Best Practice Companies: Training in the Airline Industry

After September 11th, there was a great deal of turmoil in the airline industry as a tremendous amount of money was needed to be allocated toward other things such as security enhancements. As a result, most airlines cut back costs in other departments, especially in the department of training. However, some airlines deemed training their employees effectively to be pertinent to their development, and thus decided to enhance their training programs to provide a more long term benefit. This is part of what contributed to the title of a â€Å"best practice company† for many of these airlines. They recognized training as not only a fundamental part of human resource management but also for their growth and reputation. Training offers a way of developing skills, enhancing productivity and quality of work, and building worker loyalty to the firm, and most importantly, increasing individual and organizational performance to achieve business results. Training is widely accepted as an employee benefit and a method of improving employee morale, and enhancing employee skills has become a business imperative. Increasingly, managers and leaders realize that the key to business growth and success is through developing the skills and knowledge of its workforce. The best practice companies we observed included Southwest Airlines, Jetblue, British Airways, Singapore Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic Airways; all of which have made it on the Fortune 500 list of â€Å"Most admired Companies†. We came to the conclusion that these five airlines can be seen as best practice companies in the field of training, due to their dedication in providing high quality training, their innovative training tactics, and their emphasis on training in customer service. Dedication To Providing High Quality Training as a Means to Being a Best Practice Company: The superior quality of training is something in which these airlines take a great deal of pride in, and has been achieved through employee motivation and an intensive amount of learning. Three of the airlines including Southwest, Jetblue, and British Airways actually have â€Å"training universities† in which every employee is expected to attend. Some classes are standard for everyone in the workforce, while others cater to specific jobs, such as pilots, stewards, ground workers, etc. Employee's are paid for the time they spend in class at these designated schools and will typically work forty hour weeks doing so. All five of these airlines cater to the learning development of their employee's, to ensure complete knowledge of the company and their specific job. Dedication To Providing High Quality Training: Southwest Airlines The key to success in any organization is motivation, the ability to rally a group of people behind a specific goal. When motivation is in place employee’s engage in low absenteeism and job satisfaction, to name a few. Herb Kelleher, the founder and creator of Southwest Airlines has been able to do just this through many ways such as implementing training and career development programs. As many people have heard Southwest does not hire for skills but rather attitude and personality. Before considering if you would like to be employed you must first ask yourself, â€Å"Am I motivated? † if not there is a great chance you will not be hired. Not having all of the correct skills on the other hand is not something to worry about seeing how Southwest will train you for the skills needed. ‘It is the people; it has always had to do with their selection,† Heskett says. †They are selected primarily for attitude, and most people primarily select for skills. They have a particular view for people who will fit into a team-oriented organization and the airline industry is team-oriented. If you have people pointing fingers, you have problems† (people. bu. edu). Southwest has develo ped their own training program which they have named the â€Å"University for People. † This school is based in Dallas out of the Love Field Airport. , more specifically within an old airplane hanger. Within this hanger employee’s engage in a significant amount of role-play. For example someone might get to play the pissed off customer whose flight just got cancelled or the mother traveling with her children. The whole center has been designed to facilitate learning in real life situations. â€Å"The University for People is where new recruits are sent for orientation and indoctrination into Southwest's culture. They get to see video footage of Herb Kelleher, Southwest's legendary founder, dressed as Elvis at a company party and otherwise carrying on. † (key. om) Southwest is an organization that believes in continuous learning therefore Southwest’s â€Å"individual employees become ‘international learns’ who look to learn in everyday experiences rather than occasional classes† (ccp. com). The main purpose of the University for People is to introduce and enforce hard work, high-energy, fun, local autonomy, and creativity. Dedication To Prov iding High Quality Training: JetBlue Airlines JetBlue, which has only been in existence since 1999, has learned the training practices of many other airline companies to formulate its very own unique program, and has since been extremely effective. JetBlue established its own universities to ensure that people were properly trained; they have the College of Flight, the College of In-flight, and the College of Customer Service (Wynbrandt134). Third, the company consciously evaluates employees, including management and gives them feedback. Once hired, pilots and flight attendants are sent to Florida for three weeks for their training. JetBlue’s philosophy on training is creating the best working environment so the crew is motivated to work for the company. The Chief Learning Officer at JetBlue University shares the training viewpoint behind the company. At JetBlue U, our goal is to provide our crew members the tools they need to succeed. These tools include the technical aspects of each crew member’s responsibilities†¦ and inculcation of our crew members in our unique corporate culture† (Sosbe). Many airline companies have separate training sessions for pilots and flight attendants, because the nature of their training material is very different. However, JetBlue tired something different, â€Å"Flight attendants and pilots are together for much of the first two weeks, and while a lot of the training is in separate classes, there is still a lot of overlap. Most airlines keep the two employee groups strictly apart. † This process of putting the two groups together is a strategic method of JetBlue who believes that â€Å"analysis of accidents have revealed that lives have been saved when the crews were comfortable with one another† (Peterson 184). The first week of JetBlue U is about crew culture. They use icebreakers and activities to bond the flight attendants and pilots. They then go over Federal Aviation Administration or FAA regulations. They have a lifestyle lecture, â€Å"the vagaries of drugs and booze awareness, and even hair and makeup pointers† (Peterson190). Each crew member must follow the appearance standards. From the second week on, the flight attendants and pilots divide into their different areas of focus. Dedication To Providing High Quality Training: British Airways British Airways, which is the largest airline in the United Kingdom, and considered one of the largest in Europe, is a best practice company because of the in depth way they train their employees. They put time and effort into educating their pilots, flight attendants, and other company personnel. They go above and beyond the required amount of training. They have even created their own university, and incorporate real life simulators as a training component. According to 2006 Fortune 500 Magazine British Airways ranked seventh under the airline industry category, British Airways is, â€Å"catching the competition wide awake. † British Airways is always finding ways to make their company more profitable. According to Oracle press, â€Å"British Airways is using a new, comprehensive learning offering from Oracle to create a global learning programs for its 48,000 employees. † This company has taken pride in making the best company it can be. Dedication To Providing High Quality Training: Singapore Airlines Singapore Airlines is one of the most renowned companies in the world and is ranked in Fortune as number seventeen in the year 2007 list of â€Å"World’s Most Admired companies. Singapore Airlines’ CEO, Chew Choon Seng, attributes his company’s success to their extensive training programs. â€Å"Training is a necessity, not an option. It is not to be dispensed with when times are bad†¦ Training is forever. No-one is too young to be trained. † As you can see, there is no one in the company that is not trained extensively. This keeps everyone in the business on their toes and ready to handle any situation. Mrs Lam Seet Mui, Singapore Airlines’ Senior Manager for Human Resource development, talks about two types of training that Singapore Airlines does. Essentially we do two types of training, functional training and general management type training. Functional training is about equipping people with the skills to do their job, to make them technically competent and confident as possible†¦ The general management training has to do with the softer skills. † Within these two groups, Singapore Airlines trains about 9,000 annually, the same amount as the National University in Singapore. Their courses are usually short and concise, and they feel that this allows them to be efficient and stay committed. (www2. arwick. ac. uk) To share the latest ideas and newest training techniques, Singapore Airlines brings together 50 executives from different departments all over the world. When the executives return they have all been exposed to the latest ideas and should be prepared to be a role model for the changes being made to better the company. (Fung) Dedication To Providing High Quality Training: Virgin Atlantic Airways Virgin Atlantic Airlines has only been around since 1984 and has managed to become the second largest airline in the United Kingdom. (Branson 185) Virgin Atlantic has been formerly recognized on many occasions for its excellence in training. In 2005 they won the regional final of the National Training Awards. The awards acknowledge outstanding and lasting excellence and success through training. Dr Graeme Hall, Chief Executive of UK Skills, who runs the National Training Awards on behalf of the Department for Education and Skills, says, â€Å"Effective training will help create a more effective, productive and flexible workforce. The message to UK Plc is simple: invest in training to gain a true competitive advantage. Meanwhile, Virgin staff are happier and more motivated, and attrition is down. (Jackson 25) Like the other airlines, Virgin is committed to instilling a great deal of learning into the minds of their employees. This is accomplished by outlining the company framework, and using a variety of techniques to teach, with an emphasis on e-learning. Although Virgin Atlantic Airlines does not have a so called â€Å"unive rsity† to train its employee's, it does have a general training facility used to employ all of its staff and specializes in individual e-learning. One of the groups Virgin is most noteable for training is their management team. After the major descent in air travel following the attacks of 9/11, Virgin Atlantic went through a period of intense growth. The management team however, was not quite ready to take on such a period of rapid growth or to respond to new opportunities which may unwillingly present themselves. Branson also found it keen to increase the amount of management vacancies that were filled internally, to safeguard Virgin's work culture. In order to provide a resolution to this shortcoming, â€Å"Virgin decided to send all of its 120 managers on personal development workshops at Roffey Park, at a cost of ?2,000 to ?3,000 per head†. (Bringing out the Branson) The workshops began with individual coaching sessions that set personal development objectives for the managers, based on feedback from the 360-degree appraisal and personality tests. These were followed by a series of activities that aimed to instil Virgin's leadership principles into management behavior. The program finished by producing individual personal development plans and split each group into two sets of six managers, who met up six times over the next nine months to monitor their own progress and bounce ideas off each other. (â€Å"Bringing out the Branson†) Innovative Training Tactics as a Means to Being a Best Practice Company: Another distinguishing feature of these airlines is the innovative practices used to train their employees. A typical day of training will use an extremely wide variety of ways to enforce and encourage productive learning. These techniques include: on-the-job training; apprenticeship training; role playing, scenario building, classroom training; and electronic learning, which may involve interactive Internet-based training, multimedia programs, distance learning, satellite training, other computer-aided instructional technologies, videos, simulators, conferences, and workshops. We noticed that the majority of the innovative training has been used for the pilots as many airlines have taken advantage of today's great technology to provide an excellent source of simulated training. Also, with the release of the new aircrafts, such as the airbus, there has been an increase in providing new training tactics to meet the quality of the new aircrafts. Innovative Training Tactics: JetBlue JetBlue has been all over the media for its developments in pilot training. Special training for pilots is given to ensure they know the newest technology and procedures. In 2005, JetBlue signed a contract to send their pilots to College of Flight were they are trained by experienced professionals at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. â€Å"The agreement calls for Embry-Riddle to deliver the ‘Initial Training Course’ (TS1) and the ‘Recurrent Training Course’ (TS2) to JetBlue’s ‘College of Flight’ instructors beginning in early 2006. The instruction is designed to enrich the pilot training programs for JetBlue’s fleet of Airbus and Embraer aircraft† (Embry-Riddle). JetBlue wants to equip its pilots with the most current information. As part of the plan, all current and new JetBlue flight instructors will be taking introductory and advanced courses designed to boost teaching effectiveness for instructors who provide academic and simulator training to front-line pilots† (Embry-Riddle). A major difference between JetBlue’s training programs compared to other airlines is JetBlue pays its employees for their time during trainings. â€Å"Certain other big airlines, when they hire pilots, they say ‘you’re privileged to work for us, so we’re not going to pay you while you’re in training. Moreover] we’re going to make your pay for your own hotel [during your training]. ’ And then little wonder people come out of the class mad because they had to borrow money or they had to sacrifice, and they didn’t really respect the company because they took advantage of them† (Wynbrandt135). JetBlue not only pays their pilots, but pays for all of their accommodations while training. JetBlue makes their employees feel like they are cared about. An important role in their training is feeling like they are wanted. Pilots sign a five year contract guaranteeing them employment, which doesn’t allow the company to lay them off. According to Neeleman, the net result is â€Å"employees are convinced the airline cares about them† (Wynbrandt135). Upon graduation from the University there is a final exam to test each crew member on the knowledge they have acquired. There is a graduation ceremony and many crew members have flights that depart the next morning. â€Å"They’ll be training two groups a month, cranking out the crew members at the rate of nearly one hundred a month† (Peterson 199). Innovative Training Tactics: British Airways British Airways has developed