Friday, November 29, 2019

NJHS free essay sample

The Best way to prove future success is to look at past accomplishments. Striving to achieve goals I set for my self everyday, and I enjoy the awards that I get when I achieve those goals. To be able to accomplish something I have spent so many hours on, gives me a sense of pride and eagerness to work on my next project that much harder. Because I love that feeling of succeeding, I try my hardest to accomplish everything I do. Four things I have already accomplished to prove my success in high school are I am in National Junior Honor Society, have a G.P.A. of a 3.9, I am in band, and I am an active athlete. Being a National Junior Honor Society member is one way I have already proven I will succeed in high school. There are different achievements that a student, like myself, has to acquire in order to be in NJHS. We will write a custom essay sample on NJHS or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I was overflowing with great honor and attainment in my self after being asked to join. My sister who is in Honor Society has inspired me to work hard to be in NJHS, and I’m exceedingly happy that she did. Another thing I have already accomplished to prove my success in high school is that this year my grade point average is a 3.9. Being able to perpetuate that high of a grade point average shows that dedication and hard work pays off. Since I’m an exceedingly motivated student at school, I do my best every day to obtain the high standards I have set for my self. Because my mom has such high expectations for me, I have high expectations for myself as well, and I am satisfied with these expectations. I am very over zealous about my grade point average. Playing the French Horn in the 7th and 8th grade band proves that I will succeed in high school. It has been proven that students in band learn more, and are more motivated in their academic classes. I am very privileged to be a part of the band. Because I am in band, I have a big responsibility to practice every night, and I am also very passionate about playing. Practicing every night for at least 15 minutes shows how devoted I am, and my outstanding work ethic. The last thing I have already accomplished to prove that I will succeed in high school is that I am an active athlete. Before an employer hires an employee, they look for certain characteristics, like being able to be a team player. Since I’m on the girls U19 hockey team, I have learned good sportsmanship and working hard in practice really pays off in games. Practicing hard now, not only in sports but in school also, will subsidize me in the future. To be a team member is such a powerful thing, knowing the team is there for my, yet being there for the team is an overwhelming feeling. Because being a team member is such a substantial privilege, I don’t know where I would be without teammates, and even teachers, pushing me to do my very best everyday. At this point in today’s society, do you think we would be where we are without brave people succeeding at what they do? Would we have had the first person walk on the moon, with out someone engineering flawless rockets? What about women’s rights, would there be such a thing today if people weren’t devoted to protesting and changing things? The world would be such a different place without these achievements, without attainment. Because people have fulfilled significant goals, the world is what it is today, and I’m thankful this is how the world is. Being in National Junior Honor Society, having a grade point average of a 3.9, playing an instrument in the band, and being an active athlete are four things a have already accomplished to prove that I will succeed in high school.

Monday, November 25, 2019

A Guide to Caring for Pet Millipedes

A Guide to Caring for Pet Millipedes If youve never cared for an arthropod pet before, a millipede is a good first choice. Millipedes are herbivorous, so they are easy and inexpensive to feed. Theyre fairly low maintenance pets and can be handled even by young children, with supervision, of course. Many pet stores sell African giant millipedes, which grow to 10 inches or more in length. You can also try keeping millipedes you collect in the wild, but keep in mind that brightly colored millipedes usually secrete hydrogen cyanide, which can cause an unpleasant burning sensation on sensitive skin. Things You Should Know About Keeping Pet Millipedes Before bringing home any live animal, its important to know what to expect. Does a millipede require a lot of care? Can you keep more than one in the same enclosure? Do they bite or sting? Though pet millipedes are a good choice in most circumstances, you should weigh the pros and cons of keeping them before you bring one home. Choosing a Millipede at the Pet Store As with any pet, its important to choose a healthy individual. In general, millipedes have few health issues, and youre unlikely to find sickly millipedes at your local pet store. Still, its good to know how to recognize an unhealthy millipede before you make a purchase, so you can avoid problems once you bring one home. Housing Your Pet Millipede The key to caring for millipedes successfully is to provide them with the appropriate habitat. Millipedes require ample floor space, while the height of the terrarium is less important. You can use a number of different materials for the substrate. An appropriate water source for your millipede is important as well. Maintaining the Proper Environment for Your Pet Millipede Most large millipedes you can purchase from pet stores or science catalogs come from the tropics. They require a higher temperature and humidity level than other arthropods commonly kept as pets. All pet millipedes need adequate moisture, which means you must use a proper substrate and mist the terrarium regularly. Feeding Your Pet Millipede The herbivorous millipede will happily munch on almost any fruit or vegetable you offer, although they do have favorites. They also require calcium in their diets in order to molt and grow properly. Youll need to know how to prepare their food, how to supplement their diet with calcium, and how often to feed them. Handling Your Pet Millipede Even a millipede can feel nervous! You should always strive to keep your millipede feeling secure and comfortable, even when you are handling it. Its also important to know how millipedes defend themselves, in the event your pet millipede does feel threatened in your hands.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 21

Psychology - Essay Example his keen observation passed prophetic statements of the currents of destruction that flowed through the veins of human civilization and Adolf Hitler’s rise to power based on the democratic majority. From my point of view, I feel, that though Freud had made a keen and clear observation by comparing both the â€Å"civilized† and the â€Å"savage† points of view to bring out the salient meaning of what civilization is all about, yet to me the writing seemed to be pessimistic in nature which in turn reflected the widespread and devastating experiences suffered during World War 1. In his work â€Å"Civilization and its Discontents† Freud makes a pertinent attempt to correlate his theories based on human civilization. Being an avowed atheist himself, to him religion was nothing more than a â€Å"collective neurosis† (The Future of an Illusion, Freud, 1927) In his work â€Å"Civilization and its Discontents† he tries his best to tone down and refine his analysis drawn between religion and psychoanalysis and also between an individual and civilization. Here I feel that Freud is somewhat biased with regard to religion because he is an atheist who does not consider God as a superior being. Where religion is concerned I am against Freud’s theory because to me and most other people God is an omnipotent figure and is omnipresent watching over us humans on Earth. In trying to make an understanding of the phenomenon of spirituality, Freud states that it is "a purely subjective fact, not an article of faith." Further proving his atheist attitude towards religion, he states that humans look for paternal affection during childhood and this manifests itself in the adult stages as â€Å"fear of the superior power of Fate." In his views on the relationship shared between civilization and human misery, he says that civilization is what is responsible for all our misery, because we get ourselves organized into a civilized society in order to escape misery and suffering. I personally do

