Forensic Scientist Research Paper Essay Example for Free

Forensic Scientist Research Paper Essay Definition of a Forensic Scientist There is a definition for a forensic scientist. According to Career Information Center, there is a definition for forensic scientist, â€Å"forensic scientists gather and evaluate evidence from victims, vehicles, and scenes of crimes.† â€Å"Their findings may help to convict or prove the innocence of a person accused of a crime.† Nearly all forensic scientists work for federal, state, or local law enforcement (Engineering. 126). Entry Requirements There are entry requirements to become a forensic scientist. According to Career Information Center, to be a forensic scientist, one needs at least a bachelor’s degree in physical or natural science. However, most crime labs prefer employees that have a master’s or doctorate’s degree in forensics (Engineering. 126). Working Conditions Forensic scientists work varied hours. According to Career Information Center, forensic scientist work a five day, forty hour work week. However, they are on call 24-7 and may be expected to answer late night calls. In some cases, overtime is forced on employees (Engineering. 127). Forensic scientists work in varied environments. They spend most of their time in clean labs (Engineering. 127). They may also work outdoors in all weather conditions including snow, rain and heat (Echaore-McDavid 61). Forensic scientists have to stand, bend, kneel, and crouch in awkward positions (Echaore-McDavid 61). Forensic scientists have to observe unpleasant sights such as blood and corpses (Engineering. 127). Also, there are some risks with working with weapons (Engineering. 127). In addition, forensic scientists are exposed to noxious fumes and poisons (Engineering. 127). Generally, forensic scientists work with lab partners and other branches of law enforcement such as, policemen, FBI, and judges (Engineering. 127). Pay and Benefits Forensic Scientist’s pay varies. According to Career Information Center, their earnings vary depending on experience and education. Entry level pay for a forensic scientist with a bachelor’s degree in 2005 was about $30,000 a year. The median salary was about $40,000. Experienced forensic scientists with a master’s degree earn around $70,000. Different types of forensic scientists earn different salaries. For example, a technician will make around $40,000 a year, but a forensic pathologist can earn up to $200,000 a year. Also, large crime labs use specialists, scientists who do one specific duty well. These specialists often make more money than others (Engineering. 127). Forensic Scientists get benefits. According to Career Information Center, forensic scientists get sick days and vacation days. The amount of days depends on the crime lab they work at. They are also offered medical insurance. Again, this varies with the crime lab. Forensic scientists are also offered pension plans (Engineering. 127). Advancement Forensic scientists have opportunity for advancement. Most start out as trainees where they learn how to do their job. Then, they are given more freedom and assume the duties of the other forensic scientists. A few people may be promoted to senior forensic scientist or manager of the crime lab (Echaore-McDavid 60). Typically, positions open up when other forensic scientists are promoted, retire, or if the lab expands (Engineering. 127). Also, forensic scientists may train new employees for a bonus (Engineering. 127). Outlook Forensic scientists have a very positive outlook. Jobs in forensic science are expected t raise by twenty percent in ten years, well above the national average (U.S. Dept. n.p.) Growth in the field of forensic science is tied to crime rates, high crime rates means a large amount of jobs (Engineering. 127). According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, new technologies speed up the growth of jobs in forensic science. Furthermore, there were 12,800 jobs held by forensic scientists in 2008. The projected employment for 2018 is 15,300 jobs (U.S. Dept. n.p.). JOB DUTIES OF A FORENSIC SCIENTIST Second, there are personal qualities that are required to be a forensic scientist. There are job duties that all forensic scientists share. Also, there are job duties for different types of forensic scientists. Personal Qualities There are personal qualities that are necessary to have to be a forensic scientist. According to Law Enforcement, Security, and Protective Services, Forensic scientists must have communication skills, teamwork skills, writing skills, problem solving skills, and self management skills. Forensic scientists must also be observant, objective, detail oriented, meticulous, ethical, honest, dependable, and courteous. In addition, computer skills are recommended (Echaore-McDavid 60). General Job Duties There are some job duties that all forensic scientists share. All forensic scientists gather, evaluate, and analyze evidence and data from victims, vehicles, and crime scenes (Engineering. 126). Forensic scientists’ findings are used in court cases (Engineering. 