an extensive training program for both their fight attendants, and pilots. They have developed flight simulators to make their training program tangible. The flight simulators offer joint aviation instruction. Their flight simulators make up the biggest Boeing training center outside of the United States. They are using the most worlds most advanced technology to make the simulators create real world situations. The simulation training includes use with Boeing and Airbus Airplanes. They include work with Boeing 747, Boeing 777, Boeing 767, Boeing 757, Boeing 737, and Airbus A320. British Airways has also included pilot, ground school, and cabin safety to their training programs. Their ground school teaches JAR approval aircraft type-technical courses. They are computer based training and used in every day work. Each class that they offer is two hours long. The classes incorporate scans, procedures, and relevant aspects of the company. The pilots that take the class are tested every three days to make sure they are on task, and have understanding of the course material. The course generally last ten to twelve days, and in order to enroll in the course they are asked to take a pre-course for two to three days on flight management computers. British Airways also uses a number of approaches to prepare their cabin crew for emergency situations. They are trained in cabin safety in areas that include: fire and smoke, wet drills, slide descents, and door operation. They are trained on any and all of the different planes that they fly, so that they are familiar with all of British Airways fleet. Each area of training for safety focuses on different situations. For cabin simulators they teach the crew about skills and how to deal with any emergency situation. They start with the fire and smoke training. The crew is training how to deal with a plane fire emergency. They are given realistic simulation on first and they are taught how to with them in a orderly fashion. They then move on to the wet drills. For this drill the crew is taught how to operate a life jacket, and they are taught how to help the passengers in a water landing. The last set of training workshops that the crew goes through is door operations. In this class they are taught how to use the exist doors and cabin doors. Innovative Training Tactics: Virgin Atlantic Airways Virgin Atlantic Airways utilizes the company Canadian Aviation Electronics (CAE), which is a worldly renown company that provides â€Å"customized training services for pilots and maintenance technicians ranging from integrated programs to deployable ground school capabilities and e-learning solutions. Their philosophy is to â€Å"enhance clients' safety and efficiency and provide clients a training environment where they can continuously pursue a practical and operational learning experience through new and innovative technology. † (â€Å"Simulation Products†) There are five different simulator programs in which CAE uses to train pilots, one of which is a simple piece of CD-Rom software which can used at any computer. The other four programs involves the use of a large piece of machinery which utilize programs and are operated by controls that are similar if not identical to what pilots would typically be exposed to when operating an aircraft. The great thing about this new wave of training is that it is extremely hands on and interactive, and it caters to individual learning and progress. Whether the pilot in training is at home or at the training facility using the flight simulators, they can progress at their own pace, which ultimately maximizes learning. Each program is divided into a number of sections or chapters which contains an exam at the end to make sure that the information has been retained. Another great feature about CAE's flight simulators is they even use satellite technology to display current weather conditions across the world, so that the pilot will be prepared to fly in any type of climate. In addition to using actual weather conditions, there are 3D synthetic environments used in every visual system. CAE has been able to make quite the name for itself over the past few years, as it has become a standard training program for the military, has been adopted by a number of other airlines, and has revolutionized human resource management in the field of training and development. â€Å"Simulation Products†) Virgin Atlantic Airways has been recently been labeled as one of the most innovative airlines in the world for their plan to send a select few of their best pilots to have the opportunity to go through astronaut pilot training. In the article titled â€Å"Virgin Atlantic Pilots Are Out of This World,† it was quoted that all 700 of Virgin Atlanic's pi lots are welcomed to apply and those who are chosen â€Å"will receive nine months of aerobatic, fast jet and executive aircraft for zero gravity flights training. They will then spend the next nine months flying the mothership and participating in Mission Control work – the last nine months will be spent flying Virgin Galactic Spaceships into space. Once they have completed their 27 month secondment they will return to Virgin Atlantic as qualified pilot astronauts. â€Å" (Virgin Pilots Are Out of This World With Virgin Galactic) Emphasis on Training in Customer Service as a Means to Being a Best Practice Company Perhaps one of the most significant contributing factors of these companies success is their emphasis on customer service. All of these airlines recognize the importance in training their employees in providing excellent customer service in order to achieve customer satisfaction and retention. Although spending excess time training in this field is expensive, the long term benefits are substantial as they build a clientel more willing to invest their time and money with the airline which pleases them the most. Emphasis on Training in Customer Service: Southwest Airlines â€Å"The mission of Southwest Airlines is dedication to the highest quality of Customer Service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and Company Spirit† (southwest. om). By following their mission created by founder and former CEO Herb Kelleher, Southwest literally has taken off and become a model for a best practices industry. This dedication has led Southwest to develop 10 organizational practices that facilitate the coordination among 12 distinct functions: pilots, flights attendants, gate agents, ticketing agents, operations agents, ramp agents, baggage transfer agents, cargo agents, mechanics, uelers, aircraft cleaners, and caters by building relationships of shared goals, shared knowledge, and mutual respect (coachingandmentoring. com). Emphasis on Training in Customer Service: British Airways British Airways serves as an example for other companies because they have a good grasp on what to do to make their customers and employees happy. According to EMCOR, British Airways focuses on, â€Å"serving its customers by getting people where they need to go. † If every airline took pride in their customers like British Airways, the airline industry would run smoother. British Airways customer relations department talked about how they take pride in their customer service, â€Å"we try to ensure you have a good experience when you travel with British Airways†¦ we do our best to respond to you quickly and appropriately. † Emphasis on Training in Customer Service: Singapore Airlines Singapore Airlines also places a strong emphasis on customer service training, especially for the stewards and stewardess's, then they must go through two interviews and a written test to even get an offer. After the offer each person must go through four months of training to be prepared to handle the toughest of situations. Some sections of this training includes Food and beverage knowledge, passenger handling, language and communication skills, and safety equipment procedures. Knowing the food and beverage is important because it is important to be able to tell each customer what they are eating on the flight. Passenger handling deals with how to respond to different customers. This includes making sure that each customer is happy and knowing how to satisfy them if they look upset. This also has to do with communication skills. The easiest way to find out how a passenger’s flight is going is to ask them. Since there are many passengers this must be done in a timely and orderly fashion. (www. worksingapore. com) Emphasis on Training in Customer Service: Virgin Atlantic Airways Virgin Airways uses a great deal of scenario building to help their employee’s achieve the highest customer satisfaction. When in training, they will divide the room into groups, each of which includes a current employee who has experienced a situation where a customer was upset with them. The current employee acts as the enraged or frustrated customer, and the other trainees are evaluated based on the way they handle the distressful situation. Afterwards they are given constructive criticism on how they can improve. (Jackson 220). Virgin Airways pays a lot of attention to their customers and emphasizes on providing an excellent customer experience. â€Å"Superior customer service and stress-free travel are two things that our travelers have come to expect from Virgin Atlantic,† said Chris Rossi, Vice President Sales and Marketing, North America. (Branson 78) Interview with Mark Swigonski: After bringing all of our research together, we decided that Southwest would be the best airline to conduct an interview with, since they seem to have the strongest emphasis on both employee and customer satisfaction. We managed to find a Southwest pilot by the name of Mark Swigonski who has been an active pilot for well over ten years now. We asked Mark via email â€Å"What do you think about airlines trying to model Southwest and their best practices within the same industry or different industries? † He replied †The economic plan is a model for any industry. Stimulate sales by making your product more affordable for more people. Instead of making a large profit on a few sales, make a small profit on lots of sales, thereby stimulating the business. Southwest airlines has made air travel affordable for the average American. People who would never dream of flying before can now afford to. Herb says we do not compete with other airlines, we compete with the automobile. One more story. When Southwest first started, the price of a ticket on Continental from Dallas Love to Houston Hobby was $220. Southwest charged $19. People came to Herb and said why don't you just charge $50, you're still a quarter of the price. Herb answered, we will never do that. We will charge what we need to, to make a profit and never a cent more. We are going to stimulate traffic. Southwest still works that way. We also asked â€Å"What would be an anticipated obstacle if companies model this, and are there any financial costs and/or benefits? † He replied, â€Å"It's embarrassing. When you start up an airline and have no first class, no assigned seating, and say you can't afford to buy something, it is embarrassing. If you can't afford it, you can't buy it. You just have to have the self discipline to abide by that rule. You also need patience to wait for the correct market opportunities. Southwest currently has a couple of billion in the bank, waiting for an opportunity. They are in no hurry and will buy airplanes when the price is right, but not before. Three airlines have gone out of business in the last week. The opportunity will be there soon and Southwest will capitalize when the time is right. That takes a great deal of fiscal discipline. Conclusion: Implications and How Other Companies Can Benefit From These Training Tactics Based on the evaluation of our five airline companies, we analyzed how other companies both within and outside of the industries could provide a benefit, and what costs may be associated. We realized that some of the short term implications are the high costs associated with providing such a dedicated training program. These extra costs include what is necessary to run the outside training universities as seen with Southwest, JetBlue, and British Airways. Within the training universities are all of the expenses necessary to use all of the innovative techniques such as the expensive simulative training and all of the software needed for that, as well as the online training programs used both inside and outside of the classroom. These airlines are also responsible for paying all of the highly qualified people who instruct these training courses. The extra time spent in training is also very costly, especially since many of these airlines make some of the training practicum standard for everyone, regardless of their future occupation with the company. Clearly, there are a great deal of costs incurred when running such an extensive training program that is so heavily focused on the employees. However, we concluded that the long term benefits actually outweigh any of these initial costs, because not only will the turn over rate decrease, but business will grow as there will be a more dedicated workforce. More training will prepare all employees for different situations and make them more competent workers. It will also weed out people who do not want to dedicate themselves to the job, making it easier to identify people that actually want to be there. With better workers the company should notice a more efficient use of its resources and it will eventually make up what it lost on the cost of training through more profit in the long run. Maybe a person will be able to help four more customers a day after being trained longer. Four more customers a day adds up over the years to unbelievable amounts of profit. Or perhaps a person gains a better understanding of how to make a machine work more efficiently and can make more products quicker than before. A dedication to training goes hand in hand with a company that succeeds over its competitors. If other companies wish to adopt a training model as extensive as these five airlines, then they must be prepared to take the risk in engulfing an extensive amount of costs, but be aware of all the positive outcomes and benefits which will result. After analyzing the qualities that make these five airlines best practice companies we determined that there are several similarities, however, each airline had a distinguishing trait that gave their company an identity. Southwest is most distinguished for its belief in the idea that if employees are happy, then customers are happy. They focus nearly all of their time and energy in creating a motivational environment to encourage employee satisfaction which eventually transcends to customer satisfaction. British Airways is most notable for their incredibly high standards in training practicum. They call for a rigorous training program so as to achieve only the most qualified employee's. Singapore Airlines strives to be the best in every aspect, whether it be in providing the best customer service, best food, most comfortable seating, or best employee motivation tactics. Singapore believes strongly in the idea that there is always room for improvement. JetBlue is successful in their attempts to standardize education and encourage a solid learning environment in their training practices. They incorporate five core values—safety, caring, integrity, fun and passion—into every aspect of education. They also provide centralized crew-member education in common topics with common courses, creating a strong team orientation and commitment to a greater corporate good. (Sosbe). Virgin Atlantic Airways is most well known constant strive to be innovative in all aspects of the company, whether it be using the most technologically advanced tools for training, or being the first airline to train pilots for space travel. From these five remarkable characteristics, we formulated three main points which were used throughout the paper to draw in the primary defining similarities of these best practice companies. These main points included a dedication in providing high quality training, innovative training tactics, and an emphasis on training in customer service.

