Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Managing and Developing People (Developing People) Essay Example for Free

Overseeing and Developing People (Developing People) Essay Presentation In this task I will meet a part requesting their past experience for experiencing a preparation program. I will explore intently upon angles * The requirement for the person to be on the preparation program? * Training strategy utilized? * What the cost was? * Any deterrents which made it troublesome? These perspectives would make the discoveries for knowing why the part took the preparation program and on the off chance that they increased any aptitudes or information when on the program. Nearby with what inconveniences emerged when completing the preparation. Interviewee Description The part which I will meet is a multi year old female called Miss Georgina McDonald who is shrewd and cultivated. She is dedicated and likes to associate with companions and companions. She is capable fulfill time constraints and ready to work under tension when an incredible heap of work is put upon her. The work which Miss Georgina McDonald would prepare for is utilize the money machine at Asda. Miss Georgina has had past aptitude from her last employment where she needed to money up all the accounts of her dads business every day. She has great numeric capabilities in which will profit her for any activity. Occupation Role In Miss Georginas past occupation she needed to money up all the cash which was done in her dads business and needed to include the tight figures with the goal that it couldnt influence the records for the business. Her dad had caused her to do the financing as she had the capabilities for maths and had the option to tally up appropriately. In Asda the activity job which she would need to do is being at the getting the money for machine as this is one of the beneficial things she can do. Recognizing Reason for being on Training Program Nature in which everybody works together in is evolving continually, the information and expertise required for the activity will likewise change. The person to be on the preparation program is so she can improve her ability on the most proficient method to deal with the money machine. Preparing for utilizing the money machine is fundamental as appropriate counts are mandatory. Asda needs to ensure that who ever work in the clerk segment is very much prepared and have no issues having the option to complete errands on the most proficient method to deal with the clerk. This is taken as one of the significant parts in a business as funds can not turn out badly. Asda pushes on getting the individual very much prepared to have the option to deal with any difficulties brought about by having the option to discover where she has turned out badly. This issues in preparing and what they ought to be instructed, what they have to gather the amount, they have to give and on the off chance that they turn out badly some place how they can cover it. Miss Georgina was given the preparation as she didn't have any clerk aptitudes which would direct her close by with the activity. She must be given a decent degree of preparing with the goal that she could deal with a till appropriately. Miss Georgina had been given the preparation since she knew with no past ability or information she would not have the option to run a till. There were evaluations with Miss Georgina which helped her with the running and to advise her of any missteps she was making and setting out targets for the following examination. Depiction of Training Method For the person to be on a preparation program is so they can deal with the work place all the more proficiently and work with what ever they have been given with best of capacity. Generally youngsters who have left or as yet contemplating continue preparing programs as it gives them the information and inspiration throughout everyday life. Preparing strategies come helpful later on as it shows what the individual has accomplished and what they can offer to the business. Preparing comes in various structure for example * Induction An acceptance generally is the most ideal route for individuals getting included into exercises in another condition. This encourages them to know the new place and be acquainted with the others. This helps people groups certainty and have the option to speak with individuals. In Asda it is basic to give another comer an Induction this is so they would get acquainted with any wellbeing and security viewpoints and know where any fire exits are found. As a rule enlistment days are taken with the goal that people can become more acquainted with the workforce which they in. This helps assemble certainty and increase a decent correspondence. * Job Shadowing This preparation technique is known as an action which numerous association cause representatives to do while carrying out a responsibility. This action can make an individual do an errand and cause them to enhance in by somebody senior viewing or they could carry out the responsibility by their own expertise and be determined what they could improve from improving the strategy. Asda would not utilize work shadow to recognize what the part can do and how they would build the ability by guiding them. * Mentoring This strategy causes people to do a movement with a senior educating it. It enables people to know where they are turning out badly and how they can improve it. This enables the person to carry out the responsibility from its current aptitude and in the event that they do it unique, at that point expected it would be revised. Tutoring is a decent method of recognizing the people capacity of carrying out a responsibility and how they can do it. On the off chance that a senior is to tell them the best way to utilize a money machine they would become more acquainted with what the capacities are for. This strategy will be fitting for Asda to do on the person. * On the Job Training Many organizations ordinarily utilize the strategy for preparing the person at the work place. This is so they can work with the assets the have there and furthermore start off with utilizing hardware they bring to the table. The learner is prepared to experience any undertaking at the work environment right away. When taking a shot at the specific employment it is likewise a bit of leeway to get criticism straight away rather then doing an errand at that point being told later on. At the point when the tutoring is done it is feasible for the part to land on the position preparing so they can chip away at the hardware at the work place. It is to a greater degree an advantage to get preparing in the genuine rather then heading off to some place and investing energy there. On the off chance that the part can convey the assignment and get preparing simultaneously this would be less tedious and not expensive by any means. * Off the Job Many organizations will in general send there students off to somewhere else to figure out how to complete assignments. Assets are utilized which they offer there and they use them to convey the errand. Off the activity preparing likewise comprises of sending a person off to do a course which they learn at a school or college. Off the activity preparing merits doing at Asda as this could make the individual increase more understanding and ability and complete the errand effectively. Ordinarily Asda doesn't send representatives on off the activity preparing as this is expensive and tedious. Distinguishing Training Needs for Trainee The purpose behind Miss Georgina to be on the preparation program is with the goal that she can increment on her efficiency for what she is acceptable at. This would make her proficient and agreeable in completing an everyday action. The preparation needs which will profit Miss Georgina would be Higher Productivity Effectiveness Certain about Numeric Have a significant level of Motivation Great future chance The motivation behind why Miss Georgina must be given this preparation program is with the goal that she could acquire information on what she is acceptable at. Miss Georgina isn't completely qualified and comprehends the abuse of improper utilization of computations, this is the reason she has been allowed the chance to go on a preparation program which she can finish up on and ensure that she dont commit senseless errors. Quality and Weakness The qualities for utilizing the preparation technique hands on preparing will be a quality as it will assist the person with getting a superior perspective on the association and who they will working with. This is a bit of leeway since it expands certainty and ready to associate with docks. It assembles a family situation while doing this viewpoint in light of the fact that before they can come in to the genuine activity they would have made companions as of now. For completing an OJT this is a way which the part can increment in aptitudes and have the option to advance their insight to another person. Favorable circumstances of On The Job Training * Training can be conveyed at the ideal time, this implies it can promptly play out the undertaking whenever in reality. * The student will have the chance to rehearse right away * Immediate criticism will be given * Training is conveyed to student from senior who can incorporate the learner in a group. The Weaknesses in a business will consistently be the tedious which impacts the running as this is a urgent time in a business. On the off chance that preparation programs are made long it will likewise impact the costing. A soft spot for preparing a part is that in the wake of getting the preparation from some place they as a rule head off some place better. The shortcomings which Asda could confront are Drawbacks for On the Job Training * Too much preparing can be conveyed in one meeting causing of data over-burden. * The mentor might not have the correct expertise and information to show the student with. * If quick practice isn't joined by input the student can feel relinquished after the underlying experience. Advantage and Costs for Training The expenses for preparing the person at Asda will cost nothing as it will be done at work, which means what each preparation the part will complete will be in Asda. The explanation behind this is it won't cost at all and the individual will have the option to remain on the premises that wont need to go off elsewhere. The advantage for doing this preparation will be with the goal that the part can expand their insight by doing it productively and furthermore in the event that they have the chance to get advanced they might deal with an area in Asda. The advantage for individuals to have a preparation program is with the goal that they can build their abilities and information in any undertaking they have been indicated, additionally doing assignments all the more effectively and in a short measure of time. By