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Housing Health and Safety Rating System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Housing Health and Safety Rating System - Essay Example However, one must note that enforcements are made only after thorough inspection of the dwelling and not before the inspecting staff is 100% sure of the violence of any condition under HHRS. (Housing Health and Rating System: Operating Guide, pp.6-10) Upon receiving a complaint, inspecting staff is directed toward the property. This staff carries out a through inspecting and notes down everything in inspection checklist. References are then made to housing act of 2004, HHRS (Housing health and rating system) and associated guides and law books. It is then based on the judgment of inspection staff to propose to the government whether the property is safe or is unsafe for the tenants in the property. This proposal has to be made in the form of a report which contains: After all this has been specified, then the report further contains a brief description of the property. This description starts with the type of construction, age of the property and the size of the property. It then states how many floors do this property has and measurements of the walls how thick and tall the walls are. It also contains the number of windows and doors this property has. Then the report discusses the type of accommodation of the property. The covered area of each floors and types of rooms like kitchen, living area should be specified. ... It also contains the number of windows and doors this property has. Then the report discusses the type of accommodation of the property. The covered area of each floors and types of rooms like kitchen, living area should be specified. Then the same information is specified for the first floor and any other floor that the property has. Then, the report talks about the garden area of the property and how well it has been kept. Then based on the schedule of works and the finding of the research on the property, various recommendations are made. The new HHRS system is flexible and actions are not rigid but are very flexible and taken after determining the following factors: Whether the property is empty or occupied Number of people living in the property In the information of the assignment, dampness and mud growth fall under the category 1 of the hazard. The way to categories them in either 1st category or second doesn't only depend on the inspector's judgment but in recent area a formula has been developed to give weightage to each hazard and then depending on this weightage classifying them in either hazard of category 1 or 2. There can be only one action taken against one hazard and simultaneously many actions cannot be taken at once Suppose if the housing health department issues a prohibition notice to the owner about his breach of law. This may not necessarily tempt him into improving the condition of the problem because he's not been fined or any thing and there's not incentive for him to improve the condition unless the government fines him. Similarly if the government sent him improvement notice he may not do so unless he's been threatened or incentive is created for him. Similarly,

Monday, November 18, 2019

Event Risk Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Event Risk Management - Assignment Example I would also have an open mind and listen keenly to what they say. I would seek for clarification whenever I don’t understand something that is said. I would also strive to talk less but listen more t all the stakeholders b) Different people state their problems using different means. Some people may opt to report the problem to you directly while, for some, they may use body language and/or gestures to put their message across. Others may decide to use their friends to relay the intended message instead. c) Some stakeholders, for example, the security officials may refuse to share information about the security strategies and plans they use when overseeing major events. The security agencies may also refuse to share data and information gathered from previous events due to the sensitivity of the security issue. The public may also refuse to share some information for fear of being victimized. d) Body language will help in determining the questions to be asked especially when dealing with individuals who seem adamant in responding to my questions. If an individual is employing non-verbal cues in his response then, I will be forced to change the mood by asking rather simple questions and giving them enough time to express themselves e)The process would differ if the event were a trade show because my target interviewees will be from a more specific group as compared to festivals that are majorly attended by people from all walks of life. The approach I would employ would be different because trade shows have some element of formality as opposed to festivals. 2. You have been asked to turn a sports arena with seating for 5,000 spectators into an exhibit hall. What are some of the types of information that you would need to know? What questions would you ask? What would be some of the event risk management challenges that you would face? a) I would want to know the reasons as to why the sports arena was being converted to an exhibit hall and whether

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Analysis Of Change Initiative At Toyota Motor Corporation Management Essay

