The Unifying Spirit of Seamus Heaney’s ‘Funeral Rites’ - Literature Essay Samples

‘Funeral Rites’ examines the role of rituals and ‘customary rhythms’ in the ‘arbitration of the feud’ in an Ireland plagued by the incongruous notion of ‘neighbourly murder’. However, in preference to the sterility of ‘tainted rooms’ in which the dead lie ‘shackled’ by religious chains of ‘rosary beads’, Heaney’s affinity for the mythological, archaic ‘serpent’ and the pagan times of the ‘sepulchre’ champion a return to an Ireland unified by pre-Christian beliefs, rather than a country fettered by fragmented sectarian violence of religious origin. Only in this ‘triumph’ will the ‘whole country’ overcome the impasse of violence, allowing victims to peacefully ‘l[ie] beautiful’ and ‘unavenged’. Immediately, the ‘shoulder[ing]’ of patriarchal duty and the ‘lift[ing]’ of the weight of the coffin deaden the atmosphere in the opening stanzas, as the notion of exertion and effort pervades the funeral. This ‘ceremony’ is a static, heavy burden, and this is also exemplified in the monosyllabic ‘dead’, ending on the heavy sound ‘/d/’, possessing a bluntness that accentuates the finality of death, and introduces a somewhat brusque tone to these stanzas. Additionally, the ‘dulse-brown’ of the ‘shroud’ is an exemplar of Heaney’s discord with this overtly religious ‘ceremony’. In comparing the ‘shroud’ to the ‘dulse’ of seaweed, Heaney apostatizes the holiness of this garment, rendering it dull, papery and lifeless. This sense of lifelessness and stagnancy is a presence that pervades part I of the poem, perpetuated by the description of the women as à ¢â‚¬Ëœhovering’ and the flames also as ‘hovering’, this repetition reinforcing the shallowness of the ritual. Furthermore, the ‘hovering’ conjures an image of the ‘women’ flickering like a candle, which compromises a sense of their solidity, rendering them weak and tremulously passive, cowering ‘behind’ Heaney. Heaney exposes the funeral in this way as a fragile and apathetic event of intense torpor, devoid of any dynamism or ardor. It is sterile, ‘always’ the same, and cold, like the ‘igloo brows’ of the distant ‘relations’. While there is a sense of ‘admir[ation]’ for the ‘gleaming crosses’, the adjective ‘little’ introduces a tone of mocking endearment, which reveals that this is out of ‘court[esy]’ and expectation. In an Ireland imbued with religious connections, this tradition seems to fail, but ‘ha[s] to suffice’. He aney iconoclastically exposes the funeral in this way as lethargic, reflected in the stiff frigidity of the ‘black glacier’, which implies a predictably linear, slow ‘pushing away’, in contrast to the freeform, naturalistic and dynamic snaking motion of the ‘serpent’ procession in part II. Part II begins with a time shift – ‘now’, which moves away from the consistent past tense register of part I. This nature of this shift becomes apparent as the reader learns that the people of Ireland are now ‘pin[ing]’ for these monotonous, predictable ‘customary rhythms’. This accentuates the desperation of the situation as the verb ‘pine’ implies a disempowerment of the people, in which they are restricted only to an intense longing for closure, rather than able to take concrete action. It reduces their independence, almost as if the people of Ireland are so attenuated and violated by the savagery they are experiencing, that they are pleading for any form of respite, as may be provided by the funeral. Their lives are invaded by the exact opposite of the lull, slow burn of the funerals in part I – they are haunted by the sardonic notion of ‘neighbourly murder’, of which ‘news’ arrives in an ebbing, turbulent flow, as implied by the qualification ‘each’. In referring to the procession as a ‘cortà ¨ge’ of ‘temperate footsteps’, Heaney retrospectively renders the value of these rituals malleable and ever-changing. The open ‘/à ¨/’ sound, followed by the soft ‘/g/’ sound that ends ‘cortà ¨ge’ is in contrast to the slick, glassy ‘/c/’ of ‘glacier’, and in this way the ‘cortà ¨ge’ feels more personal and comforting than the stark, monumental ‘glacier’ it was before. Additionally, the notion of ‘temperate footsteps’ personifies the procession here, that renders it more personable that the cool, silent glide of a ‘glacier’, and the description of the procession as ‘temperate’ evokes the sense of quiet, even footfalls of a steady ‘rhythm’. This ‘rhythm’ is a mitigator amongst the sh ocking ‘news’ that arrives unpredictably, and is the steady, unwavering anchor to which people can cling during this social turmoil. Formerly, in part I, these mundane funerals epitomized Heaney’s earlier condemnation of traditional euphemism in death, notably present in ‘Mid Term Break’ when Heaney feels swamped and overwhelmed by ‘old men’ and the swamping ‘whispers’ of distant relations. ‘Now’, however, when faced with the abhorrent alternative of uncertainty, this ‘ceremony’ is a pillar of normality and predictability, for which the people ‘pine’. Despite this longing for ritual, Heaney seeks an alternative to the ‘obedien[ce]’ and ‘shackl[ing]’ of the religious ceremonies, which are remnants of the religious roots of the ‘feud’. Instead the focus is moved to the image of a ‘serpent’ procession. Through the image of the archaic ‘serpent’ and the ‘megalithic doorway’, evocative of a primeval, prehistoric existence, and of Celtic symbolism, Heaney supersedes modern Christianity, and, in conjunction with a shift from the personal pronoun ‘I’ in part I, to ‘we’ and ‘our’ in part II, hopes to unify the ‘whole country’ by their collective roots in pagan spiritual beliefs that existed without confrontation. Through descriptions such as ‘purring’ and ‘muffled’, Heaney creates a gentle symphony of stillness and background noise, embodying the peace which Heaney aims to conjure in th is section, as mirrored by the ‘quiet’ and ‘slow’ procession. This tranquillity resembles that of the stillness in part I, but it is somehow imbued with positivity. Where descriptions like ‘dulse’ in part I render the environment dull, the lush, bucolic notion of a ‘grassy boulevard’ in part II is more vibrant and sensory compared to the cool, alabaster ‘soapstone’. Aurally, the word ‘grassy’ conjures a sense that the ‘serpent’ procession is ‘dragg[ing]’ and rustling through whistling blades of grass, and it evokes a complex olfactory melange of dank earthiness, yet one that is fresh, sedgy and verdant. These images immerse the reader in a scene of naturalness that galvanizes an appreciation for freedom and airiness in the reader that is in contrast to the confined ‘rooms’ of part I. Drawing from the geographically recognizable Irish symbols of the ‘great chambe rs of Boyne’ and the ‘Gap of the North’, Heaney resurrects an intrinsically Irish Ireland a unified halcyon of pre-Christian beliefs, where unrest is non-existent and peace is so profuse that the environment is almost soporific, as embodied by the ‘somnambulant women’. The sense of solidarity and ritual continues in part III. The action of ‘put[ting] the stone back’ is evocative of kinship and co-operation; required to move a heavy boulder. Furthermore, this image is highly suggestive and reminiscent of the Christian belief in the stone of Jesus’ Holy Sepulchre being replaced after he was entombed, which could imply many things. Heaney may be attempting to coalesce aspects of the Christian faith and the Irish spiritual faiths in a further demonstration of unity, or he may be suggesting that those buried in the ‘sepulchre’ which he has ‘prepare[d]’ will be resurrected like Jesus, which purports this new ceremonial unity as transcendent and all-powerful. Either way, this sense of â€Å"sealing away† of the dispute is said to ‘allay’ the ‘cud of memory’ of the feud. The description of the memory as a ‘cud’ evinces that it is something which Heaney has been tryi ng to digest, but simply cannot, implying that the violence is so repulsive it is almost emetic. Sonically, the monosyllabic bluntness of the ‘/ud/’ sound in ‘cud’ reinforces this sense of disgust, and the glottal ‘/c/’ mirrors the process of regurgitation, which engenders a sensory connection in the reader with the rawness and magnitude of Heaney’s revulsion at Ireland’s social turmoil. Consistent with the pagan society from which he has drawn, Heaney introduces another primordial figure; ‘Gunnar’, whose Nordic name means ‘warrior’. Gunnar’s intrinsic identity is one therefore imbued with violence and savagery – pervaded by notions of ‘honour’ and revenge. Gunnar’s ‘unavenged’ death breaks this cycle of violence and retaliation, and the breaking of this cycle seems to invoke a sort of metanoia in him, as he begins to ‘chant’. The word ‘chanting’ concerning Gunnar, conveys a sense of frenzied and impassioned speech, evoking that something has been awoken in him. This is mirrored by the radiant image of ‘four lights burn[ing] in [the] corners’, which pierce and illuminate the darkness of the closed tomb, as if sparks in a mind closed to the light of truth. The sense of symmetry conferred by the specific placement of the fires (in the ‘corners’) creates a sense of ritual and purpose in this occasion, which furthers the impression that this is a miraculous, divine and ineffable stimulation. Gunnar has undergone a transfiguration from bloodthirsty warrior to a placated, ‘joyful’ being, who ‘turn[s]’ to the ‘moon’. The word ‘turn’ is significant as it encapsulates Gunnar’s change; ‘turn[ing]’ away from the impasse of abhorrence, and instead centred on all that it inherently good and calm, embodied by the ‘moon’, which acts a symbol of luminescence and stillness, as it evokes an image of a radiant orb, suspended as a beacon of light amongst the dark of the sky (just as the lights in the burial chamber). The description of the tomb of those Heaney’s procession has buried as a ‘hill’, parallels Gunnar’s ‘mound’, and the poet begins immediately to draw spatial and physical connections between the two through this geometric and visual similarity. This is but one of the parallels drawn between the Irish and Gunnar: most notably, Gunnar’s rebirth came about due to ritual, mirrored by the ritual Heaney hopes for in part II. Through ‘Funeral Rites’, Heaney therefore suggests that through unified ritual, the people of Ireland may forge their own ‘Gunnar’; an unexpected mould-breaker, invaded by an incomprehensible inner catalyst for peace. This messiah-like figure will conquer the unrelenting deadlock of violence, to reveal to the Irish people the beauty of peace, allowing their own resurrection and rebirth, and to be ‘joyful’ once more.