126). They may have to train lower level or new employees (Echaore-McDavid 63). All forensic scientists may be called out to crime scenes (Echaore-McDavid 63). Technicians Forensic technicians have specific job duties. According to Law Enforcement, Security, and Protective Services, they gather physical evidence, such as bullets, weapons, and tissues from crime scenes. Technicians must also talk and coordinate with police officers at the crime scene. They note, sketch, and photograph every piece of evidence. Then the technicians send the evidence to the crime lab for further investigating. Technicians also submit accurate and well detailed reports and documentation for court cases. Technicians also maintain and use photography equipment as well as develop film (Echaore-McDavid 60-1). Latent Prints Examiner Prints Examiners have specific job duties as well. According to Law Enforcement, Security, and Protective Services, prints examiners analyze all latent prints including fingerprints, palm prints, footprints, and tire tracks. They use chemicals and plasters to lift prints from scenes of crimes. They take photographs of the prints and convert them to 3D images on a computer. Prints examiners compare these prints with known suspects, victims, and others. Examiners will write reports of their findings and may testify in court (Echaore-McDavid 63). Forensic Chemist Forensic chemists also have specific job duties. According to Law Enforcement, Security, and Protective Services, chemists use chemical analysis to examine physical evidence. They also perform tests to determine the contents of an unknown substance. Chemists make reports and may testify in court (Echaore-McDavid 65). Trace Evidence Examiner Trace evidence examiners have specific job duties as well. According to Law Enforcement, Security, and Protective Services, trace evidence examiners examine hair, tissues, saliva, blood, fluids, plastics, metals, and explosives. They work in crime labs alongside chemists and print examiners. They also develop new and better methods for examining evidence (Echaore-McDavid 65). Firearms and Toolmark Examiners Firearms and toolmark examiners have specific job duties. According to Law Enforcement, Security, and Protective Services, they handle two pieces of evidence: firearms and tools. They determine if firearms or tools were used in a crime. They make identical matches between guns and bullets, and tools and toolmarks. Firearms and toolmark examiners also determine paths of bullets and recreate crime scenes (Echaore-McDavid 69). Questioned Documents Examiner Questioned documents examiners have their own job duties. According to Law Enforcement, Security, and Protective Services, documents examiners analyze checks, currency, vouchers, contracts, certificates, wills, notes and letters. They check if documents and signatures are real or counterfeit. They determine if changes have been made to a document and determine what words were erased or crossed out. Document examiners also identify different types of inks and papers (Echaore-McDavid 71). Polygraph Examiner Polygraph examiners have specific job duties too. According to Law Enforcement, Security, and Protective Services, polygraph examiners administer polygraph tests to suspects and analyze the results. Polygraphs measure pulse, blood pressure, breathing, and perspiration during questioning. Polygraph examiners write their own questions and give them to suspects (Echaore-McDavid 76). Forensic Pathologist Forensic pathologists have specific job duties. According to Law Enforcement, Security, and Protective Services, forensic pathologists primarily perform autopsies. They answer the time of death, whether a death was caused by suicide or homicide, and cause of death. Pathologists may also have to identify bodies. They are also called out to crime scene to examine bodies before they are moved. Forensic pathologists sometimes meet with families of the deceased (Echaore-McDavid 73). ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES Third, there are advantages to having a career as a forensic scientist. There are also disadvantages. Advantages Forensic scientists have advantages for their occupation. With enough education, most forensic scientists make around $70,000 a year (Engineering. 126). They can also earn sick and vacation days (Engineering. 126). They get medical insurance (Engineering. 126). Finally, forensic science is a fast growing field. Its growth is above the national average (U.S. Dept. n.p.). Disadvantages There are also disadvantages in the field of forensic science. The occupation is very high stress. Forensic scientists may witness gruesome sights (Engineering. 126). They also put themselves at risk by working with weapons and chemicals (Engineering. 126). Also, forensic scientists are on call 24-7 and may be forced into working overtime (Echaore-McDavid 60). In addition, it takes about six years to earn a good degree, master’s degree, in forensic science (Engineering. 126). EDUCATION Fourth, there are entry requirements to get into Michigan State University. In addition, Michigan State offers a great program to study forensic science. Entry Requirements The main entry requirement for Michigan Stat is to have a better application than the other applicants. According to Peterson’s Four Year Colleges, the average high school GPA of those admitted to MSU is 3.61. Ninety-seven percent of students had an ACT score over eighteen and nine percent had a score of thirty. Seventy-six percent of students scored over 500 in reading on the SAT’s, eighty-five percent scored over 500 in math, and seventy-three percent scored over 500 in writing. Nine percent of students scored over 700 in reading, fourteen percent scored over 700 in math, and five percent scored over 700 in writing. Only seventy-three percent of applicants are admitted into Michigan State University (Peterson’s. 473). Those admitted into MSU are required to pay tuition. According to Peterson’s Four Year Colleges, on average, state residents are charged about $7,665 per year. Out of state residents are charged around $20,310. Part-time students who live in state are charged $235 per credit hour. Out of state part-time students are charged $656 per credit hour. Some financial aid is provided by MSU if necessary (Peterson’s. 473). Michigan State University Michigan State is a great college to study to study forensic science. MSU was founded in 1885 (Peterson’s. 473). The school has offered a forensic science program since 1946 (â€Å"School.