Team Synergy and Team Spirit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Team Synergy and Team Spirit - Essay Example We have worked with various corporate organizations in this filed with wonderful results. Out if our good job, we have been able to maintain a loyal client base over the years. We have experience in both outdoor and indoor team building activities ranging from one day to one week. Normally, such activities are tailor-made to meet the requirements of the client and ensure that clients get good value for their money. The experienced team at our organizations are also good in coming up with ingenious ways of helping organizations meet their goals with low budgets. Therefore, we try as much as we can to fit out programmes within the budget of a client so as to enable them to get goods results without compromising the quality of their services rendered. Therefore, you can be sure that your budget of $25,000 will be well utilized to give you value for your money. Over the last one year, we have been able to work with over 50 corporate of varying sizes, addressing various team building needs and all have recorded a huge success. On average, the teams we have worked with have experience an increased productivity are of up to 20 percent and staff turnover has dropped by an average of 5 percent. However, we have heard only three cases where productivity of employees still continued to fall or remain level even after our programmes. We believe that the reason for such could be more to do with the structures of the organization rather than the level of cohesion or team building skills of the employees in question. We have designed a number of activities to be undertaken during the team building exercise. The activities are geared towards helping your employees attain various competencies that will enable a cohesive team to b built. Given the chance, we hope that the following results will be attained by the team: One thing that helps teams to perform better is strategic thinking; a sense  of being forward-looking. It is only by being prepared for that future and the challenges that that future may bring about that individuals realize their own weaknesses which they need to work upon.  

Body Image Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Body Image - Essay Example During the year 1870s, anorexia nervosa first existed and was initially perceived as a nervous disorder associated with young women. But in the 19th century, anorexia is defined as: "(1) a refusal to maintain a normal body weight with body weight at least 15 percent below that expected; (2) an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat despite being underweight; (3) body image distortion, 'feeling fat' and overvaluation of thinness; and (4) a reduction of food intake, avoidance of fattening foods, often with extensive exercise, self-induced vomiting, laxative or diuretic abuse so as to achieve the weight loss and maintain a low body weight" (qtd. in Malson 3). Out of many studies from different researchers about the severity of eating disorder, it was Lacey's (1985) "false self" and "borderline" eating-disordered patients that corresponded to the most severe forms of the illness. Lacy's (1985) idea on "false self" was actually motivated from observations of Winnicott (1975) that discrepancies in the self came out either as an adaptation to a lack of emphatic encouragement and support from the primary caretaker, or as an unintentional consequence of miscuing between mother and child. Consequently, due to this disruption, it might cause problems in introspective/reflective awareness, or insufficient consolidation of self-regulatory skills. Since there is already a lack of inner awareness, an adolescent eating-disordered woman might present with an undemanding, compliant personality that is sensitive to outer, but not inner signs (Eliot 2004). Accordingly, the woman might tend to be a "people pleaser" whose pseudo-maturity and intuitive auto nomy are part of the false pretense. On the other hand, the so-called "borderline" patients encompassed the most seriously ill group even up to the present day. Particular characteristics portrayed by these patients are the perception of themselves as overwhelmed, always in danger, of no value, and unattractive. Correspondingly, they see other people as corrective, controlling, and insensitively critical. Their fragmented sense of self and fragile ego boundaries often result in poor impulse control and a anxious search for external tension regulation. Behaviors that are exhibited in order to lessen and alleviate a sense of internal emptiness and despair cause these patients to be poly-symptomatic and particularly difficult to help. Factors Affecting Anorexia Nervosa There are in point of fact numerous factors that can be enumerated that affect eating disorders in women. It may be due to socio-cultural factors, family problems, individual vulnerability as a result of trauma or things that might have gone wrong in the difficult early mother-child relationship, and the influence brought about by the mass media. In sticking with the scope of this paper, the socio-cultural factors and the mass media are the only factors that are further discussed aligning to this paper's purpose. Socio-cultural Factors As women reach adolescence, they undergo a lot of physical changes like their size and shape. It is also during this time when culture