What Is a Malapropism Definition and Examples

The term  malapropism refers to the incorrect use of a word in place of a similar-sounding word, typically with a humorous result. Malapropisms are usually unintentional, but they can also be used intentionally to create a comic effect. Whether accidental or deliberate, malapropisms often turn serious statements into funny ones.   Malapropisms are sometimes called  acyrologia  or  phonological word  substitutions. History of the Term The word malapropism is derived from the  French word â€Å"malapropos,† meaning being improper or inappropriate. However, malapropism did not enter common parlance as a grammatical term until  the publication of Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s 1775 play  The Rivals. The Rivals  featured a comedic character named Mrs. Malaprop, who frequently confused  words  that sound alike but have wildly different meanings. Some of her  mistakes included substituting the word contagious for contiguous  Ã¢â‚¬Å"contagious countries† and geometry for geography.  These slip-ups earned her big laughs from audiences and resulted in the creation of the term malapropism. William Shakespeare was known for using malapropisms in his work. He called the verbal mistakes Dogberryisms, named after a character from  Much Ado About Nothing. Just like Mrs. Malaprop, Dogberry frequently conflated similar-sounding words, much to the audiences amusement.   Common Malapropisms In everyday life, malapropisms are frequently used unintentionally. Malapropisms can muddle the meaning of a sentence, and they often generate a laugh at the speakers expense. Remember that  just because two words look  or sound alike, they do not necessarily have similar meanings. Here are some of the most common malapropisms.   Jive vs. Jibe: The term â€Å"jive† refers a dance style, while â€Å"jibe† refers  to two or more entities complementing each other. Peanut butter and jelly do not â€Å"jive,† but the two tasty spreads certainly do â€Å"jibe when combined in a sandwich.  Statue vs.  Stature: A â€Å"statue† is a sculpture of a person, place, or thing. The term stature† refers to an individuals height or reputation. You can describe a person as having an impressive stature, not an impressive statue — unless theyve just had their likeness memorialized in bronze.Erratic vs. Erotic: The word erratic describes something that is unpredictable and irregular. Dont confuse it with the word erotic, which refers to something that is suggestive of sexual desire.  Calling someones behavior erratic has a very different implication  than calling someones behavior erotic.  Installation vs.  Insulation: When you order a new refrigerator, chances are youâ€⠄¢ll have to pay for installation: the process of physical set-up. But if you take your coffee to go, you’ll want to keep it in a thermos with insulation, which is a special material that retains heat. You wouldn’t say, â€Å"My thermos has lots of installation,† but you might say, â€Å"It has proper insulation.†Monotonous vs. Monogamous: A monotonous job is a boring one. A monogamous relationship is one that involves two people only. Telling your spouse you don’t want a â€Å"monogamous lifestyle† when you actually meant â€Å"monotonous lifestyle† can land you in some serious trouble. Malapropisms in Popular Culture Celebrities and other public figures have used plenty of malapropisms over the years.  Their verbal slip-ups generate lots of laughs and often enter the permanent pop culture record. Here are some of the funniest malapropisms in recent memory. â€Å"Texas has a lot of electrical votes.†Ã‚  New York Yankee  Yogi Berra meant to discuss â€Å"electoral† votes. Electrical votes do not exist,  unless  you’re voting on the best electrician.â€Å"We cannot let terrorists and rogue nations hold this nation hostile or hold our allies hostile.†Ã‚  Its true that terrorists may be  Ã¢â‚¬Å"hostile† (or unfriendly) to our nation, but President  George W. Bush  meant to use the word hostage: hold this nation hostage or hold our allies hostage. (the act of detailing a prisoner).â€Å"Alcoholics  Unanimous.† Chicago’s former mayor Richard J. Daley swapped the word â€Å"anonymous† (unknown or nameless) with â€Å"unanimous† (consistent or united). The resulting malapropism suggests an organization that unites individuals with alcoholism.â€Å"Listen to the blabbing brook.†Ã‚  Comedian Norm Crosby is known as â€Å"The Master of Malaprop. In this line, he ca lls a brook blabbing (as though it wont stop talking) when he really means babbling (which refers to the soft sound of water flowing).â€Å"Why, murders the matter! Slaughters the matter! Killings the matter! But he can tell you the perpendiculars.† Here, The Rivals  infamous  Mrs. Malaprop uses the word â€Å"perpendiculars† (which refers to two lines at a 90 degree angle) when she should have used â€Å"particulars† (which refers to the specific details of a situation).

Mental Health Of Students With Anxiety And Depression