Analysis Of Change Initiative At Toyota Motor Corporation Management Essay Over the past several decades change management has become one of the mostly discussed topics across different industries on the market. The importance of change management has turn out to be a crucial task for managers and leaders of not only the big global corporations but also small and medium sized enterprises. Research suggests that the change management is fundamental issue that has to be considered especially when it comes to introducing and adjusting new strategies and policies that will influence the companys future perspectives and developments. It is essential part of the long-term competitive success formula (Pettigrew and Whipp, 1991). Although many research findings imply that change management can be defined in different ways depending on the industry and the company, there is a common ground on which the perceptions of the roles of the managers are build on. It is argued that people are the main drivers of change and innovation in the competitive environment of the business world. For this reason, human resources departments play a major role in choosing the right people for the right position and train and develop their employees to become goal and future oriented. Findings suggest that in order for a company to have a successful change management implementation, human resources managers have to be able to cope with both transformation and change within a single company (Urlich, 1997). According to Urlich (1997) transformation entails fundamental cultural change within a firmà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦HR managers managing transformation become both cultural guardians and cultural catalysts. Since nowadays many companies operate on a global scale, the main issue in managing transformation is to lead the company through adaptation and acceptance of new culture without influencing the old beliefs and values. On the other hand change is usually related to introducing a certain degree of newness to the company, starting from employing new employees up to introducing new strategies and reshaping the overall corporate culture, mission, and vision of a company. More precisely change can be considered to be interrelated with transformation. It is defined as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the ability of an organization to improve the design and implementation of initiatives and to reduce cycle time in all organizational activities (Urlich, 1997). In order for a change to be enacted and successfully accepted within a company, it is argued that change has to happen at three different levels 1) organizational, 2) team and 3) individual. When the new strategies and initiatives are accepted at all of the three levels, the implementation of change is successful (Hirtz, 2008). In order to have a successful change management implementation across the different levels of processes within a single company, research findings emphasize on the importance of having change agents. According to some historical data on human resources, the main drivers for change within a company were considered to be the human resource managers (Urlich, 1997). Being a global company inflicted with differences among the team members, individuals, and the overall organizational structure, the role of the change managers have changed over the years. It is claimed that nowadays the managers and the leaders at all levels within a single company are obliged to assert the need for change and its productive implementation. They are the key to successful understanding of cultural, social, political, and legal differences and the main drivers of motivation to the company as a whole (Hartley et al., 1997). In todays business world companies are striving to achieve a high level of change management implementation. In order to do so, an important factor that has to be taken into consideration is the time scale and planning. According to Caudwell (2004), a successful change management should be carefully planned and it should consist of an identified beginning and an ending that will provide desirable outcomes. However, research suggests that during the change implementation, managers often forget to go back and look at the results that they get at the very beginning of the process, which is the reason why many companies failed to transform and change according to their initial plans. For this reason, findings imply that the change management has to be perceived not as a one-time implementation project, but as an on-going, long-term and future oriented strategy (Caudwell, 2004). Lewins Force Field Analysis Model More than fifty years ago Kurt Lewin, using his experience in social psychology and human behavior, developed the widely known force field analysis model in order to explain how changes can happen within a single company. The force field analysis model, or also known as the 3-step model was primarily developed to help change managers identify the so called driving (or external) and restraining (or internal-individual and group behavior) forces that might influence the change within a single company (Burns, 2004a). In order for a successful and effective change to happen, Lewin proposed that there are three stages that every company and the individuals and groups being part of that environment should go through. Graphical depiction of the model is shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 Note: Table is taken from http://rapidbi.com/management/kurt-lewin-three-step-change-theory/ The first stage is the so-called unfreezing stage where the current situation should be carefully analyzed by producing disequilibrium between the driving and the restraining forces. By identifying the field- term referring to the current individual attitudes and beliefs within a group change agents are ready to move on, from the so-called status quo position, into the next stage called the move or change stage (Burnes, 2004a). At this point change managers are required to develop a plan that will initiate the urge for change among their employees. The change agents are expected to influence their employees and initiate acceptance and adaptation to the new processes, by strongly focusing on motivation and support. Finally, the third and the last stage is the so called refreezing stage where the role of the change managers is to successfully implement the change strategy (in terms of norms, practices, policies, and culture) and make sure that these newly accepted changes are not subj ect to deterioration (Burnes, 2004b) Even though Lewins model is one of the most widely used contributors to understanding the change management within a company, there are some critics that have been developed over the past fifty years. Research suggests that the implication of the model is useful in identifying the need, the type, and the resources needed to implement a certain degree of change within a company. It implies that the change occurs only at the times when the need for change is identified and that, once the individuals beliefs and attitudes are influenced and the social conflict is resolved, the change is accepted as a positive influence (Greener and Hughes, 2006). Findings propose that the model is based on simplistic assumptions that the companies operate as static and mechanistic environments and that the change would follow a clear pattern (Burnes, 2004a). Victor and Franckeiss (2002) suggest that in todays highly globalized and highly competitive business world, influenced by the differences in cultures, economies, and politics, change management is a phenomenon that occurs constantly and is planned, revised and updated on a regular basis. It is considered to be a must-do element of their day-to-day activities, and their future growth and expansion plans (Victor and Franckeiss, 2002). Analysis of change initiative at Toyota Toyota Motor Corporation is a multinational corporation with its headquarters located in Toyota city and Tokyo- Japan and it is the worlds leading automaker. Since its establishment in 1937, the company has successfully managed to expand globally entering the US market in 1957, Asia, Middle East, and China in 1962, and Europe and Africa in 1987. Today Toyota has its overseas bases in 27 countries and regions, as well as 52 production bases and 8 overseas offices. Toyota employs approximately 320,808 employees in their directly affiliated companies around the globe not counting the substantial number of indirectly employed dealers and suppliers. One of the main differentiation strategies of the company is that they managed to keep the same organizational culture and strategy throughout the years of their existence. The company has their own Guiding Principles at Toyota and the Five Main Principles of Toyoda that have been successfully implemented in every Toyota subsidiary, factory, a nd even among their dealers and suppliers. The main purpose of their principles is to keep their stakeholders motivated and prompt to change at any time (Toyota, 2010). More detailed information on the Toyota principles can be found in Figure 2. Figure 2 Guiding Principles at Toyota Honor the language and spirit of the law of every nation and undertake open and fair corporate activities to be a good corporate citizen of the world. Respect the culture and customs of every nation and contribute to economic and social development through corporate activities in the communities. Dedicate ourselves to providing clean and safe products and to enhancing the quality of life everywhere through all our activities. Create and develop advanced technologies and provide outstanding products and services that fulfill the needs of customers worldwide. Foster a corporate culture that enhances individual creativity and teamwork value, while honoring mutual trust and respect between labor and management. Pursue growth in harmony with the global community through innovative management. Work with business partners in research and creation to achieve stable, long-term growth and mutual benefits, while keeping ourselves open to new partnerships. Five Main Principles of Toyoda Always be faithful to your duties, thereby contributing to the Company and to the overall good. Always be studious and creative, striving to stay ahead of the times Always be practical and avoid frivolousness. Always strive to build a homelike atmosphere at work that is warm and friendly. Always have respect for God, and remember to be grateful at all times. Note: Table is taken from the official web page of Toyota Motor Corporation. Since the birth of Toyota, the companys philosophy has been based on successfully contributing to the society, meaning identifying the local cultural and social differences and creating products that will satisfy the needs and wants of the local customers all around the world. Throughout the years the company has managed to keep up with its corporate principle of delivering glocal products by creating a business model that is mainly a mixture of localization for their global markets (Toyota, 2010). Although keeping their unique corporate culture and values, and implementing the same business strategies and principles of doing business all around the globe, they have managed to differentiate and bring innovativeness to the international markets. The key behind this success is in the regiocentric management orientation. The company has effectively managed to spot the differences and similarities in the home and host countries and develop local view that allowed them to bring changes into their company, starting with the development of few global names of their products with localization content, and developing special training and support programs that will sustain the cultural differences and will allow their new employees to merge with the company much easier (Toyota, 2010). Toyota is one of the worlds widely known companies not only because of their successful business plan that has been implemented at home and overseas, but also because of their revolutionary change that made their management strategy stay the same over the years. By developing the Toyota Production System or TPS which is the method of managing people engaged in work that emphasizes frequent rapid problem solving and work redesign, the company has set the global model for successful performance and productivity (Thompson et al, 2003). The model was originally developed in the 1970s and it was mainly used to facilitate production and improve the speed. Over the last several decades the model was widely accepted by many companies operating in different industries. The reason behind the adoption of the model lies in the efforts of Toyota to bring constant change through experimenting and applying new concepts to the already existing processes (Spear, 2004). But what is the main drive behind successfully applying the TPS strategy? According to Parks (2002) Toyota has been the only company that has managed to apply the process without facing major failures. He claims that for introducing such innovative approach, the whole organizational culture and management should undergo the necessary changes. At Toyota the changes always start with their stakeholders. All the ideas and possible solutions to the existing problems are generated from their employees from all over the world. The solutions are discussed and are implemented as part of their experimental processes after which the final assessment is done. After the decision is made, extensive cross-functional training programs are inducted in order to have productive multifunctional workers who will understand the processes and the implementation of the new strategies. In order to get the desired results, strong change management is needed that will provide guidance and will result in disci plined and effective implementation of the change strategies (Parks, 2002). Having a strong management that promotes open and fair corporate activities involving all of the companys employees, introducing diversity programs that support the different cultural backgrounds, and following a clear set of rules (The Code of Conduct) enacted by extensive on-site training activities, is the key factor for success of Toyotas change management processes and strategies (Toyota, 2010). Conclusion Although the importance of having an effective change management has been introduced more than five decades ago, it seems that in todays business world its significance and implementation has a greater influence and application among the companies operating in different industries. Globalization and internationalization had significantly influenced the companies to embrace the change management strategies. Operating on different markets around the world requires compliance with the local cultures, economies, and politics which are the main factors for success of an international company. The main issue is to manage to create synergies between the home business strategy and corporate culture and the host- local cultures and procedures. Although it might seem like a logical transformation that has to be done, without implementing strong change management policies that will be based on the differences and similarities of the markets and the people, administering change can turn out to b e one of the most difficult processes. Following the example of Toyota, in order to have efficient change management teams and change strategies that would be accepted within a company, managers should stress out the importance of all of their employees. By becoming part of the problem solving and decision making processes, managers would get the opportunity to understand the cultural backgrounds of their employees and eliminate the factors that might influence their behavior. On the other hand the employees would feel involved and motivated and the implementation of the possible changes would result in positive outcomes. This is the reason why over the years Toyota has managed to keep the same organizational culture and strategy, yet always being able to bring innovativeness and set benchmark for other companies on the market to follow.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Convincing Q? Essay example -- Argumentative Persuasive Papers

