Global Warming Essay Example for Free

Global Warming Essay Picture in your mind a world in which the temperature is at least ten degrees higher than it is today, where they’re supposed to be snow you can see a green valley and all the major cities are covered by water. This imaginary picture is not too far from the truth. This essay will discuss the effects of global warming as a life threatening condition causing extreme heat waves, glacier retreat and sea level rises. The first effect of global warming is the dramatic increase of temperature all over the globe. The actual readings show a global warming of around 0.6 degrees Celsius over the entire 20th century. Furthermore, any micro change in the temperature can generate severe weather conditions like rain and tornados also, some areas may experiment extreme heat waves that could derivate in death by dehydratation. Other contributors for the changes in temperature are the greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases are naturally generated by solid waste in the form of methane gas. The human generated ones that comes from automobile exhausts and heaters from homes including factories wastes. Although, greenhouse gases are mainly natural the real problem resides in the excess of this gases overheating the planet. With the change in temperature previously indicated, there is a second effect of global warming, glacier retreat. Places traditionally known by snow or cold weathers now report less amounts of snow and a rise in temperature for example, in the Chimborazo volcano, Ecuador, the snow of the glacier is retreating at a rate of 0.5 meters each year also Antarctica reported to have the warmest year in all history. Remember that most of the water for human consumption comes from the glaciers, when they melt over controlled conditions the water resulted from the melting goes to rivers. Moreover, if the melting continues and the glacier disappears there is a good chance that there will be no more water to drink. Continuing with the effects of global warming and as a result of the previous two appears the rise of the sea levels. At this moment the sea levels increase in a ratio of 1.8mm to 2.4mm per year and the predictions indicate that this ratio is increasing rapidly to 3.8mm per year. If the tendency continues most of the major cities located near the coast are on the risk of disappearing by the water. The two factors that lead to the increased levels in sea are, the first thermal expansion: as oceans water warms it expands and second each year enormous blocks of ice, talking about in some cases of kilometers of ice, from the poles melt into the sea as a result of the increased temperatures provoking the rise in water levels. In conclusion, global warming effects are related in a chain reaction. So, because of the extreme temperature changes people could die and, the glaciers and poles experiment an enormous reduction. Also, because of the first two effects the level of the oceans begins to rise. The future or our civilization depends on how these effects are addressed, because of what it is important to reduce the consumption of gas or oil for heating houses, keep our vehicles in good conditions to reduce greenhouse gases, better if the bicycle is used instead of the car. I hope our nations and citizens make conscience about this threat to our lives and begin to work together in solutions to the problem.

Kate Chopins Awakening is Not a Tragedy Essay -- Chopin Awakening Es

Kate Chopins' Awakening is Not a Tragedy      Ã‚  Ã‚   When we think of a tragedy, thoughts of lost love and torments abound. The most human of emotions, sorrow, overwhelms us. We agonize over the tragedy, and the tragic figure. We lose sight of reality, enthralled by the suspense, captured by the Irony that, "we know" what plight lies ahead for the characters. We feel the suffering and the helplessness of the characters as the tragedy unwinds. Although Kate Chopins' The Awakening is a powerful story, it is by no means a tragedy.   The Awakening does not posses the necessary components of a tragedy. There is no tragic figure, there is no tragic plot or theme, and the ending is far from tragic.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   First, tragic figures must captivate the audience. They must create an atmosphere that is shrouded in irony, suspense and mystery. These figures must also make the audience love them, feel for them and experience the anguish and pain they will undergo. King Lear is a great example of a tragic figure. He appeals to the reader, and captures their attention. The reader ends up sympathizing for him, and wanting him to overcome the obstacles which block his path. He motivates the emotion of the audience and controls their feelings. Edna Pontellier does not have the depth of character or ability to be a tragic figure. From the opening chapters she is portrayed as a troubled woman, one who is captured within a society where she does not belong. Her marriage to Leonce is one of convenience, there is no love, no passion, and no affection between them. Edna portrays a woman who is caught up within a life which does not suit her. She is, in ... ...t structure and conclusion, which are essential aspects of all tragedies.    Works Cited Allen, Priscilla. "Old Critics and New: The Treatment of Chopin's The Awakening." In The Authority of Experience: Essays in Feminist Criticism, ed. Arlyn Diamond and Lee   R. Edwards. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1977, 224-238. Chopin, Kate.   The Awakening.   A Norton Critical Edition:   Kate Chopin:   The   Awakening.   Ed. Margo Culley.   2nd ed.   New York:   W.W. Norton, 1994.  Ã‚   3-109. Seyersted, Per, and Emily Toth, eds.   A Kate Chopin Miscellany.   Natchitoches:  Ã‚   Northwestern State University Press, 1979. Sullivan, Barbara. "Introduction to The Awakening." In The Awakening, ed. Barbara Sullivan. New York: Signet, 1976. Toth, Emily. "Kate Chopin's The Awakening as Feminist Criticism." Louisiana Studies, 15 (1976), 241-251.   

