Life Stressors Journal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Life Stressors Journal - Assignment Example This means that the period assessed was packed with high stress levels ( Koocher & Greca, 2011). I was not surprised by my life stressors since I experienced tough times and was always indoors thinking about my stressors. My major stressors were my education; that is, my fees, grades and competition from other students. These stressors greatly impacted my socializing skills forcing me to be a loner. I tried reaching out to friends as my relaxation technique, by creating a good social support system, and it really worked as I realized that a problem shared is half solved. Major health risks associated with distress are; insomnia, bouts of anger, depression, restlessness, tense muscles, and fatigue. The critical point in managing stress is our ability to control how we react to the situation that led to the stress. We are usually so busy living our life that we don’t take time to stop and assess. We should practice the various relaxation techniques for a healthy living (Koocher & Greca,

Similarties and Differences Essay Example for Free

Similarties and Differences Essay Every day in real life we go through a many struggles ranging from man vs. man, man vs. himself and even man vs. nature. The most common struggle we all face is that of man versus man. In the short stories â€Å"Cathedral† by Raymond Carter and Ernest Hemmingway’s â€Å"A Clean Well-Lighted Place† the main principal of the story is that of man versus man. In both short stories 3 characters are used, but in each story each character is completely different than the other. â€Å"Cathedral† and â€Å"A Clean Well-Lighted Place† share similarities and differences with the main principal of man versus man and the reasoning behind why one man is against the other. Both stories also share similarities and differences in their setting and the most significant differences both stories have is the resolution. In â€Å"Cathedral† and â€Å"A Clean Well-Lighted Place† 3 main characters are used. In each story, one character is the antagonist (the man going against the other) and the protagonist. In â€Å"Cathedral† the main characters are the wife, the husband, and Robert. The husband is the antagonist while Robert is the protagonist. In â€Å"A Clean Well-Lighted Place† the three main characters are a customer who is an old man, a young waiter and older waiter. The younger waiter is the antagonist in while the old man is the protagonist. Both stories share the similarities between their characters that the protagonist and antagonist are both men. Robert in â€Å"Catherdral† is a friend of the antagonist’s wife and that Robert is blind. The old man in â€Å"A Clean Well-Lighted Place† is the protagonist, who the other characters and reader know nothing about other than the fact that he is old. In both stories, the wife and the older waiter both try the protagonist. The first line in â€Å"Cathedral† is â€Å"This blind man, an old friend of my wifes, he was on his way to spend the night†. The wife knows the blind man and is friends with him. In â€Å"A Clean Well-Lighted Place† the younger waiter is angry because he doesn’t understand why the old man won’t go home to which the older waiter replies â€Å"‘He stays up because he likes it. ’ While the characters are similar and different in each story the main conflict of Man versus Man is another point that each story shares similarities and differences. In both â€Å"A Clean Well-Lighted Place† and â€Å"Cathedral† the central issue and reasoning behind the conflict of man versus man is addressed. In each story one main character is against another, both have similar and different reasons of why. In both stories the major conflict of man versus man happens because the antagonist does not fully understand the protagonist. In â€Å"Cathedral† the husband is against Robert because he does not know how to act around Robert because Robert is blind. The husband has never had to encounter a blind person before and doesn’t wish to. A excerpt from â€Å"Cathedral† shows exactly how the husband feels of Robert’s visit: â€Å"I wasnt enthusiastic about his visit. He was no one I knew. And his being blind bothered me†. There shows the main reasoning of why the husband is against Robert. In â€Å"A Clean Well-Lighted Place† the younger waiter is against the old man because he is tired and wants to go home. The younger waiter doesn’t understand why the old man is still at his cafe so late. The younger waiter also doesn’t like the old man because of his age; he tells the older waiter â€Å"’I wouldnt want to be that old. An old man is a nasty thing. ’ Also throughout the story the younger waiter is talking of how the old man tried to commit suicide and how he doesn’t understand why. The younger waiter is making assumptions about the old man throughout the story and finally kicks him out of the cafe. The reasoning that the younger waiter is against the old man is that he doesn’t understand the actions of the old man and doesn’t want to. Both stories share that in common, that the antagonist does not understand and does not want to get to know the protagonist. Both stories share similarities between man versus man and the reasoning behind this conflict. â€Å"Cathedral† and â€Å"A Clean Well-Lighted Place† also share similarities and differences between their settings. Both â€Å"A Clean Well-Lighted Place† and â€Å"Cathedral† take place at night time. The first line in â€Å"A Clean Well-Lighted Place† is: â€Å"It was very late and everyone had left the cafe except an old man who sat in the shadow the leaves of the tree made against the electric light†. In â€Å"Cathedral† the story starts around dinner