Today, more than ever, schools must be educated regarding the mental health of students and any challenges that they may face when working towards academic and social success. There have been many published evidence based approaches when working with students with anxiety or depression, but there are some disorders that have not had the focus that they deserve and leave school counselors and teachers attempting to navigate through services without a thorough understanding of the needs of the students. Attachment disorders fall into this category, specifically reactive attachment disorder (RAD). â€Å"Unlike many disorders that are proven or presumed to have a genetic, biochemical, or other internal basis, RAD, by definition, is caused by the environment† (Shaw Pdez, 2007, p. 71). As a result, there is little evidence of treatments that have had a major effect. However, there are interventions that have been beneficial to supporting the child in the school environment. Attachm ent disorders are rare within the general population and include only about one percent of children, while these disorders are present in about forty percent of children who were adopted or reside in foster care (Losinski, Katsiyannis, White, Wiseman, 2016). Children in foster care have been a population that I have worked extensively with and find that they are often times underserved in many aspects. By identifying the etiology, implications for the students, and interventions for school professionals,Show MoreRelatedDepression And Anxiety Among College Students Essay1376 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Anxiety and Depression disorders are two of the most common mental disorders in the United States (Falsafi, 2016). It appears that the two disorders are widespread amongst college students and most cannot manage the high demands and stress (Falsafi, 2016). Therefore, they feel more prone to depression and anxiety (Falsafi, 2016). 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CDA Sample free essay sample

One of my goals is to make sure that everything is safe for the children both in-door and out-doors. To accomplish this I check on a daily basis for broken toys and any equipment in the class that is not working. When we go outside to the playground I make sure that all the equipment used is secure and does not have any sharp edges or rusted parts. This is to avoid any lacerations and prevent potential injuries. I also talk with the children about all the safety procedures that need to be obeyed in school. For example, while in the classroom, one of the rules is that children need to respect each other and that no rough play is allowed. Another safety procedure is for the children to learn what to do in the case of emergency. A fire drill is practiced various times during the year so that the children are prepared for any emergency. Healthy Goal : Provide a clean, healthy environment that meets each child’s needs Model and practice healthy habits with my children Teach children about health care and good nutrition Health is a key subject in my class. I first make sure that every day all the tables and chairs are clean. I make sure that the bathroom has toilet paper and soap. We teach the children that they need to wipe their hands with soap and water before they eat and after they come from any outside activity. I also teach the children the importance of being clean, of taking a shower every day, of brushing your teeth, keeping your hands outside of your mouth and also about germs. We also teach them about the consequences that can happen for not keeping a healthy environment. Another key component is the importance of having a balance diet. I teach the kids that the body needs vegetables, greens, cereals and other foods to keep healthy. I teach the children that it is important for them to have fun and do a daily exercise. If any of the children is sick we separate him/ her from the rest of them to avoid contact. We also proceed to contact the nurse to help determine if the child needs to be picked up. If the child is not picked up and has to stay in the classroom we make sure to monitor him during the day, which includes checking for any fatigue, fever or any unusual behavior. Learning Environment: Goals: To provide a wide variety of developmentally appropriate materials to meet the needs and interests of the children To arrange the classroom into learning centers and work with children in individually and in groups Plan different activities so the children can learn and many ways What I think is important for the Learning Environment is an age appropriate and easy to follow routine. In that routine I make sure that it’s interesting for the children, enjoyable, and most importantly that they learn on a daily basis via repetition. The routine starts with the rules of the class which teaches the kids how to respect each other, follow directions and what the teacher expects from them throughout the day. Next, we have a circle time in which we learn the letter of the week, the number of the week and the subject (i. e. Weather or manners). After that we have our center time where the children learn how to take turns, how to share with friends and also encourage them to use proper manners (i. e. saying please, thank you, waiting for your turn). The most important thing for me is my classroom setup. I make sure that everything in the class has a learning purpose involved. For example, I make sure that we have examples of numbers, letters, puzzles and other activities that support the