Convincing Q? Voting on a proposition banning genetic engineering seemed odd to me, but to the voters in the county of San Luis Obispo (SLO) on 2 November 2004 it was just another proposal on the ballot. This proposition, known as Measure Q shall make it â€Å"unlawful for any person or entity to propagate, cultivate, raise, or grow genetically engineered organisms in San Luis Obispo County.† This law was proposed after the proponents for Measure Q claimed that â€Å"the people of San Luis Obispo County wish to protect the county’s agriculture, environment, economy, and private property from genetic pollution by genetically engineered organisms until all the risks associated with these organisms are fully understood.† The only exemptions in the measure allow â€Å"a fully accredited college or university to engage in scientific research or education using genetically engineered organisms† and do not prevent health care professionals from providing â€Å"any diagnosis, care, or treatment to any patient.† On the sample ballot was a section entitled â€Å"Argument In Favor Of Measure Q-04.† This argument makes a good case, but it lacks the clarity to be convincing. â€Å"Argument In Favor Of Measure Q-04† emphasizes the negative effects of genetic engineering on the agriculture in SLO County. The claim of this argument is that genetically engineered (GE) crops are bad for the agriculture of SLO County. The first reason given in support of the claim of â€Å"Argument In Favor Of Measure Q-04† is â€Å"keeping SLO County free of genetically engineered (GE) crops maintains our [SLO County’s] strong agricultural economy.† This reason is supported by evidence pertaining to the agricultural economy of SLO County. The argument states... ... might be convincing. However, it emphasized the line of evidence that GE crops can contaminate â€Å"pure† crops stating neither how the conventional crops were contaminated nor what was meant by the term â€Å"contaminated.† Due to this uncertainty, this main support of the argument lacked the clarity to be convincing. Therefore, I am still undecided on Measure Q[SM1] . Nice job for your first draft. The use of terminology and the division of topics and paragraphs clarifies the elements of the argument. Your critique of the word contaminates is original and compelling. In addition to the specific corrections noted, it would be worthwhile for you to look at the supports and evidence in light of the critiques and counters offered by the opponents on their ballot argument and elsewhere and compare them with the rebuttals of those critiques offered by defenders.