Supporting and Promoting Children and Young People’s Positive

Natalie Cullen 19/11/12 Supporting and promoting Children and Young People's positive behaviour Part 1: Behaviour Policy Charles Saer primary school's behaviour policy is for all who are involved in the school. A few examples of who these people are pupils, staff, volunteers and school governors and even parents to name just a few. These rules are equal to all. This ensures all who attend the school know what behaviour is expected of them and what behaviour will not be tolerated.The policy gives a list of aims of what is hoped to be achieved by these rules being followed by everybody. The aim is for good behaviour to make a major contribution in providing a safe, pleasant enviroment for all to work and play in, to build and raise self-esteem, respect, honesty, truth, co-operation, kindness and tolerance of others. 1) This will make the children feel safe as with good and positive behaviour a safe, welcoming, enjoyable enviroment will be built for them to work and play in. ) By giving the children a safe positive enviroment where good behaviour is shown by all, it teaches the children respect, honesty, truth, co-operation, kindness and tolerance of others. This will make a positive contribution not only to school life but also society and their own futures. 3) By the children learning to behave in a good decent manner and being rewarded for this will also raise their self-esteem and self-worth as well as build their confidence. It teaches them to treat others with respect and kindness and to take other peoples feelings into account, thus helping their social and emotional skills. ) The children are able to learn the expectations of what is expected of them by rewarding their good behaviour and giving sanctions for any bad behaviour. This also will teach them that they are responsable for their own actions and bad behaviour choices have consequences. Code of Conduct The code of conduct is a set of short, simple, realistic rules for everyone to follow. These rules are again for everyone not only the children as it is also important that the adults lead by example and set good standards as they are infact role models for the children. Also read: Different Approaches to Promoting Wellbeing and ResilienceThe rules are useful in the day to day of school life. Charles Saer has 5 main rules of conduct: 1) We never shout or run in school 2) We always care for others and their property 3) We are always polite and do as we are told 4) We never fight or throw things 5) We always keep our school tidy Classes however may have their own rules for inside the classroom as different circumstances may arise for example ages of children, special needs etc. Although they will still reflect the behaviour of which is expected by the school. ) Children will feel safe by the code of conduct as it cleary states what is expected behaviour and what is not. So if a child experienced any type of bad behaviour towards them they know it will not be accepted and to inform a teacher of the issue. 2) The code of conduct will help the children to make a positive contribution towards helping the school achieve the safe, pleasant enviroment for all to work and play in, to build and raise self-esteem, respect, honesty, truth, co-operation, kindness and tolerance of others. ) By the children learning to behave in a good decent manner and being rewarded for this will also raise their self-esteem and self-worth as well as build their confidence. It teaches them to treat others with respect and kindness and to take other peoples feelings into account, thus helping their social and emotional skills. Also helping them to become well rounded members of society. 4) It helps the children to see rules are there to be followed and what is expected as good behaviour and what is unacceptable behaviour giving them expectations and limits. Rewards and SanctionsRewards and Sanctions are basically ways of teaching the children when they have shown good behaviour when a reward is then given or bad behaviour when a sanction is given and will be seen to be fair. This will emphasise the diffrence between good and bad behaviour. Rewards at Charles Saer it is important to recognise and encourage good behaviour with some types of rewards such as: signs of approval, praise and encouragement, displays of work, comments in homework books, class points which can be banked for negotiated class treats, student of the week certificates and medals, tickers and badges, golden book ticket, silver awards, special mention in assembly, postcard/phonecall home. This way the childs confidence and self worth is boosted and they are more likely to keep up the good behaviour. Sanctions however when a child has shown bad behaviour a sanction must be given to that child to teach them it is not acceptable how they have behaved. Some types of sanctions that we use at Charles Saer are: eye contact (a mean look! ), adult disapproval, time out chair or isolation table in the classroom, child will be given a post it which the teacher will write e. . 5minutes in Mrs Smiths class and child will go to that class for given time, unacceptable behaviour will be discussed with child after lesson and not during, kept in at play time, serious misbehaviour will lead to involvment of the head teacher and maybe parents will also be asked to come in to school. 1) Children will be made to feel safe by gaining rewards for their good behaviour as it will give them a sense of achievment, recognition and self worth. ) Children will want to make a positive contribution into the school by ensuring they show good behaviour and try their best at all times to gain the rewards on offer for any good behaviour as this gives them a great feeling of doing well and a sense of accomplishment. 3) The reward system helps develop social and emotional skills as by the children following the simple rules of respect, honesty, truth, co-operation, kindness and tolerance of others, this also gives them the basics for good behaviour and being rewarded for that also helps them develop self esteem, self worth, confidence in themselves. ) Rewards and Sanctions help childr en to understand when expectations are met they are rewarded and praised. When these are not met there is consequences to their actions, teaching them to take responsiblity and that there are limits to which bad behaviour will not be accepted. Dealing with conflict and Inappropriate behaviour At Charles Saer school if a pupil is still presenting challenging behaviour after numerous attempts to try and intervene e. g. rewards, sanctions etc then there are some steps the staff will take to take the matter further. ) A childs parents will be contacted and asked to come in to discuss the situation 2) the next step if still no improvement would be to put the child on a report where his behaviour is monitored throughout the day and good and bad behaviour is recorded, the SENCO should be informed and given copies, 3) If after 4 weeks no improvement the the child should be placed on the SEN register and parents and authorities will discuss the issue. There are 3 stages and if no improvement then child will be referred to pupil referral services . Of course this type of continuing challenging behaviour is very unlikely to occur so serverly.More often than not a conflict or any sort of inappropriate behaviour a pupil displays that is serious can be resolved quickly by informing the parents and the head and class teacher being involved and some sort of plan and agreement as to what the course of action should be. 1) The other children at the school would feel safe knowing that when another child is behaving badly to a serious extent the staff are seen to be taking action against the bad behaviour and taking the matter very seriously, keeping to the their promise in the behaviour policy of ensuring a safe and enjoyable enviroment. ) If inappropriate behaviour is seen to be dealt with seriously then the other children are more likely to make a positive contribution by showing good behaviour and abidding to the rules of the school. 3) The child may be behaving inappropriatl ey due to their home life, so by first displaying bad behaviour and getting into trouble. They may then learn how to behave in a better way with the help of the staff which would help to develop that childs social and emotional skills that they probably wouldnt have learnt at home. 4) Rules and structure help children to understand what is accecptable behaviour and what is not.There has to be boundaries or the children wont be aware of what the limits are and will just keep seeing how far they can go. Anti-Bullying Bullying can be in the form of indirect, physical, verbal or cyber. Common forms of bullying are racial, sexuality, disability etc. Bullying has zero tolerance and will dealt with extreme seriousness. Once the staff have been informed and it is brought to their attention that bullying is taking place the head teacher will interview all concerned and will record the incident, class teachers and parents will be informed and if serious enough police will also be contacted.Sa nctions such as warnings, detention, even exclusion will be given. The victim will recieve support to be able to talk about it. Monitoring of the situation will continue until the head feels it is no longer a threat. 1) Children no doubt feel a lot more supported and safer knowing there is action they can take if they are being bullied in or out of school. 2) Children can make a positive contribution by their behaviour by acting in kind and caring way to one another and learning to accept everyone and their diffrences. ) By teaching children to respect, have honesty, tell the truth, have co-operation, show kindness and to have tolerance of others, that there are people who are different in the world. We give them them knowledge to understand and be accepting of diffrences helping to develop their social and emotional skills 4) Understanding the expectations n limits of bullying is to always treat people kindly and the way you'd expect to be treated by others and to know bullying is an extremley serious matter and will be dealt with serverly. AttendanceCharles Saer's Attendance policy is very similar to the behaviour policy, in that it aims to provide a welcoming and caring enviroment so the pupils can recieve a full time education to reach their full potential, there are incentives and rewards given to acknowledge the efforts of high attendance. Giving the pupils a sense of achievment and self worth. There is also rules to be followed, such as to be on time when school starts, what procedures to follow if off sick or have appointments etc, if too many absences then school will have to ask a family support to becoming involved.So like the behaviour policy there are rewards for good attendance n sanctions for bad attendance. 1) The children will feel safe by the attendance policy as yet again its setting out rules and structure very clearly. Which will make the children reassured knowing its the same rules, same expections, no confussion or uncertainty. 2) The c hildren can make a positive contribution by keeping up a good attendance and geting to school on time. ) By keeping a good attendance this will develop their social and emotional skills because they will be in school socializing with other children and learning but also theyll be developing a sense of achievement, self worth. If awards are given this will highten their self esteem. It will also benefit them in later life when they have jobs. 4) The policy helps lay the expectations and limits out clearly of what the school expects to be good attendance and what will limit that high attendance rate they are hoping for. Part 2:It is benefical to encourage and reward positive behaviour as it shows the child that you have acknowledged their behaviour and paid attention to the effort made by them. It also gives them a feeling of pride and happyness to have their behaviour praised, even if the reward is just a smile or a simple â€Å"well done I'm really proud of you†. Rewarding an d encouraging good behaviour gives the child confidence, self-esteem, self-worth, all the important things a person needs to become a self efficent adult in the future and make them feel like they have a purpose.