time and goes into the night. Although both stories take place at night time- both stories have tremendously different places. In â€Å"Cathedral† the story takes place in the wife husband’s house. In â€Å"A Clean Well-Lighted Place† the story takes place at a small cafe. Neither one of the stories gives a town’s name for the reader to associate the story with. Also, neither story gives too many details about the place of the story. The only indication of how the cafe was in â€Å"A Clean Well-Lighted Place† was when the older waiter said â€Å"†¦ This is a clean and pleasant cafe. It is well lighted†. Both stories share the similarity in setting because of the stories taking place at night time. Both stories are different in the setting because of the fact that one takes place in a house, and the other takes place in a cafe. Although both short stories share their similarities with the characters, the main conflict and the setting- both stories have a very different resolution. In â€Å"A Clean Well-Lighted Place† the younger waiter, the antagonist, eventually kicks out the old man, the protagonist. The older waiter then tries to talk to the younger waiter about how the cafe can be a place of peace for certain people, regardless of the time. The younger waiter doesn’t want to have that conversation; he just wants to go home. The younger waiter is selfish and if it doesn’t benefit him, he doesn’t want anything to do with it. In â€Å"Cathedral† the husband, the antagonist, eventually gets to know Robert, the protagonist. Towards the end of the story Robert and the husband share some stories, share some laughs. As the husband and Robert are watching television, Robert asks the husband to try to explain what a Cathedral looks like. When the husband can’t explain to Robert what a cathedral looks like, Robert has the husband draw a cathedral while Robert’s hand is on the pen being used also. Then Robert tells the husband to close his eyes and keep drawing, and the husband does. The last line in â€Å"Cathedral† was the husband saying ’Its really something,’. This last line shows that the husband finally understands that although Robert is blind, that Robert can still experience things just as well as him. The resolution in â€Å"A Clean Well-Lighted Place† was the fact that the younger waiter got to go home, but the younger waiter didn’t take anything away from his experience meaning the conflict he has with the old man is still on going. In â€Å"Cathedral† the husband eventually stops the conflict of man versus man when he finally realizes that Robert is just like him. The short stories â€Å"Cathedral† by Raymond Carter and â€Å"A Clean Well-Lighted Place† by Ernest Hemmingway both share similarities and differences. When the similarities are pointed out the two stories seem to run parallel with each other: man versus man, 3 characters and the setting. But, when the differences in the details of man versus man, the three characters and the setting are pointed out it is easy to see these stories have completely different plots and twists. The major difference between both stories is the resolution. Both stories show similarities and differences within each.

Leadership And Teamwork In Action

Leadership And Teamwork In Action When reflecting on the practical team event, based in the Llandysul Paddlers and Canoe centre on the first and second of November, many examples of teamwork and leadership were shown by the group members. When faced with some of the tasks and problems that the occurred during the event, different members of the team displayed various characteristics that showed them to be team workers or team leaders, and sometimes even both. The following report reflects on some points raised during the event, and aims to show examples of leadership and teamwork in action. The report also discusses various topics which include, but are not limited to, how the team developed over the weekend, what leadership skills and strategies were covered by the event and how leadership skills were developed and influenced by the event. Other topics which are relevant to the subject matter with also be discussed and critically analysed. 2.0 Methodology The research methodology used for the basis of this report is mainly first hand account of a weekend attended by myself and the other people in my lecture group. I will use first hand experiences from this weekend, along with academic theory and relevant examples. 3.0 Main Body Colin Powell once stated that leadership is the art of accomplishing more than the science of management says is possible. This statement reflects on the fact that good leadership is a skill that you are not born with, but something that needs to be developed. To become a good leader, your skills must be developed through a process of training, education and experience. The practical team event on the 1st and 2nd of November was an experience which proved to be a valuable insight into the roles of a person in a position of leadership, and showed many examples of teamwork in action. From the outset of the weekend, it was clear by the way in which it was proposed, that it would be a very team orientated event. Our group met on the morning of the 1st of November, and we were gathered onto busses and taken to the Llandysul Paddlers and Canoe Centre, Carmarthenshire. When we entered the centre, we were greeted by all the centre staff, and introduced to them all. This appeared to be done in a very informal way, though it served a purpose. Not only to introduce the team leaders to all of the group members, but also to re-enforce the sense of team atmosphere in the centre. The leader of the staff team, and the manager of the centre Gareth Bryant, first introduced