Australia Must Diversify the Economy Essay -- The Australian Economy

The economist describes the definition of a banana republic as â€Å"a country dominated by foreign investment and dependent on a single export commodity† (The Economist. 2014). This definition has some correlation to the Australian economy as over previous year’s Australia has experienced a commodity boom which has dominated and under pinned the nation’s economy. The development of the natural resources industry in Australia has grown the economy and has become the number export for the nation (Figure 1). Australia’s reliance on the commodity industry does not support long term economic stability for the nation, commodity prices are falling as the developing world industries slow down. The Australian government must continue with the development of the commodity industry but must also invest into developing new industries that will ensure the economic growth of the nation continues and to ensure the nation is not dependent on the natural resources of t he country. Figure 1: Composition of Exports 2009(Ian McCauley 2012) In the past the nation has been a significant exporter of agricultural products such as grain and livestock, it was able to make advancements in the manufacturing industry by imposing high tariffs on imported goods. This was until internationally and locally it was not viable to continue with these economic policies and the Australian market was opened up with the lowering of tariffs and the floating of the Australian dollar. While this benefited the economy with free trade agreements, foreign investment and a diversification of the export base it also contributed to the demise of other industries (Sara Cousins 2013). Throughout Australia’s economic history mining and the exports of commodities have been ... ...conomy–well prepared for the challenges ahead. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.dpmc.gov.au/publications/skills_for_all_australians/chapter2_the_australian_economy_of_the_future.html. [Accessed 04 March 2014]. (The Economist. 2014). The Economist explains: Where did banana republics get their name? |. The Economist explains: Where did banana republics get their name? | The Economist. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2013/11/economist-explains-16. [Accessed 28 February 2014]. (Zheng, Bloch 2012) Australia’s Mining Productivity Paradox: Implications for MFP Measurement by Simon Zheng, Harry Bloch: SSRN. 2014. Australia’s Mining Productivity Paradox: Implications for MFP Measurement by Simon Zheng, Harry Bloch: SSRN. [ONLINE] Available at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1715235. [Accessed 03 March 2014].

Master Budget Preparation

(Master budget preparation) Sopchoppy Company manufactures a red industrial dye. The company is preparing its 2000 master budget and has presented you with the following information. 1. The December 31, 1999, balance sheet for the company is shown below. SOPCHOPPY COMPANY Balance Sheet December 31, 1999 AssetsLiabilities and Stockholders’ Equity Cash $ 5,080 Notes Payable $ 25,000 Accounts Receivable 26,500 Accounts Payable 2,148 Raw Materials Inventory 800 Dividends Payable 10,000 Finished Goods Inventory 2,104 Total Liabilities $ 37,148 Prepaid Insurance 1,200 Common Stock $100,000Building $300,000 Paid-in Capital 50,000 Accumulated Depreciation (20,000) 280,000 Retained Earnings 128,536 278,536 Total Liabilities and Total Assets $315,684 Stockholders’ Equity $315,684 2. The Accounts Receivable balance at 12/31/99 represents the remaining balances of November and December credit sales. Sales were $70,000 and $65,000, respectively, 3. Estimated sales in gallons of dye for January through May 2000 are shown below. January 8,000February 10,000 March 15,000 April 12,000 May 11,000 Each gallon of dye sells for $12. 4. The collection pattern for accounts receivable is as follows: 70 percent in the month of sale; 20 percent in the first month after the sale; 10 percent in the second month after the sale. Sopchoppy expects no bad debts and no customers are given cash discounts. 5. Each gallon of dye has the following standard quantities and costs for direct materials and direct labor: 1. 2 gallons of direct material (some evaporation occurs during processing) @ $0. 80 per gallon $0. 6 1/2 hour of direct labor @ $6 per hour 3. 00 Variable overhead is applied to the product on a machine-hour basis. It takes 5 hours of machine time to process 1 gallon of dye. The variable overhead rate is $0. 06 per machine hour; VOH consists entirely of utility costs. Total annual fixed overhead is $120,000; it is applied at $1. 00 per gallon based on an expected annual capacity of 120,000 gallons. Fixed overhead per year is composed of the following costs: Salaries $78,000 Utilities 12,000 Insurance—factory 2,400 Depreciation—factory 27,600Fixed overhead is incurred evenly throughout the year. 6. There is no beginning inventory of Work in Process. All work in process is completed in the period in which it is started. Raw Materials Inventory at the beginning of the year consists of 1,000 gallons of direct material at a standard cost of $0. 80 per gallon. There are 400 gallons of dye in Finished Goods Inventory at the beginning of the year carried at a standard cost of $5. 26 per gallon: Direct Material, $0. 96; Direct Labor, $3. 00; Variable Overhead, $0. 30; and Fixed Overhead, $1. 00. 7.Accounts Payable relates solely to raw material. Accounts Payable are paid 60 percent in the month of purchase and 40 percent in the month after purchase. No discounts are given for prompt payment. 8. The dividend will be paid in January 2000. 9. A n ew piece of equipment costing $9,000 will be purchased on March 1, 2000. Payment of 80 percent will be made in March and 20 percent in April. The equipment will have no salvage value and has a useful life of three years. 10. The note payable has a 12 percent interest rate; interest is paid at the end of each month.The principal of the note is paid off as cash is available to do so. 11. Sopchoppy’s management has set minimum cash balance at $5,000. 12. The ending Finished Goods Inventory should be 5 percent of the next month’s needs. This is not true at the beginning of 2000 due to a miscalculation in sales for December. The ending inventory of raw materials should be 5 percent of the next month’s needs. 13. Selling and administrative costs per month are budgeted to be 30 percent of each month’s sales. Of that amount, 50 percent is depreciation.These costs are paid in cash as they are incurred. 14. Prepare a master budget for each month of the first quarte r of 2000. a. sales budget with expected cash collections, including the accounts receivable for the next quarter b. production budget c. purchase budget with expected cash payments, including the accounts payable for the next quarter d. direct labor budget e. manufacturing overhead budget f. finished goods ending inventory budget g. selling and administrative budget h. cash budget i. balance sheet j. income statement