Visiting the Museum of Modern Art Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Visiting the Museum of Modern Art - Term Paper Example The paper "Visiting the Museum of Modern Art" gives a detailed information about visiting MoMA. One particularly famous museum in the Unites States is the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City. This location is fascinating for the depth of paintings, sculptures, drawings, and recent digital work. It is truly a living and breathing museum. What follows is a brief synopsis of this student’s recent visit to the museum. While many pieces in the museum captivated my attention, I would like to draw the reader’s attention to two in particular. The first is an oil painting by the French artist Odilon Redon. The painting itself, at first glance, is simple enough. The title says it all ‘Rock on the Beach’. Upon further examination, however, I was drawn to this painting because of the detail of the formation. It is so unique to other renditions of the ocean, because Redon puts his focus on the rocks, as opposed to the water. You have to wonder why this is. This is certainly an impressionistic piece of art. The effect of light on the rocks and the overall landscape is evident and a strong draw. As I pondered the lighting, I noticed a lack of intensity. It is daytime, yet the picture appears dark and gloomy. This communicates a feeling of isolation and desolation. As we have studied in class, impressionists focused a great deal on nature. They examined, through their art, their own impressions of the natural world. Paintings are usually spontaneous and they attempt to capture a moment in life. that can only be truly felt through the painting. ‘Rocks on a Beach’ is effective to this end. Getting close to the picture, I could see the rough brush strokes that captured the humanity, if you will, of this large rock formation in the middle of a beach. It seems as if this location had a special meaning to Redon and he wanted to portray the feelings he had as he witness this spectacle. We can envision that he was struck by the lack of clarity in this scene and, perhaps, it reflected his mood at that period in his life. I ended up reading the brief biography of this painter while I was at the museum and discovered that around the time of this particular painting he lost a child. The dark and gloomy nature of this impressionist piece of art could very well be reflective of that traumatic event. The final painting I want to discuss is a work by Pablo Picasso. I know he is one of the most famous painters in modern history, but I was struck by the privilege of seeing one of his pieces up close and personal. We are used to seeing the works of Picasso in detail in almost any art book. Perhaps we feel we understand his work already and simply move on. My experience at MoMA, however, helped me to realize that nothing replaces a real-life piece of art. The piece by Picasso that I looked at was his painting ‘Guitar’. This was oil painting on canvas paper. The first thing I noticed about this particular painting was the detail of the brush stroke. It is so refined that it looks as if a photograph was taken. I could barely decipher the difference. That is the brilliance of Picasso. The interesting thing about this picture is that the painting is not really reflective of a guitar at all, leading one to wonder about the title that Picasso gave this particular work of his. That is, I suppose, a topic for another time, but it is certainly worth noting. This particular piece of art appears to be a

ARTICLE CRITIQUE - Applied Research Methods class for Public Admin

CRITIQUE - Applied Research Methods class for Public Admin - Article Example The results achieved gave evidence that a joint effort between experts and the community in the project brought forth 8efficiency in the technical arena. The article sheds light on the advantages gained when a community is involved in searching for solutions to particular problems rather than the technical aspect of using questionnaires (Hindy, & Rongfang, 2005). What is the argument of the article? In most cases, administration has frequently believed that decision making can only be achieved through expertise language. The involvement of the public is viewed to lack procedure and cannot deliver the expected results in the cause of problem definition. As a result, some of the community members believe that they should not take part in developing policies that can be implemented in resolving issues at stake. This assumption has limited the chances that a government can offer its citizens. The community is never given opportunity to participate in the crucial stages of defining problems but brought to center stage when policies derived are refined. The article highlights the importance of incorporating the locals at the early stages in problem definition to the final stage when policies are derived. The problem defined in the case study was transit problems. From the initial stage, the input of the citizens towards solutions that could be implemented to resolve transportation issues in the government. Regardless of language limitation faced, communal groups were reached not through questionnaires but by an interactive approach. They were allowed to communicate through their native language to give ideas that could be implemented to solve transportation problems. The technical team was also involved in the process of defining the problem as well as deriving policies. The findings of the author were very encouraging. The positive response of the community in defining the

The Importance Of Training Within The Organisation Essay

The Importance Of Training Within The Organisation - Essay Example However, not all organisations are able to establish a competitive edge utilising traditional differentiation tools and must, instead, rely on human resources to establish a tangible human capital advantage. There are some organisations, such as Sainsbury’s, a leading supermarket chain, that must establish a collaborative, culturally-sensitive model of teamwork in order to improve business position in a very mature and saturated marketplace. In order to ensure that employees have the skills and competencies necessary to gain competitive advantage, training becomes a critical imperative for HR professionals. This report describes the dynamics of the workplace that both hinder and support training in HRD, mitigating issues of organisational culture, and the potential conflict that can arise between theory and tangible HR practice when attempting to build human capital. Why training is an imperative Sainsbury’s positions itself on the market as a value leader and as an organisation with a strict compliance to multiple dimensions of corporate social responsibility to maintain a competitive edge (Sainsbury 2011). At the highest levels of governance, with decision-making occurring vertically throughout the organisational hierarchy, Sainsbury leadership establishes an ethical climate built on integrity, transparency and trustworthiness which are then disseminated throughout the organisational culture. Establishment of an ethical climate is quite different from development of an organisational culture, defined as the methodology by which employees perceive the established norms of the business culture (Denison 1996; Bartels et al. 1998). The premise of this ethical climate and supporting ethical culture is to ensure that the values and principles of Sainsbury’s business model are modelled by employees and managers to improve Sainsbury’s market reputation with mu ltiple stakeholders and shareholders. Why is this important in the domain of HRD? Sainsbury, in order to maintain its high market share in this saturated marketplace, must ensure that the ethical and socially-responsible values are transparent and adopted throughout the organisational model. Sainsbury differentiates itself from major competitors such as Tesco and Morrison’s through branding, â€Å"a core marketing practice emphasising the continuity of the firm with important buyer markets†, translating the intangible of market-based assets to a tangible representation of value (Abimbola 2001, p.98). Sainsbury establishes a brand personality in dimensions of sincerity, competence, and sophistication, three dimensions necessary to gain market loyalty and subsequent brand equity (Aaker 1996). However, in order to provide tangible and recognisable value associated with this established brand personality, employees must be properly developed so that job role functions are aligned with core values and the elements of brand that leads to competitive advantages. This cannot be effectively accomplished without establishing a training programme that is homogenous and relevant for issues of ethics and social responsibility. Because the integrity of relationships with many stakeholders along the value network distinguish Sainsbury’s brand reputation from competitors, it is critical that interpersonal relationship development be improved between internal employees and external stakeholders. Without proper training and development in these key areas underpinned by ethical values, Sainsbury cannot maintain a unified culture that willingly and openly role models these vital