Importance of Teamwork in Nursing Essay

Teamwork involves the merging of members of the same or different professions or domains to work towards a common goal. This group compliments the skills of each member who are consequently committed to one purpose. Teamwork is therefore challenging and at the same time rewarding. It is coupled with a lot of enthusiasm, hope and a share of its own setbacks. Teamwork is initially formed in any particular group with an aim of dividing the effort of accomplishing a particular task while at the same instance multiplying the effect. Any positive work experience usually has an aspect of teamwork in it. Nurses make up the largest care-provider in a hospital setting thus nursing is a job that requires a lot of teamwork. This involves a nurse to nurse or a nurse to physician teamwork. In most cases, the nursing workforce is neglected by the administration involved due to the anticipation of the patients’ recuperation and recovery, thus nurturing a form of autonomy among the workforce. This serves in downsizing the emphasis on teamwork and this happens at the very expense of the same patients. Service delivery is paramount in the field of nursing and teamwork is one of the core determiners of good service delivery. Teamwork among any group, on the other hand, is determined by various factors. These include openness, responsibility, honesty, accountability, reliability, dialogue and understanding. All this factors have to be put to consideration while putting together a coherent team. A slight disregard of any would see to the failure of the team to deliver as expected. Teamwork does come with its own set of challenges that inhibit the delivery of good service by the team. These mainly occur as a result of conflict among the members of the team which is in turn rooted on differences pertaining distribution of duty, sharing, priority and unnecessary competition. Poor handling of such issues often leads to the occurrence of many mistakes, mistrust among the team members, confusion, wastage of resources, lack of motivation, time wastage and lots of arguments that hold no water. More often than not, it is the patients who bear the yoke of such disagreements as the service rendered to them is henceforth substandard and this plunges their lives into jeopardy. Fallouts are common at this stage since the restructuring of these nursing teams would mean loss of time and complete loss of motivation among the team members. Precautions are therefore very necessary to avoid such grave situations as they do put the lives of others at stake. Adjustments should be made at the slightest sign of unrest among the team members. Sharing responsibility equally is usually the first major leap by any group. Matters pertaining age, seniority and level of experience should not be used to condescend against some members. On the contrary, the members should maximize on the potential that comes with these various facets of diversity and others like gender, socio-cultural and economic backgrounds. Put together, all this facets can give rise to a whole new of teamwork with a lot of diversity which would lead to the conception of new ideas. The approach of issues proactively rather than reactively is also a worthwhile measure to counter these challenges. Prevention has always worked better than cure and this is also the same convention with proactive action. The team members are charged with the task of ensuring that any prevailing or looming predicaments are brought to the light before they turn ugly and cause rifts within the team. This serves in ensuring that little or no time is lost in the process of solving problems. Letting the issues accrue and the procrastination of dealing with them ends up in the wastage of time and patients bearing the lion’s share of these problems due to the poor service delivery. Cultivating a culture of dialogue is another way of avoiding conflict in the course of teamwork. When a team embraces dialogue, prevalent issues are addressed and solved amicably. Positive criticism ensures that everyone can correct each other without any hard feelings. When criticism is directed towards a person positively, he or she is bound to make the amends wherever the error occurs. Gradual technological enhancement and restructuring the team every now and then is necessary in order to avoid monotony. This reignites the team with zeal thus ensuring a rise in quality service delivery. Clarity on the roles of each team member would also do some good. This would help in avoiding the confusion especially if the team has numerous members. Morale on the side of the administration would also improve the team’s service delivery. This could be done through the formation of some form of healthy inter-teams competitions that would see the appreciation of the team that is best at service delivery. Incentives can also be brought to the picture. This would actually ensure that the teams work hard to outdo each other and thus better their teamwork in this process. An improvement in the teamwork among the nurses would have some major effects in service to the patients. There would be definitely be an improved client-service delivery, improved relationships between team members and consequently with the administration. These healthcare institutions would also unveil a wider range of services due to the time efficient system. In conclusion, teamwork in nursing is sacrosanct since it is a profession that deals with lives of people. An improvement in service delivery therefore means that the clients are in safer hands. Reference: Institute for Innovation and Improvement, (March, 2007): Developing and sustaining effective teams. ISBN 9781904114482, Royal College of Nursing, Retrieved on 3rd April 2009 from: http://www. rcn. org. uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/78735/003115. pdf,