himself, then the other staff members. It was also done to address the question of who was the leader of the staff team. It was only after introducing everyone that our teams were selected. To encourage people to integrate with people outside of their friendship circles, and to make new friends, it was not left to the team members to choose which team they would like to be in. As expected, when everyone entered the centre, and took a seat, people sat in their friendship groups with people that they knew and trusted. In an attempt to break this barrier of friendship, Gareth selected the groups at random. This ensured that the teams were well mixed with a wide variety of team members of various sex and backgrounds. To encourage team dynamics, after our teams had been chosen for us, we were shown to our sleeping quarters, and it was implied that each team should stick together over the course of the weekend very closely. In this environment, where dangerous activities are taking place, it is more important than ever to have a fully functioning and well selected team. Teams can achieve brilliant things if they are well functioning and work well together. This is mainly because of the team sense of purpose, where everyone is aiming to achieve one single outcome. According to the work of Dr. Meredith Belbin (Management Teams Why they succeed and fail, 1981) members of a group or team can have many roles associated with each of them that allows for a smooth running group that works well. Belbin defines a team role as A tendency to behave, contribute and interrelate with others in a particular way. These behavioural tendencies facilitate the progress of a team, because of the way people with different roles work with each other. The members of a team know their place in the team, and can benefit the team as a whole by helping to work towards the objectives set. Belbins research concluded that there are nine team roles, within a well functioning team, and each of these roles must be played by at least one team member. This does of course not mean that each member is limited to one role, or that a team should have nine members to work well. It simply means that if each of these roles is present within a team, the team will work to a much higher standard overall. After working through some team exercises with some of my team members, it was clear to me that some of what Belbins research suggested was indeed the case. It soon became apparent to some extent that members of the team were showing characteristics in line with those suggested by the research. Some members of the team were happy to just be a team worker, and simply do what is needed of them. Other team members were constantly coming up with new ideas, and new ways to tackle problems. These are known as Planters because they are creative and imaginative and keep arriving at ideas to face problems. During many of the exercises, I was quite disappointed to find that I displayed a lot of the characteristics of a monitor evaluator. Although this, as all the other roles, is an important one, it did mean that I simply got on with the job in hand, and lacked the drive to inspire others. This is probably due to my lack of confidence with my own ideas, as sometimes I do not raise ideas as I think that other people will not agree with them. I did notice this lack of confidence becoming much less of a problem as the event progressed, however. I did occasionally get given the opportunity to become a co-ordinator, when I was given leadership roles, but I will discuss that in more detail later on. The way in which the teams were selected for this exercise also meant that friends were placed in opposite teams that would occasionally have the chance to compete with each other. Competition is very important for teams to work well because a lot of people thrive on the thrill of competition, and generally love to compete. At the very least, this is due to the fact that people love to take part in an activity with a purpose, but more often than not, people compete for the thrill of winning. Admittedly, a lot of people stick to the ideal that its not the winning, but the taking part that counts. In this case, there are many examples of competition to help progress the teams. One such example occurred in the form of a race. The team building exercise showed many different examples of competition, but the biggest one was the plank walking exercise. The team was split into two groups by the instructor, and each team was given two planks of wood with pieces of rope attached. It was the job of each team to stand on the wood, whilst holding the rope and attempt to collectively walk the wood to the finish line. This task sounded simple, but was unfortunately full of difficulties. Our team was one of the worst performing in this task, not only because of a flawed system, but also because of bad communication within the team. Jennifer, one of our team members, elected herself immediately as the leader of our team, and started trying to devise a system as to how we could complete the task. Unfortunately, going back to Belbins theory, we had two other plant members of the team, each with different ideas. In the end, our system became too complicated, and while we were still discussing how we were going to attempt the task, the other team was completing its trial run. Katzenbach and Smith commented on teams in their book (The Wisdom of Teams, 1998) stating that a team is a small numbers of people with complimentary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals and common approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable. Teams are designed to maximise output, and encourage continuous improvement. In our example, this was