BUSINESS ETHICS PAPER WALMART (UNCLASSIFIED Essay

BUSINESS ETHICS PAPER WALMART (UNCLASSIFIED - Essay Example This essay will discuss Wal-Mart’s success as an organization and its ethical problems and conflict with the rest of the consuming public. We will also discuss other complaints and so-called human rights violations committed by the company, and how this huge-sized company is able to proceed working and operating for its consumers with its everyday low price strategy. Success comes in many forms, and not without sacrifices and a price. For Wal-Mart, this happens in the course of suits, public hatred at times, and more and more complaints coming from the very core of its business, the public. How Wal-Mart overcame and reached to where it is now is the subject for this paper. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is a success story as we all know. Its accelerated rate of growth is phenomenal that after it opened its first variety store in 1945 and successive opening of other variety stores, discount store, supercenters, and supermarkets, the family of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton has now a combined fortune of about $90 billion. (Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2008, p. 394) In its website, the story is told that Wal-Mart began when it opened its first discount store in Rogers, Ark. in 1962. Five years later, there were 24 Wal-Mart stores ringing up $12.6 million in sales. In 1972, when it opened its stocks to the public in the New York Stock Exchange, it had 276 stores in 11 states. (Wal-Mart History Timeline, 2008) Wal-Mart Stores comes in three sizes: discount stores, which are about 100,000 square feet; supercenters, which are about 187,000 square feet; and the neighborhood markets, which are about 43,000 square feet in size. (Ferrell et al., 2008, p. 293) Wal-Mart’s critics include feminists, human rights activists, anti-sprawl, activists, and labor unions. The controversies are its alleged â€Å"not-so good† treatment of its employees, suppliers, the environment, and the overall economic impact on communities. One major issue: Wal-Mart has engaged in

Financial Statements Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial Statements Analysis - Research Paper Example Financial ratios enable to understand operating performance and financial condition of the company through profitability ratio, liquidity ratio, activity ratio, financial leverage ratio, and shareholders’ ratio. This assignment conducts a financial ratio analysis of two companies of Airline Industry; they are Lufthansa Airline (LH), and Emirates Airlines (EK). Financial ratios are evaluated using information from the income statement and balance sheet. These two documents are obtained from the websites (â€Å"Lufthansa Annual Report 2013†,n.d; â€Å"The Emirates Group Annual Report 2012-2013†). Financial ratios are evaluated for the years 2012, and 2013. Liquidity ratio measures short-term solvency – the ability of the company to meet its debt obligation. It is expressed through the financial ratios, such as Current ratio (CR) = Current assets / Current liabilities, and Quick ratio (QR) = (Cash + Marketable Securities + Receivables) / Current liabilities. It is expected that a company current assets will be higher than the current liability. The values of current ratios in Table 1 shows that Lufthansa can somehow cover its current obligation while Emirates has about 3 times current assets to cover its current liabilities. The quick ratio values show that LH is less liquid than EK; can only manage to repay less than 50% of its current liability using cash and cash equivalents. The industry average quick ratio is 0.4 (â€Å"Airline Industry†, n.d.); it shows that LH is on the line with the industry while EK is in a better position than most companies in the industry These ratios belong to the efficiency category; it shows how efficiently a company is using its assets. This assignment uses Inventory turnover (IT) = Cost of goods sold (COGS) / Inventory, Fixed asset turnover = Revenue / Fixed assets, Assets turnover = Revenue / Total asset, and Day’s sales outstanding (DSO) = 365 / Receivable turnover = 365 / (Revenue / Receivable) to

Interview Experience and Making Presentations Research Paper

Interview Experience and Making Presentations - Research Paper Example The process of doing a job interview is regarded as one of the most critical processes in job search. People engage in interviews with ultimate caution, and this translates into a nervous breakdown at times. Interview processes are also done for other issues but job interviews top the list in my most memorable engagements. My first encounter with such a practice was successful due to certain aspects. I went for the job interview with high hopes but I was also extremely cautious not to end up unsuccessful. My application targeted the post of a data entry clerk in a research firm. It was my first part-time job search, and it was extremely significant to me. Basically, the interview embodied a strategic conversation that stemmed out of purpose. My goals included proving to the prospective employer that I certainly had the skills, background, and the relevant ability required for the job. These qualities help an individual in assuring the employer that she/he can fully fit into the compa ny and its core culture (Allen, 2011). My experience was quite challenging, but the results were impressive since I was accepted into the company. I answered the questions comfortably and portrayed other personality attributes that were instrumental. Exemplary interpersonal and communication skills were evident, as well as confidence and enthusiasm among others. The interview was successful due to the fact that I was able to answer the questions in the best way. This can be attributed to the issue of merit, but it was also influenced by extensive research about the company. I carried out some research about the company prior to the interview; thus, I had relevant knowledge on the interviewer’s expectations. I may comfortably state that this was the biggest reason as to why I got employed. However, it is pertinent to note that other issues also contributed towards the achievement. This can be exemplified by my ability to volunteer crucial personal information about my strength s and weaknesses also enhanced my quest. B. Describe an interview you have had (or know about) that did not go well. Speculate as to what went wrong. Explain how the interview could have been successful. My second experience was also a job interview and it characterized most aspects that relate to such practices. In this case, I was also targeting a part time job in a manufacturing company during the holidays. I was confident that I would be successful since I had already participated in a similar exercise in the past. The professional part of the conversation was evident, and I managed to convince the interviewer that I had great interest in a supervisor’s job. I proved to the interviewer that I was the right person for the job through my intense knowledge of the company. This knowledge resulted from research about the company and general knowledge obtained from previous stints in school. My dress code depicted the image of a successful and ambitious person, and it unequivoc ally propelled my chances to greater heights. I answered the questions in the best way possible and maintained my composure throughout the interview. However, there are aspects that I failed to consider during the interview, and they specifically led to complications and disqualification in the long run. There was no doubt that I did merit for the job, but these smaller aspects that I failed to observe changed the entire scene. Apparently, a successful interviewee should not mention the weaknesses of his/her previous employer (Donald, 2002). After my first part time job I had problems with my former employer concerning salary issues. During my second interview, I raised these issues hoping that my prospective employer would consider my

Integrated Science, Hurricanes Definition Causes and Precautions Essay Example for Free

Integrated Science, Hurricanes Definition Causes and Precautions Essay The winds weaken with height.  · The centers of the hurricane are warmer than their surroundings  · They form under weak high altitude winds.  ·The air also sinks at the center of a hurricane and the main energy source is the latent heat of condensation.  ·They weaken rapidly over land. Definition: A Hurricane is an intense tropical weather system with a well defined circulation and maximum sustained winds of 74 mph (64 knots) or higher. In the western Pacific, hurricanes are called typhoons, and in the Indian Ocean are called cyclones. Hurricanes are products of the tropical ocean and atmosphere. Each year on average, ten tropical storms (of which six becom become hurricanes) develop over the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, or Gulf of Mexico. Many of these remain over the ocean. Howevever, about five hurricanes strike the United States coastline every 3 years. Records of hurricane in the Caribbean:  ·Anguilla Hurricane Earl 2010 Antigua Barbuda Hurricane Debby 2000 , Hurricane Omar 2008 , Hurricane Earl 2010  ·Babrbados Hurricane Joyce 2000  ·Haiti Hurricane Isaac -2012 , Hurricane Hanna 2008 , Hurricane Ernesto 2008 , Hurricane Kyle 2008  ·Grenanda- Hurricane Emily 2005 Evacuation Safety Procedures: (Hurricane) When a Warning or Hurricane watch is occured :  ·Leave low lying areas.  ·Protect windows with plywood boards, or storm shutters.  ·Secure outside objects.  · Make sure you have plenty of fuel and water.  ·Have several days supply of food and water for each family member. If called to evacuate, do so immediately. Before the storm: -Stay in Secure Room. -Stay away from windows. -Do not use the phone, or candles. -Have supplies on hand. -Remain indoors when the eye moves over your area because the storm will resume shortly. After the storm:  ·Make sure that all is definitely clear outside, and the storm has completely passed before going out.  ·Report downed power lines, and stay away from them.  ·Use stored water and food.  ·Be patient. Things will take a while before they get back to normal.