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Fundamentals of Law for Consumer Act - myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Expound on theFundamentals of Law for Competition and Consumer Act. Answer: The greater part of the Australian Businesses utilizes TV, radio, print media or web as the way to promote their items and administrations (Ahmad 2016). The Australian Consumer Law (ACL) is a piece of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (The Act), targets guaranteeing reasonable exchanging and defending the privileges of the buyers. Issue In the case of deluding or beguiling cases can be made as for the commercial of the item Slendertone. Rule The Australian Consumer law (ACL) is relevant to people which likewise incorporates business structures and enterprises. A portion of the arrangements of the ACL is likewise material to purchasers and some different arrangements apply by and large in exchange and business (Pearson 2017). In regard to the issue emerging in the given situation, the ACL ensures security against inadmissible direct, for example, tricky or deluding contract under segment 18 of the ACL and other explicit types of lead, for example, bogus portrayals under segment 29 of the ACL. As the issue distinguished in the situation is identified with publicizing and selling, there are two fundamental principles relating to notice and selling under the Australian purchaser law, which are as per the following: An individual is disallowed from participating in a direct that is probably going to delude or misdirect; An individual is disallowed from offering any deceptive or bogus expressions or cases; Be that as it may, these two principles frequently cover with one another and a specific proclamation might be in negation of both these standards. Segment 18 of the ACL keeps an individual from connecting with into direct that is misdirecting or tricky or any lead that makes bogus impression in regards to the worth, cost or nature of administrations as was held in Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Telstra (2007). So as to set up that specific direct was deceiving or beguiling, the offended party must demonstrate that the direct leads the individual into blunder and he depended on the deceptive or misleading behavior (Howells and Weatherill 2017). Such direct has brought about misfortune pr hurt endured by the offended party. Such lead may incorporate making bogus impression utilizing the words like free, puffery, quiet as opposed to revealing pertinent data. Be that as it may, the lead doesn't need to be intentional as was held in Google Inc v Australian Competition a nd Consumer Commission [2013] 249 CLR 435. The word prone to hoodwink or deluding specified under area 18 of ACL infers that the offended party need not demonstrate whether the lead had misdirected or deceived when the direct is considered as deluding or tricky. Notwithstanding the way that an individual is denied from drawing in into misdirecting or tricky lead, it is unlawful for any business to make any bogus or deceiving claims as for their concerned items or merchandise. A deception is an announcement or guarantee, which is bogus or deceiving that is made by one gathering to another gathering. These bogus or misdirecting claims are made through ads through TV, Radio, web or print media that is precluded under area 29 of the ACL comparable to piece, worth or evaluation or nature of the merchandise or administrations as was administered in Given v C Holland (Holdings) Pty Ltd [1977]. Any individual oppressed of any deceptive direct under segment 18 of the ACL, the individual will be qualified for guarantee pay under segment 236 and in the event that any notice is misdirecting or tricky, the abused party will be qualified for acquire a directive request under segments 232-235 of the ACL. The other type of cures that are accessible incorporate change or rescission of agreement, encroachment sees open admonition sees, non-party shopper review and preclusion sees under area 237 and 243 Australian Consumer Law. The ACCC practices a scope of consistence apparatuses to forestall contradiction of the Act including purchaser training and work with offices (Hunt 2015). The Act likewise furnishes the ACCC with a scope of requirement cures, for example, court enforceable endeavors and court-based results under area 87B of the Act. Application On the realities here, the ad of Slendertone cases to condition any piece of the body and give advantage of exercise without working out. Practically speaking, the item doesn't give any of the advantages it vows to give in the promotion. The promotion is in repudiation of segment 18 and segment 29(1) of the Australian Consumer law. The ad includes direct that is probably going to delude or beguile its focused on crowd, which is disallowed by area 18 of the Act. This is on the grounds that, the promoter has made a feeling that would lead a few purchasers into mistake who might depends on such direct (Hunt 2015). There are different buyers other than the focused on crowd who may effortlessly depend on the bogus impression and be beguiled or misdirected as the general impression made by the direct is bogus. Under such conditions, the bothered individual may guarantee harms under area 236 or get directive or compensatory request under segment 237 of the Act. The promotion is likewise in repudiation of segment 29(1) of the ACL as it made bogus or deceiving claims as for the item Slendertone and its highlights. The organization had utilized near publicizing procedure to advance the item and any sensible individual would depend on the bogus portrayal made by the ad and would be deluded or misdirected. End It very well may be presumed that the customers under the Australian Consumer Law will be qualified for harms or compensatory orders for the harm endured or the misfortune brought about by the item. Despite the fact that the ACCC may acknowledge court enforceable endeavors under area 87B of the Act or may give an encroachment notice against the individual or organization for commission of penetrate of segment 18 and 29(1) of the Act, however it is better if the ACCC resort to case. The court may either make revelation about the penetrate submitted by the organization with respect to slendertone or require the organization to distribute notice about their lead and correct the commercials. The ACCC may look for financial punishments against the organization or guarantee conviction for such encroachment. Reference List Ahmad, F., 2016. 07_False and Misleading notices Legal Perspectives. Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Telstra (2007) Rivalry and Consumer Act 2010 (The Act) Given v C Holland (Holdings) Pty Ltd [1977] Google Inc v Australian Competition and Consumer Commission [2013] 249 CLR 435 Howells, G. what's more, Weatherill, S., 2017.Consumer insurance law. Routledge. Chase, K.M., 2015. Gaming the framework: Fake online surveys v. buyer law.Computer Law Security Review,31(1), pp.3-25. Pearson, G., 2017. Further difficulties for Australian buyer law. InConsumer Law and Socioeconomic Development(pp. 287-305). Springer, Cham.

Tuesday, August 11, 2020

What Are Demand Characteristics in Psychology Research

What Are Demand Characteristics in Psychology Research Student Resources Print Demand Characteristics in Psychology Experiments By Kendra Cherry facebook twitter Kendra Cherry, MS, is an author, educational consultant, and speaker focused on helping students learn about psychology. Learn about our editorial policy Kendra Cherry Updated on February 12, 2020  izusek/Getty Images More in Student Resources APA Style and Writing Study Guides and Tips Careers In a psychological experiment, a demand characteristic is a subtle cue that makes participants aware of what the experimenter expects to find or how participants are expected to behave. Demand characteristics can change the outcome of an experiment because participants will often alter their behavior to conform to expectations.?? How Do Demand Characteristics Influence Psychology Experiments? In some cases, an experimenter might give hints or cues that might make the participant believe that a particular outcome or behavior is expected. It is important to note that the participant may or may not be right in their guess. Even if the individual is wrong about the experimenters intentions, it can have a profound influence on how the participant behaves. For example, the subject might take it upon themselves to play the role of the good participant. Instead of behaving as they normally would, these individuals strive to figure out what the experimenter wants and then live up to these expectations.   Demand characteristics might also motivate participants to behave in ways that they think are socially desirable (to make themselves look better than they really are) or in ways that are antagonistic to the experimenter (an attempt to throw off the results or mess up the experiment).?? Example In one classic experiment published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, researchers examined whether demand characteristics and expectations could influence menstrual cycle symptoms reported by study participants.?? Some participants were informed that the purpose of the study and were told that the researchers wanted to look at menstrual cycle symptoms. The informed participants were significantly more likely to report negative premenstrual and menstrual symptoms than participants who were unaware of the studys purpose. The researchers concluded that the reporting of symptoms was influenced by the demand characteristics as well as social expectations. In other words, people who thought that the researchers wanted to hear about some of the stereotypical symptoms of PMS and menstrual issues were more likely to say that they had experienced such negative symptoms while having their periods.?? Dealing With Demand Characteristics So how exactly do psychology experimenters go about reducing the potential impact of demand characteristics on their research results? Researchers typically rely on a number of different strategies to minimize the impact of demand characteristics. Deception is a very common approach. This involves telling participants that the study is looking at one thing when it is really looking at something else altogether. Example In Aschs conformity experiment, participants were told that they were taking part in a vision experiment. In reality, the researchers were interested in the role that social pressure plays in conformity. By disguising the true intentions of the experiment, researchers are able to minimize the possibility of demand characteristics.?? In other cases, researchers will minimize the contact that they have with study subjects. A double-blind study is a method used in which neither the participants or the researchers interacting with them are aware of the condition that the participants have been assigned. Having people who are not aware of the experimenters hypothesis collect the data from participants helps reduce the chances that the subjects will guess what the study is about.?? While it is not always possible to completely eliminate the possibility that participants might guess what a study is about, taking a few of these precautions can help minimize the impact that demand characteristics will have on the research results.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

The Workers Union Confederation Of Manpower And...

Indonesia contains over 60 registered labor unions, along with numerous more that are not formally recognized by the Indonesian Ministry of Manpower and Transmigrations (Ismar). Even though labor unions have existed in Indonesia for many years, it wasn’t until President Suharto stepped down from power in 1998 that labor unions were able to gain strength and fully progress. Throughout the years they have increased in both size and number and have continuously fought for higher wages and for better workers’ rights. Out of all the registered unions, there are four in particular that have the biggest influence. The first is the All–Indonesian Workers’ Union Confederation (KSPSI). This is the oldest union and the only one that was allowed for a†¦show more content†¦However, the Trade Union/Labour Union Act No.21/2000 recognizes and protects the workers’ rights to form a labor union. The law declares that at least 10 members are required in order to form a union, and they must register with the Ministry of Manpower in order to be recognized. The law also imposes criminal sanctions on the employer if they prevent an employee from forming or becoming a part of a labor union, terminate an employee for simply being a part of a labor union, conduct an anti-labor union campaign, or intimidate in any way. The rights of the trade/labor unions include the right to formulate collective labor agreements with an employer, to represent employees in work-related disputes, and represent employees in labor-related institutions. They are also able to participate in counsels and other activities for the welfare of the employees, and to conduct other activities in accordance with the prevailing laws and regulations. Unions also have the right to strike as long as it is in an orderly and peaceful way, and they give a seven days’ warning to the employer and the Ministry of Manpower (Emmerson). Although rights have been given to labor/tra de unions there is still large labor unrest among workers that calls for strikes. Sometimes the gathering for these strikes are so large that cities such as Jakarta end up shutting down for days, which leads to small economic losses (Chen). However, the strikes can be effective as they