Commerce Bank Case Essay

Executive Summary Commerce Bank has been a pioneer in the banking industry by returning to customer service. This has driven customers to the bank, but in order to stay ahead on the curve they want to move away from the model that has worked for them. An analysis was performed regarding whether their new concept of â€Å"retailtainment†, entertaining customers throughout the banking service process, would be beneficial or not. After thorough consideration, it was determined that â€Å"retailtainment† was not the best way to improve Commerce’s quality of service. Commerce should focus on their former centralized model and enhance it, rather than change it. Background Commerce Bank is a New Jersey-based bank founded in 1973 by fast food franchiser Vernon Hill. Hill took his experience as a fast food business owner and utilized it to operate Commerce Bank. Commerce had branches opening earlier than the competitors and staying open later, 7:30AM to 8:00PM during the week and modified hours on Saturday and Sunday (Frei, 2006). Drive-through windows at busier locations even stayed open until midnight to accommodate customers; however, all branches operated under the notion that they were to open ten minutes before and close ten minutes after the posted time (Frei, 2006). Commerce used this model to get customers in the door and made their primary focus customer service. This focus allowed them to increase customer deposits, by an average of 30% per year from 1996 to 2001, and some years they even achieved growth rates in excess of 40% (Frei, 2006). This was not consistent with the market trend during this period, as other banks were selecting online banking, pushing customers out the door. Hill felt that this was a model for failure, because â€Å"You can’t name one retailer in this country that has pushed people where they don’t want to go and succeeded† (Frei, 2006). Currently, Commerce is feeling the pressure from other banks who want to use their business model to draw new customers. Washington Mutual, for instance, launched â€Å"un-bank†, with roaming tellers, a children’s play area and no desk. ING, a new entrant in the market, opened a cafà © style branch that served espresso to customers (Frei, 2006). To combat this Commerce launched a new customer experience called â€Å"Retailtainment†. Retailtainment is the incorporation of entertainment into the various branches. Essentially, each branch can come up with their own  wacky ideas for entertaining customers every Friday (Fre i, 2006). This was to ensure that Commerce, who offers the lowest loan rates, stayed ahead of the competition. Problem Statement Commerce bank is losing track of what originally made them successful, service quality and efficiency, and losing sight of what the customers really want in a banking experience. Analysis â€Å"Many banks attribute their growth to their successful transformation to a sales culture.† (McBride, 2005) .Commerce has used traditional banking to form a niche in the industry. Other banks at this time were moving towards online banking, focusing less on the person to person interaction. This could have catastrophic implications: â€Å"I am referring to the turn-off of poorly trained, new employees. What’s worse is seeing this person struggle and look in vain for help from someone else in the branch† (McBride, 2005). Commerce, on the other hand, has embraced this by training employees with emphasis on customer service. The customer-central model was the springboard for what Commerce believed was the value of the bank, customer deposits (Fitzsimmons and Fitzsimmons, 2011). Hill believed that by focusing on â€Å"non-rate† reason deposits, that he could build a deposit base, and his philosophy was for the bank to provide customers with an unforgettabl e experience in exchange for a loan rate, half a point less than the competition (Frei, 2006). This lower rate enabled Commerce to stay open later and have additional benefits for its members. These benefits included no-fee banking and even ATM fee refunds for high balance members. As service occurs, customers also play a role in co-production (Fitzsimmons and Fitzsimmons, 2011). To ensure this experience was the same for all the members of the bank, Commerce standardized its branches, attempting to make life easier for customers. At these branches, customers are greeted at the front door and made to feel at home while they wait to be served. This is unique from other banks, who sometimes charge fees if customers visit the branches or talk to a real person. â€Å"Customers enrolled in Bank of America’s e-banking account pay $8.95 a month for the privilege of accessing branches and talking to tellers when you need to make a transaction or deposit† (CNN, 2011). Commerce’s threat from industry rivals forced them decide to implement a decentralized program cal led â€Å"Retailtainment†, a break from  their standardized model, which had been their main reason for success thus far. Commerce had built the brand name using this philosophy, and straying from this gives individual branched control. With bank industry ratings declining, this strategy may backfire severely and hurt the brand down the road. â€Å"In October 2010, the number of Americans expressing a â€Å"great deal† or â€Å"quite a lot† of confidence in banks fell to an all-time low of 18% — lower than its level at the height of the global financial collapse (Wood and Berg, 2011). Customers have been complaining about the lack of tellers and feel that the bank should have less greeters and more tellers (Frei, 2006). This shows that Commerce’s decentralized â€Å"retailtainment† has notable gaps in Fitzsimmons’ Service Quality Gap Model. Previously, Commerce’s service standards and service delivery were impeccable, however, â€Å"retailtainment† decreases their quality of service delivery, decreasing customer perceptions and placing a strain on â€Å"Communication Gap 4† (Fitzsimmons and Fitzsimmons, 2011). These further decrease â€Å"Customer Satisfaction Gap 5† (Fitzsimmons and Fitzsimmons, 2011). Recommendations and Conclusion â€Å"Retailtainment† may sound like a good idea, but it has plenty of issues associated with it. Commerce Bank previously used a standardized process, but this is completely opposite from that model, thus decentralizing the process and forcing managers to make their own decisions. By relying solely on the managers and their staff, they risk damaging their image. In addition to addressing the deficits in the gaps of their Service Quality Model, Commerce can also employ the Service Encounter Triad to improve customer service. Using this model, they can improve their shortfalls between the service organization and the customer, as well as contact personnel and the customer (Fitzsimmons and Fitzsimmons, 2011). To do this, they can improve customer satisfaction by hiring another bank teller rather than a greeter, which in turn, will improve their efficiency. Additionally, doing this will improve their contact personnel’s ethical climate and better develop their service deli very to the customer (Fitzsimmons and Fitzsimmons, 2011). In addition, Commerce can also attempt to use Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), successfully used by other banks, which uses linear programming to measure the efficiency of multiple decision making units by streamlining branch operations (Sherman and Ladino, 1995). Commerce has  focused so much on the first impression that they lost sight of what people are there for. People are there to deposit their money, and delays in this process may lead to less than satisfactory service. Commerce can take some of the greeters and make them â€Å"junior† or â€Å"overflow† tellers. This group can be seen as back-up to jump into action when there is heavy flow of traffic in the bank, as well as use these junior tellers to accept check deposits at the front so customers don’t have to stand in line. Yes, they would like for the experience to feel like a retail store, but contrary to Starbucks, bank customers are not there for the taste or the flavor; they choose the bank that gives them the best interest rates and highest deposit rates. Retailtainment plays a big role in delivering Commerce’s mission, but they should also evaluate the optimal amount of â€Å"entertainment† offered to deliver their mission, while being abl e to maintain operations and maintain a competitive position against other banks. There is no need to have a mascot to entertain customers or have a hot dog cart offering food. Bank of America had a simpler solution — using a TV for customers in line. This kept customers’ minds off of waiting in line and was more cost-effective than having to pay someone in a costume to talk to people. If they want to stay competitive, Commerce needs to think outside the box for efficient solutions to current problems. A good alternative would be to pay employees to suggest alternative and effective ways to entertain customers, without having to invest a great amount of money. â€Å"Retailtainment† works short-term, since customers feel they are appreciated, but going to these extreme measures and including all of the in-branch services, mascots, and free pens increases costs and makes Commerce vulnerable against other competitors. It is suggested that Commerce should return to and reinforce the principles that made the successful in the first place. Works Cited CNN Money. 2011. â€Å"9 most annoying bank fees†. http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2011/pf/1106/gallery.annoying_fees/4.html Accessed 20 August, 2012. Fitzsimmons, J.A. and M.J. Fitzsimmons. 2011. Service Management: Operations, Strategy, and Information Technology, 7th edition. Irwin/McGraw-Hill, New York, NY. Frei, F. 2006. Commerce Bank. Harvard Business Review. Harvard Business School Publishing, Boston, MA. McBride, G. 2005. â€Å"Banks need to sell customer service†. http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/bank/20051024a1.asp Accessed 21 August, 2012. Sherman, H.D. and G. Ladino. 1995. Managing Bank Productivity Using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Interfaces 25:2 p. 60-73. Wood, J. and P. Berg. 2011. Rebuilding Trust in Banks. Gallup Business Journal. http://businessjournal.gallup.com/content/148049/rebuilding-trust-banks.aspx Accessed 20 August, 2012.

Functional Areas of Business

Depending on the size of organization, functional areas may be directed by specific departments with upper management, mid-level and front line managers. In comparison, a small business is often managed by one leader only, who's responsibilities overlap. Management The management role includes more than simply being in charge of employees. Instead, this position coordinates and oversees the work of others, ensures organization goals are accomplished, and ensures the business success.Furthermore, managers monitor the efficiency and effective use of employees because workers are the most important resource f an organization (Stephen & Robbins, 2010). Managers also oversee and control functions that are not obvious, but play a crucial role in the company's success. Law is the legal aspect of business that effect business and small firms. Managers use business law to ensure operations are legally sound, noncompliance with all state, federal and international requirements, and regulations to help solve problems.Human resources or short HER address concepts of personal development throughout employee's lifestyle. During the hiring and training process human resources have a high importance. For proper compensation and if disciplinary actions are taken (Stephen & Robbins, 2010). A large role for managers plays the aspect of leadership which covers different ways to influence employees to achieve organization goal, inspire and motivate, handle conflicts, as well as power struggle and organizational change.Accounting maintains and audits financial aspects of a business that is separated into financial and managerial accounting. Financial accounting studies the creation of financial statement, for example, income statements and balance sheets. Managerial accounting looks at statements and helps make decisions, including budgeting for upcoming projects and control cost within the firm (Stephen & Robbins, 2010). Finance addresses the process of setting up and maintaining t he fiscal success of the firm including revenue. Finance is useful for managers in many ways, especially when needing fund for new business venture.The study of production, distribution and consumption of goods and services within countries and individual firms are a part of economics. It is used to maximize profits and to Andre market conditions, for example, recessions (Stephen & Robbins, 2010). Leaders collect data and use methods as well as static to interpret them to find out important information about their business as part of research and statistics. This fiction will help make decisions on what business practices to continue to use and which ones to modify in the future. Operations management is devoted to increasing the value of the firms supply chain.This function is used to ensure that the process f getting goods and service is smooth and error free (Stephen & Robbins, 2010). Marketing interests the end consumer in a product or service and to keep this client happy. Such technique is used to determine which product or service to offer, the type of advertising and creation of a good image of their brand. Strategic planning is applied to ensure origination's goals are met. Marketing helps bring all aspects of the firm together and ensures the company's success (Stephen & Robbins, 