objectives for the week. I believe that the learning environment needs to be entertaining so that the children are not easily distracted. I try to incorporate practical exercises into the teaching environment, like taking the children outside and making them partake in easy experiments. I also like to invite teachers or experts from other classes to make a presentation on different subjects. Physical Goal: Provide a variety of equipment, activities and opportunities to promote physical development To encourage to use both gross and fine motor skills To introduce exercise as a self-esteem builder One of my goals is to have activities planned that will help develop the physical level of the students. Every day, during the morning, we dedicate a five minute period for exercising. In these five minutes the kids are taught the importance of stretching and breathing properly. The students are also taught the importance of eating the right food and doing exercise on a daily basis. I also prepare outside games with the class which involve some level of strategy, team effort, and require physical development. Providing the proper equipment can make free play a very good way to achieve this advancement. Cognitive Goal: Provide opportunities for children to begin to understand cause and effect Create an environment that encourages them to explore, develop confidence and knowledge Encourage children to talk about their experiences I provide different activities to develop different learning styles for the children. The class is divided into different centers. The science center is setup to learn about different subjects such as the life of an animal, how water changes into different forms, and also to learn how stuff works. This science center is done once a week so that the kids are exposed to different areas on a weekly basis. Another center is the building center which is equipped with different types of blocks. The children are asked to use their imagination to create different shapes and use different structures to build houses, rockets and other things. In all these centers we also emphasize that each child needs to respect each other, learn how to take turns, listen to each other and learn how to resolve their own problems. Communication Goals: Provide activities to encourage listening and comprehnsive skills Encourage everyday communication to enhance their vocabulary Listen attentively to children and try to understand them and help them to communicate In my class we teach that communicating with each other is very important. We encourage the child to communicate their feelings and thoughts by different forms of expression. One of the things I like to do in class is practice Show and Tell. This activity is performed on a weekly basis and each child is asked to bring an item from home that is related with the letter of the week. Each child must present to the rest of the class and talk about the item they brought from home. This exercise promotes the children communication skills as they gain confidence in speaking in front of a class and learn to express their thoughts to others. Show and Tell is done on a weekly basis and each child is given asked a set of questions to assist them in the presentation. Another key aspect under communication is to assess the different levels of preparedness between the children and be able to identify if any speech or hearing impairments exist. If any concern is identified these are communicated to the parent for consideration along with a potential solution. Finally, in the classroom, I ensure that most items are properly labeled with both the word and picture of the object. This promotes visual communication and helps retention by association with pictures. Also, a small collection of books is available to the children, from which one is picked on a daily basis to be read as part of the classroom activities. Creativity Goal: To encourage the children to try new different activities To provide opportunities that stimulate children express their creativity To give the children the opportunity to use different materials to express themselves In our class we provide different types of toys to promote children creativity. We have an area designated as the art space where the children are allowed to use materials such as paintbrushes, glue, stickers and coloring paint. The children use these materials to make different projects that are later sent back to the parents and/ or displayed in the classroom. In the different projects the children are taught various techniques for coloring, cutting and putting stuff together. Once these techniques are taught, the children are left with an open canvass to use their creativity to create something. We also have a monthly family project, which is sent home to the family and requires the participation of all to complete. This promotes creativity outside the workplace and helps associate and attract school activity with the family. Another method used to promote creativity is teaching children alternative solution techniques to a single problem. The children are presented with a simple problem that could have many solutions and are asked to explain how they would resolve each problem. They are also asked to complete unfinished sentences or stories with the use of