certainly not the case. Due to conflicting personalities and ideas in the team, it took us far too long to bring what ideas we had into practice, and we were left behind in the race. This was partially due to the fact that the other team members may not have wanted to elect Jennifer as the leader and they disliked the fact that she took and otherwise positive step in using her own initiative to elect herself as one. I also believe that this exercise was a good example of the Ringlemann Effect in action. This is because moving the wood was a joint effort, but it became increasingly more and more difficult to move as time went on. I suggest that this was because people were slacking and loafing and not putting their full effort in. The stages of our group development were in fact closely matched to Tuckmans four stages of group development model. The forming stage was short lived, our group like all the others was formed early in the exercise at the centre. During this stage, there were few problems or conflicts within the group, as everyone was in high spirits. The first exercise that our group embarked upon was the Kayaking, which although we were in high spirits, people argued over equipment and small items very quickly. These arguments could most likely be attributed to the cold and wet weather. By our final exercise, the rock climbing, we seemed to have reached the third stage of the Tuckman model of norming. Our group was more established by this point and responsibilities were clear and well formed. Everyone was more open to suggestion and less likely to criticise. People were also less resistant to new ideas. The rock climbing was a good example personally of how peer pressure in groups works. I had been rock climbing before and had not enjoyed the experience. On this attempt, when it was my turn to face the rock, I had started to climb when a rock moved as I grabbed it, which knocked my confidence. I had decided to climb down from the rock by this point. When I saw everyone else scaling the same rock face later on, I felt that I should not have been so quick to give up. When it was my turn to attempt the abseiling, I attempted it with no fuss or problems at all. I even found myself encouraging other group members and comforting Simon by telling him how strong the ropes actually are. I feel personally that the rock climbing was the best experience for me, even if it was not the most successful in terms of results. I feel that I did well to overcome my initial fears in attempting it again. This was, in part, due to the advice and support of other team members, and of course group peer pressure. As I mentioned previously, teamwork is extremely important in tasks like this teambuilding weekend. This is not just due to reasons of morale, but also because of synergy. This basically means the interaction of two or more agents, so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effect. Simply put 1 + 1 = 3, because the effect on teamwork on a task improves output and efficiency greatly and in a very positive way. The leader of a team is described as a person who influences others so that they may accomplish an objective. This is quite a broad definition, though it applies just as well to most examples of teams in a team working environment or situation. If someone elects themselves as the head of a team, or their superior elects them as the leader, this does not automatically make them a leader. It simply makes them the person who is in charge. To be effective leaders you must make people want to achieve the goals that you set them, not because they are forced to accomplish or complete them. Bass (1989) theory of leadership explains that there are three ways to define how people become leaders or develop into a leadership role. In the case of examples of leadership from the team building exercise, it was always the case that there was a leader involved, simply because of the dangerous nature of the activities that we were doing. The instructor of each activity was normally the leader, as they had been told to do so by their manager, and it was their job. However, sometimes as the tasks involved allowed, the instructor stepped down and elected a different leader for the task. For the kayaking task, after we had some basic training on the water, the instructor stepped down to allow a different activity to take place. In this example, it was myself that was elected as the leader of the group. It was my task to transport a member of the group, who was pretending to be injured, across the lake. The severity of the situation was important and very high, because I was told that the injured party had hyperthermia setting in, and their condition would deteriorate rapidly if help was not found. As Bass describes in his transformational leadership theory, awareness of the importance of the task motivates people. This was certainly true in this case, because if there was no time limit, people would not be rushed to complete the task. Bass describes charisma as an important factor in leadership as charisma evokes strong emotions with the leaders followers. Being elected as the leader of the kayak task was not easy. The instructor advised me as to what equipment I was allowed to use and that everyone must reach the other side of the lake quickly and safely. When you are elected as a leader, especially in a crisis, it is often hard to decide which tasks to approach first. Bass talks about this in his Great events theory where he mentions that sometimes a crisis or event can cause someone to be elected as a leader, which was exactly what occurred in this situation. In my situation as leader for this task, I initially found it very difficult to effectively allocate