2010).The Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy addresses why small business, with between five to went employees, Often fail to grow. Most times, the difficulty directly relates to the little or no knowledge of growth requirement and organizations barriers. A SOOT analysis, which included strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, allows leaders to develop a company goal as well as an action plan on how to reach it. According to Perks, â€Å"Small businesses that grow during their flirts four years of establishment more than double their chance of survival (Perks, p. 21, 2010). Omnipotent view of management states that managers are directly responsible for the organization's success as well as failure. Actions and decisions of leaders are directly related to an organization's success. Well performing leaders adjust and maximize chances, improve bad performances, as well as manage the company. Therefore, managers are compensated for the business' success with stock options, incentives, ores. On the other side, upper management is believed to be responsible when profits are down and then fired or replaced by new managers (Stephen & Robbins, 2010).Symbolic view of management describes the failure and success of companies impacted by external influences that are outside of leader's ability to control. This view is arguing that managers have little control over external factors for example customers, economy, competitors, decisions of previous leaders and others. Managers have only symbolized influence and control by creating action plans, and limited influence of failure and success according to this view. Co nclusion Whether in a small or large company, managers oversee a wide range of functions to ensure the success and high performance of all areas. Functional Areas of Business Depending on the size of organization, functional areas may be directed by specific departments with upper management, mid-level and front line managers. In comparison, a small business is often managed by one leader only, who's responsibilities overlap. Management The management role includes more than simply being in charge of employees. Instead, this position coordinates and oversees the work of others, ensures organization goals are accomplished, and ensures the business success.Furthermore, managers monitor the efficiency and effective use of employees because workers are the most important resource f an organization (Stephen & Robbins, 2010). Managers also oversee and control functions that are not obvious, but play a crucial role in the company's success. Law is the legal aspect of business that effect business and small firms. Managers use business law to ensure operations are legally sound, noncompliance with all state, federal and international requirements, and regulations to help solve problems.Human resources or short HER address concepts of personal development throughout employee's lifestyle. During the hiring and training process human resources have a high importance. For proper compensation and if disciplinary actions are taken (Stephen & Robbins, 2010). A large role for managers plays the aspect of leadership which covers different ways to influence employees to achieve organization goal, inspire and motivate, handle conflicts, as well as power struggle and organizational change.Accounting maintains and audits financial aspects of a business that is separated into financial and managerial accounting. Financial accounting studies the creation of financial statement, for example, income statements and balance sheets. Managerial accounting looks at statements and helps make decisions, including budgeting for upcoming projects and control cost within the firm (Stephen & Robbins, 2010). Finance addresses the process of setting up and maintaining t he fiscal success of the firm including revenue. Finance is useful for managers in many ways, especially when needing fund for new business venture.The study of production, distribution and consumption of goods and services within countries and individual firms are a part of economics. It is used to maximize profits and to Andre market conditions, for example, recessions (Stephen & Robbins, 2010). Leaders collect data and use methods as well as static to interpret them to find out important information about their business as part of research and statistics. This fiction will help make decisions on what business practices to continue to use and which ones to modify in the future. Operations management is devoted to increasing the value of the firms supply chain.This function is used to ensure that the process f getting goods and service is smooth and error free (Stephen & Robbins, 2010). Marketing interests the end consumer in a product or service and to keep this client happy. Such technique is used to determine which product or service to offer, the type of advertising and creation of a good image of their brand. Strategic planning is applied to ensure origination's goals are met. Marketing helps bring all aspects of the firm together and ensures the company's success (Stephen & Robbins, 2010).The Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy addresses why small business, with between five to went employees, Often fail to grow. Most times, the difficulty directly relates to the little or no knowledge of growth requirement and organizations barriers. A SOOT analysis, which included strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, allows leaders to develop a company goal as well as an action plan on how to reach it. According to Perks, â€Å"Small businesses that grow during their flirts four years of establishment more than double their chance of survival (Perks, p. 21, 2010). Omnipotent view of management states that managers are directly responsible for the organization's success as well as failure. Actions and decisions of leaders are directly related to an organization's success. Well performing leaders adjust and maximize chances, improve bad performances, as well as manage the company. Therefore, managers are compensated for the business' success with stock options, incentives, ores. On the other side, upper management is believed to be responsible when profits are down and then fired or replaced by new managers (Stephen & Robbins, 2010).Symbolic view of management describes the failure and success of companies impacted by external influences that are outside of leader's ability to control. This view is arguing that managers have little control over external factors for example customers, economy, competitors, decisions of previous leaders and others. Managers have only symbolized influence and control by creating action plans, and limited influence of failure and success according to this view. Co nclusion Whether in a small or large company, managers oversee a wide range of functions to ensure the success and high performance of all areas.

