The Nature of Demand for Shipping Essay Example for Free

The Nature of Demand for Shipping Essay The shipping industry is engaged in the production of water borne transport of goods and people. This industry can be defined as a group of individual industries or sectors operating within different markets and reacting to different economic conditions. The primary economic function of shipping services is, like all transport, to bridge the gap which exists between producer and consumer. Shipping is an expanding, global business which carries most of the worlds traded goods; it is relatively free of capacity constraints, and less harmful to the environment than other transport modes. The future offers substantial opportunities for the shipping industry, bringing with them the potential for significant inward investment and wider economic benefits for the world. For example if we look in to the economic contribution of shipping in UK we can see Efficient shipping is vital to our economic well-being: 95% of our external trade by weight (77% by value) and 7% of domestic freight tonnage (but around 25% in terms of tonne kilometres), moves by water. So when we will judge the nature of demand for shipping we have to look into the traditional demand supply rules of economic theory. Human wants are the core of all economic activities. This is the core of economic analysis that how people choose what needs they are going to satisfy through the use of which resources. In economics, demand means effective demand or demand that is backed by ability to pay. The demand for shipping is effective demand because it has actually been satisfied by the world fleet. Generally demands for transport results from demand for goods. Without the demand for goods there would be no demand for transport. Here transport itself is not the primary demand, its the secondary one. Where it (the demand for transport) derives from the need of goods to be transported. Thats why the demand of the mode of transport, here shipping, is a derived demand. So shipping demand is determined by the final consumers for the Product. Here the level of sea borne trade determines the number of shipping and cargo space required. For Example, after 02nd world war ,the rapid world wide industrialization, resulted in concentrated centres of production and consumption, which led to rapid growth of world trade and particularly shipping. 3 So Shipping is directly related to world trade. And world trade is directly related to world output or production. Here industrial economic development is the central factor in the volume of sea borne trade, but the volume can also be influenced by technological development and political factors. And this demand for shipping is mainly derived from two sources, the demand for the commodities for industrial utilisation and demand for those commodities for final consumption. As said before that shipping demand is an effective demand because the demand for the quantity of an economic good which can be transported by ships at each and every possible price during a given time period. And also because the shipping of commodities creates utility because it creates user value in a number of ways like 4 1. The Utility of Place and Location : Shipping makes it the availability of goods in a certain place where they are wanted. For example Australian apple or Costarican banana is available in the UK super market. 2. The Utility of Time : Shipping makes the availability of goods when they are required heating oil during the winter. 3. The Utility of Form :Shipping services contribute to make the change in the material or physical form of a good in such a way to increase its ability to satisfy wants. For example ,middle east crude oil converted to gas or petroleum in refineries adjacent to consumer markets. 4. Intangibles: Like other services, shipping service is also intangible in that it does not result in the physical production of a commodity. The growth rates of 1999 had been strongly distorted by the Asian crisis. In 2000 a sound recovery took place. Both world trade growth of 8. 0 per cent and the world output growth of 3. 0 per cent represent favourable values, but did not entirely approach to the higher levels in 1994, 1995 and 1997. For the years 2000 and 2001, OECD and other international organisations expect a growth rate of real world output of 4.3 per cent and 3. 8 per cent, respectively, with clearly higher rates for world trade, namely about 10 per cent and more than 8 per cent, respectively. This will boost especially world container shipping towards even higher growth rates5 Table 01: World Output, World trade and shipping trend 1993 to 2010. (IMF/World Bank ISL-Estimates) Source: ISL Shipping Statistics and Market Review 2000 Table 02: World merchant fleet Annual tonnage changes as of January 1st, 1987-2001 (dwt-% change) Source: ISL Shipping Statistics and Market Review 2000

Core Values and Concept at Pals Sudden Service

Core Values and Concept at Pals Sudden Service It sells hamburgers, hot dogs, chipped ham, chicken, French fries, and beverages as theyll as breakfast biscuits with country ham, sausage, and gravy. It can easily distinguish itself from fast-food competitors by delivering competitively priced food of consistently high quality, delivered rapidly, cheerfully, and without error. Pals is the first business in the restaurant industry to receive a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. The performance excellence goals and criteria for the Malcolm Baldridge Quality Award offer a formalized program that defines, measures, and rewards organizations who exemplify the principles of an organization that is actively taking step and reaping the results of being a high-performing organization. Visionary Leadership Pals Senior Leaders (Chairman and President/ CEO) set their Vision and Values annually as part of their strategic planning process after carefully analyzing the market environment and actively seeking input from all stakeholders. Senior Leaders personally lead, monitor, and coach the Pals Leadership Team in interpreting their Vision and Values. Leadership is sharply in tune with customer preferences and organizational needs. Senior Leaders communicate with employees throughout the organization by: Using the Pals Communication/Feedback Process, frequently being present at the restaurants Employing an open-door policy, providing easy access to all Senior Leaders for the entire staff, reading and responding to employee e-mails, and being easily accessible by phone or e-mail. The impact on Pals organization from this leadership-driven, full stakeholder involvement approach has been rapid improvement actions, standardized processes, ongoing organizational learning, employee development, a proactive culture, and