Monday, November 11, 2019

How to Become a Effective Teacher Essay

In general, education is a term often used to refer to formal education, which covers a range of experiences, from formal learning to the building of understanding and knowledge through day-to-day experiences. In fact, individuals receive informal education from a variety of sources, such as family members, peers, books and mass media. All of them have exerted a strong influence on informal education of the individual. On the other hand, throughout the processes of teaching and learning, education can also refer to a wide variety of discipline such as computer science, chemistry, health science, society and linguistics, etc. Undoubtedly, in almost all societies, attending school and receiving an education is extremely vital and necessary if one wants to achieve success or even want to obtain an entrance ticket to a better social ranking; however, common sense is sometimes hard to learn from the books directly ¾one can have all the book knowledge in certain professional field, but formal education wont get him or her far if a individual dont know how to behave with his or her co-workers, superiors, and or even family members. In my understandings, education should be comprised by formal and informal studies, and should be carried out in the process through out ones lifetime. More importantly, education cannot be succeeded without motivation. A high-quality education is really essential for an individuals success in todays society. Without a good quality education how would the next generation be able to compete for jobs? Todays new technologies are becoming more and more intricate to run. Life is not easy; if you dont have the knowledge as everyone else dose. Most likely, you will not be as successful as the one with the higher education. According to Bonnie Neff, my high school English teacher, knowledge is the key to success! As for me, I know that the knowledge I gained will be a great tool to implement later in the future. Comprehending something new, will let me visualize and expand the knowledge that I already have to a greater extent. There was a discussion in one of my class last year, one of my teachers was telling me about why there were so many students failing, and falling behind on the required subjects. Teachers are confronted with the problem of keeping up with the fast pace at which kids are expected to learn today. That one particular discussion made me wondered what it is like to become a teacher?And what approach does to a teacher have to take to get to students, to come up with ideas to help their student to stay on the right track? With a strong effort by teachers even the most limited student can have a higher education. Now, that Im tutoring in an elementary, kindergarten to be exact. Ive been helping Mrs. Le with her students for about two months. In her classroom, I was pretty amazed by the way how her students were so eager and enthusiastic while learning something new. Ive realized that once you pull off the difficult challenge of providing the student needs, its a breather to know that, youve done your job. Now, your student feels like he can accomplish any goals he or she sets for. In my opinion, I think that this is why teachers love their job because theyre passing down the knowledge that he or she had collected and are making a difference in their students life. It takes a lot of hard work to become a good teacher. Good teachers must not only know their subject matter extremely well but also be sensitive to their students feelings to ensure that everyone in the class feels that they can be successful. (Calhoun 11). A successful teacher starts with the proper credentials. The road to become a competent and certificated teacher is both challenging and rewarding. (Shockley and Cutlip 21). In order, for you to become a teacher you have to decide upon a major and a minor teaching field. Your major is the area of the studies in which you will become most expert on. It requires more courses, more time, more work, and more attention but it will pay off to a great extent in the future. (Shockley, and Cutlip 43). You need to make a choice on the grade level or subject area for your major. You can either choose to teach in an elementary school, secondary school, or college. During the years of college you have to take curriculum requirements such as: general education, fine arts, humanities, history, science, mathematics, and social science. A typical college, which operates on a semester basis, requires 123 total credits hours for a bachelors degree. (Shockley, and Cutlip 22). In addition, prospect teachers face challenge during the early years of teaching. Getting accustomed to the hard work required in the classroom and responsibilities involved in teaching can be extremely tough for new teachers. (Calhoun 8). There are specific traits and qualities that can be useful to help and understand what the students are going through. You must have patience, creativity, preparation, and discipline. Last, to get an insight view of being a tutor I had an interview with Gabriel Melano, a Communication studies tutor in Sacramento City College and readying tutor at the Sacramento Unified District. Whether, you deiced to teach in an elementary school, high school or in college just have in mind that you need to have patience and creativity with all of your students. When you are trying to help someone learn, having patience is an essential necessity (Calhoun 14). These students are undergoing vast developmental changes that require a lot of attention and sensitivity. (Calhoun 22). At the early childhood level, teaching these youngsters is less focused on curriculum and content and more on motivating the children to learn and influencing their self esteem. The teacher must establish an environment conducive to learning on which developing mind can grow and expand. (Calhoun 20). Teaching in high school filled with teenagers is a bit different than teaching younger kids. Not just the age different, but also they way these teens think of themselves. You must understand that, during this stage of development, teens are seek their own personal style and identity. (Calhoun 24). A High school teacher must be able to inspire and motivate so that the learning will continue to take place despite all of the other challenges that the students are facing. (Calhoun 25). Having a keen understanding of this age group and being familiar to how students develop affects his or her learning style. Some student might be afraid to speak up to ask for help. By having patience is a way to gain the insight thought of your students need of learning. Every child learns differently so donÂ’t ever come to a conclusion. Youngster absorbs information and develops skills at his or her pace. (Keogh 3). Youngster might be confused with the way how you are trying to teach a specific subject. By being creative and trying to figure out tiny ways to help your students to comprehend show that youre willing to do what it takes for him or her to learn. The activities are much more teacher-directed as in the rest of the school program, and pencil-and- paper tasks are required for sustained period of time. (Calhoun 57). Letters names, letter recognition, colors, shapes, sizes, games, and other relationships are expected of kindergarten students. (Calhoun 57). If a student is a visual learner teacher can use flash cards with pictures to get through a point of what they are trying to get them to know. Teachers can make teaching fundamental for students. Teachers can use different ideas of how to approach something they are trying to teach and find many different ways to help students learn. Students know the name of the subject, and they can use their imagination to present the material in the way that student can understand. (Calhoun 14). By having, creativity is what makes the classroom come alive, and it is what helps student learn and appreciate learning. (Calhoun 15). Teachers who are models of organization and preplanning not only help their students learn but also show them how to be organized themselves. (Calhoun 16). When a teacher shows that he or she know what is important, then the student will be more responsible in doing their work. Designing a good lesson plan help put with time consuming because you already got everything all set. As students grew older you might have to be more discipline. This age of groups is extremely active, and the learning environment must be challenging for them. (Calhoun 22 and 23). If a student tends to get bored, they can find their own avenues for relieving themselves from boredom. They usually, take the form of some kind of classroom disruption. When this happens, you have to find a way to prevent this from happening again. For younger kids, all it takes for them to stop playing or goofing around is when you tell them that you plan on calling his or her parents and have a little talk with them with the way how he or she is behaving inappropriate. So, once a young kid hears that treat about calling her or his parents the kid usually start to pay attention again. When it comes to high school teenager it doesnt work that way. In ways, high school teenagers need more discipline to control their behavior. This is the age where they feel to overwhelm with everything. Having a good communication with the teenager can help you understand why they tend to act up in the classroom. On my interview with Gabriel Melano I had asked him a few questions about being a mentor. The first question that I had asked him was, what inspired you to become a tutor? He responded, During elementary school I started helping other students out and it made me felt good inside about myself. Knowing that you make a difference on someone elses life and their gratitude just makes me feel like I have a good purpose in life. The next question that I had asked him was, What has been his biggest challenge so far? He responded, My biggest challenge as a tutor has been motivating children who many have given up on. There are students who set their mind and wont even try to learn. It makes me sad to see someone so young being pessimistic. The next question that I had asked was, Do you feel like you have accomplished anything so far? Gabriel, I am happy to say that every time when a student succeeds I succeed. I also learn a great deal from every student to work with. Last, question that I had asked Mr. Gabriel, Do you have any type of skills to make teaching easier? His answer: Patience with kids.Teachers are the people who are able to bring out the best in others. These are the people that can be able to combines two important types of learning and making the best out of it. When students feel unsuccessful and under-appreciated, they can lose their desire to work hard and can begin to believed that they are less talented or worthy than their classmates. (Calhoun 11). Teachers who possess quality by having patience, creativity, and discipline often receive visits and letter of gratitude from their students long after they have graduated. Teachers should be more appreciated from all those hard work that they put us through. Our teachers wanted us the students to feel more prepare as we go on with the next challenge ahead of us. They were leading our hand to face the Reality of this world called life. Thank you so much for all the things that youve done for us to be where we are at right now.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. Essay