Classroom Management Plan Essay

I will provide the right environment for all students to learn. I will generate energy, ideas and opportunities to foster student achievement. I will motivate learners to high academic achievement. I will care for, love and understand my students. I will center my decision making about curriculum around my students. I will never feel that I cannot better myself as a teacher. My Philosophical Beliefs About Teaching In evaluating my philosophy for my future teaching career, I have been very seriously considering my values and beliefs about discipline, my own management style and the social goals for my students. As organization is one of my top priorities as a student, I will strive to be as organized as possible when I start my career. My goal is to organize the logistics of my classroom so that I can make my classroom student-centered instead of teacher-centered. I value the education process, and young minds and new ideas never cease to intrigue me. I am committed to making my classroom a safe and challenging environment and engaging my students through the curriculum as well as getting to know them and interacting with them one-on-one. I believe that meeting the needs of my students is a very crucial part of my classroom. I want them to be comfortable with the other students, as well as me, so that there can be meaningful discussions and interactions. Talking will be common place in my classroom, along with group work. I want to encourage all students to participate in class so that they can learn from each other as well as me. I want to have a democratic and equitable classroom so that students can learn. I want to be a fair as I can be, so the students trust me. I feel that I have a very patient and calm attitude with my class. I ask students about their life outside of class and feel that they respond in class even more, knowing that someone is paying attention to them. I want them to feel comfortable asking questions of me. I think my attitude towards the students is not overbearing or authoritative. I do not believe in forcing the students to do anything. I want to work with them in all circumstances so that we can achieve together and they do not feel like I am spoon-feeding them information. I want students to be a part of their learning. I want to motivate students to learn and keep their interest by using engaging curriculum. I want to involve students in rules about the classroom as well as what curriculum they would like to study. I believe if students feel they are involved in the workings of the classroom, they will be more motivated to engage in the class and in turn, learn. In order to be as organized as possible, the structure of my classroom will be variable, allowing me to change parts of my plan from year to year. I realize that this management plan is a work in progress and what I value now as important points to address in my first management plan may eventually come easily to me with experience and other issues of management may require more attention than those I have addressed. In order for my classroom management plan to be effective it needs to align with my beliefs and values. Therefore, I have chosen the theories and practices that reflect my personal teaching style. There are numerous beliefs and practices that serve as the foundation on which I am building my classroom management plan. I believe that the teacher and students should work cooperatively together in order to create a safe and inviting classroom. Linda Albert’s Cooperative Discipline theory emphasizes that the teacher and students should work together to make class decisions. Albert recommends informing and involving the students’ parents in class decisions as well. This can be accomplished by implementing what Albert refers to as the Three C’s: connections, contributions, and capabilities. I agree with Albert that the classroom should be safe and free of threat for all students. The classroom should be a place that the students feel welcome. If the students are contributing to the class, they will feel as if they are an asset to the class. Finally, I believe that the teacher and students should work together because it is essential to developing a community of learners. I believe in creating a code of conduct cooperatively as a class. This belief coincides with Linda Albert’s Cooperative Discipline as well. A class code of conduct indicates how students are expected to behave instead of how they should not behave. Albert states that the teachers and students should work together to determine consequences for when a student does not follow the class code of conduct. When the students are involved in the determining the consequences, Albert feels the students are more likely to follow them because they are connected to them. I believe that having a class code of conduct in the classroom allows the students to know how they are expected to behave. The students will be more likely to remember what is expected of them because they were involved in creating the expectations. Therefore, the students feel as if the expectations are reasonable and can be met. I like that the teacher is not telling the students how to behave. I feel that students should play an active role in the classroom, and that students are capable of making good decisions. I will be sure to place the code of conduct in a visible spot in the classroom so the students can refer back to it. I believe in using â€Å"I-messages† to communicate my feelings to the students. This practice is introduced by Thomas Gordon in his theory of Discipline through Inner Self-Control. â€Å"I-messages† allow the teacher to share their personal opinion with the students in a non-threatening way. On the other hand, â€Å"you-messages† blame the students for their behavior which causes the students to become defensive. I believe that the teacher should have open communication with students, but in a positive way that creates a safe environment. This method could be taught to the students as well in order to help them solve conflicts. I believe that teachers should encourage their students. William Glasser refers to teachers who provide encouragement to their students as â€Å"lead teachers†. Glasser states that teachers should not try to force information into their students. This makes common sense to me because who likes to be forced to do something. I agree with Glasser that the students’ motivation to learn resides within themselves. It will be my job as a teacher to spark their interest to learn. Therefore, as a teacher I will need to create engaging activities, and be there to provide support to the students as necessary. I believe in creating a sense of community in my classroom. Alfie Kohn mentions that classrooms should be â€Å"learning communities in Beyond Discipline. A classroom should be a place where the students feel cared about and are encouraged to care about others. Eventually, the students will begin to feel connected to one another and see themselves as part of the whole class. I believe that in order for my classroom to be an effective learning environment the students need to feel comfortable. A sense of community will encourage my students to be active participants in class matters. I believe that the teacher should teach â€Å"life skills† to the students so that they can be successful not only in the classroom, but in life as well. Kagan, Kyle, and Scott’s Win-Win Strategies promote the use of â€Å"life skills† in the classroom. They refer to â€Å"life skills† such as self-control, anger management, good judgment, and empathy. These theorists believe that if the students require these skills they will be able to live more successfully. I believe that teachers are responsible for preparing students for life so this theory matches my belief. After my students leave my classroom, I want to see them succeed in life. I am strong believer that one needs to be the change that one wants to see in the world so I will model these â€Å"life skills† for my students. I believe that a teacher should handle behavior problems privately. If the teacher must get