high-value business results. This employee engagement practice creates and reinforces an environment for participation, employment, and innovation. It also drives organizational agility and organizational and employee learning. Besides, the leadership team uses the Strategic Planning Process to set direction and pursue future opportunities for the business while using inputs from all key stakeholders (e.g., customers, store owner/operators, general staff, suppliers/partners), taking into account their needs and expectations. This process is used to define, align, review, and maintain a Corporate Mission Statement, Vision Statement, Key Business Drivers, Values Code of Ethics, and action plans. Through these strategic outputs, Pals Leadership Team maintains clear values, high performance expectations, and a keen focus on all stakeholder needs. Senior leaders and store owner/operators communicate and interpret these at each organizational level to define organizational, store, and individual responsibilities and to identify opportunities for learning and innovation. Innovation is driven through the Product/ Service/ Process Introduction Process. Senior leaders personally lead cross-functional teams through this systematic approach for developing new or modified products, services, or processes. Senior leaders personally lead cross-functional teams through this systematic approach for developing new or modified products, services, or processes. Leadership Team members adopted the On-line Quality Control Process (Figure 4) and routinely review its application of best practices to achieve high performance and excellence in Pals operational and support processes. This ensures consistent adherence to procedures, standards, and targets. Organisational Personal Learning The impact on Pals organization from this leadership driven, full stakeholder involvement approach to deployment has been rapid improvement actions, standardized processes, ongoing organizational learning, employee development, a proactive culture, and high value business results. Leaders create a sustainable organization by: Investing in the future by developing the people to ensure that they will be able to always meet future needs and requirements Employing a progressive capital reinvestment plan Pals brand-building Actively listening and staying tightly aligned with their customers and their needs, Building a strong and healthy supply chain, Helping the communities where they operate to grow and prosper. Pals has a process for everything organizational and operational. There are always new product introductions to hiring decisions to the design of support processes and work systems. Key learnings are captured and shared throughout the organization using the Communication/Feedback Process and the On-line Quality Control Process. Pals market research seeks comparative information relating to key issues such as (1) customers likes or dislikes concerning Pals or specific Pals competitors, and (2) reasons a particular restaurant is selected as a favorite. They analyze the comparative data for trends and shifts in buying patterns to identify needed changes in their business strategy and to target other potential customer groups and future markets. Key customer requirements and drivers of purchase decisions are determined from the application of the following listening and learning methods: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Telephone interviews à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Mall interviews à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Drop-in surveys à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Mail-in surveys à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Marketing By Wandering Around (MkBWA), à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ On-site interviews à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ user-based surveys Pals frontline staff training program includes intense instruction on effective listening skills. These skills are not only critical for high performance on the food preparation line (required for order accuracy, speed, and customization), but are also beneficial for gathering valuable customer information about needs, expectations, and satisfaction (as post transaction feedback). Through the Plan-Do-Study-Act improvement cycle they conduct small-scale pilot efforts to evaluate and improve their processes for listening to and learning from customers and their ability to understand changing customer needs and buying habits. In addition, they measure and evaluate the overall effectiveness of their customer listening and learning approaches by checking the validity of their market research, customer surveys, and results against operational data, industry trends, and competitor information. They also evaluate how they are doing against their customer-focused strategic objectives by benchmarking their Key Business Drivers against competitors. Moreover, Pals staff members (from hourly worker to senior leader) have continual learning ingrained into their basic approach to performing work. They participate regularly on improvement and learning teams where brainstorming and consensus-building sessions enable them to identify problems or opportunities for improvements, analyze processes, and recommend solutions. This experience builds individual confidence, provides skills in problem solving and continual learning, and motivates employees to develop and utilize their full potential. Valuing Employees and Partners Pals aims to provide the quickest, friendliest, most accurate service available. Achieving this objective is a real challenge in an industry with annual employee turnover rates of more than 200 percent. The companys success in reducing turnover among front-line production and service personnel, who are between the ages of 16 and 32, has translated into a competitive advantage. The companys training processes support improvement in operational and business performance with the aid of benchmarking studies. Owner/operators and assistant managers have primary responsibility for staff training. They use a four-step model: show, do it, evaluate, and perform again. Employees must demonstrate 100 percent competence before they are certified to work at a specific work station. Initial training for all employees includes intensive instruction on effective listening skills. In addition, in-store training on processes, health and safety, and organizational Culture is required for new staff at all facilities via computer-based training, flash cards, and one-on-one coaching. Cross-training is required of all store-level staff to ensure their complete understanding of all production and service procedures as well as quality standards. Recognizing that most of its front-line workers