Applying Risk Management Strategies Essay Example for Free

Applying Risk Management Strategies Essay In this PE assessment, we learned to apply risk management strategies to outdoor activities associated with the water/beach such as snorkelling and swimming. Our class practiced snorkelling skills (ie. Clearing snorkels, equalising, dolphin kicking) in the school pool and at Picnic Bay/Mangawhai which was preparation for snorkelling at Goat Island marine reserve. We analysed the possible risks and hazards that could occur during these activities and the factors that may cause them. As a class, we had to come up with strategies to prevent these risks and hazards to insure everybody’s safety. (Strategy 1) In any activity relating to water, the biggest issue would be someone drowning or getting lost out to sea due to strong currents which may lead to an even worse scenario such as death. So we decided that having safety buddies was a suitable strategy to apply to these risks. We had to pair up with a classmate and they would be your safety for whatever activity. We did not have designated safety buddies so we paired up with different people most of the time. A safety buddy’s job is to make sure your buddy was fine and dandy and nothing was wrong, insuring each other’s safety. If your buddy was in danger or in distress, it would be your job to aid him or notify a supervisor depending how severe the situation was. For example, my safety buddy was Joshua. I unluckily suffered a muscular cramp in my calf when we were in the estuary (Picnic Bay). This situation could easily escalate to a more severe situation, but I was able to tell my safety buddy Joshua that I was in distress and he notified Ms Parkinson (supervisor) who told me to swim back ashore before carrying on any further into the strong currents. Another example would be when we were at Goat island, when we were exploring the waters, only one of you are allowed to dive down under at a time while your safety buddy had to watch over you. This made sure we were supervised by someone at all times so we did not lose one another. If we were allowed to dive whenever we wished, we could easily lose sight of each other and split up. This strategy is relevant to these risks during snorkelling because it is suitable for any outdoor activity that involves a group or class that lack a number of parent or teacher supervisors, since 1 or 2 upervisors cannot always keep an eye of every single student. So relying on classmates was better and efficient alternative. I think this has a positive effect on us students because our safety lies in the hands of our classmates, so it requires us to be more responsible and cooperative, hence it aspires us to be a more responsible, sensible and mature person working better with others. In my opinion, we should’ve been entitled/assigned to a buddy so that the person you were paired up with would be your buddy at all times. This could potentially save a bit more time before starting activities where as we would have to choose anyone before each activity. Also this could improve our social kills, working better with others and having a chance to get along with everyone. (Strategy 2) Throughout these activities we used equipment such as snorkel masks, flippers and wetsuits. Knowingly, the gear that we used required certain care to prevent any damage to them. if the equipment was damaged in any way then we’d have to replace or pay for the damages inflicted to the gear. especially when we were at Goat Island, where we hired the gear. All of them needed to fit properly or else they could pose multiple issues to us. We also used suitable gear to protect us from several risks we would encounter in the water. Risks such as getting sunburnt, and also our hair was an issue as it would get in the way and get caught in your mask. So the risk management strategies we used were looking after the gear, providing adequate care, and make sure the equipment was a suitable for you. For example, when we were snorkelling in the water, if the masks were too loose and did not seal tightly, water would seep through into the mask which may become an irritation when in the water. Your flippers needed to fit properly and feel comfortable. If they were too tight they would eventually begin to hurt your feet and if they were too loose they would fall off. For me, if the flippers did not fit comfortably, it made me more vulnerable to foot or leg cramps, which could possibly advance to a more dangerous situation. At Goat island we hired wetsuits, which provided sun protecting when we were in the water since the sunscreen would’ve been washed off. We were also provided with head caps which help keep out hair in place and prevent foreign organism from getting in there. e were advised not to sit on the rocks , as this would scratch holes onto the backside of the wetsuit. Having these risk management strategies for our equipment was relevant since the gear we used at Goat Island were not our own and were hired locally, it meant extra caution and care would be needed when using their equipment. Not applying these strategies could create potential risks which cou ld jeopardize our safety. These strategies allowed us to snorkel comfortably in the water without complication such as getting burnt or constantly adjusting your mask. Also when we were done with the gear, no damage was inflicted to any equipment. When we were practising snorkelling in-school. We should have had our own snorkel and flippers to use. Since a people were complaining about the sizing on the flippers and snorkels. OR each student should’ve chosen their flippers and snorkels at the very beginning of the assessment, and they would keep and use them throughout the whole standard. This could be a better alternative than students having to try on the gear and find out which one fits for them at the beginning of each period when snorkelling. Strategy 3) We identified that the weather was a risk as it can affect us in a lot of ways. Factors such as how strong and direction of winds, tides, currents and swells could affect our safety and determined how good our snorkel experience will be. Checking the weather forecast prior to doing our activities/going on trips was a relevant strategy to this risk because it gave us a fair idea on what to expect, allowing us to prepare for what additional things we’d have to bring or if we decide whether or not to postpone the trip. We would have to check the weather ourselves the day before we wanted to do any activity. Ms Parkinson would check as well and show the class, for those who didn’t check. When we were preparing to go to Mangawhai and Goat island we check the winds, tides, currents and swells together as a class and decide whether the conditions were suitable or not. At our first Mangawhai trip, and also the Goat Island trip, the weather was expected to be good, sunny/ clear skies, so we brought sunscreen and a hat(if you wanted to) to protect us from the sun and getting sunburnt. On our second trip to Mangawhai , the weather wasn’t as great, as there were strong winds, strong currents and big swells. This meant the visibility wasn’t very good in the water, and the strong wind caused us to become very cold quickly, especially when we got out of the water. We brang warm clothing such as a sweater, track pants etc, to keep warm since getting hypothermia could have possibly been a risk. Some people (Bryn and William) brung their own wetsuits when we went to Mangawhai so that they’d stay warm in the water. This strategy helped us prepare and adapt to the weather so that none of us were really affected significantly. Next time, extra dates should be reserved when going on out of school trips such as Picnic bay (Mangawhai). Since the weather on one of the trips weren’t very good because of strong winds, currents and big swells, which limited our time in the water because of people, such as myself, became colder more quickly. Postponing to a reserved day where the weather was better(hopefully), would mean a better snorkelling experience, and would lessen the chances of people getting a cold or hypothermia.