Homosexuality And Its Effects On Society Essay - 870 Words

Homosexuality is genetic! How can this statement be true? It is indeed true in the precise fact that Romans 3:23 points out, â€Å"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.† Humanity has been cursed with being genetically embedded with sin and a sinful nature. The current worldview is that homosexuality and multiple sexual orientations come from nature, and not nurture. This viewpoint is correct in that it is human nature to sin and seek out one’s own selfish desire. Only, what is not being prescribed is the remedy for this sin. â€Å"Think carefully about what is right, and stop sinning. For to your shame I say that some of you don t know God at all.† (1 Corinthians 15:34 NLT) What the world has done is celebrate this sin and deceive youth through their much wanted desire for acceptance and identity. There is a plentiful amount of research out there, along with world definitions of each orientation, and a call to acceptance of others’ orient ations. There is also the other side of the argument and the fundamental truths that come from the word of God. Copious amounts of resources are available to help youth leaders, teachers, parents and pastors to have a higher understanding of this cultural issue and the solutions and treatments available for youth struggling in this area. Spiritual leaders in the home, church, and schools ought to be prepared to teach on these topics readily, as this world, in which the youth immerse themselves in daily, will readily present theirShow MoreRelatedHomosexuality And Its Effect On Society924 Words   |  4 Pages However, homosexuality can also be defined as a sin. First Corinthians 6:18, â€Å"Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexual immoral person sins against his own body.† Many people look down on homosexuality because it is unmoral. This immorality caused great debates, and stirred up hatred between various individuals . Furthermore, these arguments forced homosexuals to fight for acceptance and equality across the nation. Homosexuality was anotherRead MoreHomosexuality And Its Effect On Society896 Words   |  4 Pagesnecessary to write an article on the subject of homosexuality. It wasn’t a topic that was discussed in public, it was illegal, against the law and those who were engaged in any type of same sex relationship did so quietly and discreetly and largely away from the public eye. That was to change dramatically with the increase of Postmodernism, as a more tolerant and inclusive society emerged, the subject of homosexuality was brought out into the open and society had to deal with it. At first there was a clearRead MoreHomosexuality And Its Effects On Society Essay1650 Words   |  7 PagesMany people believe and have debated whether or not homosexuality is a choice that one freely makes, while others believe a combination of genetics, hormones and environment have a factor in one’s sexuality and sexual development. Homosexuality is something one cannot choose to be. Primarily, homosexuality can be defined as a romantic or sexual attraction that involves people of the same gender. Male homosexuals are referred to as gays while the female ones are called lesbians. Ideally, since timeRead MoreHomosexuality And Its Effects On Society1387 Words   |  6 PagesHomosexuality remains a sensitive matter to the heart of individuals in America. From the past to the present, protests, debates, and laws have showered American history, showing a divided nation to eyes from the outside. However, with the growing exposure to homosexuality in this nation, it is becoming more clear that Americans are expressing and accepting it as a society norm. Of course, this spectacle started way back when Moses scribbled down the Lord’s word and created the book of LeviticusRead MoreHomosexuality And Its Effect On Society Essay1307 Words   |  6 PagesHomosexuality has existed going back to 600 BC or maybe even longer. It was never accepted in cultures all over the world until 2000. In recent years the United States has legally accepted same sex marriage by a Supreme Court ruling. The reasoning behind why it was never accepted were various different reasons. Some of those reasons are tied into religion, taboo due to the norms, or from an individual’s personality. From these major reasons, it has caused homosexuals to be discriminated from verbalRead MoreHomosexuality And Its Effects On Society1502 Words   |  7 PagesHomosexuality has been defined and constructed around the character of sexual identity, whether by nature or nurture, biology or culture, genetics or environment. In researching this topic you will find that homosexuals were quite comfortable in Germany prior to 1933 and their persecution by the Nazi’s. The discrimination and persecutions of homosexual was traumatic and continued many years after German liberation, and even the unification of Germany. The term homosexuality did not seem to be presentRead MoreHomosexuality And Its Effects On Society2470 Words   |  10 Pages Homosexuality is genetic! How can this statement be true? It is indeed true in the precise fact that Romans 3:23 points out, â€Å"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,† Humanity has been cursed with being genetically embedded with