resources, as I initially found myself focussing too much on certain aspects. The instructor was quick to step in and point out on a couple of occasions that I had team members who were sitting around, doing nothing. It was only later in the process that I began to effectively keep everyone in the team informed of the situation and to use the full capabilities of the group. One of the other important principles of leadership was that I needed to follow was to ensure that all tasks were understood and supervised until they were completed. This is important because some of the members of the group were not well informed at all times, so they simply sat around while others attempted to do the task around them. During this task, I definitely found that there was a communication barrier between myself and some of the Chinese speaking group members. This was usually just a language barrier. This was soon avoided when I managed to convince them of the severity of the task, and the speed needed to complete it. Trust was also an important factor in the exercise. The injured party was not allowed to move at all, or help her team mates in any way. Because of this, the injured team member had to be carried into a kayak and across the lake while being completely immobile. This must have been a hard task because putting all of your trust in the hands of people you hardly know, especially when there is water involved, is no small accomplishment. Communication is one of the key aspects of leadership. As I have previously mentioned, language can be a barrier, but communication of all aspects is important. Especially during the exercise when I found myself in a leadership role, I realised it was very important for your team as a whole to keep them informed of developments and even simply what you require them to do. It is often easy, especially when discussing ways to complete a task for team members to either not give any input at all, or to simply go along with the general consensus and not say anything. I feel that if I have learned anything about communication in this leadership weekend, it would be that is important to raise your own views, and to listen to the views of others, and take their comments and criticisms on board. 4.0 Conclusions Leadership is the art of influencing people accomplish tasks and objectives. Leadership is not something that you are born with, however you are born with certain traits which make some people more suitable for leadership roles than others. Leadership skills must be developed through time. Teamwork can be a very important tool that helps develop and accomplish tasks. There are many different types of people who make up a team, but too many people with new ideas can make the situation become argumentative. Over the course of the management weekend, some people showed themselves to be more suited to leadership than others, or more suited to teamwork than others. However, the duration of the weekend was short. Some suggested that it should have been over a longer period, even as long as a week. This would have given us more chance to develop theory associated with teamwork and leadership, however, time and financial concerns would limit this greatly. Overall the weekend was an excellent opportunity to see management, leadership and teamwork in action, and was a very valuable experience overall.

Emily Brontes Wuthering Heights †Themes of Reading and Books :: Wuthering Heights Essays

Wuthering Heights – Themes of Reading and Books An author’s particular style and technique, is usually greatly attributed to their personality and individual preference.   In the case of Emily Bronte, she was an extremely withdrawn and private person; and it is because of this, why she turned to books as a form of expression.   In her notorious Wuthering Heights, she uses books as an important way to illustrate a number of key issues; most notably character, and the theme of love.   Although subtle in her method, Bronte passion is what she employs as a tool in the construction of the epic tale.    In the novel Wuthering Heights, the first time we are given reference to books is during chapter 3, prior to Lockwood’s nightmare. Here we find the delirious houseguest in the confines of a mysterious room, and we are told that â€Å"Catherine’s library was select, and its state of dissipation proved it to have been well used.†(p.24).   Instantly, this simple piece of information proved useful in giving the reader a glimpse of Catherine’s character.   From this statement, we are able to conclude that Catherine was in fact a woman of knowledge; but we are still left to wonder exactly what type of knowledge she had.   The fascinating attribute about books is that we all have different preferences.   Furthermore is the fact that reading is usually seen as escapism of some sort; thus, it brings a sense of individualism into a world of persuasion, as well as peace of mind in an atmosphere of chaos. We will go further into this as we progress.      Books are often used to shield us against the genuine problems of the human race. This is a main method of avoidance, although we must realize that there weren’t many other alternatives for entertainment. Books have the most powerful effects on its’ audience because it’s the only form of media whose outcomes rely solely on that of the reader; we also must consider that literature has been present for thousands of centuries. Books, therefore, are not only able to inform us, but let us portray the outcomes to our liking.    When Lockwood’s nightmare scene is at it’s climax, he is able to get rid of the terrifying figure when â€Å"(he) snatched (his hand) through the hole, (and) hurriedly piled the books up in a pyramid against it.