† n.p.). MSU is a coed school (Peterson’s 473). The campus is 5,192 acres and has relatively easy access to Detroit and Lansing (Peterson’s. 473). Michigan State has a great college atmosphere. According to Peterson’s Four Year Colleges, fifty-four percent of students are women and forty-six percent are men. There are students studying at MSU from fifty-four states and territories. There are also students from one hundred different countries. The student faculty ration at MSU is 17:1 (Peterson’s. 473). MSU has a great athletic program. According to Peterson’s Four Year Colleges, all sports available at Michigan State are Division I except for football. MSU offers men’s football, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s track, men’s baseball, women’s softball, and men’s and women’s cheerleading. MSU also offers many intramural sports (Peterson’s. 473). Michigan State University offers many clubs to its students. MSU has a drama club, marching band, choral group, radio and television club, newspaper club, and national fraternities and sororities (Peterson’s. 473). MSU provides prime housing. On campus residency is required for a student’s freshman year (Peterson’s. 473). Coed dorms are available as well as women only dorms and disabled students dorms (Peterson’s. 473). Michigan State offers services to students. According to Peterson’s Four Year Colleges, there is a health clinic available to MSU students, psychiatric counseling, and legal services. There is also a woman’s center. MSU provides twenty four hour emergency response and transportation services. Also, self defense workshops are available (Peterson’s. 473). MSU offers top rate classes and degrees in forensic science. According to â€Å"School of Criminal Justice,† the Master’s Degree in Forensic Science is provided by the Michigan State School of Criminal Justice. Applicants for the degree must have at least a 3.0 to apply. One must also have a degree in a lesser or related field such as physical or natural science (â€Å"School.† n.p.). MSU offers a degree in forensic chemistry. To earn a degree, one must take the following classes: Advanced Analytical Chemistry II, Survey in Forensic Science, Forensic Chemistry and Microscopic Evidence, Scanning Electron Microscopy/X-Ray Analysis, and Forensic Serology (â€Å"School.† n.p.). INTERESTS AND NEEDS Furthermore, forensic science does fit my needs. It pays a decent amount of money and will give me a comfortable lifestyle. Forensic Science involves a lot of science and chemistry, which I love to do. Also, forensic scientists help people by assisting in the justice process, which I think is very rewarding. CLOSING In conclusion, forensic science is a very challenging career. If a person is interested in becoming a forensic science, it is going to take a lot more than just a love of the TV show CSI.

Teachers Perceptions of Instructional Supervision

Teachers Perceptions of Instructional Supervision CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION This chapter gives a preamble to the whole study. It deals with the problem and the way it is approached. It encloses a brief formulation of background of the study, objective of the study, delimitation and limitation of the study. It also introduces definition of some key terms and the overall organization of the study. 1.1 Background of the Study Teacher education play an important role in promoting the learning and professional growth of teachers. Supervision is one of the functions of education that offers opportunities for schools to be effective and for increasing the professional development of teachers as a means of effectively managing the teaching-learning process (Kutsyuruba, 2003; Arong Ogbadu, 2010). Supervision has existed in all countries for many decades and occupies a pivotal position in the management of education, which can be understood as an expert technical service most importantly concerned with scientific study and improvement of the conditions that surrounds learning and pupil growth (Alemayehu, 2008). According to Vashist (2004), supervision is leadership and development of leadership within groups, which cooperatively assess educational product in light of accepted educational objectives, studying the teaching-learning situation to determine the antecedents of satisfactory and unsatisfactory pupil gr owth and achievement, and improving the teaching learning process. The concept of instructional supervision differs from school inspection in the sense that the former focuses on guidance, support, and continuous assessment provided to teachers for their professional development and improvement in the teaching-learning process, whereas the latter gives emphasis on controlling and evaluating the improvement of schools based on stated standards set by external agents outside the school system (Wilcox Gray, 1996; Tyagi, 2010; Arong Ogbadu, 2010). Instructional supervision is mainly concerned with improving schools by helping teachers to reflect their practices, to learn more about what they do and why, and to develop professionally (Sergiovanni Starratt, 2007). Various authors stated that instructional supervision has clear connection with professional development (Sergiovanni Starratt, 2007; Zepeda, 2007). Kutsyuruba (2003) defined professional development as follows: A major component of ongoing teacher education concerned with improving teachers instructional methods, their ability to adapt instruction to meet students needs, and their classroom management skills; and with establishing a professional culture that relies on shared beliefs about the importance of teaching and learning and that emphasizes teacher collegiality. (p. 11) In Ethiopia, the supervisory services began to be carried out since 1941, with constant shift of its names Inspection and Supervision. Currently, supervision is widely practiced in all schools at all levels (Haileselassie, 1997). In the case of Addis Ababa, Addis Ababa City Administration Education Bureau (AACAEB) has restructured its sub city level supervisory positions from general supervisory approach to subject-area instructional supervisory approach, since the beginning of 2004 (Alemayehu, 2008). 