Overview of Pediatrics Malignancies

Overview of Pediatrics Malignancies Muhammad Tahir Saleem I am rotated in the pediatric hematology and oncology ward for clinical practicum as part of the Masters of Nursing (MSc.N) program. Hematology is the branch of medicine that deals with the diseases and related to blood and its functional abnormalities including anemia, polycythemia and hemophilia and all bleeding disorders (Brunner and Suddarths, 2010). Oncology is the branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of the cancer in the body (Brunner and Suddarths, 2010). Since human body is composed of cells so the cancer originates from abnormally occurring cells in the body (Porth Matfin, 2009). There are many definition of the word cancer in medicine, but whatever the way of defining cancer is adopted, the definition should incorporate two properties: uncontrollable growth of cells originating from normal tissues, and property of killing of host by means of using components of surrounding tissues or by spreading to other organs (metastases) to other organ and sys tems of the human body (Itano Taoka, 2005). Some experts define cancer as the autonomous growth of the body cells that is unresponsive to the physiological growth-control mechanism of the body which is responsible for homogenous development of all body organs normally. Other have define cancer as a condition in which normally growing cells lose their structure, appearance and functioning (shoib book). The cells also lose their self-destructive ability (apoptosis) to die after certain period of time as they do normally (e.g. red blood cells die after 120 days) and the cells tend to live longer and at times become immortal and disturb the functions of other normal cells. There are certain terminologies that are frequently referred to the set of events occurred during the pathogenesis of cancer. These terminologies are dysplasia, metaplasia and anaplasia. Dysplasia is a disruption in the size, appearance, and arrangement of cells and tissues (Porth Matfin, 2009). Dysplasia is abnormal tissue development but not yet cancerous. Dysplastic changes frequently occur in the mucosal lining of the mouth, nose, intestine and cervix where the cells keep on going under cellular multiplication, differentiation, organization and replacement of new cells (Porth Matfin, 2009). The epithelial lining of elementary canal (mouth to anus) completely changes in three days. So it is the frequent site of papilloma formation as a result of dysplastic changes. The epithelial lining of the mouth of cervix also changes as a result of dysplastic changes due to human papilloma virus (Porth Matfin, 2009). Dysplasia is also present in chronic inflammatory and proliferative lesio ns, and it is recognized as part of a developmental phase of many cancers. Metaplasia is the substitution of one cell type with another cell type, for example in smokers ciliated columnar bronchial epithelium is replaced by non-ciliated squamous epithelium due to the constant exposure of smoke to the bronchus (Porth Matfin, 2009). Metaplasia is also considered as the developmental phase in many neoplasms. Anaplasia is the structural change and cellular appearance and inability to perform the normal functions of a cell. This stage of cellular changes is known as cancerous (Porth Matfin, 2009). Anaplastic cells resemble the undifferentiated primitive cells that have not developed specialized structure and functioning typical of their tissue of origin. In other words, the newly formed tissue from muscle cell or nerve cell, for example ,remain in the premature state as a result of anaplastic changes and do not perform its original functions. The degree of anaplasia may differ from one type of cancer cells to other type of cancers from poorly differentiated to undifferentiated cells; sometimes the tumor cells are so undifferentiated that it is not possible to decide the tissue from which the cancer cells are originated (Porth Matfin, 2009). Here, the terms hyperplasia and hypertrophy are worth mentioning. Hyperplasia and hypertrophy are normal physiological responses. Hyperplasia is defined as an increase in the cellular count in a tissue or organ causing an increase in the size of that organ, whereas hypertrophy is the increase in the size of cells not the number (Porth Matfin, 2009). Neither hypertrophy, nor the hyperplasia is the synonym of tumor growth. Hyperplasia is induced by know stimuli and it is a controlled process and it stops as the stimuli is removed. One example of stimuli induced hyperplasia is the increase in the size and number of cells of uterus in pregnancy under the influence estrogen for accommodation of developing embryo. The uterus comes to normal state after the stimuli of estrogen is gone after delivery. In addition, hyperplasia may also serve a useful role in the body, for example breast tissue undergoes hyperplastic changes after pregnancy for production of milk or re-forming the liver with structurally typical hepatocytes after partial hepatectomy. Abnormal cancerous development follows none of these usual physiological rules or purposes (Porth Matfin, 2009). However, cancerous cells may eventually employ the hyperplasia in its pathogenesis pathways. Because, hyperplasia and dysplasia often fall into the development of many tumors by months or years, timely identification and proper treatment at this early stage in the pathological process may help to prevent malignancies (Porth Matfin, 2009). For example, the Papanicolaou Smear (or pap smear) allows pathologists to distinguish between normal, dysplastic or cancerous cells. The pap-smear is a technique that allows early detection of the cervical cancer and it has enormously reduced the morbidity and mortality of cervical cancer. Pathologically, tumors can be classified into benign and malignant. The word benign means kind, gentle or caring and suggests that such tumor are harmless. These tumors are mostly encapsulated by well defined fibrous cover that separates the mass from surrounding tissues. A benign tumor, neither invade surrounding tissue nor metastasizes. These tumor exhibit lesser degree of anaplasia and grow slowly. Recurrence is very rare after surgical removal in benign tumors. The benign tumors are named by adding suffix -oma in the name of tissue they are originating in. For example, Lipoma, Adenoma, fibroma and papilloma are some of the example of adding suffix –oma in the type of origin of tumor (Itano Taoka, 2005). Whereas, malignant tumors usually infiltrate or invade surrounding tissues, these tumors are not encapsulated, genetically instable and with greater degree of anaplasia from the tissue of origin. They grow autonomously with no control of body homogenous development. The fo llowing table compares the properties of benign and malignant tumors (Itano Taoka, 2005). Difference Between Benign and Malignant Tumor Characteristic Benign Tumor Malignant Tumor Structure and differentiation Typical of tissue of origin Atypical of tissue origin Rate of growth Usually slow May be slow, rapid, very rapid Progression Slowly progressive (may remain stationary; may regress): rarely fatal if treated Usually progressive, almost always fatal if untreated Mode of growth Expansion with capsule Local infiltration and/or metastasis to distant sites Tissue destruction None Common, ulceration and necrosis Recurrence Rare Common Prognosis Fatal only if surgically inaccessible Fatal if uncontrolled (untreated) Core Curriculum of Oncology Nursing. St. Louis, Messori: Elsevier; 2005 Cancer can also be characterized in two types on the basis of structure, solid tumor and cancer of the blood. Cancer of the blood and lymphatic systems are mostly leukemia and lymphomas, where as solid tumors are originating in the organ like central nervous system, kidneys, eyes, bones and in soft tissues. Childhood malignancies mostly originate in blood, bone marrow and in lymphatic systems. Cancer of genitourinary system, respiratory system, and caner of digestive system are rare in children as the statistics furnished by the cancer research organization UK, 2012 (www.cancerresearch.org). The incidence chart of the childhood cancers is as follows: The incidence chart of the childhood cancers Cancer Type Incidence Leukemia 34% CNS tumors 23% Lymphoma 11% Neuroblastoma 6% Renal tumor (e.g. Wilm’s tumor) 6% Soft tissue sarcomas 6% Bone tumors 5% Retinoblastoma 3% Epithelial neoplasms 3% Germ cell tumors 2% Liver Tumors 1% Oxford handbook of Pediatric hematology and oncology, 2010. A brief description of pediatric cancers is given below. Leukemia Leukemia is the cancer that affects the cell lining of white blood cells. White blood cells are of tow type; granulocytes (Lymphoid cell) and agranulocytes (Myeloid cell). Lymphoid cells are further subdivided in B-cell Lymphocytes and T-Cell Lymphocytes, whereas, myeloid cells are of three types, Neutrophils, Basophils and Eosinophil (Porth Matfin, 2009). Leukemia is further sub divided into acute and chronic; acute leukemia are termed when the anaplastic changes occurred in the pre matured leukocytes that has just transformed from the stem cells in the bone marrow, whereas, chromic leukemias’ are termed when the anaplastic changes occur in more matured stage or adult leukocytes. The four types of leukemias are as follows Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Acute Myeloid Leukemia Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia accounts for 80-90% among all types of leukemia in childhood. AML accounts for 15% and CML 5% (Itano Taoka, 2005). Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) is further subdivided incidence wise according to cell linage involved as elaborated by Moore and Hurvitz (2008). Pre B-cell 70% T-Cell 15-25% B-Cell 15% Treatment of acute leukemia involves induction for complete remission, followed by intensification and maintenance therapy. Prophylaxis to the CNS is done by Intra-thecal (IT) chemo administration. Standard treatment for ALL leads to long term remission in more than 85% of cases. Induction therapy employs Vincristine, Prednisone, and L-Asparagenase +/- Danurubicin (depending upon risk satisfaction) Intensification; all induction medicine with the inclusion of CNS prophylaxis Maintenance therapy includes oral Mercaptopurin (6MP) with methotrexate (MTX) weekly for two to three years Many patients in the chemo-pediatrics receive monthly intra-thecal (IT) pulses of Vincristine with prednisolone/dexa as part of maintenance. One or two cycles of a re-induction regimen were often added but not in contemporary practice (Moore Hurvitz, 2008). Good prognostic factors for ALL: WBC Bad Prognostic factors for ALL: WBC>50,000/uL, age10years, Other poor prognostic factors are massive organomegaly, CNS involvement at diagnosis, medaistinal mass and failure to achieve remission by day 14 to 28 of induction, with presence of Philadelphia chromosome. Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) AML requires intensive chemotherapy followed by hemotopotic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) hematopoietic stem cell transplantation if a suitable matched related donor is available. Five years survivals for these patients are more than 85% with good prognosis (Bailey Skinner, 2010). Lymphomas Hodgkin and Non Hodgkin Lymphomas: Lymphomas are the tumor of lymphocytes (B T cells) that originate in the lymph tissue that is fixed to organs and lymph nodes not in peripheral circulation. As in the case of leukemias, lymphomas also involved both B-cell and T-cell lymphocytes but they are confined to the lymph nodes or other lymphatic organs not the peripheral blood. They typically presents with a solid mass in a lymph node, spleen, bone marrow and in any organ. Other than lymph tissue, they may present in tonsils, skin, brain, bowel and bone. Lymphomas are closely related to lymphoid leukemias that involves the circulating lymphatic cells. Lymphomas are better controlled by treating with chemotherapy. Five years survivals for these pediatric lymphoma patients are more than 90% with good prognosis (Itano Taoka, 2005). Brain tumors These are of four types, depending upon the type of cells from where the tumor is initiating. Gliomas, Appendimomas, Meduloblastomas, and Schewanomas are some of the types of central nervous system tumors (CNS). Some CNS tumors are associated with high mortality and respond poorly chemo. Cranio-spinal radiation is often employed as part of the treatment regimen for older kids but radiation is deferred in children age less than 3 years due to the chance of fibrosis of growing skull bones and vertebral bones; however radiation is avoided in most of the younger children (Bailey Skinner, 2010). Tumor of the renal system Wilm’s tumor is tumor of renal system. Histological name of the cancer is nephroblastoma. It needs radiation and chemo both for the eradication of disease. Size of the tumor is reduced by using chemo and radiation. After the shrinkage of renal tumor, surgery proved to be beneficial. Three years survival is 75% in patients of nephroblastoma (Bailey Skinner, 2010). Soft tissue tumors Soft tissue tumors originate from connective tissue of cartilage and bone forming fibrous tissue, smooth muscles, blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, fat tissue, synovial tissue, and peripheral nerves. The most common type of soft tissue tumor in childhood is rhebdomysarcoma. Rhabdomyosarcoma: It originates form the striated muscle tissue. It most commonly originates in head and neck area. Only 15% presents outside of the head and neck region. It is treated with chemo and radiation therapy. The prognosis of this cancer is good if treatment is started at early stage (Bailey Skinner, 2010). Retinoblastoma Retina is nervous tissue. Retina is only neuronal tissue that is visible through the naked eye. The tumor that arises from it also primitive neuronal ectodermic stem cells that were remain undifferentiated in fetal life and present like tumor in the very first years of life. Most patient get die due to extension of these neuronal tumors to CNS through optic nerve. In localized tumor survival is 100% but in metastatic tumor the survival ratio decrease. As described by Bailey and Skinner, (2010) many chemotherapeutic agents are used in treatment of retinoblastoma e.g. Vincristine, Actinomycin D, cyclopahsmamide, and doxorubicin. Germ Cell Tumors This tumor arises from primitive stem cells of the fetal life that remained immature during fetal development and were not able to fully develop (differentiate) to mature cells of the organs. Human embryo develops from the three layers of the germ cells. These layers are ectoderm (outermost), mesoderm (middle layer) and endoderm (innermost). Ectoderm develops into skin, sweat glands and nervous system, mesoderm develop into bones flesh, blood vessels and lymphoid tissue whereas, endoderm develop into genitourinary, gastrointestinal and respiratory system. Germ cell tumor arises from the immature stem cells that were left undifferentiated in the fetal life. This tumor has good prognosis in early diagnosis (Langhorne, Fulton Otto, 2007). The rotation in pediatric oncology ward is challenging as well as exciting. The nurses here have to be extra conscious about all care related issues. Building rapport with the children is paramount to the effective nursing care of them. Childhood cancers are rare but children diagnosed with cancer may develop subtle anti social behavior during the long term therapy of the disease. This makes nurses to be equipped with extra psychosocial adaptation with children. As chemotherapy is widely used as the treatment modality besides surgery and radiation therapy, hence, pediatric population is vulnerable more than the adult in developing disease/treatment related debilitating symptoms like febrile neutropenia and tumor lysis syndrome . Parents’ education is paramount in adhering to the treatment regimen and prevention of nutropenia. Many patients came in pediatric oncology ward for port-a-cath needle insertion and dressing of PICC line. Nurses are meticulously involved in caring abou t the patients. Helping the physician in safely administration of intrathecal medication (IT) is also the job of nurses. The rotation bringing new horizons of learning and I am learning a lot about pediatric cancer care a lot. Reference: Moore, T.B. Hurvitz, C.G.H. (2008). In Cassiato,D.A. Territo, M.C. (2008). Manual of clinical oncology. 6th Ede. Philadelphia: LWW. Ch 18. Pp 397-408. Childhood cancer incidence: Retrieved from: http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-info/cancerstats/childhoodcancer/ Site last updated 14/11/2012. Bailey.S, Skinner, R.(2010).Oxford specialist handbook of pediatric hematology and oncology. Oxford university press. Porth, C.M, Matfin, G., (2009). Pathophysiology concept of altered health. Ed 8th. Philadelphia: LWW. Ch 5. Pp. 95-98. Langhorne, M.E, Fulton, J.S, Otto, S.E., (2007). Oncology Nursing. Ed 5th. St Louis, Messori: Mosbay. Ch3. P3. Itano, J. K, Taoka, K. N. (2005). Core Curriculum of Oncology Nursing. St. Louis, Messori: Elsevier. Ch 20. Pp 443.