sin and a sinful nature. The current worldview is that homosexuality and multiple sexual orientations come from nature, and not nurture. This viewpoint is correct in that it is human nature to sin and seek out one’s own selfish desire. However, No one isRead MoreHomosexuality Is Not a Psychological Disorder Essay1003 Words   |  5 PagesHomosexuality is not a psychological disorder†¦ In the past, homosexuality was considered to be a psychological disorder, up until the APA removed it from its list of mental illnesses. This was due to the fact that homosexuality causes no form of impairment on the individual’s judgment, stability, reliability, or general social and or vocational abilities. This decision made over 30 years ago, has caused a lot of criticism, many believe that the APA’s decision was made due to the amount of influenceRead MoreThe Relationship Between Religious Institutions And Society1456 Words   |  6 Pagesresolution within the Catholic Church about homosexuality has also reopened the original debate on the propriety of a coexisting homosexual Christian. This has been a concern in not only the Catholic Church, but sub-religions within the entire Christian community. It is interesting to comprehend the relationship between religious organizations and society—mainly how one influences the other in doctrines, values, and belief s, specifically in regards to homosexuality. Regarding the relationship betweenRead MoreThe s Natural Law Theory1219 Words   |  5 Pagesadapting to society s views by my fellow classmate’s discussions and posts. The specific challenges that I will discuss are: Birth control, cloning, genetic engineering, and homosexuality. Hopefully by the end of this paper I would have given you enough explanation to why I agree or disagree with these scientific enhancements that are occurring in the world today. In order to get my point across I will discuss the challenges in a different view, why they are considered moral in today’s society, and why

Essay about Amazon.Com and Mattel - a Strategic Perspective

Amazon.com, from a strategic approach, is dominating the world-wide-web. They have become the world leader in online sales of books, music, videos, movies and other products and services. Amazon knew that the Internet could be used as a distribution channel, thus reducing their supply chain relations. By making these strategic advances, Amazon was able to achieve and sustain their competitive advantage. After researching and reading the 2009 and 1997 Annual Reports, it was determined, that in order to achieve this recognition, they needed to acquire the United Kingdom and German online booksellers. By these acquisitions, they increased book sales in the European markets. They have also formed the following strategic partnerships: 1)†¦show more content†¦(1999, Annual Report) In order to develop a strong supply chain, Mattel has outsourced their manufacturing to Asian and Mexican partners and also uses company-owned facilities. By outsourcing, Mattel aim was to prevent disruption in distribution and provide sufficient inventory for future seasons. Competition is increasing due to increasing technology, shorter toy life cycles of, and co-branding is becoming prominent. Mattel is currently researching and developing and forming new alliances with partners all over the world to expand product development in the technology field. Mattel spends millions of dollars in legal fees to operate as an international toy company in protecting trademarks, copyrights and patents. This must be done in order to protect the company from infringement of products developed exclusively by Mattel. They must also license third-party suppliers that â€Å"†¦allow Mattel to utilize the trademarks, characters or other inventions of the licensor in products that Mattel sells† (2009 Annual Report). Supplier agreement must be drawn up for purchases and goods and services for future manufacturing needs. These agreements ensure guaranteedShow MoreRelatedE-Commerce Toy Industry Analysis Report3930 Words   |  16 Pagestheir products online like Mattel Inc, Fisher Price etc. It generates more revenue on the internet. They use both e-commerce and e-business for developing their business. Kalakota and Whinstones (1997) tell four different types of perspectives for e-commerce: (1) A communication perspective Ââ€" it means the delivery of information, products/services or payment on the net. (2) A business process perspective Ââ€" business transactions and workflows. (3) A service perspective Ââ€" reduces the cost and increasingRead MoreTraditional and Contemporary Issues and Challenges14128 Words   |  57 Pagesmanagement theory. 2. Summarize and evaluate the classical perspective on management, including scientific and administrative management, and note its relevance to contemporary managers. 3. Summarize and evaluate the behavioral perspective on management, including the Hawthorne studies, human relations movement, and organizational behavior, and note its relevance to contemporary managers. 4. Summarize and evaluate the quantitative perspective on management, including management science and operationsRead MoreReed Supermarket Case32354 Words   |  130 Pages391 392 393 394 395 398 399 402 403 403 404 405 405 406 407 409 410 413 415 416 419 420 421 425 11 Intermediate entry modes Learning objectives 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Contract manufacturing 11.3 Licensing 11.4 Franchising 11.5 Joint ventures/strategic alliances 11.6 Other intermediate entry modes 11.7 Summary Case studies 11.1 Hello Kitty: can the cartoon cat survive the buzz across the world? 