Cooperative Learning Advantages for English Language Learners

Concerted acquisition is defined as any group larning activity organized in such a manner that acquisition is dependent on the socially structured exchange of academic content every bit good as other information between the specific group of scholars, and whereas each single scholar is accountable for his/her ain acquisition ( Tinker-Sachs et Al, 2003 ) . Furthermore, Kagan ( 2002 ; 1994 ) states that concerted acquisition will finally take to additions in the acquisition of other members in the group. Kagan postulates ( 2002 ) that concerted acquisition is an first-class instruction scheme that promotes enhanced larning for diverse pupil populations and is particularly good for English linguistic communication scholars. Noyes ( 2010 ) further provinces that English linguistic communication scholars take parting in concerted larning groups non merely increase overall apprehension of the English linguistic communication, they besides develop deeper apprehension of academic content eve ry bit good as academic linguistic communication. Continuing research from Cummins ( 2009 ) suggest that pupils with diverse larning abilities, including pupils with larning disablements improve their accomplishments through the natural staging schemes found in concerted acquisition groups. What is Concerted Learning? Concerted propensity is basically a instruction method that utilizes little groups of pupils or squads where, each pupil has a specific occupation or duty in the group. The instructor structures pupils of assorted ability degrees in a little group, so that effectual staging for the English linguistic communication scholar will augment and heighten pupil larning. Students of different ability degrees participate in a assortment of larning activities designed by the instructor to better their overall apprehension of specific academic content or capable ( Noyes, 2010 ; Kagan, 2002 ; Kagan, 1994 ) . Additionally, each member of the squad is responsible for a specific part of the content, but is besides compelled to assist other members of the group learn the needed content aim ( Noyes, 2010 ; Kagan, 2002 ; Kagan, 1994 ) . Even modern-day research suggests that concerted acquisition creates favourable larning results for English linguistic communication scholars ( Murray, 2010 ) . Further more, by delegating unequivocal occupations or undertakings to each pupil, the group as a whole plant through the assignment and/or undertaking until each group member is able to successfully complete the activity and addition deeper apprehension of activity ( Noyes, 2010 ; Kagan, 2002 ; Kagan, 1994 ) . Cooperative acquisition has four basic rules with the acronym PIES. The P stands for positive mutuality, the I stands for single answerability, the E stands for equal engagement, and the S stands for coincident interaction ( Kagan, 2002 ; Kagan, 1994 ) . Kagan ( 1994 ) states that if any one of these four BASIC rules is non implemented, no concerted acquisition will be involved. Therefore, it is indispensable that all four rules are utilized for the academic content country in order for concerted acquisition to happen with fidelity. Therefore, it is important that the instructor to the full understands the basic four basic rules and chorus from extinguishing any of the cardinal constituents of concerted acquisition ( Noyes, 2010 ; Kagan, 2002 ; Kagan, 1994 ) . Both Kagan ( 2002 ) and Sharan ( 2010 ) further province that the concerted acquisition theoretical account leads to additions and expeditious apprehension for English linguistic communication scholars because group unwritten treatments lead to additions in the usage of the English linguistic communication through both colloquial duologue every bit good as written linguistic communication. By leting pupils to utilize and keep academic English conversations for pupils whose primary linguistic communication is non English, their develop more meaningful experience with the English linguistic communication, which in bend, leads to higher order believing accomplishments ( Sharan, 2010 ; Shaaban, 2006 ; Tinker-Sachs et Al, 2003 ) . Concerted acquisition is rather different from the direct direction learning theoretical account, every bit good as other traditional teaching methods. Traditional direction relies on the instructor to leave direct direction or talk to the pupils, while they sit passively, purportedly absorbing academic information in their encephalons, every bit good as understanding the English linguistic communication. However, even though the instructor may be patterning academic English linguistic communication throughout direct direction, research indicates that there are far excessively few chances to utilize the English linguistic communication for pupils whose primary linguistic communication is non English. Besides, with traditional instruction theoretical accounts, diverse scholars have small chance to increase academic vocabulary and content ( Chang, 2008 ; Gaith and Bouzeineddine, 2003 ) . Concerted Learning and English Language Acquisition for ELLs As antecedently mentioned, by utilizing concerted acquisition constructions, the English linguistic communication scholar will develop and better their overall English linguistic communication ( Cummins, 2009 ; Shaaban, 2006 ; Kagan, 2002 ) . When farther analyzed, Sharan ( 2010 ) states that English linguistic communication scholars use the English linguistic communication in its natural context. Further, utilizing the English linguistic communication to heighten functional interaction and real-life conversations increases understanding and increases transference. Besides, pupils working together in concerted acquisition