1.2 Problem Statement A research conducted by Alemayehu (2008) in secondary schools of Addis Ababa shows that the subject-area instructional supervision practiced in Addis Ababa City Administration (AACA) has exposed to multiple problems such as, lack of adequate support to newly deployed ( beginner) teachers, less amount of classroom visits and peer coaching by instructional supervisors, focus of supervisors on administrative matters than on academic issues (supporting and helping teachers), and less mutual professional trust between supervisors and teachers. All these and other problems can enable teachers to have a negative perception towards instructional supervision. According to Oliva (1976), the way teachers perceive supervision in schools and classrooms is an important factor that determines the outcomes of supervision process. In addition, previous research and publications revealed that because of its evaluative approaches; less experienced teachers have more negative perceptions on the practice of supervision than more experienced teachers. They consider supervisors as fault finders; they fear that supervisors will report their weaknesses to the school administrator, and consider supervision as nothing value to offer to them (Blumberg, 1980; Olive, 1976; Zepeda Ponticell, 1998). However, literature on perception of teachers toward supervisory practices is very limited in Africa in general and in Ethiopia in particular. Therefore, this study was designed to examine beginning teachers perceptions of the real and ideal supervisory practices and their perceptions on its relationship with professional development in private and government secondary schools of Addis Ababa. This study addressed the following basic research questions: What are the perceptions and preferences of government and private beginning secondary school teachers regarding the actual and ideal supervisory practices? Is there any difference in perception between beginner and experienced secondary school teachers regarding the actual and ideal supervisory practices? What is the perceived relationship between the supervisory practices and teachers professional development? 1.3 Objective of the Study The overall objective of this study was to examine the existing perception of beginning teachers toward instructional supervision and its perceived relationship to professional development in government and private secondary schools of Addis Ababa. Specifically, the study seeks to explore beginning teachers perception of what the ideal supervision should be and how it has been actually implemented in the schools, and their perceived connection to professional development. In addition, it was aimed to explore what differences existed in the perception of instructional supervision between private and government school teachers and between experienced and less experienced (beginner) teachers. 1.4 Significance of the Study Teachers perception of instructional supervision can positively or negatively affect the quality of education. Teachers differ in their preferences and choices of supervisory approaches (Beach Reinhartz, 2000). Though there are some teachers who would like to work alone without additional support, there are other teachers who would appreciate comments about their teaching from their colleagues, supervisors, or school administrators (Augustyn, 2001). In this study, an overview of the theoretical frameworks of supervisory approaches (ideal interpretation) and their practical applications (actual interpretation) were presented. The researcher has a belief that identifying the prevailing perceptions of teachers by undertaking this survey and coming up with sound recommendations can have its own role to play in improving the practical supervisory processes and quality of education at large. To this end, this study will bring about the following benefits: The research findings provided an insight into teachers perception of supervisory practices and thus determined whether teachers were satisfied with such practices and their influence on professional development. The study will enable those involved in supervisory practices to identify the underlying negative perceptions of instructional supervision and seek for application of appropriate supervisory approaches based on teachers preferences and choices. Since the characteristic of education is its dynamism and capacity to respond to changing needs and challenges, the researcher feels that the study will contribute an additional source of information in evaluating the achievement gained as a result of practicing instructional supervision. Finally, the researcher also believes that the study will initiate other researchers to undertake detailed research on the effectiveness of instructional supervision at regional and national levels. In addition, the results of this study may be used to add to the international practices of instructional supervision. 