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

State Control and Public Control of Business - 2476 Words

1)Historical perspective on public control of business. 2)Constitutional framework of state control of business. What is business? †¢ The buying or selling of goods/services/activity of making money. However, the term is too vague. †¢ According to F.C Hooper: â€Å"business means a whole complex field of commerce and industry, the basic industries, processing and manufacturing industries and the network of ancillary services, distribution, banking, insurance, transport and so on, which serve and inter-penetrate the world of business as a whole† What is business environment? †¢ It can be defined as the total surrounding, which have direct or indirect bearing on the functioning of business. OR †¢ The set of external factors(social, political,†¦show more content†¦Elements Several elements are required in making the policies by the government. Many factors/inputs influence the development of public policy by the government. Government may determine its course of action on the basis of various factors such as economic and foreign policy concerns, technical information etc. All these factors can help shape what the government chooses to do and how it chooses to do it. Public policy goals can be ideal and oriented or narrow and selfserving. National values such as freedom, democracy and equal distribution of income and wealth to share in economic prosperity have led to the adoption of civil rights law and assistance programs for the weaker sections of the society. Narrow, self-serving goals are more evident when nations decide how tax legislations will allocate the burden of taxes among various interest and income groups. Public policy may vary but are very important to inquire whether it serves the citizens of the country whose welfare it intends to serve. Various mechanisms/instruments are being used by the government to realize their policies. In general these instruments are combinations of incentives and disincentives that government uses to prompt citizens , including the businesses to act in ways that achieve policy goals. Public policy actions always have results. Some are intended others are unintended. SinceShow MoreRelatedBusiness Operations: Financial Issues1854 Words   |  7 Pages Business operations: Financial issues Introduction The problem to be investigated was the outcome of the ethical dilemma that occurred within the business circle leading to the violation of financial regulations and consequently eroded the confidence of shareholders on the U.S capital market. Examples of the violation of financial regulations were Enron, WorldCom and Lehman Brothers scandals that led to the collapse of the three companies. To restore the public confidence of the U.S capitalRead MoreEssay on Inflation and Absolute Power715 Words   |  3 PagesThroughout the years the government has gained complete control over money and its development. The government wanted control because it believes that it is easier to acquire monetary assets if they have the control over all money and, at the same time, eliminate the middle-man of trade. With the ever growing population the government came up with a way to counterfeit money to keep up with the demand of money. This counterfeiting of money created inflation. Inflation happens when there is moreRead MoreThe During The Progressive Era989 Words   |  4 Pageswith rapid industrialization in the 19th Century by bettering society through governmental, business, and social reform. Reform of government, which had become increasingly corrupt through political machines and special interest groups, was one focus of the progressive movement. 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As employment rises, jobs are created that allow consumers m ore money to spend that speeds up the economy. When the government reduces spending, less money is put into public programs that in turn create jobs in the economy. As a resultRead MoreThe Ethics Of The Sarbanes Oxley Act Of 2002 ( Sox )858 Words   |  4 Pagesexamples of a fraud response plan the small family business could have implemented to refrain the perpetrators from fraudulent incidents, protect organizational assets and the organization’s going concern. Corporate fraud was the cornerstone for the strict implementation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX). SOX implements many compliance regulations, but one of its regulations, specifically Section 404, relates to an organization’s internal control procedures with the purpose of protecting organizationalRead MoreLeadership : A Successful Network Of Collaboration, Together We Create Mutual, Continuing Value?956 Words   |  4 PagesMission: We will display exemplary leadership in providing high quality, timely advice and services to the firm. Vision: Our vision helps as the framework for our roadmap and guides every surface of our business by describing what we need to achieve in order to continue achieving sustainable, quality growth. People: Be a great place to work where people are stimulated to be the best they can be. Partners: Nurture a winning network of collaboration, together we create mutual, continuing value. Planet:

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Lamb The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 28 Free Essays