11.2 Ka-Boo-Ki: licensing in the LEGO brand 11.3 Video case study: Marriott Questions for discussionRead MoreStrategic Human Resource Management View.Pdf Uploaded Successfully133347 Words   |  534 PagesVIEW Strategic Human Resource Management Taken from: Strategic Human Resource Management, Second Edition by Charles R. Greer Copyright  © 2001, 1995 by Prentice-Hall, Inc. A Pearson Education Company Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458 Compilation Copyright  © 2003 by Pearson Custom Publishing All rights reserved. This copyright covers material written expressly for this volume by the editor/s as well as the compilation itself. It does not cover the individual selections herein thatRead MoreStrategic Marketing Management337596 Words   |  1351 PagesStrategic Marketing Management Dedication This book is dedicated to the authors’ wives – Gillian and Rosie – and to Ben Gilligan for their support while it was being written. Acknowledgements Our thanks go to Janice Nunn for all the effort that she put in to the preparation of the manuscript. Strategic Marketing Management Planning, implementation and control Third edition Richard M.S. Wilson Emeritus Professor of Business Administration The Business School Loughborough University Read MoreInnovators Dna84615 Words   |  339 PagesDeveloping Discovery Skills Notes Index Acknowledgments About the Authors 241 245 249 261 269 283 295 100092 00a 001-014 INT r1 go.qxp 5/13/11 9:53 AM Page 1 Introduction I It’s the lifeblood of our global economy and a strategic priority for virtually every CEO around the world. In fact, a recent IBM poll of ï ¬ fteen hundred CEOs identified creativity as the number-one â€Å"leadership competency† of the future.1 The power of innovative ideas to revolutionize industries and generateRead MoreFundamentals of Hrm263904 Words   |  1056 Pagesof Human Resource Management—10th ed. ISBN-13 978-0470-16968-1 Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Brief Contents PA RT 1 Chapter 1 Chapter 2 UNDERSTANDING HRM The Dynamic Environment of HRM 2 Fundamentals of Strategic HRM 28 PART 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 THE LEGAL AND ETHICAL CONTEXT OF HRM Equal Employment Opportunity 56 Employee Rights and Discipline 84 PART 3 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 STAFFING THE ORGANIZATION Human Resource Planning and JobRead Morepaul hoang answers72561 Words   |  291 PagesExamples from the case study should be applied to the above points. [6 marks] Question 1.3.2 – Lenovo a) Reasons could include: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Provides a focus for its staff Can be used to measure the performance of the business Informs strategic planning Any other valid point Two clearly explained reasons needed for maximum marks. b) Reasons (barriers) could include: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Conflict, e.g. â€Å"accuracy and truth seeking† might limit Lenovo’s ability to earn high profits. Alternatively

Birth of Sain John the Baptist Painting - 1044 Words

One of the common myths on understanding the difference in middle age and Renaissance period is that Christian elements disappeared in people’s life and that the community totally flipped from ‘religious’ to ‘secular’ society. However, with the change in the society through the extensive amount of trades and cultural contact with the vanished civilization of classical era, people of Renaissance realized how to be ‘human’. Previously, medieval people only express themselves through God and church because of the restrictions in society with the strong power of papacy. On the contrary, Renaissance movement allowed people to think apart from the religion and helped to see the potential of human. Still, just like the medieval paintings, most of the artworks in Renaissance overwhelmingly utilized and conveyed the religious theme with an extended adaptation of features outside of Christianity. Birth of St. John the Baptist is a work of anonymous artist from medieval Europe. Overall, this panting has yellow tone with deep and strong colors. Since the painting is from middle age, the placement of figures and building are not necessarily the actual distance and perspective of real world. Rather, the figures or important figures are shown as larger than the figures in front of them. Due to the lack of perspective, the painting has two-dimensional structure with a simple or one color background. Also, figures have little movement with serious faces that show little emotion. They are

Teaching in Urban Districts Free Essays

The main form of interaction that goes on in schools is between the teachers and the students. Some of the students are difficult or unruly and they present many difficulties for the teachers as the teachers cannot then organize the class and provide the level of quality education that they are capable of. Disruptive students require more attention from teachers and this stops teachers from giving adequate attention to the rest of the class. We will write a custom essay sample on Teaching in Urban Districts or any similar topic only for you Order Now There are many behavioral problems with students, but there is no method of dealing with such students in United States. Even the solution that can be achieved through disciplinary action has to be determined by the local school board, and then those decisions will have to be implemented by the teachers and the principal. One of the methods through which this can be done is the student parent