constructions tend to modify their degree of address to suit each other ( Murray, 2010 ; Chang, 2008 ) . Plus, pupils in concerted grouping are able to modulate their ain English linguistic communication end product to guarantee that each squad member comprehends and understands each other ( Sharan, 2010 ; Kagan, 2002 ) . Another linguistic communication benefit for English linguistic communication scholars is they are speaking to a group member, as opposed to the full category, which allows the English linguistic communication scholars to derive some assurance with English. When concerted acquisition is implemented suitably, the squad members are supportive of one another during English linguistic communication acquisition ( Tinker-Sachs et Al, 2003 ; Kagan, 2002 ) . Other Benefits for English Language Learners There are several other benefits to cooperative larning for English linguistic communication scholars in add-on to greater academic accomplishment. Kagan ( 2002 ) states that pupils in concerted constructions develop improved self-esteem and beef up their societal accomplishments in category. Furthermore, pupils build community in their schoolroom by cultivating societal relationships and credence of pupils from other ethnicities or pupils with disablements ( Cummins, 2009 ) . With active pupil engagement, concerted larning Fosters increased enthusiasm for the category, school, and instruction ( Murray, 2010 ) . Teaching Cautions Teachers must be aware of the basic principals of concerted acquisition and really pass instructional clip learning the pupils how to efficaciously utilize non merely the scheme, but besides their single functions and duties ( Noyes, 2010 ) . The instructor is responsible for non merely academic content, but must vouch that the concerted group ( s ) will forbear from any negative remarks or comments directed toward any teammate and/or work merchandise. Students must experience safe and secure in the concerted acquisition construction in order to accomplish maximal benefit and deeper apprehension of academic content ( Kagan, 2002 ; Kagan, 1994 ) . It is besides critical that all pupils understand their function in the group, every bit good as group and instructor outlooks ( Sharan, 2010 ) . Another consideration the instructor must turn to is the noise degree in the schoolroom. Good schoolroom direction is important for optimal pupil success. The instructor will hold to supervise the groups to be certain that pupils are on undertaking and that each squad member is an active participant. Furthermore, pupils need to actively listen every bit good as participate ( Noyes, 2010 ; Kagan, 2002 ) . Decision Cooperative acquisition has been the topic of much research that continues today. Cummins ( 2009 ) posits that pupils have much higher happenings of unwritten English linguistic communication use throughout the instructional twenty-four hours when utilizing concerted acquisition schemes. Noyes ( 2010 ) concurs with several research workers sing the many benefits of concerted larning with English linguistic communication scholars. By leting pupils to actively listen and take part in group acquisition, the belief among outstanding research workers is that concerted acquisition will shut the accomplishment spread so that all pupils will be able to win in school and so travel on to go successful members of the community. Concerted acquisition Teachs pupils non merely increased English linguistic communication accomplishments, but besides societal accomplishments, credence and tolerance of others, increased pupil duty, and additions in self-pride ( Sharan, 2010 ; Cummins, 2009 ; Kagan, 20 02 ) .

Understanding the Dual Court System

Understanding the Dual Court System A â€Å"dual court system† is a judicial structure employing two independent court systems, one operating at the local level and the other at the national level. The United States and Australia have the world’s longest-running dual court systems. Under the United States’ system of power-sharing known as â€Å"federalism,† the nation’s dual court system is composed of two separately operating systems: the federal courts and the state courts. In each case, the court systems or judicial branches operate independently from the executive and legislative branches. Why the US Has a Dual Court System Rather than evolving or â€Å"growing into† one, the United States has always had a dual court system. Even before the Constitutional Convention convened in 1787, each of the original Thirteen Colonies had its own court system loosely based on English laws and judicial practices most familiar to colonial leaders. In striving to create the system of checks and balances through separation of powers that is now arguably considered their best idea, the framers of the U.S. Constitution sought to create a judicial branch that would have no more power than either the executive or legislative branches. To achieve this balance, the framers limited the jurisdiction or power of the federal courts, while maintaining the integrity of the state and local courts. Jurisdiction of Federal Courts A court system’s â€Å"jurisdiction† describes the types of cases it is constitutionally allowed to consider. In general, the federal courts’ jurisdiction includes cases dealing in some way with federal laws enacted by Congress and interpretation and application of the U.S. Constitution. The federal courts also deal with cases whose outcomes may impact multiple states, involve interstate crime and major crimes like human trafficking, drug smuggling, or counterfeiting. Also, the â€Å"original jurisdiction† of the U.S. Supreme Court allows the Court to settle cases involving disputes between states, disputes between foreign countries