are first-time entrants into the labor force, Pals management believes it has responsibility to help its workers develop knowledge and skills that can be applied in future jobs. This approach, along with competitive wages and financial incentives, has made the restaurant chain a desirable place to work for high school and college students. Pals has leveraged its reputation by implementing a statistically controlled, talent-based hiring system that helps managers identify applicants with attributes associated with effective job performance and customer satisfaction. In their work environment, where their staff meets the customer face-to-face, they employ effective job designs and a flexible work organization to encourage cooperation, collaboration, individual initiative, responsibility, and innovation. The staff at each Pals facility is organized into process. They also performed extensive market research to pinpoint customer requirements: convenience; ease of ingress and egress; easy-to-read menu; simple, accurate order system; fast service; wholesome food; and reasonable price. This data has been used to translate their key customer requirements into Key Business Drivers. Customer requirements are linked to clearly define operational processes, procedures, and systems that are continually monitored to ensure that they are meeting customer requirements. They maintain on-going communications links to their customers so that they can listen to how well they think they are meeting their needs. They also listen to learn if customer needs are changing or if new needs have arisen. Pals has three key suppliers/partners who provide the majority of their raw materials. Focusing their supplier/partner base on just three vendors has reduced product variability. It has also allowed them to develop a more positive relationship with each supplier/partner with whom they have established long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships. They work with suppliers to design in quality, value and their unique flavor profile. The Key Business Drivers are mainly: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Quality of products, service, and process à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Service à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Cleanliness à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Value à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ People à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Speed Customer Excellence Customer-driven excellence is a strategic concept imbedded in the Baldrige Award Criteria. Pals uses the industry-proven standard method of segmenting by age, gender, income, and proximity to the store location for analyzing buying patterns and defining expectations. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Age à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Gender à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Income à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Proximity Product quality, hospitality, accuracy, and speed are important factors to their customers. Pals has solidified its already strong market position on product and service performance by realizing improvement in each of these customer-linked critical areas. Pals performance in customer-rated results for food quality, service (hospitality, convenience, ease of access, menu board readability), and accuracy are consistently improving. These product and service outcomes are a direct reflection of Pals ability to understand the voices of customers and the market and to address them with menu design, pricing strategy, sudden service performance, and proactive customer contact standards. Pals order handout speed has improved more than 30 percent since 1995, decreasing from 31 seconds to 20 seconds, almost their times faster than its top competitor. Errors in orders are rare, averaging less than one for every 2,000 transactions. The company aims to reduce its error rate to one in every 5,000 transactions. In addition, Pals has consistently received the highest health inspection scores in its market and in the entire state of Tennessee. Through the Plan-Do-Study-Act improvement cycle, they are able to continually evaluate and improve their processes for listening to and learning from customers by assessing how have understood changing customer needs and buying habits. Through small-scale pilot efforts, the Customer Listening and Learning Process are continually evaluated and improved. Customer complaints are tracked at the store level on an Opportunity Log and then aggregated at the company level to indicate trends. This critical-incidents information is used to understand key service attributes from the point of view of customers and frontline employees. Also, as part of their market research, they ask customers very specific loyalty questions that they translate into key customer loyalty data. Focus on Results and Creating Value Pals begins considering user requirements during the data and information selection stage with predefined user criteria. The data selection, collection, and reporting criteria include: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Meets stakeholder requirements à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Links to our Key Business Drivers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Provides a balanced scorecard à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Drives action à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Creates reliability à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Provides rapid access à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Allows rapid update à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Supports continual learning/improvement Besides, the rapid acceptance, popularity, and growth of our web site, www.palsweb.com, is another strong indicator of customer loyalty to the Pals brand. The rapid acceptance, popularity, and growth of our web site, www.palsweb.com, is another strong indicator of customer loyalty to the Pals brand. The companys Business Excellence Process which is the key integrating element and a management approach ensures that customer requirements are always met in every transaction. Pals lays emphasis on data which is the basis for sound planning and decision making. Customer, employee, and supplier feedback is central to all processes, and it is gathered in numerous formal and informal ways. For example, Pals owner/operators must devote part of every work day to marketing by wandering around. Views on how a location is performing and to solicit ideas for improvement from employees and customers are noted. Anstheyrs to predesigned questions are recorded, compiled, and later analyzed at the store and corporate levels. Owner/operators