Descriptive writing Essay Example for Free

Descriptive writing Essay Descriptive writing is a way through which a writer shows his ideas by giving a clear and a vivid image of an object, a person, place or an event. In order to clearly explain a situation thereby creating a clear picture in the reader’s mind, descriptive essay must contain certain important elements. Pamela Arlov guides us to a good description in the book, Wordsmith a guide to college writing. A good descriptive essay uses fine vocabulary, original discussion about an event or an object which appeals to the five senses, uses clear dominant impressions and spatial order. Merely the description is to be used on the basis of the five senses. For instance, while dealing with an event or an object, the description is to be done on the basis of experience or imagination which will enable the reader visualize the discussion. Words which evoke sight, smell, hearing, touch or taste are to be used. The use of dominant impression is quite essential and can be taken as the central theme of the essay. It is the way in which the author conveys his strong feelings about a topic. This can be done by talking about all the possibilities while discussing a particular topic. Moreover, a good descriptive essay is organized in a systematic way. Here we talk about the spatial order. It is essential to maintain an order in an essay. As a result, the essay is more effective and easier to study. In spatial order, things are arranged according to their physical positions. Hence the idea is clearer with the reference of positions like left to right, high to low and so on. Thus, if the discussed techniques, further explained in the book, Wordsmith a guide to college writing, are considered while writing a description, the essay will be quite effective.

The Feminist Sentencing Law

The Feminist Sentencing Law Feminist Sentencing Law Outline and evaluate feminist critiques of sentencing policy A feminist discourse of criminology is a relatively recent development and is seemingly much needed in field which is dominated primarily by men, both in terms of law professionals and offenders. For this reason, it will first be necessary to outline briefly the general principles behind sentencing policy before progressing to a consideration of feminist critiques. This will first examine the critical standpoint taken towards women as offenders, viewing sentencing policy in the light of liberal feminism, ‘difference’ standpoints and finally in respect of postmodernist views. This will lead on to a brief discussion of critiques of sentencing policy in crimes in which women are victims rather than offenders, and an examination of the way in which this can be seen to endorse patriarchal structures in society. As a result of this, the essay will conclude that feminist critiques of sentencing have an important role to play in raising awareness of the dominance of male perspectives in criminology. The law is objective in the sense that there is no discrepancy in the definition of crime dependent on the sex of the perpetrator. There is, however, the possibility that gender has a bearing society’s perception of crime, which may in turn influence the sentencing procedure. Ashworth (2002) identifies the introduction of mandatory and minimum sentencing in the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997 as a significant restriction on judges’ discretion. However, judges still exercise a significant amount of discretionary power in determining the nature and length of sentences. This allows the full range of contributing factors to be taken into account, but also introduces the possibility of the sentence being affected by factors with no bearing on the deed in question. Sentencing may also be motivated by a number of different concerns. This variety of justifications for choosing a particular type of punishment over another is relevant to a discussion of feminist theory, as again it is subject to interpretation and discretion. In addition, some critics claim that certain approaches are particularly appropriate or inappropriate to women, or that there are significant differences in the way in which these theories are applied to the different sexes. A consideration of feminist critiques of sentencing policy must then take into account the motivation for respective sentences imposed on men and women as well as the nature and length of the sentences themselves in order to evaluate the validity of such perspectives. Gelsthorpe and Morris (1992) point out that although criminology is male-oriented, it does not deal with men and masculinity, but rather ‘deals with men without acknowledging this and hence creates theories about criminals without a conceptualisation of gender.’ (p.3-4). Bryson (1999) attributes this to the under-representation of women in the judiciary, highlighting it as a decisive factor in confirming the marginalisation of women’s experiences. The legal system is indeed dominated by male professionals, for example only 22% of police officers and 9% of high court judges are female (The Fawcett Society, 2007), confirming the likelihood of the law being treated in correspondence with dominant male interests. Some feminists would further Bryson’s position (Bryson, 1999) and argue that the law itself is based on a gendered process of moral reasoning and thus protects men in society. This is supported by Gilligan’s ideas juxtaposition of an ethic of responsibility (which determines women’s moral thinking) with the male ethic of rights (Gilligan, 1982 cited in Bryson, 1999). Feminist perspectives, therefore, play an important role in highlighting the extent to which male perspectives dominate models of sentencing and introducing the possibility of an alternative, female experience. Gelsthorpe draws attention to the absence of one, single homogenous feminist view, highlighting instead the existence of ‘differences and tensions’ (2002:511). All feminist approaches, however, find common ground in arguing against the traditional perception of courts showing a greater degree of leniency towards women than towards men. This is confirmed by statistical analysis, highlighting the fact that only a small percentage of known offenders are female (19% in 2002) and the lesser magnitude of crimes committed by women. Shoplifting is the most commonly occurring crime among women, followed by drug offences, theft and fraud (www.crimeinfo.org.uk). This, however, contrasts the fact that between 1995 and 2005, the imprisonment rate for women in England and Wales increased by 175% (compared to an increase of only 85% for men) (www.crimeinfo.org.uk). This alone suggests a greater readiness to sentence female offenders to imprisonment for less serious crimes. This is confirmed by the number of female offenders who have no previous convictions and who are sent to prison (over a third of the whole female prison population), which is more than double the proportion of men who are sent to prison for a first offence (www.crimeinfo.org.uk). This adds weight to feminist critiques of sentencing policy and stands in direct contradiction to the chivalrous viewpoint, whereby women are perceived to be treated more leniently because men do not consider them capable of being motivated by criminality and thus are reluct ant to treat them harshly. Feminist critiques oppose this idea of chivalry and introduce the concept of double deviance: not only are women deviant in the sense that the have committed a crime, but they have contravened society’s expectations of ‘normal’ feminine behaviour and are thus doubly stigmatised (Heidensohn, 1992). Therefore as well as being punished for their crimes, women are sanctioned for deviating from their perceived feminine role. Thus women have been historically portrayed in relation to ‘stereotypes based on their supposed biological and psychological nature.’ (Gelsthorpe, 2002:517). A liberal feminist perspective would attempt to combat this by demanding equal treatment for men and women and insisting that the same structural analyses of class, state control and policisation of deviance which came to be applied to male crime is extended to women (Gelsthorpe, 2005). The liberalist view of equality demands the insertion of women into such theories, and their equal treatment within the system, but the limitations of such a position quickly become clear. Smart dismisses such a liberal perspective as having ‘done so little to emancipate women’ (2003:76) and it is evident that while it causes women to be acknowledged within the field of criminology, it does little to challenge stereotypes of female behaviour. A simple demand for equality of treatment fails to acknowledge the fact that theories of women’s crime may demand a starting point distinct from that of male deviance (Gelsthorpe, 2002). Equality does not necessarily mean the same treatment for all, but could be applied to the need to consider theoretical perspectives in the same way, whilst acknowledging the fact that male and female notions of crime are rooted in different systems of behaviour. Naffine identifies this shortcoming in reinforcing the way which liberal feminism, although calling for a consideration of a female discourse of criminology, tends to leave the male dominated theories intact and does not demand that these be reconsidered in the light of feminist critiques (1997:36) This acknowledgement of difference is consistent with ‘difference’ theories of feminism, which call for a broader conceptualisation of the context of gender and power relations in order to consider female criminality. This approach goes beyond demanding that women be treated equally, arguing that it is inappropriate to apply certain forms of male criminology to women, and as such women should be treated differently within the criminal justice system. It focuses on how women’s ‘experiences’ are distinct from men’s, and the implications of this for sentencing policy. One widely-held belief of this theoretical standpoint is that the difference between male and female experience renders prison inappropriate for women, as it subjects them to further