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, as discussed in Darden Business Publishing Case UVA-F-1479, appears to be at a crossroads. After years of astronomical growth, the company find its share price plummeting in the midst of discoveries about faulty accounting practices. The following paper examines several issues behind the sudden decline First, the historical income statements and balance sheets are examined to determine the financial health and current condition of the company. This is followed by an analysis of key financial ratios across time and versus industry standards. Next, the paper addresses if Krispy Kreme is financially healthy at year-end 2003 and, if so, what accounts for the firm’s recent share price decline. The paper concludes with a discussion of the intrinsic investment value in the company. Income Statement and Balance Sheets Close review of the income statement leads to some noteworthy conclusions. The first quarterly column of the 2004 income statement shows that the company gained thirty-four million dollars in discontinued operations from the sale of the Montana Mills venture. In the same quarter the firm lost approximately twenty-four million dollars. It is likely that this maneuver was made to deflect attention from or make up for the company’s poor performance and mounting losses. Generally, this is not a sign of a healthy company but rather signals an alarm since the loss in that quarter was closer to fifty-eight million dollars when not considering the sale. Krispy Kreme may have been struggling to make ends meet through its operations, and perhaps the company hoped to make up lost income through the sale of a venture. Furthermore, operating expenses were increasing while net income was decreasing. In May 2004, the company had seven million dollars in closing costs and still showed losses. An aggressive expansion strategy did not result in enough income to cover these costs. Additionally, quarterly comps decreased dramatically. From May 2003 to May 2004, operating income dropped from $23,702 million to $18,636 million. This decrease is even more pronounced when examining the quarters ending in August. Krispy Kreme’s balance sheet is no less indicative of poor financial health, particularly with a substantial increase in year over year long-term liability figures. The two major contributors to this increase in long-term liabilities include Krispy Kreme’s revolving lines of credit and its long-term debt. First, the revolving lines of credit greatly increased from nothing in fiscal year 2002 to eighty-seven million dollars in fiscal year 2004, demonstrating a burgeoning dependence by Krispy Kreme on outside finance to support operations. Second, long-term debt increased from 3,912 million in 2002 to 48,056 million in 2004. This anomalous and significant increase in long term debt could mean that Krispy Kreme is having trouble paying off its debt. After analyzing both the income statement and balance sheet an initial assumption can me made that Krispy Kreme does not appear to be financially healthy. The next step of understanding this case is to determine how financial ratios extend our understanding of the abovel statements. Financial Ratios The following financial ratios were analyzed: quick ratio, current ratio, return on assets, return on equity, net profit margin, receivables turnover, inventory turnover, asset turnover, cash turnover, debt-to-equity, and times interest earned. These ratios are included in a time series (Case Exhibit 7) raise and in a cross-sectional chart of quick-service restaurants (Case Exhibit 8). To begin, the time series ratios are detailed in Figure 1. Starting with the liquidity ratios we noticed some significance in the changes of the current ratio. The increases in the current ratio in 2003 and 2004 signal that Krispy Kreme is borrowing over the long term, not the short term, resulting in an increase of cash affecting assets. The current liabilities would not be affected by this increase in cash or long term. This corroborates the balance sheet, as with the current ratio rise we see a gain in cash and cash equivalents plus a gain in long term debt. Figure 1. Krispy Kreme Analytical Financial Ratios The debt-to-equity ratio in 2003 and 2004 imply the company is also using more long-term debt from shareholder equity to run the company. In 2004, the balance sheet shows a jump in the number of share of common stock. The selling of more stock to pay for long term debt is not usually a good signal to investors. It may mean a corporation wants more cash to finance activities, which in conjunction with other figures could mean it is trying to offset some losses. A lower times interest earned ratio may also mean fewer earnings are available to meet interest payments and that the business is more vulnerable to increases in interest rates. This ratio has declined dramatically since 2002. Negative findings of the company are apparent when looking at the activity ratios. The receivables turnover ratio has been declining since 2001. This decline in receivables turnover implies that company is not being as efficient in the collection of accounts owed as it should be. Not collecting the credit in a timely manner means that they are not gaining interest for the firm, but potentially giving others a free loan for the time being. Furthermore, the asset turnover ratio for Krispy Kreme has been declining since the company went public in 2000. As seen in Figure 1, the ratio was at a high in 2000 at 2.10 and is not at 1.01 in 2004. This lower asset turnover ratio signals that the company is not doing well in using its assets to generate sales. The final subcategory in the time series ratio analysis are the profitability ratios, which show some positive signs for Krispy Kreme. The return on assets ratio is relatively stable at 8.64% in 2004. Krispy Kreme is still doing relatively well by using current assets to generate income. Unfortunately, the return on assets has come down from a high of 10.33% in 2002, a signal to investors that Krispy Kreme is not ameliorating its use of assets to create income. However, the operating profit margin ratio displayed a steady increase for the company, resulting in more operating income for every dollar of sales. The increasing net profit margin also shows Krispy Kreme is generating more profit for every dollar of sales. The change from 6.81% to 8.58% in 2004 shows that Krispy Kreme is now making another 1.7 cents per dollar of sales. Examination of the financial ratios between Krispy Kreme and its peers in the quick-service restaurant industry reveals a few key facts about the company’s financial state. Foremost is the relatively high liquidity index of the corporation as measured by both the quick and the current ratios. Compared to a respective mean of 0.80 and 1.17 for each aforementioned ratio, Krispy Kreme weighs in at 2.72 for the former and 3.25 for the latter – approximately three times the average. As these figures measure a firm’s ability to pay bills in the short term without stress, it may not be farfetched to suggest Krispy Kreme has liquefied many of its assets to satisfy the doubts of short-term creditors. This band-aid solution may be short-lived, however, since current assets and liabilities are never a dependable tool for forecasting. Exorbitant liquidity also suggests an ineffective use of cash and other short-term assets and a lack of borrowing power. The other noteworthy aspect of these industry ratios is the low level of turnover on both receivables and inventory. Krispy Kreme’s receivables turnover ratio of 9.70 is about four times smaller than the mean of 37.51 for most quick-service restaurants. This is possibly an indication of the firm’s inability to collect on its due bills. Inventory turnover for the corporation is at a ratio of 17.76 versus the industry mean of 64.70, also about four times less than standard. Low inventory turnover can signify a poor management of said inventory. Combined with poor cash management, this spells trouble for investors. Nevertheless, there is a redeeming factor for the corporation, although given the looming sale of several stores, it may not be one that lasts very long. The profitability ratios of Krispy Kreme are comparable to those within the industry, and a good set of such ratios is a reflection of how efficiently a firm uses its assets and how well it manages its operations. In order for Krispy Kreme to make good on these numbers, it will need to convince creditors of its long-term solvency and improve its turnover. At the end of fiscal year 2003, the financial health of Krispy Kreme is neither stellar nor abysmal. The company has several indications of future tribulations that it needs to sort out, but from a financial standpoint it is relatively in good standing and could be said to pass the litmus test of profitability. Some symptoms it needs to examine include its acutely high short-term solvency. Does the firm find itself liquefying at an excessive rate to satisfy short-term creditors? If so, the company needs to reduce the scale of its operations and cut costs until longer-term loans are able to be secured. At that point, it may be able to grow again without the burden of investor and media hype. Furthermore, the firm needs to apply pressure to its debtors and try to improve its receivable turnover ratio. In this way, Krispy Kreme may be able to raise more capital and manage its assets more effectively. Finally, with the increased scrutiny and speculation concerning the company’s financial reporting, it should seriously address these concerns and restore investor confidence before stock prices continued to decline. Stock Price Evaluation Given Krispy Kreme’s mixed financial health, what accounts for sharp decline in it’s share price? On May 27, 2004 Krispy Kreme announced poor results for the first time in its history as a public company. Earnings were down 10% due to the trend toward low carbohydrate diets, or at least as reported by the company . Krispy Kreme decided to divest Montana Mills for $40 million in stock and also planned to close three of its new Hot Doughnut and Coffee shops. The Wall Street Journal published a negative story on the accounting principles that Krispy Kreme used for franchise acquisitions. The company also had to pay Michigan franchise’s top executive $5 million as part of a severance package. On July 29th, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commision (SEC) launched an informal investigation on â€Å"franchise reacquisition’s and the company’s previously announced reduction in earnings guidance.† In September 2004, Krispy Kreme announced that it would reduce number of new stores from 120 to around 60. In the beginning of 2005, the company announced previously issued financial statements for fiscal year ended 2004 would be restated to correct certain errors. Krispy Kreme then delayed the filing of its financial reports until the SEC’s investigation had been resolved. Numerous problems, both salient and hidden, tarnished once-optimistic forecasts for Krispy Kreme, changing it from a solid company to a risk. Investors have now lost confidence and the share price has steadily dropped. Although the company’s actual financial health may have been more benign, public perception has been sullied nearly irreparably. Intrinsic Investment Value Barring incisive and insightful financial analysis, there must be a source of intrinsic investment value in the company which can be gleaned from financial statements. The perceived quality and expectations of the investors hass a strong influence on this innate value. If the investors feel that a company will be profitable the intrinsic value will likely increase and vice versa. Intrinsic value also has much to do with brand image, as in Krispy Kreme’s distinctive green and red vintage logo, it’s â€Å"Hot Doughnuts Now† neon sign and the perceived quality of the doughnuts. These accoutrements drive traffic and sales, two key indicators of a food service company’s health. Furthermore, the central Krispy Kreme retail concept, The Factory Store, is a prime contributor to intrinsic value. Krispy Kreme creation of â€Å"a doughnut theatre† illustrated by custom machinery and doughnut viewing areas is a significant point of distinction from its competitors by offering more than just a product but a complete experience. These subtle differences add to the Krispy Kreme mystique, which adds a level of perceived quality. Conclusion The brief history of Krispy Kreme since its IPO in 2000, reveals a company that has already seen its ups and downs. These undulations characterize the growth of many such firms. Several conclusions on the state of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts can be drawn from the Darden School case. First, Krispy Kreme is a company that is moderately healthy, but seems to be turning for the worse. Second, a time series profitability ratios suggest good health, but peer-to-peer current and quick ratios show a startling scramble to meet short-term obligations. Third, in an era of high-profile accounting scandals, clandestine reporting practices scare off investors, leading to Krispy Kreme’s decline in share price. Finally, Krispy Kreme may be able to trade on its brand equity to leverage poor financial practices.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Freedom Through Lawlessnes essays