also maintain a communications log. The Communication/ Feedback Process is a progressive and rapid means of communication to/from all stakeholders. This process serves as a standard operating mode for Leadership Team members. SysDine, is a key tool, generating store-level and company-wide data on sales, customer count, product mix, ideal food and material cost, and turnover rates. This information supports daily operational decisions. It also is used to update Pals Balanced Scorecard of Core Performance Measures, which links directly to its key business drivers: quality, service, cleanliness, value, people, and speed. Managers regularly review the value of the data collected, and the company employs an outside statistician to evaluate the type of information tracked, how it is used, and how it is collected. Social Responsiblity Pals measures and pursues continual improvement in the areas of ethics violations, labor violations, sexual harassment complaints, and honesty violations. Pals Senior Leaders promote an environment of legally, morally, and ethically correct behaviors by: modeling correct decision making and behaviors, providing training in correct decision making and behaviors testing to verify that the training transferred the desired knowledge holding monthly reviews at leadership meetings, creating a culture of open-book whole-company data sharing communicating openly and honestly Food safety, which is a primary indicator of compliance with sanitation requirements established by federal and state regulations and of Pals ability to serve wholesome food products, is their key measure of industry leadership and social responsibility. Pals consistently receives the highest health inspection scores in their market. Agility Customer and Market Needs/Expectations are evaluated using market research studies and customer complaint data. These data are used to interpret customer needs and requirements, to project market trends, and to establish new strategies that will delight customers and sustain our competitive advantages. Competitive Environment and Capabilities Relative to Competitors are evaluated with data from our benchmarking process, benchmark data exchange, and competitive reviews. They use the data to identify market and industry trends, industry and competitor capabilities and Best Business Practices, competitor strategies, potential competitor reactions to our strategies, and promotional and technological improvement opportunities. Technological Risk is evaluated with data gathered from manufacturers, vendors, and industry trade associations using the following criteria: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ How will the technology help them meet needs? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Are any of their technologies becoming obsolete? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Do our existing technologies have new hazards/ risks? Managing by Innovation Operational Capabilities and Needs are considered by evaluating anticipated needs and capabilities for human resources, technology, research and development, innovation, and business processes. Internal capability data are analyzed against industry trends, technology developments, and performance advances, looking for ways to develop dominant positions within our market. They have focused their Human Resources strategies, plans, job/work designs, and HR processes for developing capabilities that support the key competitive performance expectations of their organization (speed, accuracy, quality, and hospitality). In their work environment, where their staff meets the customer face-to-face, they employ effective job designs and a flexible work organization to encourage cooperation, collaboration, individual initiative, responsibility, and innovation. The equipment, facilities, and technologies that Pals uses to meet customer needs are components that serve their manufacturing, service and retail needs through ongoing use of their Benchmarking, Innovation and Product/Service/ Process Introduction processes Innovation is driven through the Product/ Service/ Process Introduction Process. Senior leaders personally lead cross-functional teams through this systematic approach for developing new or modified products, services, or processes. Also, their Business Excellence Process will continue to drive them toward performance improvement over the next two to five years by maintaining their focus on strategies and plans linked directly to Key Business Drivers and derived heavily from customer/market. Pals projected performance will continue to strengthen their position as the market leader versus their leading competitor by generating additional sales, and by developing the required operating capabilities. At this time, they are the regional leader in all major areas of comparative performance (quality, service, speed, food health/safety, customer satisfaction, market share, sales, and profit). Management by Fact Pals Leadership Team has carefully designed a performance measurement and analysis system for the collection, integration, and analysis of information and data that feeds and interacts with their Strategic Planning, Continual Improvement, Benchmarking, and Management Review processes. Pals Management Information System is also used to guide the selection, gathering, integration, management, and effective use of information and data to support our key operational processes, action plans, and performance management system. Pals Management Information System gathers and integrates data and information from multiple sources (e.g., operations, customer listening/learning processes, market research, benchmarking studies, suppliers, regulatory agencies, and industry publications). Much of the data is gathered at its source (in the store) through our automated SysDine data collection, integration, and analysis system. SysDine generates store-level and companywide reports on sales, customer count, product mix, ideal food and material cost, and turnover rates. This data, which is readily available at each store, is reviewed and analyzed for use in support of daily operations. Focus on Future The Pals Strategic Planning Process is used by Senior Leaders working with the Leadership Team to provide a disciplined and structured approach for setting strategic directions to strengthen business performance and competitive position. Strategic planning is performed annually, with primary emphasis on one- and three-year planning horizons. strategic objectives and action plans with a planning horizon of up to five years are also maintained. Pals organizations strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) are addressed during strategic planning, using the SWOT analysis process and supported by various analyses of key