Essay --

Credit Rating Check: How to Find Your Credit Score Finding out your credit score is one of the most important steps you can take towards a stronger financial future. It is extremely important for everyone to be well-informed of your credit score so that you can make smart decisions about credit and how to use it to your advantage. Luckily, finding your credit score is incredibly easy and something that everyone should do! The Fair Credit Reporting Act It’s easier than ever to check your credit rating because of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). This requires the three main credit bureaus -Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion- to each offer you a credit report once every 12 months. You may choose to order these reports at different times throughout the year, or all at once. How to Order Your Free Reports Although you are entitled to yearly credit checks at no cost, there is still action required on your part. There are three different ways to request a report from each company. Online, you can visit www.annualcreditreport.com or you can call toll-free at 1-877-322-8228. Th...

To Believe or Not to Believe, Modern Urban Legends Essay -- essays re

To Believe or Not To Believe Modern Urban Legends Many people have heard the tale of the dotty grandmother who tried to dry off her damp poodle by placing it in the microwave oven. The dog exploded, sad to say the least , and Grandma has never been quite the same since. The story is not true; it is an urban legend, circulating by word of mouth since the 1970s (Brunvand, 108). Urban legends are popular stories alleged to be true and transmitted from person to person by oral or written communication. Legends tend to arise spontaneously and are rarely traceable to a single point of origin. They spread primarily from individual to individual through various communication, and only in atypical cases through mass media or other institutional means. Every culture has its folktales, including modern America. However, instead of involving gods and goddesses or princes and princesses, modern society's legends involve "some guy my sister's best friend knows" or "someone who woke up in a motel room." They happened, supp osedly, to real people, usually recently, in a particular place. They touch the most sensitive nerves of human minds with ironic twists, gross-out shocks, and moral lessons learned the hard way. However, the most remarkable thing about these stories is that so many people believe them and pass them on. Why does an audience take the storyteller's word at face value, instead of recognizing it as an urban legend? The most obvious reasons as to why this happens are how the story is told to an individual, the relationship between the teller and the listener, and in the case of horror legends, the fear invoked through the moral of the story. There are many particular elements of an urban legend that play an enormous role in how it is interpreted by the public. They are usually characterized by a combination of humor, horror or a warning. The two types of urban legends are cautionary, usually having a moral to the story or a warning to stay "safe", and non-cautionary, which have no cautionary or moral element at all (Harris, 1). The details or 'beef' of these legends are the primary factors that make them so believable. A good example is the "Alligators in the Sewer" legend. The setting of this legend is usually a large city, in which a reptile-loving fanatic de... ... of a legend, and the details provide a vivid image for the mind to weave. Like numerous other cultures in history, the modern human is searching for answers to questions. However, these questions cannot be answered by the means that exist in the twenty-first century, so they return to the intellectual way of explaining events through their own perception, which are then created into stories and later evolve into legends and myths. Urban legends hold a significant place within the world's cultures, dating back to time beyond remembering, and are likely to be told and believed well into the future. References Brown, Yorick. The 500 Best Urban Legends Ever! New York City: I Books, 2003. Brunvard, Jan Harold. Too Good to Be True: The Colossal Book of Urban Legends. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2000. 180, 240-249. Harris, Tom. Howstuffworks 'How Urban Legends Work'. 2001. 1 Mar. 2004. . Roeper, Richard. Urban Legends: The Truth Behind All Those Deliciously Entertaining Myths That Are Absolutely, Positively, 100% Not True. New York City: Career P, 1999. 179-182.

HIV, homosexuality and poverty Essay

Human lives are rented, thus, for every action there is a consequence that must be paid. At the same time, life should be maximized before death claims its dues. Just like the craft of Jonathan Larson, the musical RENT portrays every character trying to find and create meaning in a life full of cruel realities. Their avant-gardism approach in life revolved on how they struggle to make something out of their skills and talents by drawing out their purpose of their life. The musical is a colorful illustration of how the lives of the struggling artists are interconnected by the issues of HIV, homosexuality, and poverty. In the middle of a highly urbanized New York, the characters are shaped by their eclectic beliefs and plunged into a never-ending search of their lives’ purpose. It is depicted in RENT that the search continues despite of the chaos which encapsulated their ambitions and goals as artists. Their difficulties are further aggravated because they are part of issues which set them apart from the society, making it harder for them to survive in the corporate environment of New York. RENT centralized the characters as part of the marginalized sector of the society. Their lives revolved around coping with sexually transmitted disease, fighting off the taboos of same sex relationships, and the miserable impoverished state of their residence. As the characters battled against these circumstances, the story continues to focus on the bonds of their friendship and unrequited love. The issues of STD, poverty, and homosexuality are central to the plot of the musical and portrayed how the characters revolved around these aspects. Four of the characters namely Roger, Mimi, Tom, and Angel are all HIV positive. Though masked by their lively and merry performances and songs, they’ve been struggling with the illness as its effects are felt by the time it slowly robbed them off their loved-ones’ lives. Based on the film, it gives the impression that HIV is prevalent in the community where they live in. HIV somehow symbolizes the illness that surrounds the characters, their illness to survive and thrive for life’s purpose. The scene of the second Life Support meeting showed other HIV positives, asking how they ought to move on with their life even though their days are numbered. Amidst the experiences of being sick, the Life Support group still holds importance for self-preservation. To pursue a life of dignity despite of the prejudices and judgments that should be dealt with having sexually transmitted disease. They openly expressed their fear of isolation and death itself as the disease slowly eats them up inside. HIV is presented as a disease which penetrates into society as a challenge to preserve their lives and change their meaningless life. Two pairs of characters are engaged in same-sex relationship. The open-mindedness displayed by people in East Side Manhattan as bohemians when they tolerated this relationship despite of it as being considered a taboo in the society, was portrayed in the movie. Homosexuality is being exercised freely in the community where the characters moved around. One can see that the other person within the same-sex relationship portrays a character to become similar with heterosexual relationship more. Such example of this would be the cross-dresser Angel and the lawyer Joanne who dressed in coat and tie. Though affections are openly exchanged in the same-sex relationship, the idea of cross-dressing for a man to look like a woman and vice-versa, is a way they used to blend into the society just like normal couple. The film portrayed that it was easier for the characters of Maureen and Joanne, and Tom and Angel to be homosexual couples when one of them dressed the part. It can be seen how society’s opinions against homosexual have been prevalent and by portraying some of the characters as cross-dressers, it made the homosexual relationships a bit subtle. RENT , first and foremost revolved around the lofty apartment wherein the characters lived in. They faced the danger of having their home being evicted due to the plans of building a digital studio and an extra lot. From the film, the East Side Manhattan is a residence to a lot of people struggling financially, and spiritually. Its impoverished state will be aggravated when Benny announced their eviction and he gave the condition to his friends that the rent will be free if Maureen’s protest will be stopped. As the story progressed revolving on this particular plot, the sceneries in the musical showed a great amount of poverty surrounding the apartment and Maureen knows that building the digital studio entails a displacement of a lot of the residents leaving no place for them to consider as home. It can be said that poverty, in the musical, has been presented as the root cause of the artists’ struggle to hopefully uplift themselves not just from the slums they live in but from the restless lifestyle that they have. Their struggles to carry out their ambitions equates with their impoverished soul that hungers for direction and sense out of life. It presented a gap as well between Mark, Roger, and Benny. Having married the daughter’s landowner, Benny alleviated from the kind of life that he shared with his former roommates. In a scene where all of them are inside Life Cafe, Benny told them to steer their life into purpose by making a move that showed maturity and responsibility, not the same laid-back attitudes that most of the character has. To alleviate from poverty, it is the same as finding direction in life. RENT is definitely a mirror of life itself, for all of us share the same struggles to be as carefree as we can and at the same time, to find our place in this world. The musical touched the realities which every human being may encounter, in a certain way or another. The importance that this film has pointed out is that the rented life that God bestowed should be felt in its full advantage. An individual’s role in the earth may be difficult to achieve because this is not a tangible thing that can be grasped by hand or can be seen by the naked eye. RENT focused on the concept that life can be measured by love. That love can be the very thing that an individual has been searching for all of his or her existence. For love, is one of the things that can not be bought nor rented, it is one of the aspects that can measure the purpose of one’s life.