handbook which is distributed to the students for giving to parents. This may give details of actions that would be taken by the teachers and the principal of the school, if the student does not live up to the expectations of the school and in the class. Other schools even give full details of the punishment that the student may be given when there is any infraction by the student of the rules of the school. (Teachers’ Relationships) At the same time, all punishments that are given are felt to be the responsibility of the teacher, by the student and the families of the students. This brings us to the next level as we have to determine the type of punishment that can be given to the students. The limits of this range from verbal warnings to in-school suspensions, and when the student crosses limits of behavior, then the general recommendation is an out of school suspension. At the same time, some students are repeat offenders, and their punishment increases with the number of times they have caused an offense. The system of punishing students and still retaining them in the same school has now been questioned by some educationists, who have suggested that alternative schools be set up for them. This will permit the ordinary schools on teaching of students who have a lot of desire to learn. Another group has suggested that punishments start earlier, from primary school, and the punishments should be clarified with a clear system. The problem is that the parents are not aware of all these systems of the school, as they only go through the written material that they receive from schools and even that in a cursory manner. These do not make them respond and thus the parents’ point of view remains unknown. The parents meet and talk to the school authorities only during formal occasions like school open houses and teacher conferences, and at these occasions, most participants are reserved. It is possible for both teachers and parents to set up other meetings, but that action is taken only when the concerned student has problems regarding progress. Even during the process of their training, teachers do not receive much training regarding interaction with parents. As is well known, training for becoming teachers takes place in colleges of education based in universities. The individuals who want to become teachers join up courses for both academic learning as also for courses in education. The combination is expected to teach them both the methods of teaching as also the contents that they desire to teach the students. On joining up for the first time, the students are expected to undergo a period of teaching students. There are some individuals who feel that a teacher who is still in the learning process should be left alone with students, others take the view that it may be better if they are supported by an experienced teacher during the first few weeks of teaching that they undertake. (Teachers’ Relationships) (1) The teacher also faces different challenges and those depend on the environment where they start teaching. Schools in urban areas are not individual schools, but are part of a large bureaucracy that is not able to act fast in response to the needs of the schools. These schools generally do not have many resources, and even the buildings are in poor condition in many cases. From outside the school, the environment within the school may be affected by gang activity, drug availability and usage on a large scale and there being a lack of community structure. Students who are coming to the school are burdened not only with educational requirements, but also carry the burden of poverty, hunger and poor housing. There is a feeling among the parents, teachers, principals and students that the school they are concerned with is something special and separate. This can be said to be the tone, climate or ethos of the school, and those seem to be related to all activities that are connected with the school. (NCREL Monograph: Building Collaborative Cultures) This is a unique quality, a special school culture. This has an effect on the way they act, on how they dress, or even what they are continuously talking about or what they will never talk of. It also determines whether they seek help from others or they do not seek help. This culture of the school is built up of different norms, values, beliefs and assumptions and rituals. These are built up over time as teachers, students, parents and administrators have worked together, or dealt with crises and developed their own unstated expectations for interactions and methods of working together. On the other side there are some schools which remain as isolated places for working and there the teachers are left alone. They work alone in their rooms, and have little interaction with their colleagues. They keep the problems that they face to themselves. When one sees these schools, the teachers are islands – they feel a gulf of separation from each other, seldom talk to other teachers, or share their points of view in terms of the profession or even solving their problems. (NCREL Monograph: Building Collaborative Cultures) The urban districts have schools which have had a much longer period of development than new schools which have come up in the suburban areas. This makes their cultural situation much more rigid, and any teacher has to adapt to them. After their graduation from college and getting the necessary qualifications required to become a teacher, most of the teachers still end up working in isolation. The teachers do not get enough time to work along with other