processes, internal capabilities, and Key Business Driver data. Technological changes and risks are evaluated with data gathered primarily from manufacturers, vendors, and industry trade associations. Human resources strategies and plans are developed to recruit, staff, train, and educate personnel to build staff capacity for success; to improve work/job designs and work areas; and to build a better culture for excellence and employee well-being. Employee turnover shows that employee retention levels are clearly superior to the industry average. Pals continues to reduce employee turnover and to set the pace for other QSR operations. Their group of store Owners/Operators and Senior Leaders has experienced near-zero turnover for the past 25 years, which has provided a major advantage in leadership continuity over their competitors. Pals existing strategic objectives, action plans (short term and longer term), and target completion are carefully managed throughout the year. Systems Perspective Pals Business Excellence Process is based on the core concepts of the Malcolm Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence. These principles, which are a pervasive part of our culture, are used to achieve our action plans. They are integrated throughout our training for team skills, performance measurement, standards, continual improvement, problem solving, quality control, and benchmarking. Pals Training Program contains a variety of modules designed to support our strategic objectives, key action plans, and operational capabilities by addressing organizational and employee needs for development, learning, and career progression

Use of Language in Out of Africa by Grace Nichols :: essays research papers

This poem takes us on a journey of Grace Nichols life, from her ancestry in Africa to her migration from the Caribbean to England. Language features such as extended metaphor’s and repetition of phrases help to keep this journey flowing. The first language feature we come across is the repetition of the words ‘out of’ and ‘into’. The phrases being repeated help to link past and present. The first stanza repeats ‘Out of†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ This talks about Grace’s ancestry, i.e. coming out of before her time. The second and third stanza ‘Into†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ is about her life and her past. Grace lived in the Caribbean and moved to England so the ‘into’ refers to her life experiences. Personification is used widely throughout the poem, an example of this is the personification of the word mother. ‘ Out of Africa of the suckling.’ The word mother is not specifically mentioned in the line but sucking refers to the relationship between mother and child. The second reference to mother is a personification of the earth, ‘Out of Africa of the first rains, the first mother. This personification is symbolic and has references to the past, the first rains being those rains of a long time ago. The personification of the ‘trampled autumn tongues,’ can be taken on two levels. (It is also an extended metaphor!) Trampled autumn tongues could be taken literally i.e. leaves being trampled on or metaphorically. The leaves could be reference to the tongues of the slaves (slaves tongues would be cut off if they were caught speaking between each other in their native tongue.) The structure of the poem is also interesting, there are three stanzas’, the first and second stanza are equal in length but the third is slightly longer. The third stanza is the longest because that is where she is living now and has been the longest. The narrative voice in the poem is the voice of the African people. The tone is sarcastic and hast a hint of mocking to it, with parts such as ‘ baleful tourist glair’ and ‘ happy Creole so-called mentality.’ These lines show the ignorance of the white tourists that come to the Caribbean expecting everyone else (Caribbean people) to be happy just because they are on holiday. This is a white persons stereotype of the Caribbean and so the tourists are labeled as having a baleful glair.

Essay on Control in Song of Solomon -- Song Solomon essays

Fight for Control in Song of Solomon       The idea of complete independence and indifference to the surrounding world, symbolized by flying, stands as a prominent concept throughout Toni Morrison's novel Song of Solomon. However, the main character Milkman feels that this freedom lies beyond his reach; he cannot escape the demands of his family and feel fulfilled at the same time. As Milkman's best friend Guitar says through the novel, "Everybody wants a black man's life," a statement Milkman easily relates to while seeking escape from his sheltered life at home. Although none of the characters in the story successfully take control of Milkman's life and future, many make aggressive attempts to do so including his best friend Guitar who, ironically, sympathizes with Milkman's situation, his frustrated cousin Hagar, and most markedly his father, Macon Dead.    Guitar Bains, Milkman's best friend since childhood, serves as Milkman's only outlet to life outside his secluded and reserved family. Guitar introduces Milkman to Pilate, Reba, and Hagar, as well as to normal townspeople such as those that meet in the barber shop, and the weekend party-goers Milkman and Guitar fraternize with regularly. However, despite their close friendship, the opportunity to gain a large amount of gold severs all their friendly ties. Guitar, suspecting Milkman took all the gold for himself, allows his greed and anger to dictate his actions and sets out on a manhunt, ready to take Milkman down wherever and whenever he could in order to retrieve the hoarded riches. Guitar's first few sniper attempts to execute Milkman did fail; however, the ending of the novel leaves the reader with the imminent death of either Milkman or Guitar. Ironic that t... ... lives of the Dead family members; Milkman, unable to live any longer in an environment composed of animosity, drives him to leave his home and search for "his people." Serendipitously, although no single individual gains control of either Milkman's living or dead life, Milkman's need to escape from his collective family and surroundings unwittingly captures him and the life he so fervently aims to keep from the control of others.    Works Cited: Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon. New York: Penguin Books, 1987. Schultz, Elizabeth. "African and Afro-American Roots in Contemporary Afro-American Literature: The Difficult Search for Family Origins." Studies in American Fiction 8.2 (1980): 126-145. Story, Ralph. "An Excursion into the Black World: The 'Seven Days' in Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon." Black American Literature Forum 23.1 (1989): 149-158.