string(34) " bent down and examined the girl\." Chapter 28 Joshua’s ministry was three years of preaching, sometimes three times a day, and although there were some high and low points, I could never remember the sermons word for word, but here’s the gist of almost every sermon I ever heard Joshua give. You should be nice to people, even creeps. And if you: a) believed that Joshua was the Son of God (and) b) he had come to save you from sin (and) c) acknowledged the Holy Spirit within you (became as a little child, he would say)(and) d) didn’t blaspheme the Holy Ghost (see c), then you would: e) live forever f) someplace nice g) probably heaven. We will write a custom essay sample on Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 28 or any similar topic only for you Order Now However, if you: h) sinned (and/or) i) were a hypocrite (and/or) j) valued things over people (and) k) didn’t do a, b, c, and d, then you were: l) fucked Which is the message that Joshua’s father had given him so many years ago, and which seemed, at the time, succinct to the point of rudeness, but made more sense after you listened to a few hundred sermons. That’s what he taught, that’s what we learned, that’s what we passed on to the people in the towns of Galilee. Not everybody was good at it, however, and some seemed to miss the point altogether. One day Joshua, Maggie, and I returned from preaching in Cana to find Bartholomew sitting by the synagogue at Capernaum, preaching the Gospel to a semicircle of dogs that sat around him. The dogs seemed spellbound, but then, Bart was wearing a flank steak as a hat, so I’m not sure it was his speaking skills that held their attention. Joshua snatched the steak off of Bartholomew’s head and tossed it into the street, where a dozen dogs suddenly found their faith. â€Å"Bart, Bart, Bart,† Josh said as he shook the big man by the shoulders, â€Å"don’t give what’s holy to dogs. Don’t cast your pearls before swine. You’re wasting the Word.† â€Å"I don’t have any pearls. I am slave to no possessions.† â€Å"It’s a metaphor, Bart,† Joshua said, deadpan. â€Å"It means don’t give the Word to those who aren’t ready to receive it.† â€Å"You mean like when you drowned the swine in Decapolis? They weren’t ready for it?† Joshua looked at me for help. I shrugged. Maggie said, â€Å"That’s exactly right, Bart. You got it.† â€Å"Oh, why didn’t you say so?† Bart said. â€Å"Okay guys, we’re off to preach the Word in Magdala.† He climbed to his feet and led his pack of disciples toward the lake. Joshua looked at Maggie. â€Å"That’s not what I meant at all.† â€Å"Yes it is,† she said, then she took off to find Johanna and Susanna, two women who had joined us and were learning to preach the gospel. â€Å"That’s not what I meant,† Joshua said to me. â€Å"Have you ever won an argument with her?† He shook his head. â€Å"Then say amen and let’s go see what Peter’s wife has cooked up.† The disciples were gathered around outside of Peter’s house, sitting on the logs we had arranged in a circle around a fire pit. They were all looking down and seemed to be caught in some glum prayer. Even Matthew was there, when he should have been at his job collecting taxes in Magdala. â€Å"What’s wrong?† asked Joshua. â€Å"John the Baptist is dead,† said Philip. â€Å"What?† Joshua sat down on the log next to Peter and leaned against him. â€Å"We just saw Bartholomew,† I said. â€Å"He didn’t say anything about it.† â€Å"We just found out,† said Andrew. â€Å"Matthew just brought the news from Tiberius.† It was the first time since he’d joined us that I’d seen Matthew without the light of enthusiasm in his face. He might have aged ten years in the last few hours. â€Å"Herod had him beheaded,† he said. â€Å"I thought Herod was afraid of John,† I said. It was rumored that Herod had kept John alive because he actually believed him to be the Messiah and was afraid of the wrath of God should the holy man perish. â€Å"It was at the request of his stepdaughter,† said Matthew. â€Å"John was killed at the behest of a teenage slut.† â€Å"Well, jeez, if he wasn’t dead already, the irony would have killed him,† I said. Joshua stared into the dirt before him, thinking or praying, I couldn’t tell. Finally he said, â€Å"John’s followers will be like babes in the wilderness.† â€Å"Thirsty?† guessed Nathaniel. â€Å"Hungry?† guessed Peter. â€Å"Horny?† guessed Thomas. â€Å"No, you dumbfucks, lost. They’ll be lost!† I said. â€Å"Jeez.† Joshua stood. â€Å"Philip, Thaddeus, go to Judea, tell John’s followers that they are welcome here. Tell them that John’s work is not lost. Bring them here.† â€Å"But master,† Judas said, â€Å"John has thousands of followers. If they come here, how will we feed them?† â€Å"He’s new,† I explained. The next day was the Sabbath, and in the morning as we all headed to the synagogue, an old man in fine clothes ran out of the bushes and threw himself at Joshua’s feet. â€Å"Oh, Rabbi,† he wailed, â€Å"I am the mayor of Magdala. My youngest daughter has died. People say that you can heal the sick and raise the dead, will you help me?† Joshua looked around. A half-dozen local Pharisees watched us from different points around the village. Joshua turned to Peter. â€Å"Take the Word to the synagogue today. I am going to help this man.† â€Å"Thank you, Rabbi,† the rich man gushed. He hurried off and waved for us to follow. â€Å"Where are you taking us?† I asked. â€Å"Only as far as Magdala,† he said. To Joshua I said, â€Å"That’s farther than a Sabbath’s journey allows.† â€Å"I know,† Joshua said. As we passed through all of the small villages along the coast on the way to Magdala, people came out of their houses and followed us for as long as they dared on a Sabbath, but I could also see the elders, the Pharisees, watching as we went. The mayor’s house was large for Magdala, and his daughter had her own sleeping room. He led Joshua into the bedchamber where the girl lay. â€Å"Please save her, Rabbi.† Joshua bent down and examined the girl. You read "Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 28" in category "Essay examples" â€Å"Go out of here,† he said to the old man. â€Å"Out of the house.† When the mayor was gone Joshua looked at me. â€Å"She’s not dead.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"This girl is sleeping. Maybe they’ve given her some strong wine, or some sleeping powder, but she is not dead.† â€Å"So this is a trap?† â€Å"I didn’t see this one coming either,† Joshua said. â€Å"They expect me to claim that I raised her from the dead, healed her, when she’s only sleeping. Blasphemy and healing on the Sabbath.† â€Å"Let me raise her from the dead, then. I mean, I can do this one if she’s only sleeping.† â€Å"They’ll blame me for whatever you do as well. You may be their target too. The local Pharisees didn’t devise this themselves.† â€Å"Jakan?† Josh nodded. â€Å"Go get the old man, and gather as many witnesses as you can, Pharisees as well. Make a ruckus.† When I had about fifty people gathered in and around the house, Joshua announced, â€Å"This girl isn’t dead, she’s sleeping, you foolish old man.† Joshua shook the girl and she sat up rubbing her eyes. â€Å"Keep watch on your strong wine, old man. Rejoice that you have not lost your daughter, but grieve that you have broken the Sabbath for your ignorance.† Then Joshua stormed out and I followed him. When we were a ways down the street he said, â€Å"Do you think they bought it?† â€Å"Nope,† I said. â€Å"Me either,† Joshua said. In the morning a Roman soldier came to Peter’s house with messages. I was still sleeping when I heard the shouting. â€Å"I can only speak to Joshua of Nazareth,† someone said in Latin. â€Å"You’ll speak to me or you’ll never speak again,† I heard someone else say. (Obviously someone who had no desire to live a long life.) I was up and running in an instant, my tunic waving unbelted behind me. I rounded the corner at Peter’s house to see Judas facing down a legionnaire. The soldier had partially drawn his short sword. â€Å"Judas!† I barked. â€Å"Back down.† I put myself between them. I knew I could disarm the soldier easily, but not the legion that would follow him if I did. â€Å"Who sends you, soldier?† â€Å"I have a message from Gaius Justus Gallicus, commander of the Sixth Legion, for Joshua bar Joseph of Nazareth.† He glared at Judas over my shoulder. â€Å"But there is nothing in my orders to keep me from killing this dog while delivering it.† I turned to face Judas, whose face was on fire with anger. I knew he carried a dagger in his sash, although I hadn’t told Joshua about it. â€Å"Justus is a friend, Judas.† â€Å"No Roman is the friend of a Jew,† said Judas, making no effort whatever to whisper. And at that point, realizing that Joshua hadn’t reached our new Zealot recruit with the message of forgiveness for all men, and that he was going to get himself killed, I quickly reached up under Judas’ tunic, clamped onto his scrotum, squeezed once, rapidly and extremely hard, and after he blasted a mouthful of slobber on my chest, his eyes rolled in his head and he slumped to his knees, unconscious. I caught him and lowered him to the ground so he didn’t hit his head. Then I turned to the Roman. â€Å"Fainting spells,† I said. â€Å"Let’s go find Joshua.† Justus had sent us three messages from Jerusalem: Jakan had indeed divorced Maggie; the Pharisees’ full council had met and they were plotting to kill Joshua; and Herod Antipas had heard of Joshua’s miracles and was afraid that he might be the reincarnation of John the Baptist. Justus’ only personal note was one word: Careful. â€Å"Joshua, you need to hide,† said Maggie. â€Å"Leave Herod’s territory until things settle down. Go to Decapolis, preach to the gentiles. Herod Philip has no love for his brother, his soldiers won’t bother you.† Maggie had become a fiercely dedicated preacher herself. It was as if she had channeled her personal passion for Joshua into a passion for the Word. â€Å"Not yet,† said Joshua. â€Å"Not until Philip and Thaddeus return with John’s followers. I will not leave them lost. I need a sermon, one that can serve as if it was my last, one that will sustain the lost while I’m gone. Once I deliver it to Galilee, I’ll go to Philip’s territory.† I looked at Maggie and she nodded, as if to say, Do what you have to, but protect him. â€Å"Let’s write it then,† I said. Like any great speech, the Sermon on the Mount sounds as if it just happened spontaneously, but actually Joshua and I worked on it for over a week – Joshua dictating and me taking notes on parchment. (I had invented a way of sandwiching a thin piece of charcoal between two pieces of olive wood so that I could write without carrying a quill and inkwell.) We worked in front of Peter’s house, out in the boat, even on the mountainside where he would deliver the sermon. Joshua wanted to devote a long section of the sermon to adultery, largely, I realize now, motivated by my relationship with Maggie. Even though Maggie had resolved to stay celibate and preach the Word, I think Joshua wanted to drive the point home. Joshua said, â€Å"Put in ‘If a man even looks at a woman with lust in his heart, he has committed adultery.'† â€Å"Really, you want to go with that? And this ‘If a divorced woman remarries she commits adultery’?† â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"Seems a little harsh. A little Pharisee-ish.† â€Å"I had some people in mind. What do you have?† â€Å"‘Verily I say unto you’ – I know you like to say ‘verily’ when you’re talking about adultery – anyway, ‘Verily I say unto you, that should a man put oil upon a woman’s naked body, and make her go upon all fours and bark like a dog, while knowing her, if you know what I mean, then he has committed adultery, and surely if a woman do the same thing right back, well she has jumped on the adultery donkey cart herownself. And if a woman should pretend to be a powerful queen, and a man a lowly slave boy, and if she should call him humiliating names and make him lick upon her body, then surely they have sinned like big dogs – and woe unto the man if he pretends to be a powerful queen, and – ‘† â€Å"That’s enough, Biff.† â€Å"But you want to be specific, don’t you. You don’t want people to walk around wondering, ‘Hey, is this adultery, or what? Maybe you should roll over.'† â€Å"I’m not sure that being that specific is a good idea.† â€Å"Okay, how ’bout this: ‘Should a man or a woman have any goings-on with their mutual naughty bits, then it is more than likely they are committing adultery, or at least they should consider it.'† â€Å"Well, maybe more specific than that.† â€Å"Come on, Josh, this isn’t an easy one like ‘Thou shalt not kill.’ Basically, there you got a corpse, you got a sin, right?† â€Å"Yes, adultery can be sticky.† â€Å"Well, yes†¦Look, a seagull!† â€Å"Biff, I appreciate that you feel obliged to be an advocate for your favorite sins, but that’s not what I need here. What I need is help writing this sermon. How we doing on the Beatitudes?† â€Å"Pardon me?† â€Å"The blesseds.† â€Å"We’ve got: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness; blessed are the poor in spirit, the pure in heart, the whiners, the meek, the – â€Å" â€Å"Wait, what are we giving the meek?† â€Å"Let’s see, uh, here: Blessed are the meek, for to them we shall say, ‘attaboy.'† â€Å"A little weak.† â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"Let’s let the meek inherit the earth.† â€Å"Can’t you give the earth to the whiners?† â€Å"Well then, cut the whiners and give the earth to the meek.† â€Å"Okay. Earth to the meek. Here we go. Blessed are the peacemakers, the mourners, and that’s it.† â€Å"How many is that?† â€Å"Seven.† â€Å"Not enough. We need one more. How about the dumbfucks?† â€Å"No, Josh, not the dumbfucks. You’ve done enough for the dumbfucks. Nathaniel, Thomas – â€Å" â€Å"Blessed are the dumbfucks for they, uh – I don’t know – they shall never be disappointed.† â€Å"No, I’m drawing the line at dumbfucks. Come on, Josh, why can’t we have any powerful guys on our team? Why do we have to have the meek, and the poor, the oppressed, and the pissed on? Why can’t we, for once, have blessed are the big powerful rich guys with swords?† â€Å"Because they don’t need us.† â€Å"Okay, but no ‘Blessed are the dumbfucks.'† â€Å"Who then?† â€Å"Sluts?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"How about the wankers? I can think of five or six disciples that would be really blessed.† â€Å"No wankers. I’ve got it: Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.† â€Å"Okay, better. What are you going to give them?† â€Å"A fruit basket.† â€Å"You can’t give the meek the whole earth and these guys a fruit basket.† â€Å"Give them the kingdom of heaven.† â€Å"The poor in spirit got that.† â€Å"Everybody gets some.† â€Å"Okay then, ‘share the Kingdom of Heaven.'† I wrote it down. â€Å"We could give the fruit basket to the dumbfucks.† â€Å"NO DUMBFUCKS!† â€Å"Sorry, I just feel for them.† â€Å"You feel for everyone, Josh. It’s your job.† â€Å"Oh yeah. I forgot.† We finished writing the sermon only a few hours before Philip and Thaddeus returned from Judea leading three thousand of John’s followers. Joshua had them gather on a hillside above Capernaum, then sent the disciples into the crowd to find the sick and bring them to him. He performed miracles of healing all morning, then coming into the afternoon he gathered us together at the spring below the mountain. Peter said, â€Å"There’s at least another thousand people from Galilee on the hill, Joshua, and they are hungry.† â€Å"How much food do we have?† Joshua asked. Judas came forward with a basket. â€Å"Five loaves and two fish.† â€Å"That will do, but you’ll need more baskets. And about a hundred volunteers to help distribute the food. Nathaniel, you, Bartholomew, and Thomas go into the crowd and find me fifty to a hundred people who have their own baskets. Bring them here. By the time you get back we’ll have the food for them.† Judas threw down his basket. â€Å"We have five loaves, how do you think – â€Å" Joshua held up his hand for silence and the Zealot clammed up. â€Å"Judas, today you’ve seen the lame walk, the blind see, and the deaf hear.