oppression on the basis of gender roles already present in society, and as such, alternative sentences should be prioritised. A variety of reasons are given by way of justification for this. Smart (1976) argues that the role which women are expected to adopt in prison reinforces the gendered perception of them in society, with tasks such as cooking, cleaning and sewing taking priority over the kind of vocational training which might benefit them to find employment on their release. This is compounded by the fact that women’s sentences are typically shorter than men’s. Statistics highlight that many more women are reminded in custody pending trial than men, and that less than half of these are actually sentenced to serving any time in prison. (www.crimeinfo.org.uk). Furthermore sentences tend to be shorter, for example nearly two-thirds (63%) of women sentenced to custody in 2005 were given a sentence of six months or less (The Fawcett Society, 2007). Proportionally then, more women tend to be imprisoned for shorter periods, long enough to disrupt their home life, but not long enough to allow them to develop strategies to readjust to life on the outside. Smart (1976) suggests that the reinforcement of dominant and patriarchal gender norms in prisons is based on the fact that a woman who is stereotypically passive and caring is not a criminal woman, and this is, therefore, another consequence, perhaps, of the double deviance view of female offenders. The claim for different treatment of men and women also endorses the societal status quo in its basis on women’s traditional role within the family. Statistics abound as to the number of women with child dependents taken into custody and the negative impact separation. Smart (1976) identifies this familial function as one of the reasons for which prison is an inappropriate sanction for female offenders, and attributes the increased hardships which women experience in prison as due, in part, to their greater need for family life and the consequences of enforced separation from their children (p.140). To subscribe to such a view, however, neglects the possibility of men as primary caregivers for their children and creates a gendered perception of family life in which the role of the woman is perceived to be superior to that of the man. This reinforces stereotypical views of women and also risks advocating a two-tier perception of the female criminal justice system, in which women who are also mothers are given greater worth than those who are not. Psychological differences between women and men are also highlighted as a reason for varying prison experience of the two genders. The Fawcett society cites statistics on the prevalence of self harm, suicide attempts and other mental health issues in women prisoners as compared to men. Gelsthorpe (2002) attributes this to the systems of control which operate within prisons, locating the problem in the way in which women are treated in custody than the unsuitability of prison sentences for women per se. To highlight mental health issues as a reason for which women should not be imprisoned is in a sense to endorse a stereotype of women as weak and fragile and thus condone the very perceptions which feminists seek to destroy. Difference perspectives then create a paradox in that the argument for a different approach to women also endorses a structurally stereotyped view. Postmodern approaches move beyond this to acknowledge commonalities in male and female experiences of sentencing, and emphasise the importance of power structures extending beyond the division of men and women. Gelsthorpe (2002) rejects the idea of innate differences between men and women, believing instead that these differences are socially constructed. Wider considerations of the circumstances of crime are necessary, but these should focus on other forms of structural oppression in society. In accordance with this, Naffine (1997) denies the possibility of criminal women and claims that just as there is no homogenous explanation for why men commit crime, theories must look beyond gender to ideas of diversity and socio-economic status in attempting to explain criminal behaviour in both men and women (p.53). Gelsthorpe (2002) too supports this view in claiming that the question should be less about crime in relation to men and women, but the political process of criminology and the consideration of why certain acts have come to be defined as criminal, while others remain legal. These perspectives, therefore, situate feminist critiques in the wider context of a society in which gender is one of many factors giving rise to oppression and in which diverse structural forces operate across each other to shape perceptions and reactions to criminal deeds. This is reflected in general support for retributive justice, in which sentences are motivated by consideration of compensation for the victim and therefore often involve community focussed sentences. While this seems more fitting to the rehabilitative function which has been seen to be lacking in the imprisonment of women, feminist critics also raise concerns about the appropriateness of this approach to crimes where women have been