or foreign citizens and U.S. states or citizens. While the federal judicial branch operates separately from the executive and legislative branches, it must often work with them when required by the Constitution. Congress passes federal laws which must be signed by the President of the United States. The federal courts determine the constitutionality of federal laws and resolve disputes over how federal laws are enforced. However, the federal courts depend on the executive branch agencies to enforce their decisions. Jurisdiction of the State Courts The state courts deal with cases not falling under the jurisdiction of the federal courts- for example, cases involving family law (divorce, child custody, etc.), contract law, probate disputes, lawsuits involving parties located in the same state, as well as almost all violations of state and local laws. As implemented in the United States, the dual federal/state court systems give the state and local courts leeway to â€Å"individualize† their procedures, legal interpretations, and decisions to best fit the needs of the communities they serve. For example, large cities may need to reduce murders and gang violence, while small rural towns may need to deal with theft, burglary, and minor drug violations. About 90% of all cases dealt with in the U.S. court system are heard in the state courts. Operational Structure of the Federal Court System The US Supreme Court As created by Article III of the U.S. Constitution, the U.S. Supreme Court stands as the highest court in the United States. The Constitution merely created the Supreme Court, while assigning the task of passing federal laws and creating a system of lower federal courts. Congress has responded over the years to create the current federal court system made up of 13 courts of appeals and 94 district level trial courts sitting below the Supreme Court. Federal Courts of Appeals The U.S. Courts of Appeals is made up of 13 appellate courts located within the 94 federal judicial districts. The appeals courts decide whether or not federal laws were correctly interpreted and applied by the district trial courts under them. Each appeals court has three presidentially-appointed judges, and no juries are used. Disputed decisions of the appeals courts can be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Federal Bankruptcy Appellate Panels Operating in five of the 12 regional federal judicial circuits, the Bankruptcy Appellate Panels (BAPs) are 3-judge panels authorized to hear appeals to decisions of bankruptcy courts BAPs are currently located in the First, Sixth, Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Circuits. Federal District Trial Courts The 94 district trial courts making up the system of U.S. District Courts do what most people think courts do. They call juries that weigh evidence, testimony, and arguments, and apply legal principles to decide who is right and who is wrong. Each district trial court has one presidentially-appointed district judge. The district judge is assisted in preparing cases for trial by one or more magistrate judge, who may also conduct trials in misdemeanor cases. Each state and the District of Columbia have at least one federal district court, with a U.S. bankruptcy court operating under it. The U.S. territories of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands each have a federal district court and a bankruptcy court. Purpose of the Bankruptcy Courts The federal bankruptcy courts have exclusive jurisdiction to hear cases involving business, personal, and farm bankruptcy. The bankruptcy process allows individuals or business that cannot pay their debts to seek a court-supervised program to either liquidate their remaining assets or reorganize their operations as needed to pay off all or part of their debt. The state courts are not allowed to hear bankruptcy cases. Special Federal Courts The federal court system also has two special-purpose trial courts: The U.S. Court of International Trade deals with cases involving U.S. customs laws and international trade disputes. The U.S. Court of Federal Claims decides claims for monetary damages filed against the U.S. government. Military Courts Military courts are completely independently from state and federal courts and operate by their own rules of procedure and applicable laws as detailed in the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Structure of the State Court System While more limited in scope the basic structure and function of the state court system closely resembling that of the federal court system. State Supreme Courts Each state has a State Supreme Court which reviews the decisions of the state trial and appeals courts for compliance with the state’s laws and constitution. Not all states call their highest court the â€Å"Supreme Court.† For example, New York calls its highest court the New York Court of Appeals. Decisions of the State Supreme Courts can be appealed directly to the U.S. Supreme Court under the Supreme Court’s â€Å"original jurisdiction.† State Courts of Appeals Each state maintains a system of localized appeals courts that hear appeals from the decisions of the state trial courts. State Circuit Courts Each state also maintains geographically dispersed circuit courts that hear civil and criminal cases. Most state judicial circuits also have special courts that hear cases involving family and juvenile law. Municipal Courts Finally, most charted cities and towns in each state maintain municipal courts that hear cases involving violations of city ordinances, traffic violations, parking violations, and other misdemeanors. Some municipal courts also have limited jurisdiction to hear civil cases involving things like unpaid utility bills and local taxes.