Freedom Through Lawlessnes essays The film Thelma and Louise, written by Callie Khouri, is a story about two ordinary women living under male domination in small-town Arkansas. Louise (Susan Sarandon), an unhappy waitress, and her best friend Thelma (Geena Davis), an unloved housewife, decide to go away for the weekend to get away from the monotony of their everyday lives. Louises plan is to drive until they reach their destination, which is a cabin in the mountains. But, during a stop at a bar along the way, Louise fails to consider that Thelma has no experience with heavy drinking and sweaty aggressive cowboys. As events unfold, Thelma is nearly raped and Louise, in rescuing her, shoots and kills the drunken male aggressor. Instinctively, the two women run while trying to comprehend what had just happened to them. Before and after the shooting, the two main characters are surrounded by male figures that are sexist, domineering, and crude. Thus, the rhetorical criticism of Thelma and Louises domination by a p atriarchal society will be critiqued through the model of feminist criticism. This criticism will require in-depth analysis, which will examine gender roles as well as how patriarchy is constructed and maintained during the film. How Thelma and Louise are treated because of their womanhood is important to the progression of the storyline. Thelma and Louises role in society is established as insignificant because of their gender. This is shown through their various encounters with men, such as when they speak with the men in their lives, when they are insulted in a bar, or even when they are sexually harassed as they are driving down the street. During the films opening scenes, Thelma is shown to be a submissive Barbie-doll type housewife, accustomed to everyone else thinking for her. Her friend, Louise is revealed as a thirty something waitress whose musician boyfriend is afraid of commitment. Thus, throughout ...