victimised or oppressed. By the very fact that it takes place within a society and system heavily dominated by male concerns, such an approach can be seen to reinforce structures of oppression in terms of violent crimes against women. This essay could not be complete without acknowledging the body of feminist literature which argues for the oppression of women in society by the very fact that men are not sentenced severely enough for crimes which they commit against women. This approach draws attention to the inadequacy of laws themselves, coupled with a lack of enforcement and triviality of sentences imposed by ‘a largely ageing, male judiciary’ (Edwards, 1992:146). This then echoes Bryson’s point that the dominance of men in the legal profession means that sentencing can never truly reflect women’s interests. Feminist critiques appear clearer and more unified here than in terms of the sentencing of female offenders. Naffine argues that the sexual relations of men to women implied within the common understanding of rape reflect a culturally dominant male view (1997:104), thus women’s interests are not reflected in bringing perpetrators to justice. Chambers and Millar (1992) examine the process of rape trials and the way in which cross-examination typically tries to imply some amount of blame on the part of the woman for not resisting more strongly, thus perhaps having an effect on the sentencing procedure and encouraging less severe sentences. The very nature of rape as a private crime, often with no witnesses and only the word of the victim against that of the defendant means that conviction and sentencing are problematic at best, but this should not be used as justification for dismissing feminist critiques of sentencing, which make a valid point about the dominance of male perspectives and attitudes within the judiciary system. It is evident, therefore, that feminist critiques have filled a gap in terms of female perspectives in criminology, and they are significant for this very reason. It has emerged in the course of the discussion however, that it is more the way in which sentences endorse the societal status quo than the sentences themselves which seem to be inappropriate, although feminists are justified in highlighting the worrying trend towards the imprisonment of women. It is not, enough, however to insert women into pre-existing theories which deal with men: the prevalence of male attitudes in the criminal justice system means that oppressive attitudes need to be reviewed, not just in the light of women, but in the consideration of other oppressed minorities in society, in order to ensure a system which really is fair to all. References Ashworth, A. (2002) Sentencing, in M. Maguire et al. (eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Criminology. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp.1105-1135 Bryson, V. (1999) Feminist Debates: Issues of theory and political practice. Basingstoke: Macmillan Chambers, G Millar, A (1992) Proving Sexual Assault: Prosecuting the offender or persecuting the victim? in P. Carlen and A. Worral (eds.) Gender, Crime and Justice. Milton Keynes; Philadelphia: Open University Press, pp.58-80 Crime Info (2007) Women, Gender and Crime [online] accessible at http://www.crimeinfo.org.uk /servlet/factsheetservlet?command=viewfactsheetfactsheetid=110category=factsheets [accessed 27th November 2007] Edwards, S. (1992) Violence against women: Feminism and the law in L. Gelsthorpe A. Morris (eds.) Feminist perspectives in criminology. Milton Keynes; Philadelphia: Open University Press, pp.145-159 Fawcett Society (2007) Women and the criminal justice system: The facts [online] accessible at http://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/index.asp?PageID=30. [accessed 27th November 2007] Gelsthorpe, L. (2002) Feminism and Criminology, in M. Maguire et al. (eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Criminology. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp.511-533 Gelsthorpe, L. Morris, A. (1992) Introduction: Transforming and transgressing criminology, in L. Gelsthorpe A. Morris (eds.) Feminist perspectives in criminology. Milton Keynes; Philadelphia: Open University Press, pp.1-6 Heidensohn, F. (1992) Women and Crime: Questions for Criminology, in P. Carlen and A. Worral (eds.) Gender, Crime and Justice. Milton Keynes; Philadelphia: Open University Press, pp.16-27 Naffine, N. (1997) Feminism and Criminology. Cambridge: Polity Press Smart, C. (1976) Women, Crime and Criminology: A Feminist Critique. London: Routledge Smart, C (2003) Feminism and the Power of Law. London; New York: Routledge

Comparing Faulkners Light in August and James Portrait of a Lady Essa