teachers, and this is happening even now when there are a lot of efforts being made to get greater involvement of the teachers. There are new efforts to improve the general quality of individuals who join as teachers. The effort is through a compulsory renewal of certificates needed for teaching, creating programs where the teachers will all have mentors and general improvement of their salaries and working conditions. The process of improvement and this is through decisions taken at the school itself. It becomes the responsibility of the teachers in the schools to have a plan for improvement of the school. That will set up objectives for the school and give the teachers a greater say in the methods of running the school. It is possible to have new methods of instruction like teaching in teams, cooperative learning and individualized instruction through the use of computers. There are also other ways through which the performance of teachers can be evaluated. The implementation of these methods encourages the teachers to help their students achieve new state level standards that have been set up. (Teachers’ Relationships) It is clear that schools where there is not enough satisfaction for the teachers will ultimately result in their leaving the school. It is not correct to say that low incentives are the main reason for their departure. In the city schools the teachers end up getting a salary less than they get in the schools of the suburbs, but that is not the main reason why they leave the school. There are many teachers who leave the school as they feel that they have not been getting enough support from the school administration. Within the school there are many intrusions during the time given for teaching in the class, there are a lot of problems of discipline of the students, and the teachers do not get a say as to how the school will be run. (Why Do High-Poverty Schools Have Difficulty Staffing Their Classrooms with Qualified Teachers? ) The degree of autonomy that is available to teachers in schools varies to a large extent. There are schools where the teachers have had the greatest role in development of the curricula and also helped the new teachers understand the curricula. On the other side, there are many schools where the teachers had to work with books that had been purchased and teach from them. There are a lot of differences within the teachers themselves which make the entire process even more difficult. A team of teachers from one district selected new mathematics and science curricula, but other teachers found that this curriculum of science was too difficult for the students. Teachers in another school were given a time of half a day for setting out the grade level objectives, but the teachers found the time to be too short and this was done only once. The teachers were not able to make plans that satisfied their desires. The involvement and satisfaction is different from school to school. The only matter that teachers seem to agree on is regarding their opinion of conditions which are suitable for teaching. The teachers are in favor of more flexible schedules, increase in resources for teaching and more assistance for teachers. There was also a difference in accountability and teachers in low income areas are generally ones to face the greatest demand for accountability and the greatest challenges. Certainly the level demanded from them was higher than was demanded from teachers in middle and high income areas. (2) We are facing a failure to ensure that classrooms in the country are filled with quality teachers, and this is more acute as the situation is the worst in disadvantaged schools. In general people say that the lack of teachers is the reason for this shortage. Why Do High-Poverty Schools Have Difficulty Staffing Their Classrooms with Qualified Teachers? ) The reasons for this shortage are ascribed to recent retirements of a large number of teachers and also due to a large increase in enrolment of students. This makes it even more difficult for schools in poor districts to get an adequate number of trained teachers. These school districts are in the urban areas and as a result of this shortage, these schools end up with a large number of under-qualified teachers. This lack of sufficient teachers is felt to be the main reason for the lack of proper education and building of careers of the students from these schools, and these students are in general from poor communities. All these factors are known to the authorities and they have tried to respond by the supply of an increase in the number of teachers to these schools. This has resulted in a lot of efforts to recruit new teachers in these schools, during the recent years. The greatest stress is on schools which are in disadvantaged settings. On further analysis of the data, it is seen that the staffing problems in these schools is not due to a lack of teachers, and what one is trying to say is that they are not suffering from a lack of adequately qualified teachers. The data clearly shows that the problems in staffing of the schools come from a ‘revolving door’ that exists in these schools. This means that teachers join and then leave these schools within a short period, and the reason for their leaving the school is not retirement. The data shows that public schools in high poverty area, in urban communities leave about a fifth of their teachers every year! Why Do High-Poverty Schools Have Difficulty Staffing Their Classrooms with Qualified Teachers? ) These results show that the entire staff of the school could be lost