involved, Glasser believes that the teacher should do so in way that does not punish the student. I am going to take this one step farther, and say that the teacher should talk to this student in private about his/her behavior. Hopefully, the student and I will be able to determine a longterm solution for the behavior problem. I believe that students should be taught procedures in order to maximize their learning and show them responsibility. The Wong’s Pragmatic Classroom Management Plan supports this belief. Harry and Rosemary Wong state that most students will act responsibly if taught the procedures to do so. They believe students’ achievement is affected by how well the procedures are laid out and taught to them. I agree with Harry and Rosemary Wong that procedures are an important aspect of a classroom. I believe that procedures provide students with a structure that lets them know what is expected of them. This will help cut down on disruptions if the students are not confused about what they are supposed to be doing. Management Plan Goals Having the right environment for all students to learn. The ability to manage children’s behavior. Students will have a complete understanding of the classroom rules. Keep parents involved and â€Å"in the know† of their child and the classroom. Instructional strategies will be taught to the best of my ability. Physical Environment The importance and variety of a properly designed early childhood classroom cannot be over-emphasized when providing a learning environment for children. I will provide in my classroom safe and orderly spaces, filled with a variety of materials that will make the classroom more satisfying for both the teacher and the children. Furthermore, well-designed areas will decrease the number of conflicts that may arise. Quite naturally, any space must accommodate all the activities it will be required to house. Therefore, when making my classroom environment safe and orderly, I must make accommodations to have certain spaces to be multipurpose. It will be very important to make sure these areas, as well as other areas in the classroom, are filled with a variety of materials organized into appropriate activity areas. Clearly defined interest areas will allow young children to work best in small groups where they can learn to relate to other children, establish friendships, and solve problems together. The use of low furniture in these areas will allow me to see into all areas while at the same time giving children a sense of privacy. Use of low furniture also helps define work spaces that help children concentrate because they will not be distracted by other activities taking place in other areas. These different areas will be defined by what activities will be taking place in them. For example, I will have such areas as: dramatic play, art area, building area, science/sensory area, game area, and quiet area. I will also make sure to provide an area where children can relax and be alone with friends. This space will have large pillows, beanbags, and carpet. This so called â€Å"soft area† is very important for young children because it is important to their mental health and it promotes positive behavior because children who spend long hours in a group environment need time to themselves where they can rest. When it comes to supplies and materials in the room, they should be displayed on low shelves where children can reach what they need. This helps promote independence because the children will be responsible in getting materials out and putting them away. When displaying materials on shelves they must be in the area where they will be used. I will place labels and pictures showing where each object belongs. Logical grouping of materials promotes their appropriate use. Labeling the place for each object helps children maintain a clean and orderly environment. When it comes to the teacher’s supplies and materials, I will keep them up and away from the children so that they cannot access them. When the children walk through the door, they will be hit with all different colors coming from the pictures and posters on the walls. I hope to have a room with big windows that allow for natural lighting. The pictures I will have on the wall will be displayed on the children’s eye level, thus children will take better notice. I will also display the work of the children. Displaying their original artwork shows them respect and value for their hard work and effort. One last important thing to me, when it comes to the physical environment of my classroom, is that I will make sure the classroom materials will reflect the cultural richness of our society, the backgrounds and life experiences of the children, and people with different abilities. Children need materials they can relate to through past experiences, before they are asked to learn new concepts. A respect for diversity is important for identity and self-esteem. Behavior Management Many disputes and conflicts can be prevented by careful planning and with positive adult support. There is always a reason behind children’s behavior. Misbehavior is usually directed at achieving one of four goals: revenge, power, attention, and/or feelings of adequacy. I know I can’t force a child to change his or her way of behaving, I can only change the way I behave with the child. My ultimate goal in behavior management and child guidance is not to manage children’s behavior, but to help children manage their own behavior. I am aware that conflict situations provide important learning opportunities for children. Therefore, when it comes to classroom management, I will not deprive the children these opportunities to learn problem-solving skills. My role as a teacher in children’s conflicts is to de-escalate them when the children can no longer work out their problems by themselves. When I communicate with the children in my classroom I will use â€Å"I† statements instead of â€Å"you† statements. I will use gentle body language and make sure that I listen to both sides of the issue. I will try to focus on the present and future of the child’s behavior instead of past behavior. Also, I will focus on the child’s behavior and not the child. Most importantly I will keep in my mind the needs of each child and their best interest when it comes to fixing their misbehavior, and not focus on my best interest. My classroom rules will consist of four basic principles. Those four basic principles will be caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility. I believe any rule thought up by a child can fit into one of these four basic principles. For example, if a child is not keeping their body to themselves, they are not respecting the other child’s space. That is why I will not have a list of rules in my classroom, but rather have these four principles posted in my classroom where every child will see them. Therefore, when a child is not following the rules I will state what they are doing wrong and how it relates to one of the four principles. When it comes to classroom management and discipline, I will not use punishment, but logical consequences. There are two types of logical consequences. They are naturally occurring consequences and imposed consequences. Naturally occurring consequences usually occur when the problem belongs to the individual on whom the consequences fall. For example, Sally leaves her coat out on the playground and when she goes back for it, the coat is gone. I then say to her, I am sorry that it is gone and tell her it is her responsibility to keep track of it. Imposed consequences often occur when a behavior creates a problem for another person who then must impose consequences in order to change the behavior of the individual creating the problem. When I impose logical consequences on the children in my classroom I will try to keep certain things in my mind. Such things as being a consultant in helping the child solve his or her own problem. Keep the burden of the solution on the child and not me while implying that the child is capable of solving his or her own problem. I must also tie the time and/or place of the misbehavior