† â€Å"Not to mention the blind hear and the deaf see,† I added. Joshua scowled at me. â€Å"It will take little more to feed a few of the faithful.† â€Å"There are but five loaves!† shouted Judas. â€Å"Judas, once there was a rich man, who built great barns and granaries so he could save all of the fruits of his wealth long into his old age. But on the very day his barns were finished, the Lord said, â€Å"Hey, we need you up here.† And the rich man did say, â€Å"Oh shit, I’m dead.† So what good did his stuff do him?† â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"Don’t worry about what you’re going to eat.† Nathaniel, Bart, and Thomas started off to their assigned duty, but Maggie grabbed Nathaniel and held him fast. â€Å"No,† she said. â€Å"No one does anything until you promise us that you’ll go into hiding after this sermon.† Joshua smiled. â€Å"How can I hide, Maggie? Who will spread the Word? Who will heal the sick?† â€Å"We will,† Maggie continued. â€Å"Now promise. Go into the land of the gentiles, out of Herod’s reach, just until things calm down. Promise or we don’t move.† Peter and Andrew stepped up behind Maggie to show their support. John and James were nodding as she spoke. â€Å"So be it,† said Joshua. â€Å"But now we have hungry people to feed.† And we fed them. The loaves and the fish were multiplied, jars were brought in from the surrounding villages and filled with water, which was carried to the mountainside, and all the while the local Pharisees watched and growled and spied, but they hadn’t missed the healings, and they didn’t miss the Sermon on the Mount, and word of it went back to Jerusalem with their poison reports. Afterward, at the spring by the shore, I gathered up the last of the pieces of bread to take home with us. Joshua came down the shore with a basket over his head, then pulled it off when he got to me. â€Å"When we said we wanted you to hide we meant something a little less obvious, Joshua. Great sermon, by the way.† Joshua started helping me gather up the bread that was strewn around on the ground. â€Å"I wanted to talk to you and I couldn’t get away from the crowd without hiding under the basket. I’m having a little trouble preaching humility.† â€Å"You’re so good at that one. People line up to hear the humility sermon.† â€Å"How can I preach that the humble will be exalted and the exalted will be humbled at the same time I’m being exalted by four thousand people?† â€Å"Bodhisattva, Josh. Remember what Gaspar taught you about being a bodhisattva. You don’t have to be humble, because you are denying your own ascension by bringing the good news to other people. You’re out of the humility flow, so to speak.† â€Å"Oh yeah.† He smiled. â€Å"But now that you mention it,† I said, â€Å"it does seem a little hypocritical.† â€Å"I’m not proud of that.† â€Å"Then you’re okay.† That evening, when we had all gathered again in Capernaum, Joshua called us to the fire ring in front of Peter’s house and we watched the last gold of the sunlight reflecting on the lake as Joshua led us in a prayer of thanks. Then he made the call: â€Å"Okay, who wants to be an apostle?† â€Å"I do, I do,† said Nathaniel. â€Å"What’s an apostle?† â€Å"That’s a guy who makes drugs,† I said. â€Å"Me, me,† said Nathaniel. â€Å"I want to make drugs.† â€Å"I’ll try that,† said John. â€Å"That’s an apothecary,† said Matthew. â€Å"An apothecary mixes powders and makes drugs. Apostle means ‘to send off.'† â€Å"Is this kid a whiz, or what,† I said, pointing a thumb at Matthew. â€Å"That’s right,† said Joshua, â€Å"messengers. You’ll be sent off to spread the message that the kingdom has come.† â€Å"Isn’t that what we’re doing now?† asked Peter. â€Å"No, now you’re disciples, but I want to appoint apostles who will take the Word into the land. There will be twelve, for the twelve tribes of Israel. I’ll give you power to heal, and power over devils. You’ll be like me, only in a different outfit. You’ll take nothing with you except your clothes. You’ll live only off the charity of those you preach to. You’ll be on your own, like sheep among wolves. People will persecute you and spit on you, and maybe beat you, and if that happens, well, it happens. Shake off the dust and move on. Now, who’s with me?† And there was a roaring silence among the disciples. â€Å"How about you, Maggie?† â€Å"I’m not much of a traveler, Josh. Makes me nauseous. Disciple’s fine with me.† â€Å"How ’bout you, Biff?† â€Å"I’m good. Thanks.† Joshua stood up and just counted them off. â€Å"Nathaniel, Peter, Andrew, Philip, James, John, Thaddeus, Judas, Matthew, Thomas, Bartholomew, and Simon. You’re the apostles. Now get out there and apostilize.† And they all looked at each other. â€Å"Spread the good news, the son of man is here! The kingdom is coming. Go! Go! Go!† They got up and sort of milled around. â€Å"Can we take our wives?† asked James. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Or one of the women disciples?† asked Matthew. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Can Thomas Two go too?† â€Å"Yes, Thomas Two can go.† Their questions answered, they milled around some more. â€Å"Biff,† Joshua said. â€Å"Will you assign territories for everybody and send them out?† â€Å"Okey-dokey,† I said. â€Å"Who wants Samaria? No one? Good. Peter, it’s yours. Give ’em hell. Caesarea? Come on, you weenies, step up†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Thus were the twelve appointed to their sacred mission. The next morning seventy of the people who we’d recruited to help feed the multitude came to Joshua when they heard about the appointing of the apostles. â€Å"Why only twelve?† one man asked. â€Å"You all want to cast off what you own, leave your families, and risk persecution and death to spread the good news?† Joshua asked. â€Å"Yes,† they all shouted. Joshua looked at me as if he himself couldn’t believe it. â€Å"It was a really good sermon,† I said. â€Å"So be it,† said Joshua. â€Å"Biff, you and Matthew assign territories. Send no one to his hometown. That doesn’t seem to work very well.† And so the twelve and the seventy were sent out, and Joshua, Maggie, and I went into Decapolis, which was the territory of Herod’s brother, Philip, and camped and fished and basically hid out. Joshua preached a little, but only to small groups, and although he did heal the sick, he asked them not to tell anyone about the miracles. After three months hiding in Philip’s territory, word came by boat from across the lake that someone had intervened on Joshua’s behalf with the Pharisees and that the death warrant, which had never really been formal, had been lifted. We went home to Capernaum and waited for the apostles to return. Their enthusiasm had waned some after months in the field. â€Å"It sucks.† â€Å"People are mean.† â€Å"Lepers are creepy.† Matthew came out of Judea with more news of Joshua’s mysterious benefactor from Jerusalem. â€Å"His name is Joseph of Arimathea,† said Matthew. â€Å"He’s a wealthy merchant, and he owns ships and vineyards and olive presses. He seems to have the ear of the Pharisees, but he is not one of them. His wealth has given him some influence with the Romans as well. They are considering making him a citizen, I hear.† â€Å"What makes him want to help us?† I asked. â€Å"I talked to him for a long time about the kingdom, and about the Holy Ghost and the rest of Joshua’s message. He believes.† Matthew smiled broadly, obviously proud of his powerful convert. â€Å"He wants you to come to his house for dinner, Joshua. In Jerusalem.† â€Å"Are you sure it’s safe for Joshua there?† asked Maggie. â€Å"Joseph has sent this letter guaranteeing Joshua’s safety along with all who accompany him to Jerusalem.† Matthew held out the letter. Maggie took the scroll and unrolled it. â€Å"My name is on this too. And Biff’s.† â€Å"Joseph knew you would be coming, and I told him that Biff sticks to Joshua like a leech.† â€Å"Excuse me?† â€Å"I mean, that you accompany the master wherever he travels,† Matthew added quickly. â€Å"But why me?† Maggie asked. â€Å"Your brother Simon who is called Lazarus, he is very sick. Dying. He’s asked for you. Joseph wanted you to know that you would have safe passage.† Josh grabbed his satchel and started walking that moment. â€Å"Let’s go,† he said. â€Å"Peter, you are in charge until I return. Biff, Maggie, we need to make Tiberius before dark. I’m going to see if I can borrow some camels there. Matthew, you come too, you know this Joseph. And Thomas, you come along, I want to talk to you.† So off we went, into what I was sure were the jaws of a trap. Along the way Joshua called Thomas to walk beside him. Maggie and I walked behind them only a few paces, so we could hear their conversation. Thomas kept stopping to make sure that Thomas Two could keep up with them. â€Å"They all think I’m mad,† Thomas said. â€Å"They laugh at me behind my back. Thomas Two has told me.† â€Å"Thomas, you know I can lay my hands upon you and you will be cured. Thomas Two will no longer speak to you. The others won’t laugh at you.† Thomas walked along for a while without saying anything, but when he looked back at Joshua I could see tears streaking his cheeks. â€Å"If Thomas Two goes away, then I’ll be alone.† â€Å"You won’t be alone. You’ll have me.† â€Å"Not for long. You don’t have long with us.† â€Å"How do you know that?† â€Å"Thomas Two told me.† â€Å"We won’t tell the others quite yet, all right, Thomas?† â€Å"Not if you don’t want me to. But you won’t cure me, will you? You won’t make Thomas Two go away?† â€Å"No,† Joshua said. â€Å"We may both need an extra friend soon.† He patted Thomas on the shoulder, then turned to walk on ahead to catch up with Matthew. â€Å"Well, don’t step on him!† Thomas shouted. â€Å"Sorry,† said Joshua. I looked at Maggie. â€Å"Did you hear that?† She nodded. â€Å"You can’t let it happen, Biff. He doesn’t seem to care about his own life, but I do, and you do, and if you let harm come to him I’ll never forgive you.† â€Å"But Maggie, everyone is supposed to be forgiven.† â€Å"Not you. Not if something happens to Josh.† â€Å"So be it. So, hey, once Joshua heals your brother, you want to go do something, get some pomegranate juice, or a falafel, or get married or something?† She stopped in her tracks, so I stopped too. â€Å"Are you ever paying attention to anything that goes on around you?† â€Å"I’m sorry, I was overcome by faith there for a moment. What did you say?† When we got to Bethany, Martha was waiting for us in the street in front of Simon’s house. She went right to Joshua and he held out his arms to embrace her, but when she got to him she pushed him away. â€Å"My brother is dead,† she said. â€Å"Where were you?† â€Å"I came as soon as I heard.† Maggie went to Martha and held her as they both cried. The rest of us stood around feeling awkward. The two old blind guys, Crustus and Abel, whom Joshua had once healed, came over from across the street. â€Å"Dead, dead and buried four days,† said Crustus. â€Å"He turned a sort of chartreuse at the end.† â€Å"Emerald, it was emerald, not chartreuse,† said Abel. â€Å"My friend Simon truly sleeps, then,† Joshua said. Thomas came up and put his hand on Joshua’s shoulder. â€Å"No, master, he’s dead. Thomas Two thinks it may have been a hairball. Simon was a leopard, you know?† I couldn’t stand it. â€Å"He was a LEPER, you idiot! Not a leopard.† â€Å"Well, he IS dead!† shouted Thomas back. â€Å"Not sleeping.† â€Å"Joshua was being figurative, he knows he’s dead.† â€Å"Do you guys think you could be just a little more insensitive?† said Matthew, pointing to the weeping sisters. â€Å"Look, tax collector, when I want your two shekels I’ll ask – â€Å" â€Å"Where is he?† Joshua asked, his voice booming over the sobs and protests. Martha pushed out of her sister’s embrace and looked at Joshua. â€Å"He bought a tomb in Kidron,† said Martha. â€Å"Take me there, I need to wake my friend.† â€Å"Dead,† said Thomas. â€Å"Dead, dead, dead.† There was a sparkle of hope amid the tears in Martha’s eyes. â€Å"Wake him?† â€Å"Dead as a doornail. Dead as Moses. Mmmph†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Matthew clamped his hand over Thomas’s mouth, which saved me having to render the twin unconscious with a brick. â€Å"You believe that Simon will rise from the dead, don’t you?† asked Joshua. â€Å"In the end, when the kingdom comes, and everyone is raised, yes, I believe.† â€Å"Do you believe I am who I say I am?† â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"Then show me where my friend lies sleeping.† Martha moved like a sleepwalker, her exhaustion and grief driven back just enough for her to lead us up the road to the Mount of Olives and down into the Kidron Valley. Maggie had been deeply shaken by the news of her brother’s death as well, so Thomas and Matthew helped her along while I walked with Joshua. â€Å"Four days dead, Josh. Four days. Divine Spark or not, the flesh is empty.† â€Å"Simon will walk again if he is but bone,† said Joshua. â€Å"Okey-dokey. But this has never been one of your better miracles.† When we got to the tomb there was a tall, thin, aristocratic man sitting outside eating a fig. He was clean-shaven and his gray hair was cut short like a Roman’s. If he hadn’t worn the two-striped tunic of a Jew I would have thought him a Roman citizen. â€Å"I thought you would come here,† he said. He knelt before Joshua. â€Å"Rabbi, I’m Joseph of Arimathea. I sent word through your disciple Matthew that I wanted to meet with you. How may I serve?† â€Å"Stand up, Joseph. Help roll away this stone.† As with many of the larger tombs carved into the side of the mountain, there was a large flat stone covering the doorway. Joshua put his arms around Maggie and Martha while the rest of us wrestled with the stone. As soon as the seal was broken I was hit with a stench that gagged me and Thomas actually lost his supper in the dirt. â€Å"He stinks,† said Matthew. â€Å"I thought he would smell more like a cat,† said Thomas. â€Å"Don’t make me come over there, Thomas,† I said. We pushed the stone as far as it would go, then we ran away gasping for fresh air. Joshua held his arms out as if waiting to embrace his friend. â€Å"Come out, Simon Lazarus, come out into the light.† Nothing but stench came out of the tomb. â€Å"Come forth, Simon. Come out of that tomb,† Joshua commanded. And absolutely nothing happened. Joseph of Arimathea shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. â€Å"I wanted to talk to you about the dinner at my house before you got there, Joshua.† Joshua held up his hand for silence. â€Å"Simon, dammit, come out of there.† And ever so weakly, there came a voice from inside the tomb. â€Å"No.† â€Å"What do you mean, ‘no’? You have risen from the dead, now come forth. Show these unbelievers that you have risen.† â€Å"I believe,† I said. â€Å"Convinced me,† said Matthew. â€Å"A no is as good as a personal appearance, as far as I’m concerned,† said Joseph of Arimathea. I’m not sure any of us who had smelled the stench of rotting flesh really wanted to see the source. Even Maggie and Martha seemed a little dubious about their brother’s coming out. â€Å"Simon, get your leprous ass out here,† Joshua commanded. â€Å"But I’m†¦I’m all icky.† â€Å"We’ve all seen icky before,† said Joshua. â€Å"Now come out into the light.† â€Å"My skin is all green, like an unripe olive.† â€Å"Olive green!† declared Crustus, who had followed us into Kidron. â€Å"I told you it wasn’t chartreuse.† â€Å"What the hell does he know? He’s dead,† said Abel. Finally Joshua lowered his arms and stormed into the tomb. â€Å"I can’t believe that you bring a guy back from the dead and he doesn’t even have the courtesy to come out – WHOA! HOLY MOLY!† Joshua came backing out of the tomb, stiff-legged. Very calmly and quietly, he said, â€Å"We need clean clothes, and some water to wash with, and bandages, lots of bandages. I can heal him, but we have to sort of get all of his parts stuck back together first.† â€Å"Hold on, Simon,† Joshua shouted to the tomb, â€Å"we’re getting some supplies, then I’ll come in and heal your affliction.† â€Å"What affliction?† asked Simon. How to cite Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 28, Essay examples