within a very short period. The reason for the departure of these teachers is also in part due to the lack of involvement of the parents in the teaching process. Most of the residents in these areas are African American and Latino. The parents from these groups feel that the faculty in the local elementary school is biased against them. This is the reason that the parents state as being the cause for their non-participation in the school activities. Why Urban Parents Resist Involvement in their Children’s Elementary Education) The parents clearly mention that they would work only with teachers who respect and value their children. This causes great difficulty for experienced teachers as they are aware of the value of the participation by parents. Help from the parents was thought to be essential for good education, and this was taken for granted by teachers. Teachers felt parents supported their efforts and expectations for education of children. Today the situation in the cities has changed due to different family arrangement and socio-cultural differences between the teachers and the students with their families. The differences between them arise as the students and their families suffer from poverty, racism, language and cultural differences. The parents feel that the system has been prepared for the education of children from middle class and white families. This is bound to happen as the family has to feel that they have an important role in the education of their children. When the parents are from the middle class, then the parents feel that they have a duty in assisting the school for education of their children. On the other hand when the family is from the low income group, then the parents feel that it is the responsibility of the school to educate children. The thoughts of the parents regarding their own responsibility also make the parents visit the school and participate in all activities of the school. Of course to an extent, it also depends on the attitude of the school and some schools make the parents feel comfortable and at home in the school. Teachers in the urban centers often are not aware of the ethnicities and culture of the students they teach, and they have to learn this to be able to reverse the resistance of the family to involvement with school education. In many cities there have been changes over the years. Many of the cities were dominated by industry earlier, but due to development, the industries are no longer functioning from those cities. With the close of the factories, there were closure of supporting activities like restaurants and department stores. The population of the cities also declined from 100,000 earlier to about 60,000 now. Why Urban Parents Resist Involvement in their Children’s Elementary Education) While the population has dropped, there was a growth in different races in the city – African American and Latinos. The main school is located where the downtown area used to be. Within a range of one block are high rise public housing buildings which are home to four hundred families. Ninety-five percent of the children living there are from the two communities mentioned earlier. This means that the school will have to interact with these communities. The change in situation had led the city school district to have total integration of its elementary schools. Thus the elementary school serving the public housing building has now got all low-income and colored children. As a solution, the district had to send the children on a bus to the affluent elementary school situated on the hill which has a middle class neighborhood. (Why Urban Parents Resist Involvement in their Children’s Elementary Education) The school may have better facilities, but will the parents like it? The number of teachers from the minorities is falling. In 1974, 12. 5% of all full time teachers were African American, and today the number is down to 11 percent. This makes it possible that some students complete school without coming in touch with a minority community teacher. The minorities certainly have better career choices now, but even in teaching they feel that get low salaries and occupational prestige. (Increasing Minority Participation in the Teaching Profession) Thus teaching as a profession is not being liked. (3) It is clear that teaching in urban areas is not liked as it considered difficult to teach there. The schools have wide racial diversity among the students, little supply of materials required to teach, high demands from the bureaucrats that have to be met, low involvement of the parents in the school, and finally, low salaries. These are the reasons why suburban schools find it easier to get teachers as they are able to provide more resources, greater flexibility in the areas of teaching, and finally, better pay. (Teachers’ Relationships) The solution to the problem is not that city schools recruit more teachers, which they have to do as they do not have enough teachers now. They have to find ways and means to stop the teachers from leaving the profession. It is very important that the teacher’s ability to employ positive behavior intervention and support in the classroom is taken up. When the teacher has defects in terms of skills, the results will appear in the poor results from students who are concerned with the teacher. (Strengthening Emotional Support Services) The schools have to make sure that all students are taught by qualified teachers and this is what makes them worry about retaining the teachers on their roles. How to cite Teaching in Urban Districts, Papers