their imagination. To accomplish a round table is setup in form of a dialogue in which the kids are asked to provide their opinion on how a story should end or to fill in the blank by saying what best completes an idea. Self Goal: To encourage the children to practice self-help skills To treat each child as an individual to know his/her own strengths Provide physical and emotional security for each child and help them accept and take pride in himself or herself In class we spend some time talking about each one of the children so that they first get to know each other and help them understand that they are all unique and different. We like to emphasize the positive qualities of each child and make them known to the rest of the class so that they all feel special and part of the class. In one of the walls in the class we have a picture of the child family and we ask each child to tell us about the picture and what is special about their family. We consistently praise the children for work done on their own and promote and environment where they are able to accomplish things by themselves. For example, the water fountain, cubbies and different resources are all set at their height so that they are able to perform simple tasks on their own. Finally, all good deeds are strongly praised, which promotes a healthy social environment and the desire of the class to do positive works. The good behavior is rewarded with a weekly treasure chest, in which the kids have the opportunity to pick an item from the chest and show it to the rest of the class. As a teacher, we remind them why they are going to the treasure chest and tell them to keep up the good work. Social Goal: To help each child to feel accepted in the group. To encourage children to express their feelings To encourage children to comfort and help one another At our school it is important for children to learn to get along with each other and also with the teachers and with students from other grades. This type of development starts with example from the teachers in the class. Each teacher is treated with respect and no arguing, yelling or discussions are accepted in front of the children. We also make sure that everyone gets along with each other by making the children talk and interact amongst them, weather this be inside or outside the classroom. Games are setup so that participation of all children is required and all opinions and ideas are respected. We encourage the proper behavior in class by having a daily reward chart, where the child is awarded a daily sticker for good behavior. We also have the class rules on the board, along with the consequences, which are read every day to remind the children of the behavior that is expected. Some of the rules are no yelling, no hitting, no fighting and no arguments. If an argument arises between two children, then these are immediately separated and a conversation is promoted between them with the teacher as a mediator. The ultimate goal is to have them learn to respect each other and teach them to get along. During the week we also talk about different types of feelings, such as mad, glad and sad and what are the things to do if you find yourself with a bad feeling. The children are also observed to see any signs of depression or anger that might require additional expert assistance. Guidance Goals: To build a trusting and comforting relationship with each child To encourage children to solve their own differences To provide a learning environment with appropriate and acceptable behaviors as individuals and as a group One of the key aspects in guidance is that both the child and the parent know what is the lesson plan and activities that will be done on a daily and weekly basis. A schedule is sent out to the parents so that they are aware of the activities done and so that they can reinforce the lessons learned at home. The children are also told on a daily basis what the schedule of the day will be and what are the expected learning outcomes from the different activities. The schedules are planned to be part of a routine, so that the child feels comfortable with the class setting and can adapt to the different methods used. For example, a daily song might be sung about the alphabet, which later might be followed by a story, and finally a time for centers is allowed. Guidance also is taught in order to resolve different practical exercise’s and even conflicts. In class, children are guided and suggested to provide answers in order to start developing their own thought process. Also, guidance is taught by preparing step by step process for the different activities that the children can easily follow. Repetition of directions is key at this age so that the kids learn what is expected from them when preparing different projects or assingments. Families Goal: To maintain an open, friendly and cooperative relationship with each child’s family To establish opportunities for parents, and family members to be involve in the children activities It is important for us to have a good relationship with each parent. At the beginning of the year we start with an open house, before classes officially start, so that the parents can see where the child will be attending and so that they are familiarized with the classroom setting. We provide all