to the consequence. These are just a couple of ways I will try to manage children’s behavior in my classroom. Parent Communication One of the most vital parts of teaching children and managing a classroom is communicating with their families. There is no one right way to communicate with parents, therefore as a teacher, I have to utilize many different methods to communicate with parents to build rapport. One of the first methods I am going to use is a parent board. On the parent board will be pictures of the activities the children have been doing and other information such as the weekly curriculum and things the children have to bring from home to school. I will have the parent board on a table where there will also be a notebook where parents can leave me messages, and where I can leave them messages. I will also have monthly newsletters to the parents that I will set out on the parent table. Another way I will communicate with parents is by having parents come into the classroom and be a classroom helper. I would try to get every parent to come into the classroom at least one time during the school and spend the day with their child or at least a couple hours. This would help me to get to know the parents of the children I teach and this would give me a good chance to build rapport with the parents so that communication will be made easier. Some of the most basic methods I will use to help me communicate with parents are by use of the telephone. I will call parents when need be and make sure that they know they can call me when needed. Finally, the last way I will communicate with parents is by talking to them face to face. Things I know to remember when talking to a parent are to first approach them with a smile or pleasant look and then introduce myself if I have not ever done so in the past. I will always try to start out the conversation with the parent with something positive about their child. If I were communicating with the parent because of a problem their child is having in my class, I would first tell them the issue at hand and then offer some possible solutions. I then would tell them what I want their role to be after I let them talk about what solutions they have. If they need to further talk to me I would offer them other times they can talk to me. I also would give them other possible people to talk to if they feel that they need to. When communicating with a parent I want them to feel that they can ask me questions about their child’s education or other issues they might have. If I can’t answer their questions, I will flat out tell them I don’t know the answer, but I will find out. I also will make sure not to make promises I can’t keep. If need be, I will always make myself available for a teacher-parent conference when scheduled ahead of time Instructional Strategies and Methods When it comes to instructional planning in my classroom I am going to start with the Pennsylvania Academic Standards. The reason I am going to start with the standards is because in the classroom the students are working towards a goal, and those goals should be set higher than the standards. If I do not teach my students to at least the level of the Pennsylvania standards, then I have not set the goals high enough for my instructional planning. If I set goals for my instructional planning, that gives me a start in what direction I need to go in my lesson planning. The second step I am going to take in my instructional planning is assessment. I have to measure the progress of achieving my goals by doing assessments of my students. Two kinds of assessment I will be doing are what you would call summative assessment and diagnostic assessment. The summative assessment will be tests, examinations, final projects, or other things depending on grade level of the students. These types of assessments will tell me if the students are learning the objectives and making progress towards meeting the goals. On the other hand I will use diagnostic forms of assessments when it comes to planning on how far I have to go to get my students to reach the goals or in meeting the standards. I will use diagnostic assessment at the beginning of the school year and before I begin each new unit. The third step in my instructional planning is planning for the long-term. My long-term plan will be as simple as planning my year end academic goals and group those goals into some discrete units to make sure that I cover my long-term academic goals. When it comes to the delivery of my lessons, I am going to keep it as simple as possible. Even though there are many different formats of lesson plans I can use, there is one general way I can make all the different types of lesson plans fit me. Using the following format to teach my lessons will help my students obtain the goals and objectives of my lessons. The format I will use is to first introduce the lesson. Then have an opening to the lesson, which is when I will tell the students what they will learn and why it is important. Next, I introduce the new material and teach it to the students. Afterwards, I allow time for guided practice and then independent practice. These two areas are where I make some informal assessments to check to see if the students learned the objectives. Last, but not least comes the closing. This is where I stress the connection of the lesson and check the students’ understanding by doing some type of assessment, usually a summative form of assessment. Schedules and Routines. When I go to a class, I like to see a schedule of what we are working on for the day. I believe that all students should be given this courtesy of knowing what is going to be happening during the school day by reading a daily schedule of the day’s activities. I will always have the schedule posted at the front of the class, each day updating any changes in the schedule. In addition, I will list the specifics of the day: for instance, what we are working on that day in math. I have seen schedules that list the basic outline of the day: math, language arts, social studies, lunch and science. I would like to take the schedule one step farther and include some details about the day and what will be happening. Not only are daily schedules helpful for students to see what is happening during a given school day, but my daily schedule will allow me to evaluate my the activities in my classroom, assuring that the type and variety of activities are appealing to different types of learning situations. Also, I want to find a good balance between teacher directed instruction, independent work and cooperative group work. Repetitious activities can sometimes impede the school day as it may evoke comments such as â€Å"We’re doing this again? † However, having routines in which students can predict what will happen can ease the transition from the bus, car or the walk to school to the classroom. To be specific, I will have a beginning of the day routine and an end of the day routine, so that I maintain consistency each day and convey the message that in our class, we use all of our time together to learn and we do not like to waste time. For my start of the day routine, I will play music as the students walk in. I will play quiet music that sets the tone for the day: a warm and relaxing learning environment where we are safe and ready to learn. I will have a welcome message posted on the board with a list of housekeeping items to do before we get settled for the day: sharpen pencils, turn in homework, put coats and backpacks away. In addition to this everyday welcome, I will have a list of activities that students can work on from previous days of school, including plenty of options to accommodate those that have finished all of their work. Also, I will greet my students as they enter the classroom, talking to each student as they get settled for their day, ensuring that I get to see each student and have contact with each one first thing in the morning. At the end of the day, I will take the last ten minutes to wrap up the day. I will post an end of the day wrap up list on the overhead for students to use a guide to get ready to go