Personal Interest Essay -- Essays Papers

Personal Interest I have been interested in the study of shy children and their inability to actively participate in a classroom environment since my youngest daughter, who is extremely shy, started kindergarten. I saw the difficulty that she faced in class because of her shyness and I became frustrated because I knew that her lack of self-confidence was affecting her ability to excel in school. Fortunately, we were able to work with her teachers and help her develop the self-confidence to eventually become an excellent student who is an active participant in her class. Because of my experience as a parent, I am very aware of the potential to overlook or mislabel shy students and have found myself extremely conscientious of these children since I began teaching. I want to find ways to help these students develop the confidence to become more active participants in my classroom. I wondered what I could do differently in my classroom to help a shy student develop self-confidence. The student who I observed for this inquiry project came to my attention the first day I visited the class I was to student teach in. While she was clearly intrigued by a book I was reading to the class, I noticed that she was the only student to not participate in the discussion which followed the reading. It became apparent the first week I was in the class that she was not an active participant and had difficulty answering questions during class discussions. Although she was quick to raise her hand, she became very distressed when called on in class. I noted that my cooperating teacher often bypassed her, calling on other students who were more outgoing. As a teacher, I want to develop tools to help my student... ...Bibliography Brody, Jere. (1996). Working with Shy or Withdrawn Students. Learn2Study. Retrieved February 1, 2005 from http://www.learn2study.org/teachers/shy.htm Crozier, W. Ray & Perkins, Pam. (Sep. 2002). Shyness as a Factor when Assessing Children [Electronic Version]. Educational Psychology in Practice, Vol. 18, Issue 3, p. 239-244. Hyson, Marion C. & Von Trieste, Karen. (1987). The Shy Child. Child Development Institute. Retrieved February 1, 2005 from http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/disorders/shy_child.htm Kemple, Kristen. (June 1995). Shyness and Self-esteem in Early Childhood [Electronic Version]. Journal of Humanistic Education & Development, Vol. 33, Issue 4, p. 173-183. Malouff, John. (2002). Helping Young Children Overcome Shyness. Retrieved February 3, 2005 from http://www.une.edu.au/pshychology/staff/malouff/shyness.htm

Teaching Assistant Essay

Question 1 Describe how you might contribute to a lesson given to a group of seven year old children learning to play percussion instruments. First I would speak to the class teacher I was working with and find out the following points. 1. Which percussion instruments will be needed? 2. How many students will be in the group? 3. Where will we be practising with the instruments? 4, When will the instruments be required? 5. Where the instruments are kept? 6. What is required of me during the lesson (help students? Take photographs or other tasks needing completing) 7. If the member of staff requires me to research some fun activities that can be done to build up the children’s confidence in using the instruments. Firstly I would research the fun confidence building activities if it was required by talking to a musically inclined member of staff or search the internet for age appropriate tasks that lend to the varying skills of the students. After the directions were discussed I would make the space suitable for the lesson, taking into consideration adequate space for the group of students to work comfortably with the instruments with out fear of hitting one another, I would also check the surrounding area for any other dangers present. Next I would gather the necessary equipment making sure to check that it was in working order and safe to be used by the students noting any damaged equipment that I found needing repair or replacing to inform the class teacher, also recording what equipment I have borrowed and when so that others going for the same equipment knew where it was. Then I would set out the instruments in the space the students will be using for this lesson before the teacher is ready to bring the students in so that the lesson could commence with out disturbing the students by making them have to wait for equipment to be set up. During the lesson I would do the tasks discussed with member of staff before the lesson so that they could concentrate on the lesson at hand. Finally after the lesson has finished I would gather up the equipment I had borrowed and check it again to make sure no damage had occurred and it was still in safe working order, return the items and store them safely in there correct storage space noting that the equipment had been returned. Question 2 What might your role be in organising, using and maintaining the learning resources, material and equipment for this percussion lesson? My role organising would be determined in the discussion I would have prior to the lesson with the member of staff which might be to check the amount of working instruments we have available in school and if they are available for the time we require them. I might have to record the lessons for use on a DVD or school website if parental consent has been given, meaning I would need to acquire and be proficient in the use of a digital camera or camcorder. If a CD containing music is to be used I would need to set up a CD player. Any electrical equipment needed I would check to make sure they have been tested recently by a qualified electrician. If a music CD is required to help give the students an idea of keeping timing with a rhythm or beat so this would need to be sourced and checked for scratches, making sure we have the relevant rights to use the material on