing! Is there? asks a bewildered 11-year-old Harry Potter. He was on the cusp of his first train trip to the School of Magic – Hogwarts. Until Harry waded his way through the walls – like all of us [including my 8 year old daughter who is devouring the Harry Potter series] he believed his options were platform 9 or 10. This blog is about the invisible, magical option in between - the 9  ¾ that has propelled my career - for real. I connected the dots after reading about a real life inspiration in the book Option B, written by Sheryl Sandberg. Platform of Friendship â€Å"Is there anything I can do?† are the†¦show more content†¦That made me reflect on my career. I connected the dots on a small act that had propelled my career – time and again. I was oblivious to its role - until today. The ‘9 ¾Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ career advice nobody gives. I was once seated in front of my boss during an annual review. He was pensive. Knowing him through the years, I knew he was about to say something deep. All he shared, â€Å"I like that you are among the first to venture to a white board.† When I gave him a quizzical look, he elaborated –â€Å"I like that you volunteer as the first one to the white board. It helps set the tone. Not everyone puts themselves out there in a group setting with a rough idea.† What I understood then – he liked that I took an initiative even when ideas were not fully baked through. What I did not realize until today - a rough draft gives control to the recipients to become collaborators. I may be an artist who aids problem framing- rough drafts on paper, on white boards, even on napkins over lunch – with pens borrowed from waiters. The art of editing and refining does something to people – they make the idea their own. I now realize that rough drafts were my â€Å"what you NOT want on your burger?† moments throughout my career. The contrast is striking. Career advice everybody gives - Be innovative, take initiative, be the agent of change. That is the story of trailblazers splattered all over the internet. The advice nobody gives – share rough drafts withShow MoreRelatedHow Feminists Have Made Countless Advancements For Women3690 Words   |  15 Pagescan’t do it!† (1967 Boston Marathon) The effects of feminism have already had a direct impact on my life starting with the opportunity to participate in high school sports. Statistics support that women have more opportunities in education and career options than ever before. I chose to research the effects of feminism in today s workplace because as a female preparing to embark for college, it is important to understand the history behind women’s role in the workplace as well as existing obstacles forRead MoreFACEBOOK case study Essay11495 Words   |  46 PagesAfter the presentation, Zuckerberg sat down with Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s chief operating officer (COO) and second in command, to discuss strategies for monetizing Facebook’s data and users. Sandberg knew that she and Zuckerberg had a strong professional relationship, but the topic of modifying Zuckerberg’s creation for profit was a subject of debate between them. Zuckerberg is all about building the â€Å"best product and user experience,† while Sandberg, a Harvard MBA, is a driven businesswoman withRead Morewalt disney swot3058 Words   |  13 Pages............................. 4 INTERNAL ANALYSIS ................................................................................................................... 5 2. FINANCIAL ANALYSIS ....................................................................................................... 5 3. HRM ANALYSIS ................................................................................................................ 7 4. MARKETING ANALYSIS ...........................................Read MoreHbr When Your Core Business Is Dying74686 Words   |  299 Pagesstreamlining those processes, upgrading document technologies and finding better ways for people and their resources to work together. For example, our document assessments examine workflow and technology compatibility across your enterprise. Once our analysis is done, we offer a comprehensive range of document services and outsourcing to optimize your assets and improve business performance. Our methods have helped Owens Corning, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and others realize millions. For a complete