Comparing William Faulkner's Light in August  and Henry James' Portrait of a Lady Light in August   and Portrait of a Lady are two novels which embodies within them, life affirming morals. Authors like William Faulkner and Henry James possess the art of making the reader learn by experiencing for themselves.   William Faulkner uses the technique of introspection as well as by showing how characters and their actions can affect one another. Henry James also shows that a character’s actions and decisions can greatly affect one’s future and happiness.   Both authors focus on the power of words that function only to categorize individuals into certain races or social classes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   William Faulkner, in Light in August, centers his novel around the sensitive issues dealing with race, sex, social status and personal history.   Faulkner shows the reader that people who are placed in such categories receive certain expectations from society.   The characters generally accept these categories as truth, and cannot escape from their expectations, both from society and from themselves. Characters are placed under labels. These labels dictate how the characters should or should not act.   These labels determine the character’s potential for good or evil.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Race is the most prominent label in Light in August. The race of the characters dictates how they are treated among others in society. A person’s race is translated into an image.   Characters affected by racism include Joe Christmas, Old Doc Hines.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Joe Christmas was born an illegitimate child, from a white mother, and a father of unknown ethnic origin. From a child, he was called â€Å"nigger† by his peers, even before he knew the meaning of the w... ...ertain situations. The reader really â€Å"sees† that labels have the power to change people and to alter their priorities, if the individual accepts them as truth. Works Cited Faulkner, William. Light in August. 1932. New York: Vintage, 1987. James, Henry. The Portrait of a Lady. Ed. Geoffrey Moore and Patricia Crick. New York: Penguin, 1986. Works Consulted Volpe, Edmond L. "Exploring Independence ." Twentieth Century Interpretations of The Portrait of a Lady: A Collection of Critical Essays. Ed. Peter Buitenhuis. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1968. Krook, Dorothea. "Two Problems in The Portrait of a Lady." Twentieth Century Interpretations of The Portrait of a Lady: A Collection of Critical Essays. Ed. Peter Buitenhuis. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1968. Pitavy, Francois. Faulkner's "Light in August." Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1973

Information Systems :: Healthcare

Information systems are a vital necessity to healthcare institutions in the United States and other nations with the ominous need to keep up with technology, research, and science in the 21st. Century. Most of healthcare institutions in Africa still depend on physical documentation, written by hand and afterword’s stored in binders locked away in storing facilities. With the growing populace in Africa, gathering information concerning patients health documents is costly, hard to maintain, and unethical. Therefore, in this case scenario I’m going to target my research, in developing countries in Africa in general, who are striving to improve ideal management information system. The goal is to aim efforts to improve public health through enhanced supervision through healthcare information, such the ability to collect, store and analyze accurate health data, service transfer proficiency, improve data accuracy, value of involvement, increase accountability and to learn abou t trends. The objective of this information system is to record information on health events and check the quality of services at different stages of health care. The data collected will also help to notify forthcoming healthcare policy determinations. My objective is to provide a cheap alternative Information Systems (IS) solution to six nations in Africa with the demand for better health care and documentation of patient information. In turn this will help doctors to treat patients with perfected precision. The nations that will be requiring my expertise be situated in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. My goal is to unite these six nations with one complete (IS) that will be funded by supporters and sponsors alike. These funded groups will be handling all aspects of service without the support from these nations’ governing parties. The purpose of this is to stray away officials, due to chaos, government manipulation, radicals, and civil wars. Information Systems implemented for project Africa. For project Africa I have included three types of information systems, the first (IS) that I have implemented (see Figure A), is the most important towards a well-balanced system is Clinical Information System (CIS) shown in (Figure A, IS1). This type of (IS) that is a computer based system which is designed for storing, collecting, making available clinical information, delivery of information faster, and efficient (Biohealthmatics.com, 2010). Systems like (CIS) can deliver all records such as the patient past history of illness and interactions with doctors, and healthcare providers. As a result, this information is proficient in assisting physicians in deciding patient’s current condition, treatment alternatives, wellness undertakings, and actions that embark on other significant information that can lead to improving patient’s overall health (Biohealthmatics.