the CD. In respect of using and maintaining the equipment would check all the available equipment needed for the lesson as much in advance as I could so that I would be able to inform the member of staff of damaged or broken equipment that needs repaired or replaced. Doing so in advance would be of great benefit to the teacher, as then depending on how many instruments we have in safe working order a decision could be made to either source more or maybe get the students to share. After the lesson I would gather the items we used and check them once more before I put them back into storage and inform the teacher of any change in the condition of them. Question 3 Describe how you act in class in order to be an effective role model for the standards of behaviour expected in pupils? In class and also anywhere around school premises I would act in a respectful manner towards all people staff, parent or student meaning I would talk to them politely and listen carefully to what they had to say. Respect also comes in the way to approach a student I would walk over ready to help however possible instead of race over in a hurry to get a job done. I would conduct myself in a calm and collected manner where my voice would sound friendly and my body language would be welcoming so that students could feel relaxed and safe helping them to work well with myself and build a rapport. When working with students who have good standards of behaviour they would be praised verbally in front of there peers with an added bonus of maybe a sticker for a full lesson or full day of good behaviour and contribution in class giving that student a sense of accomplishment. Where as a student who does not practice good standards of behaviour would be asked in front of the other students on the table to think how that action was not appropriate and told it will not be accepted again. I would always talk to the student misbehaving with a sterner voice but never yell or shout as it would be counter productive and a form of bullying in itself, if the behaviour remained unacceptable I would refer them to the class teacher. At anytime with a student or group of students and I had to correct them for example a misspelled or incorrect pronunciation of a word, I would correct them in a way that did not make them feel unimportant or belittled because they got something wrong as it is always better to try and fail than never try at all. I would then make more of an effort to find something that the student does well and give praise for there contribution to the task at hand as well as for trying there best with the thing they got incorrect. My behaviour and approach in class and outside of class towards the people I would come into contact with would always be consistent so that the students would know what I accept in regards to standards of behaviour. Which would also help students think that I would be approachable and not over react or dismiss a problem they may have with there work or in there life. Question 4 What strategies might you employ to encourage pupils to behave appropriately? Describe how you might react to incidents of bullying and violence. I would first off read the schools behaviour policy to get an outline of what is expected from the students along with any notes on consequences and rewards for any actions, also use common knowledge of acceptable behaviour. Consistency in my standards of behaviour would be foremost in a practical example to the students of what behaviour is acceptable; giving them a model they can see to work towards in respect to how they want to act. My consistency would also breed predictability for example when I first see the students in the morning they would be greeted warmly and asked how they were feeling today, nurturing there social and empathetic development while they express there feeling. Respect will be shown at all times to who ever I interact with making it easier for students to show respect towards myself and in turn their peers. I think the student would better understand and be more likely if as a school or a class to make it more personal made a poster of what they consider good and unacceptable behaviour. This way they have contributed and feel the rules are fair as they made them not just told this is what you have to do. Confrontation should always be respectful meaning do not just start shouting at a student for there inappropriate behaviour but develop numerous ways to confront a student by discussing with staff to see which forms they believe work well. In promoting good behaviour I would reward with praise as my main reward and if I believe a student does something extra to what is normal, say opening a day to a member of staff or helping someone in their group comprehend the task they are having difficulty with I would reward them with a sticker which would serve as a visible sign of recognition to a good deed and encourage other children to do the same. The sticker would also make the student who received it feel important and appreciated for their effort, especially knowing that rewards are not given out at random but for consistent good work or behaviour, not forgetting to reward students who are trying but are not as good as others in certain areas to give a confidence boost. If I witnessed or an incident of bullying was brought to my attention I would firstly ensure I was calm and consistent to what my interaction with a student in an everyday matter would be so not to make anyone feel uncomfortable whether it be a child informing, bullying or being bullied. Then I would start a record in a note book at first of people involved and what it was about. The incident would be isolated from the other students so that no one else was involved giving a calmer atmosphere to ascertain what is happening by talking calmly to the students as always practiced in school. Once the situation has calmed down I would inform the class teacher as to what happened giving