Sunday, May 3, 2020

Equity Research Analyst Covering Cannabis -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Equity Research Analyst Covering Cannabis? Answer: Introducation The first article that has been chosen to fit the purpose of this assignment is Fidelity Launches Fidelity Investment Grade Total Bond Fund. Fidelity is a top Canadian investment firm and this particular bond aims to provide steady income flow and the potential for capital appreciation in the context of the Canadian investors. With the changing market of fixed income, the fund flexibility would enable the investors to be active in targeting various sources of return. This income strategy offers the following: Flexibility in investment providing exposure to the wider opportunity set inherent in the fixed income market of USA Tactical management like sector rotation, asset allocation and positioning of yield curve (Moore et al., 2018) Mitigation of downside risk and identification of opportunities for delivering competitive overall returns The diversification of portfolio, in which the fund could be included in the current core allocation in the form of a complement to conventional fixed income for client portfolios. It has been identified from the article that Fidelity is involved in managing $136 billion in institutional assets and mutual funds. This takes into account $37.5 billion in assets for institutional clients. These comprise of corporate and public defined benefit pension, endowments, sub-advised programs, foundations, endowments and the other corporate assets on the clients behalf (Andonov, Eichholtz Kok, 2015). Thus, the Canadian investors are provided with an overall range of global, domestic and income-oriented mutual funds along with asset allocation and the high program of net worth. Review and discussion of article 2: The second article that has been selected for meeting the purpose of this assignment is Canada's small financial firms get buzz from weed stocks. This article is related to the financial markets prevailing in the Canadian market. The investors have placed bets that the smaller financial companies of Canada would experience an increase in revenues after they helped in funding the marijuana firms ahead of the planned legalisation of the drug of the nation in the year. The Canadian weed firms have offered equities, which are nearly $1 billion in 2017 and two-thirds are generated in the final quarter of 2017 (Business.financialpost.com, 2018). From the article, it has been identified that the capital markets of BMO have risen, which have helped in raising the revenue of Canoby Growth Corporation to $161.3 million. This denotes that the reputed brokers might take some market share from the smaller brokers. However, the smaller brokers have taken early lead in banking relationships and funding research with the marijuana companies after larger rivals have entered the industry. Moreover, the investors could benefit the small brokers, since the former trade in pot stocks in the secondary market as well as the increase in value of the warrants hold (Busch, Bauer Orlitzky, 2016). However, there is no clarity about the participation of the biggest Canadian banks in the market. Hence, it could be inferred that the smaller Canadian brokers would be benefitted immensely in the financial market. References: Andonov, A., Eichholtz, P., Kok, N. (2015). Intermediated investment management in private markets: Evidence from pension fund investments in real estate.Journal of Financial Markets,22, 73-103. Busch, T., Bauer, R., Orlitzky, M. (2016). Sustainable development and financial markets: Old paths and new avenues.Business Society,55(3), 303-329. Business.financialpost.com. (2018).Financial Post. Retrieved 29 January 2018, from https://business.financialpost.com/investing/canadas-small-financial-firms-get-buzz-from-weed-stocks Moore, J., Strickland, R., Moore, J., Moore, J., Plage, M. (2018).Fidelity Launches Fidelity Investment Grade Total Bond Fund.Newswire.ca. Retrieved 29 January 2018, from https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/fidelity-launches-fidelity-investment-grade-total-bond-fund-671088653.html

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Thoreau civil disobedience Essay Example For Students

Thoreau civil disobedience Essay In Civil Disobedience, why does Thoreau refuse to pay his poll tax? In Thoreaus essay Resistance to Civil Government, Henry David Thoreau outlines a utopian society in which each individual would be responsible for governing himself. His opposition to a centralized government is an effort to disassociate with the American government, which at the time was supporting slavery and unjustly invading Mexico. While the individual rule would work well for Thoreau who is a man of conscience, it does not account for the immoral, dishonest or overly ambitious people in the nation. Resistance to Civil Government is a work of political philosophy where Thoreau lays out a plan for the way he believes the American government and society should be structured. The essay discusses the relation between the individual and society. We will write a custom essay on Thoreau civil disobedience specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now This essay acts as a plea for individuals to follow their conscience when civil law causes a conflict. Thoreau calls for a conscious rebellion to bring about a radical change in the American constitution; a revolution against the American government. This notion of peaceable revolution is the moral center of this essay. By refusing to pay taxes he is not objecting the taxes specific use, he is refusing allegiance to the state as a whole. Thoreau does not advocate complete defiance of democracy with his protest as he willingly accepts the consequences of breaking the law. Because Thoreau chooses his integrity over compliance he feels freer in jail than the people outside who follow the law like sheep rather than thinking and acting for themselves. He accepts the consequence of imprisonment for not paying his lawful tax, believing that by being imprisoned he is forcing the government to consider whether he is in the right by practicing civil disobedience. Thoreau wishes to be separate from the American government because it supports slavery. Thoreau chastises the government. Thoreau pictures a utopian society where a persons conscience is a higher rule than that of the law. In Thoreaus utopia, government would only have the rights the individual allows it to possess, however a person under this government could deny the right to enforce consequences to that government, leaving him free to partake in evil or immoral actions without repercussions. Thoreau seems to believe that if people are given the chance to govern their lives by their conscience they would always do what is right by their conscience. .