home. I will have mailboxes with the days handouts in them and my students can collect these handouts and place them in their â€Å"take home† folder. Then I will ask groups to get their backpacks and put away all of their materials. I will ask that they clear off their desks and the area on the floor around their desks so that the custodian does not have to clean up after us. As the students line up to go home, I will have my goodbye salutation: a piece of poster paper with four types of goodbyes: a handshake, high five, or smile. The students can pick any combination of these goodbyes when the leave. I want to have this goodbye so that I can be sure to have contact with each of my students before they leave for to go home. In doing this, I want to convey to my students that I care about them and I want to wish them a safe trip home and tell them that I look forward to seeing them tomorrow. By having structured routines for the beginning and end of the day, I will be setting the tone for the school day. For the beginning of the day, I want to imply that we structure our mornings so that we can get off to a good start with our minds and materials ready for the day. At the end of the day, I want to bring the day to a close with daily routine to ensure that my students understand that every part of our school day together is as valuable as any other part. Individualization In order to promote individualization and responsible behavior, I will implement a job chart where students will have jobs throughout the week. I will have paper passers, overhead cleaners, board erasers, recyclers, lunch duty, and line leaders. I will introduce these jobs on the first day of school and assign jobs to random students. Emphasizing the importance of the jobs will enhance the students’ desire to have the job to demonstrate their responsible behavior. I will have a policy stating that any student who cannot demonstrate responsible behavior and reliably complete their job will have to give up their job title and a different student will get their job. I have seen such a job system in another classroom in which I worked and this system was very successful in creating a sense of responsibility among students. Reflection As I complete my management plan, I feel that I am fully prepared to teach tomorrow. However, I know that that is not the case. My management plan will forever be growing and changing. My management plan focuses on the students’ needs in my class. By organizing many structured components of the school, I am attempting to prepare myself for any discipline problems that may occur. I will organize many aspects of my class before the year starts, but I will also sit down with my students during the first weeks of school and have discussions about rules and expectations to determine what they need from me and from each other. While I know that some misbehavior will occur in my classroom, I am instituting this plan to assist me in dealing with these issues as they occur. I believe classroom management is the key that unlocks the ability for children to learn and in creating an environment where children feel safe. I will set high expectations and encourage my students to succeed. Finally, my classroom management will not only be about creating a good rapport with the students, but creating a rich and engaging curriculum. | | | | | | | | | | | | References Albert, Linda, Pete DeSisto, and Linda Albert. (1996) Cooperative Discipline. Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Service. Web. Guillaume, Andrea M. (2004). K-12 Classroom Teaching: A Primer for New Professionals. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Merrill/Prentice Hall. Print.

A Commentary or Analysis on Recent Economic Issues Essay

A Commentary or Analysis on Recent Economic Issues - Essay Example As the report declares the higher growth in 2004 reflects, that there has been collective progress in economic conditions except in the South Asian and Common Wealth Countries, where growth slowed down, yet remained at 6 and 7 percent. The growth in majority of the developing countries occurred in the manufacturing, with continuous growth in 2005. In the developed countries the economic performance remained mixed. North America growth was strong, with moderate growth in Japan, however pace remained slow in Europe, with the exception of new EU members. This essay stresses that the world economy has slowed down due to a number of reasons, with basic reason being the sudden and un-expected shocks in 2004, such as Tsunami in Asia and the latest stun is the increase in oil prices by 60 percent in first ten months, although it eased at the end of year. A much greater surprise was the fluctuating exchange rate among difference currencies with Euro and Yen appreciating by 14 and 11 percent respectively. And the last surprise was the increase in commodity prices due to increase in oil prices, especially in developing countries. However the picture of world economy is not as rosy as it seems in figure. One major problem in today’s world economy is unemployment and the under employment which is prevalent in developing counties. Unless unemployment is reduced, it is hard to reduce poverty. The East Asia, the fastest developing region is facing the problem of un-employment.

Why Ask Why the Pyramids Were Built By Marcel Graeffe Essay

Why Ask Why the Pyramids Were Built By Marcel Graeffe - Essay Example However, this seems to be untrue because of three possible claims: the Egyptians’ superior knowledge of geometry (qtd. in Lemesurier), everything could simply be coincidences (qtd. in De Jager), or Piazzi Smyth was biased in correlating British measurements with those of the pyramid (qtd. in Mendelssohn). Another theory surrounding the pyramids is that â€Å"pyramids are sources of tremendous energy† (Graeffe). Antoine Bovies theorized this when he thought garbage in the pyramid did not smell like usual garbage. Karel Drbal also added that dull razors sharpen when placed in the pyramid. Nevertheless, results were contradictory when the same situations were repeated in experiments (qtd. in Stiebing). Another famous theory about the origin of the pyramids is that, according to Erich von Daniken, â€Å"since dump trucks did not exist in Egyptian times, aliens must have aided in their construction† (Graeffe). However, Mark Lehner concluded that â€Å"with common sen se and practice, the building of the pyramid with low technology was even easy† (qtd. in Hadingham). . ... This implies that Egyptians should carry out religious procedures everyday â€Å"with perfection† for the eternal nature of life and the cosmos seems to depend on this discipline (Graeffe). Secondly, the building of the pyramids came with the invention of technology necessary for their construction. This marks an era of the building of huge edifices to act as funerary complexes, replicas of the royal palace, and places for religious rituals and festivals. Full cooperation among the farmers behind the construction was also expected since the building fostered a sense of pride and community among the workers as well as for the fulfillment of religious duty (qtd. in Mendelssohn). Lastly, the pyramids were built perhaps simply because â€Å"the form is spectacular [and that it] contrasts beautifully with the intense horizontality of the Ghiza† (Graeffe). This is the author’s point of view as an architect. Summary: â€Å"Treasures from the Royal Tombs of Ur† by Richard L. Zettler British archaeologist Leonard Woolley discovered something interesting the late 1920s: 1,850 intact burials in Ur in Mesopotamia, or present day Basrah in Southern Iraq (â€Å"The Royal Tombs†). The excavated burial ground had an area of 70 by 55 meters. Each tomb measured around 10 by 5 meters. Woolley determined that 660 of the burials belonged to the Early Dynastic Royal Cemetery. The earlier burials were â€Å"not uncommonly cut and undisturbed† while later burials were â€Å"commonly overlaid† (Zettler). Materials used in the construction of the tombs. The sides were made from earth hidden by reed matting. The floor was also covered by reed matting. A door,