any notes taken so they could read the account. I would then be inclined to do an assembly on bullying and why it is not accepted in our school so that the messages went out to all the students and did not target any one person. This would be better learned if I got students involved in maybe suggesting how to deal with a situation before it escalates to bullying or if an incident of bullying is observed, making anti bullying posters would be a good task to perform to raise awareness. Question 5 Describe how you might appropriately observe the physical abilities and skills of a nine year old boy. I would discuss with the teacher as to what kind of observation they required as they may want a observation of where the child’s abilities are at the moment or how they develop over a set period of time. Then understanding exactly what is required from the observation and the protocols set out within the school for observing students I would plan the observation. Firstly I would plan to do it either at an active play time or when the students are all doing P.E. so that I can observe the student with out them realising it giving a more accurate account. I would make a sheet for the observation stating date, time started, time finished, student and reason for observation and have boxes for small notes regarding different aspects of physical abilities and skills such as; 1. Confidence setting up a sports game to be played.  2. Hand-eye co-ordination. 3. How they completed the task asked of them 4. Did they require any assistance during the task? 5. The way they interact with others during tasks. 6. Is the child challenged by the tasks or did they find them easy. 7. Concentration of student during task. And a conclusion along with any other points discussed with the teacher before hand. Once the observation had finished I would then make a neater copy of the notes making sure everything recorded is fact and not my interpretation of events. I would keep a blank copy of the sheet used so that I could observe the same aspects each time. At a pre arranged time I would give feedback to the member of staff in which ever way they requested be it written or talked about with or with out the student present. If the student is present I would praise there accomplishments and constructively subject areas that could be improved. The notes taken during the observation would be kept in a safe place for five years designated by the member of staff and would not be open for discussion to anyone respecting the student’s confidentiality.

Primary Care Group Essay

I believe giving incentives to client referrals would not only keep existing clients but these clients would help Family Health Group attract more clients. Family Health Group already has its set of clients. These clients know our capability as a medical service provider. We are a trusted brand. Contrary to Primary Care Group, we have already proven our worth and establish a name. It shouldn’t be that difficult to keep our existing clients. Right now, what is needed is a program which would bend them away from the tempting offers being offered by Primary Care Group. Primary Care Group’s marketing strategy is just a tactic, albeit a good one. We wouldn’t need a strategy which is as expensive as theirs. I think this is the best time to employ a networking strategy. Existing clients will receive a referral incentive for every new client they bring in to the business. When it comes to health plans, a person tends to trust somebody he or she already knows, compared to some stranger endorsing this new health plan. These referral incentives need not be monetary. These can be free services they can avail of. Family Health Group should incorporate in the health card a tracking system which can track how many referrals a client has. Each referral corresponds to some points they can earn, depending on what plan the new client has availed of. The points earned can then be converted into medical services that the client can avail of. The reward point system suggested above can further be extended. For every medical services a client avails entitles him some points. We should provide our clients incentives for using our services. This not only increases our sales but clients will try to familiarize themselves with our other services so to find applicable services they can avail of. This is my second suggestion. Credit card nowadays are doing this strategy, there’s no reason why health plans should not follow. However, for these suggestions to work as planned, extensive study should be in place on how many points to allot for client referrals and for such and such services. Obviously, the more profit we can derive from referred clients or availed service, the more points we can afford to giveaway. Point redemption should also be analyzed for optimal presentation, i. e. what services can be availed by this number of points. To minimize the adverse effects of the formation of a new health care group nearby, the above plan should be able to materialize as soon as possible. In depth study on the rewards point system can be done in a week. Implementation should start right after. Our advantage against Primary Care Group is that we don’t have to spend much on marketing outside. We can market to our existing clients and use them to help us in convincing more clients to sign up for us. With the new health group, we should try to keep up. Keeping our existing clients should be easy. Even with Primary Care Group’s broad marketing and free services, our existing clients will hesitate switching when they hear about the reward point system we are going to implement. This system also encourages them to refer more clients. Expenses for implementing this strategy is expected to be nominal, compared to what Primary Care Group has spent. The cost for free services we offer in exchange for points will be taken from the profit they bring in, i. e. new clients, more availed services.