A Mision Statement

Mission Statement 2 The Importance of a Mission Statement In helping students achieve at their greatest potential it is necessary for me to provide them with the necessary tools for accomplishing high success. One vital tool for my success (Canter, 2009) as well as the success of my students is to have a mission statement about my teaching beliefs that help guide my instructional planning, interactions with students and difficult times that might arise during teaching.Another tool that will help drive my mission statement is to collaborate with colleagues, parents and various organizations in order to stay abreast as to what changes need to take place in and out of the classroom. In staying deeply committed to my mission statement, it will be important for me to display it in my classroom as a constant reminder of what I want to accomplish as a teacher. My mission is as follows: To create a safe and positive learning environment that will allow students to achieve at their greatest p otential with an emphasis on recognizing individual differences.After intensely collaborating with several colleagues and a parent, I found it necessary to revise my mission statement in order to clarify what is most important to me as a teacher. My revised statement: To create a safe and positive learning environment while developing high morals and values, with an emphasis on academic excellence by recognizing individual differences in a multicultural society. As a daily reminder of what I would like to accomplish as a teacher, I would display my mission statement on the front wall of my classroom as well as tape it on the inside of my lesson plan book.By displaying my mission statement on the front wall, it will not only keep me reminded as to what I want to accomplish, but it will also give my students, their parents, and my colleagues the opportunity of knowing what my goals are as an educator. By having my mission Mission Statement 3 The Importance of a Mission Statement state ment taped in my planning book as a constant reminder of my mission statement, it will also help guide me during my instructional planning.Every classroom that I have had, consisted of students on various academic levels. Therefore, in my instructional planning; I will create assignments and strategies so that each student can successfully learn at his or her academic level. It is my desire to have comfortable and positive interactions with all students and treat each with dignity and respect. I have experienced that when students feel safe and are comfortable in the classroom with their teacher, they are more at ease with learning or even making mistakes.Also, in order to make a positive difference in the lives of my students, my interactions with them must remain respectful at all times. Once I loose their respect, it will be difficult to gain it back. At the same time, it is also important for students to show respect with their teacher and other people as well. Reflecting on a b ook, (Nieto, 2003) there are many challenges and obstacles that teachers face in their career. Even though I am viewed as a positive person, there are times when difficulties arise.My most difficult times are meeting deadlines, unpleasant conferences with parents or colleagues and behavioral challenges with a student. During times of difficulty and doubt is when I will need to read and reread my mission statement the most, as a reminder of what I want to accomplish as a teacher. However, what ever the difficulty is, by staying focused on my mission statement will help in achieving my goals. Therefore, while staying focused, it is also imperative that I remain positive. Mission Statement 4The Importance of a Mission Statement In conclusion, with the guidance of my mission statement, I hope to build a strong foundation for academic excellence in the classroom. In having a strong foundation for academic excellence, it is important for all students to demonstrate respect, good morals an d values that will help them develop as a learner and a person. As an effective teacher, I should exemplify characteristics that will gain the trust and belief from my students (Kottler, A. , Zehm, & Kottler, E. , 2005). Also, staying focused and committed on a daily basis are essential actors I need to exhibit in order to successfully achieve my goals. In short, constantly reminding myself, as to what I want to accomplish for maintaining a highly-qualified teacher is vital for my success. References Kottler, J. A. , Zehm, S. J. , & Kottler, E. (2005). On being a teacher: The human dimension (3rd ed. ). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Laureate Education, Inc. (2008). The power of mission. . Baltimore, MD: Author Nieto, S. (2003). What keeps teachers going? New York: Teachers College Press.