Friday, March 6, 2020

Primary and secondary research Essay Example

Primary and secondary research Essay Example Primary and secondary research Essay Primary and secondary research Essay Many options would be available to an individual wishing to undertake some research and all involve the use of what is termed primary and secondary research. What is Primary Research? Primary research involves the collection and analysis of raw data through surveys, experiments, interviews etc. The data are analysed and the results or findings are then discussed and evaluated. New knowledge is produced, because the researcher gathers new information through direct investigation. What is Secondary Research? Secondary research is based on reading and it is sometimes called library research. It involves reading what other researchers have written about the issues involved in a topic. The arguments of these researchers are compared and evaluated and conclusions are drawn. This is often called synthesising. New knowledge is produced, because the researcher synthesises the arguments of other researchers to draw a new conclusion. A cross sectional study is based upon the investigation of people at a particular moment in time, for example, finding out different peoples opinions about the coming war. Longitudinal Research Longitudinal research studies individuals or groups over a period of time and even in some cases over years, for example studying the development of a baby from birth to six months. The problem with longitudinal studies in the time required to complete them, for example the person you are carrying out your study on may die. When researching you must be careful not to copy the other persons work. Plagiarism is the direct copying of someone elses work and is against copyright law, however it is possible to use someone elses work as long as the original author is acknowledged

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Penal System Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Penal System - Assignment Example The prisoners in state prisons have committed white collar crimes or what can be termed as â€Å"petty† crimes such as robbery compared to the crimes of the prisoners in supermax prisons (Lawrence and Mears, 2004). They have minimal sentences of just a few years after which they will be released back to society. Their rehabilitation is therefore important to prepare them to survive accordingly once released. For those in supermax prisons however, they will never move back to society again and hence it is not important to rehabilitate them as they would not need it anyway. What is the whole point of offering them educational, correctional or even vocational programs similar to what is offered to inmates in state prisons when they will not have an opportunity to put the programs into practice? Hershberger also raises an important issue about the safety of the guards dealing with the prisoners in supermax prisons. They are dealing with the categorized worst criminals in history and hence they have to be protected. Their protection is guaranteed by having the prisoners locked up 23 hours every day with their freedom restricted as much as possible (Hershberger, 1998). Even though it seems unfair to the prisoners in supermax prisons to have to live such a life, I have to state that it is in the best interest of everyone to have them locked up that much, have their freedom restricted and even be punished. They committed crimes that cannot even be mentioned and hence should not be accorded any niceties at all (Mears and Watson, 2006). I do not see any point in the state or federal government wasting their resources in rehabilitating these criminals. The money they spend on their security and food is enough already. This may seem inhumane but remember they have done inhumane acts in order to land in the supermax prisons. Sinden raises very crucial points in the issue of privatizing the prisons in the US. The issue may have worked with the educational system and

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

How Thomas Church and Andrew Jackson Downing were from two different Essay

How Thomas Church and Andrew Jackson Downing were from two different eras but both were influential in establishing the pattern - Essay Example Both men shared the opinion that gardens should be for everyone; indeed, the title of Thomas Church’s book, Gardens are for People, seems to say everything about his philosophy on gardens, believing that they are for people to enjoy, not just look at (Tilston). Downing, as well, thought that gardens should be accessible to all, not just the well-to-do members of society, and lobbied hard with politicians to create a space of greenery in New York City, accessible to all (R.). Though working in different time frames and with different areas of the country, both Downing and Church have had a lasting influence on gardens seen by those living in the present-day era, mainly due to their willingness to go against what was considered â€Å"conventional† at the time during their work, but also because they believed that gardens, plants, and greenery should be accessible to all, not just the wealthy. Andrew Jackson Downing was born on October 15, 1831, in Newburg, New York. He fi nished his schooling at the age of 16, and came by his love of landscaping and gardening honestly, as his father ran a nursery in which he worked after finishing school (â€Å"Living Places†). ... udson River, those with money to spend immediately bough trade gardening books from merchant-class England, where they were popular (â€Å"Gardenvisit.com†). Gardens of the working class, or â€Å"those raised between the plow handles† (â€Å"Smithsonian Gardens†) were limited to functionality. They were not interested in growing a beautiful plant or flower to look at, but how many vegetables could be grown to feed the usually ever-growing family. Downing had an undeniable and lasting effect on American landscape and gardening with the publishing of his first book, A Treatise on the Theory and Practice of Landscape Gardening, Adapted to North America, published in 1841. The book, the first of its kind to be published in North America, brought immediate fame and recognition as people realized, perhaps for the first time, that they did not have to have large gardens filled with exotic plants; their style could be more of a simple taste. People also realized, as pro moted through Downing, that they could use the natural beauty of their surroundings and plants that were native to North America to define their style (â€Å"Smithsonian Gardens†). Though Downing was a follower of the English style of gardens, as well as the Greek Revival style of homes, he carefully tailored his book to the needs of North Americans, recognizing several key points (â€Å"Smithsonian Gardens†). First and foremost, Downing recognized that the soils of North America were different from that of Europe, and therefore would need plants and flora that grew and prospered in North America, not imports from Europe, along with the belief that Americans were not aristocratic like most of Europe, and therefore should celebrate their republicanism, hence his designs for middle and lower class cottages and gardens