the information required to the parent like the schedule of daily activities for the week. We hold three mandatory conferences during the year (one each trimester) to provide the parent feedback on the child development. In these conferences we discuss the child’s development, strengths and address any areas of concern. I give my information to the parents so that they can contact me with any concerns or if they require any information regarding the school activity. Parents are welcomed to volunteer during the year and are signed up to participate in different activities. We also have different programs that parents are welcomed to join and participate. For example, the thanksgiving lunch, the Christmas show and other events. In the child’s birthday the parents are welcomed to partake in that day and share with the child the day in class. I believe that the children education is a joint effort between the teacher and the child’s family. We always maintain confidentiality about children and their family. All records are kept in the school office and off limits except to authorized staff and management. We are always conscience of any issues in the family that maybe affecting the child’s behavior at school. We promote communication and offer assistance to any family going through any difficulty. Family projects are planned during the year so that both the child and the family partake and share the activity. This promotes and involves the parent into the child’s work and helps them also assess the strengths and weakness of each children. It also helps combine and reinforce the teaching done at school back to the home. Program Management Goal: To establish a clear understanding of the program To implement procedures to help children to make a smooth transition from one group to another We start with the curriculum called the Letter People that is really good for the pre-k age. The curriculum teaches the children the letter of the week using different themes an styles. In class we get together with all the grade level teachers on a weekly basis to put together the curriculum for the following week. In this age it is very important to have a cutting, paste and tracing activity every week to promote motor skills in each child. What I like about these meetings is that we share best practices and ways to implement new teaching methods that each teacher has experienced. All projects are planned ahead of time to ensure that all materials are available and that each child understands perfectly what to do. The classroom setup is changed each quarter to keep it interesting for the children. The changes revolve around the different holidays or seasons in the year. We also plan so that one week in a two month period is dedicated to reviewing previous material and to reinforce any problems that the class or student might have (Practicing a letter or number). All of the children documentation is kept up to date. This includes all medical forms, parent- teacher meetings and any other document related to the children education. The office also keeps us informed of any changes to a particular procedure or if a new responsibility is required. I understand that not all children learn the same and that is why we separate them into different groups according to a continuous assessment of their learning. Children that have mastered learning quicker and put in different groups than those that are still learning a skill. This allows to separate any issues and help keep all of the class motivated at each children own developmental speed. Professionalism Goal: To continue my education in the early childhood field To ensure a well-run, program responsive to participants needs To be a competent organizer, planner, record keeper, and a cooperative co-worker There are many ways in which I show my professionalism. I really enjoy working with children so I always demonstrate a positive attitude in the class. I try to always be involved in every activity even if it’s a mess one. I talk to the teachers about different topics and I try to listen to them and give my best to each one of them. I also have three children at home and I try to treat the students the same way as I treat my kids, which is the uttermost respect, love and care. As a professional continue to participate in any training that the school offers so that I can bring the latest techniques and methods back to the classroom. Also, as a professional I strive to have work prepared for each class with examples and different teaching methods. I also make an effort to understand each child’s strength and see what the areas of greatest opportunity are for each child. In my lessons plan every week I try new learning activities and methods. I encourage the child to explore each learning center in the classroom. Our centers are manipulative, science, blocks, art and computers that the children rotate during the week. We have jobs assigned to the children each week like the calendar helper, the teacher helper, door holder and line leader. All children will have the opportunity to have each of the jobs during the year. A lesson plan will be post to the parents to be viewed each week. At the end of the day there is a daily event note posted on the door to let each parent view what was the activity of the day.