Monday, November 4, 2019

Is Bakhtin's concept of the carnivalesque a helpful model in analyzing Essay

Is Bakhtin's concept of the carnivalesque a helpful model in analyzing contemporary celebrity culture - Essay Example In this case, it can be claimed that people usually take part in a carnival, where regular human life rules, regulations, restrictions and hierarchy of the society are not applicable. Bakhtin has offered four specific categories for carnival event that include ‘Free and familiar interaction between people’, ‘Eccentric behaviours’, ‘Cannibalistic misalliances’ and ‘Sacrilegious’. In this regard, Bakhtin has emphasized these above mentioned human behaviours or approaches for ensuring freedom and opportunity of equality among the people. Bakhtin’s concept of the carnivalesque has manifested in forms of ritualistic acts and it plays a major part in case of carnivalistic life. Simultaneously, Bakhtins concept of the carnivalesque helps in case of identifying the popular culture of carnival (Karimova, 2010). In this essay, the objective is to identify weather Bakhtins concept of the carnivalesque a helpful model in analysing contemporary celebrity culture. In order to attain this objective, it is essential to identify the key aspects of the Bakhtins concept. Moreover, it is essential to identify the trend of the contemporary celebrity culture. Mikhail Bakhtins humour and his comic essence made him one of the most popular critics of the concepts of carnivals that are effectively practiced in the different segments of the society. According to HU (2012), Bhaktin’s conceptualisation of carnivalesque is majorly based on the dialogical genre of the different concepts. The study of Karimova (2010) implied that Bhaktin’s states carnivals to be different from real life that the people lead in this world. The rules, regulations and real life tantrums are missing in the festivals and carnivals that affect the concepts of festivity. Furthermore, Bhaktin’s concepts of carnivalesque are based on the concepts that bring together the opposites of the society. This focuses on the use of the different concepts such as the death and birth as well as rebels

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Personal Statement Example His personality, appearance and communication should be qualified enough to motivate people to follow the guidelines. The leader should be competent, goal-targeted and loyal to the profession. Communication style carries an important position in leadership. Every individual has some strengths and weaknesses, be it a leader, manager or an employee. However, the success of a person depends on his ability to judge his strengths and weaknesses. Once weaknesses are identified it becomes easier for the individual to overcome them. However, the strengths motivate him to maintain them and further research what needs to be done for a more successful outcome. Hence, it can be said that strengths and weaknesses both are important for a sustained excellence in the leadership profession. My knowledge about these important issues help me come over my weaknesses and enhance my strengths. I want to be a leader or a manager because I have identified certain traits in my personality which may help me in becoming a good and efficient leader. Some of these traits are discussed in this paragraph. Firstly, the habit of communicating my own ideas and asking questions about those ideas from others may be a helpful tool in strengthening the leadership and communication skills. In addition, my researching abilities and keenness to improve will help me as a helpful tool to gain a more competent position in any organization. Additionally, my personal experiences in working as teams throughout my school and college life have affirmed the importance given to appreciation and rewards. This importance provided to them has encouraged me to use them for a more effective team of subordinates. I have also observed that in order to get a better result it is important to involve the subordinates in the decisions more and more. This is also helpful for me in creating a better reputation in their view. In the cases where the views of subordinates do