Sunday, January 26, 2020

Teachers role in Facilitating Learning

Teachers role in Facilitating Learning To fully understand, appreciate and reflect on this title, I will have to study three, very different, yet at the same time inherently linked facets of the education spectrum. Firstly, the role of the teacher will have to be explored and the functions and responsibilities this position entails. Are teachers just lecturing child-minders, or are they fundamental, not only to a childs learning in school, but to their social and moral development and education? Secondly, what children learn, how children learn, and how we, as educators, learn with them, are crucial aspects which cannot be ignored. And thirdly, I will refer to the aforementioned areas of teaching within the context of key stage 3 and 4 English. The precise role of the teacher varies, but educator and role-model are two essential parts. Teachers have a responsibility and a moral duty (and are legally contracted), to assist the development of a pupils learning throughout their school life, whether they are in a lesson or during any other scholastic situation. Teachers and pupils have to co-exist, live and work within the confines of a school, and the reasons why many children just cannot cope with this set-up are many. To minimize these potential problems, the teacher therefore has to cater for every pupils different needs, (race, gender, SEN etc). A teacher can do this by researching particular pupils asking previous teachers, seeing SAT scores and literacy and numeracy levels. Consulting the Senco can be beneficial if there are concerns over teaching somebody with special educational needs. Understanding and accepting pupils differences, whether they are educational, religious or cultural have to be, not tackled, but worked through with all parties present. A working relationship has to develop where the teacher can initiate and then assist learning and the pupil can respond in their own way. Knowing the pupils individually is of vital importance in knocking down walls and building bridges. The pupils knowing the teacher and the teache rs consistencies of discipline, standards and expectations, can benefit the two-way relationship. Both parties know each others likes, dislikes and boundaries etc. Children are constantly underestimated, they frequently gauge and assess the teacher, acting and reacting in different situations with different teachers, so its important to assert yourself and get that relationship right. This is a key target for me; because I worked as a teaching assistant at The Woodroffe, I had to create a formality between myself and a few of the pupils, whereas before it was beneficial to have a more relaxed approach to get the job done. In English, the teacher has several key tasks which help children to get the most out of the subject: giving the pupils confidence to try when reading and when writing and to give them the relevant skills. Encouraging them to share opinions and interact with their peers through discussion speaking and listening. Introduce literature and language variation. Help them to understand the authors craft reading for meaning. They should be given access to our literary heritage and texts from different cultures and traditions. Recognise where a pupil may benefit from drama and ICT related lessons and then differentiate accordingly. Teachers should consolidate this information with media topics and theories to expand knowledge and understanding. The ability to fuse these areas is a teachers aim. The teacher constantly has to push the boundaries, challenge the pupils to get them out of their comfort-zone. There is an element of risk involved for the teacher in attempting a balanced but chall enging lesson. There is also risk for many pupils in different ways: Some of us are risk tolerant and some of us are risk averse with all points equally represented. If you are in a learning situation and anxiety tips into stress, then what happens next is predictable. There are four categories of survival response available to you. A teacher or anyone is involved in formally educating others will be familiar with them. They are fight, flight, freeze and flock. You show resistance or fight the source of stress, you flee from it, you freeze in the face of it or you hang out with others like you or flock from it. If you have an accumulation of stressors that leave you feeling out of control, then the four Fs are what is left for you.  [1]   The teacher regularly reviews the boundaries to reduce the usage of these defence mechanisms. These four Fs are prevalent in English where in ascertaining whether the students have understood, the teacher will direct questions to random pupils, which in their eyes might be thought of as picking on. Speaking and listening tasks can offer problems to some students who may be good in other areas and some pupils respond by using one of these defence mechanisms because they lack the basic skills needed. What the teacher can do to alleviate this problem is to fore-warn the class that questions will be asked, nominate a table, group or pairs for an answer and say what type of questions you are going to ask, building up from easy questions to harder questions. A quieter student could be asked before the lesson if they felt okay with answering a question/performing a poem etc. A certain degree of sensitivity and common sense is needed when considering this question. Because English is such a varied subject that encompasses many different teaching and learning styles, it can be difficult to teach and consider the different and necessary approaches. Key stage 3 can be problematic at The Woodroffe as the classes are of mixed ability with a vast range of skills and needs. Key stage 4 are put into sets which, although can help with differentiation, means the need to further challenge pupils becomes more apparent. Pupils know every trick in the book, every survival technique that will help them to stay alive in the jungle that is their classroom. The teacher has to remain one step ahead of them, using their motivational techniques along with a good lesson, to keep the class participating. Knowing each pupil and their needs is of vital importance to the teacher. The balance of praise and criticism in teaching is an ongoing debate and an issue of common sense. Educational psychologists, writers, theorists, parents and teachers have all added their ideas to the following questions: Is it three ticks to one cross? Do you give out fewer ticks as the pupils get older? Do you mark in green or red pen? These are just some of the basic questions that are trying to be answered. At my school there is an Assessment For Learning initiative set up where a group of teachers have volunteered to try many of these schemes. They meet up quarterly to share results. From attending one of these meetings and by witnessing them in class, I am now aiming to use one or two of the ideas in my lessons. For instance, the question of how to mark effectively: Within this context it is very difficult to state what type of marking is needed and where. One possible rule offered is that you dont highlight every spelling mistake, especially for the lower ability groups. This issue splits teachers. As previously mentioned, I feel that this is an issue of common sense depending on the context of the situation. There is also the question of summative vs. formative marking, but does there have to be verses, they can co-exist together. Sometimes a comment is more beneficial to the student than a grade. Some students may prefer to see a mark or grade so that they can easily see improvement. There is ongoing research into this area. Choosing which type of marking to use is a matter for each individual teacher and their individual students. Again, it is your knowledge of the pupils as individuals, building on your expectations for them, what they are achieving and what they should be achieving and getting the pupil to recognise these expectations. Just as two pupils are never the same, the marking, comments and grades reflect this. Teachers have to regulate and differentiate and only by knowing the pupils, (SEN, background, social problems etc) will this occur. I have realised that some pupils benefit from formative marking and that some crave a grade or number so that they see if they are progressing. It appears to me that higher ability students like to see the grades. I was asked recently by a higher ability year 12 student to give a grade for a piece of homework where I had just put a constructive comment. Putting crosses in red, underlining incorrect spelling and putting see me! at the end of the work, are all methods which we are familiar with, but how many teachers actually appreciate and celebrate pupils work? At every level pupils like to see their work appreciated by the teacher and the class. They like to know that they understood the question or showed a great deal of effort. They like to be rewarded appropriately and consistently. For some pupils just to finish a piece of work is a cause for celebration. This celebration should be differentiated by the teacher in accordance with individual expectations. Linked with praise and criticism is target-setting. A current theme in schools is for the student and teacher to work together to set the pupils targets for the term/year etc. The theory behind this idea is to involve the pupil as much as possible so they can create manageable targets. Also, they are more likely to resist completely if a teacher were to set their targets and force-feed them to the student. In English, setting targets, no matter how small and achieving them is the basis for progression in learning. Targets could include spelling certain words, taking part more in class discussions, not calling out or handwriting. Again, this target setting is heavily differentiated and that is why I feel it is a good idea to involve the student, they know probably better than the teacher where they need to improve. I have worked with students and other teachers setting literacy targets and behavioural targets in other schools and at The Woodroffe. We adjusted the targets by looking at levels and listening to comments from other teachers, not just in English. This idea attempts to motivate students by shifting the responsibility, from the teacher to the pupil, involving them more in their learning. This is just one facet of an interactive movement within education today; self-marking and self-evaluation are important tools in the classroom for all key stages. Just recently I asked a year 10 group to mark their own work as if they were a teacher. The comments and grades that I were shown were very interesting, the amount of constructive reflection was very surprising. This allows the students to see their work from a teachers perspective what they will be marked on and how the teacher allocates marks for spelling and handwriting, for example. The idea is to create reflective pupils. Pupil responsibility is the current catchphrase, although some students understand the reasoning behind the idea more than others. In my year 9 lessons, preparing for their SATS, I ma ke very explicit what they will be marked on for each type of question. They are given the mark scheme to mark their own mock papers. This seems to help them a great deal and they are beginning to realise that teachers dont just give a random grade with could do better on the bottom. A teacher has to consider the use of the different learning styles: visual, auditory and kinaesthetic. Visual learners like to see what they learn, auditory learners like to hear what they learn and kinaesthetic learners like to be physically involved in what they learn. They should be used together and this cross-over is of vital importance in an inclusive learning environment. In English, skills are needed that incorporate different styles of teaching (reading, writing, watching, speaking, listening, performing). When planning, teachers have to accommodate all the methods to make sure they appeal to all the different types of learners in their class. Across both key stages I have aimed to deliver a varied programme within the lesson; when I am explaining something I try to express it clearly and concisely, have what I am saying on the board, sometimes with a picture and by giving out helpful handouts. By demonstrating something as I am explaining it, especially in drama and speakin g and listening, helps to address all the different types of learners. Also, I prefer to set work involving a mixture doing tasks, reading tasks, written tasks, whilst incorporating drama and ICT. Flexibility within a lesson structure is a key theme. Recognising where to be flexible is a trait of a good teacher: (Is this too easy for them shall I move on to something more challenging? Did they get all that shall I go over it again?) Because of the wide range of topics in English, a well-structured lesson should be planned, although digression in a lesson, especially when instigated by a pupils question, can be beneficial to develop. It is beneficial if a teacher is enthusiastic and is able to enthuse students. This enthusiasm should be considered a valuable resource, just like the teachers subject knowledge. The knowledge of, understanding and using resources are essential for enhancing the learning experience. Resources can be varied and obviously differ between subjects, classrooms and teachers. Resources can include such things as: Teacher knowledge Student knowledge Teaching Assistants I.C.T. computers, O.H.P.s, digital cameras, video cameras etc Research Homework A brilliant and effective lesson is very hard to achieve. A well-structured lesson is a must as long as there is flexibility allowed, as previously mentioned. Presentation and delivery are also important aspects to consider whilst not forgetting the power of the teacher to inspire: Use rich language and lots of repetition. Encourage learning behaviours noticing, naming, describing, speculating, questioning. Encourage physical exploration and robust play. (Smith, p.46) Other things that are found in a good lesson vary from subject to subject, factors that I consider crucial in English are: 1) Good planning and preparation. A well planned and prepared lesson is more likely to be a good one. Each learning objective and task to meet that objective is carefully considered to be beneficial to the students. This is an ongoing target, which I feel I have met to a basic level. 2) Knowing the pupils well. By knowing the pupils well you can cater for all their weaknesses and abilities, set achievable targets, expectations and boundaries. Again, I know the majority of my students and some of their weaknesses and strengths but I realise more background research on the pupils is needed. 3) Differentiation/learning styles. This is to benefit each student with their own needs and learning styles tailoring the lesson so that it is accessible to thirty or more students. This is a key aim of mine and although I feel I understand what is needed, I need to spend a great deal of time on this area. 4) Check understanding continually (also from assessment). I check at regular intervals by asking questions, checking books and work in lesson. This is important because it is vital to realise if you are going too fast or too slow. Students that dont understand will switch off. Also, knowing when you are going too fast is crucial and leads on to: 5) Consolidation building on prior knowledge/looking to future lessons. This can be added to the start of a lesson to refresh memories and to let the students know the content of the lesson. I feel I do consolidate consistently but it is an ongoing, rolling target of mine. 6) Appropriate working relationship with students. As previously mentioned, to benefit the student and the teacher, getting the correct balance has to be achieved. This is an area where I realised I needed to focus myself. I think I am gradually achieving that balance. A critical aspect of the facilitation of learning is the actual environment where the learning takes place, usually the classroom. Children are learning all the time, whether they know about it or not: There is a great deal of learning that goes on outside of conscious attention. The brain processes information that is neither attended to nor noticed and this process is pervasive and ongoing. Children can, in some situations, be learning without the involvement of the teacher! (Smith, p.161) There are other ways to make the classroom an enriched learning place and accessible to all. Behaviour is a major factor, if you have bad behaviour constantly and from different students, you may well question your choice of lesson for them. A lesson that is too easy for students is just as bad as a lesson that is too hard for them. Better behaviour means better learning. Classrooms become better places in which to study and more enjoyable to work in.  [2]   It is also beneficial to students and teachers alike, to be consistent when setting and enforcing rules and boundaries. By talking to staff and from my own experiences, I have realised this is an important aspect. Clarification, explanation and the displaying of rules and guidelines are essential as pupils learn best in ordered environments where boundaries are clear.(DfES 2003) It is easy to overlook the actual classroom space. This is an integral part to the students lessons. Is it light and airy? Is it overcrowded or badly set out? Are the wall displays overbearing, too busy? Or, are the displays subtly aiding learning by just being visible? Students are proud to see their own work on the walls and this sense of well-being can only help create a positive atmosphere. It is good for the students to know where everything is in a classroom. Are the dictionaries and other resources easily accessible? Are the tables and chairs set out in rows or in groups? Which way would suit the task you are about to set? I have always thought that this is an area that could easily be overlooked by teachers and although I aim to consider this factor, I find it difficult when I use twelve different rooms, some of them art and science rooms which are not conducive for teaching English. Differentiation is a major consideration in the classroom. Recognising, understanding and catering for every childs individual needs are essential; knowing the pupils, planning for them appropriately and setting achievable learning outcomes. Getting the balance between challenging content and achievement can be difficult, even for experienced teachers. That is why it is so important to know your pupils well, as previously discussed. What special educational needs do they have? What can you do to help them progress in their learning? In English, recognising reading and writing problems, are they dyslexic? Also, speaking and listening problems, autism and understanding these problems is necessary. How can you make your lessons more accessible for them? You can try to understand their problems and talk to the Senco about how to facilitate learning better. Have they any background or social problems? Teachers have to differentiate for the gifted and talented in their classes, with extens ion tasks combined with rewards, whilst not forgetting all the pupils in between. It is also a key aim for teachers to be reflective, recognising the good aspects of their teaching and developing them in order to facilitate progression in pupils learning. It is also necessary for them to realise where their teaching techniques and methods can be improved to achieve their full potential as an educator, which in turn, will improve the student. Although I have only limited experience, one example is fresh in my mind: Whilst beginning to take a year 11 GCSE prep. group, I realised that because of their lack of motivation, they werent really benefiting from my lessons. I discussed the issue with my mentor and approached from a different angle, changing my lesson plans, tasks and delivery to get their attention and to offer the skills they needed to learn. I think that the role of the teacher is an indefinable idea. As times change, so do the responsibilities and duties for a teacher. One thing remains constant however, the main drive of teacher as educator. Although teachers wear many different hats, their actual teaching hat is never taken off, that is the one thing that takes precedence. As previously mentioned, teachers have to be flexible nowadays, and it is this pliability that has helped to make teaching such a demanding but rewarding career. Teaching has evolved and the roles are many and varied across the entire spectrum. There is a shift in telling the children what they need to know, to telling the children how to find out what they need to know, giving them the responsibility for their learning and development. In English, there is a drive towards prioritising what the child needs to progress on, students are marked and evaluated as individuals not as a whole class. Getting the balance between consolidation and moving the class on is a constant consideration and through teaching, teachers are learning how to adapt and improve so they can benefit the students to their full potential.