1.5 Delimitation of the study Since Addis Ababa City Administration (AACA) is wide having a total of 112 government and private secondary schools, it will be unrealistic and impractical to attempt to study teachers perception of instructional supervision within a given time limit. Therefore, the study is delimited to 20 private and government secondary schools (10 from each) and 200 teachers (100 beginning and 100 experienced). In addition, public secondary schools in Addis Ababa are not included in this study due to the fact that the government has enacted a law to be included under government control and administration. However, by this movement the schools are not totally shifted to government control. They are partially funded by government and partially by the public, but their name and administration are not yet clear. 1.6 Limitation of the Study The study had limitations in that it includes only government and private secondary schools in Addis Ababa. Primary schools are not included in this study due to time and budget constraints. On the other hand, generalizability of this study was limited by the fact that the research was conducted in secondary schools in one city of Ethiopia. In addition, the study had limitations of all survey type research such as clarity of wording and respondent understanding of some terminologies. Problem of getting recently published books was equally challenging. Therefore, because of these limitations, the study by no means claims to be conclusive. It would rather serve as a spring to study teachers perceptions in a more detailed and comprehensive way. 1.7 Definition of Key Terms For the purpose of this study, the following terms were defined: Instructional supervision: is a process aimed at providing guidance, support, and continuous assessment to teachers for their professional development and improvement in the teaching-learning process, which relay on the system that is built on trust and collegial culture (Beach Reinhartz, 2000). Beginning teacher: refers to a teacher currently in the first or second year of teaching. Experienced teacher: refers to a teacher who has three or more years of teaching experience. Secondary school: is a school usually includes grades 9 through 12. Government secondary school: is a school established and administered by government of Ethiopia. Private secondary school: is a school established and administered by private foreign or local owners. Ideal supervisory approaches: are supervisory approaches stated in various literatures which should be implemented in schools. Real supervisory activities: are those supervisory approaches stated in various literatures which are actually implemented in schools. Professional development: is a major component of ongoing teacher education concerned with improving teachers instructional methods, their ability to adapt instruction to meet students needs, and their classroom management skills, leading to the professional growth of the teacher (Wanzare Da Costa, 2000). Sub-city: in Ethiopian case, it refers to the government administrative hierarchy next to city administration. It is locally called Kifle Ketema. 1.8 Organization of the Study This study comprises five chapters. The first chapter deals with the problem and the way it is approached. It encloses a brief formulation of background of the study, objective of the study, delimitation and limitation of the study, and definition of some key terms. The second chapter reviews some of the current literature pertaining to the area of instructional supervision, different approaches to supervisory process, and their connection with professional development. The third chapter details the research methodology, description of the study area, data sources, samples and sampling techniques, data gathering instruments, validity and reliability of instruments, procedure of data collection, and analysis of the data. Analysis and interpretation of the research findings are presented in the fourth chapter. Lastly, a summary of the study, conclusions, and recommendations are presented in chapter five. CHAPTER TWO THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND LITERATURE REVIEW OF INSTRUCTIONAL SUPERVISION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT In this chapter a review of related literature on instructional supervision and its relationship with professional development is provided. The chapter is divided in to four parts as to enable the reader to follow a logical sequence that includes: history of school supervision, overview of supervision approaches, teachers perception of supervisory processes, and the relationship between supervision and professional development. 2.1 History of School Supervision In many developed countries, such as United Kingdom (UK) and United States, much more attention has been given to inspection than school supervision (Lee, Dig Song, 2008). The Inspectorate of Education had originated from France under Napoleons Regime at the end of the 18th century, and other European counties followed the idea in the 19th century (Grauwe, 2007). For example, in UK, the first two inspectors of schools were appointed in 1883 (Shaw, Newton, Aitkin Darnell, 2003) and in the Netherlands it was started in 1801 (Dutch Education Inspectorate, 2008). The terms inspector and inspection are still being used in various developed and developing countries , including United Kingdom (UK), United States, European countries and some African countries such as Lesotho, Senegal, Tanzania and Nigeria (Grauwe, 2007). Traditionally, inspection and supervision were used as important tools to ensure efficiency and accountability in the education system. Later adherents of the terminologies of inspection and supervision are used by different countries in different ways. As outlined by Tyagi (2010), inspection is a top-down approach focused on the assessment and evaluation of school improvement based in stated standards, where as supervision focus on providing guidance, support and continuous assessment to teachers for their professional development and improvement in their teaching- learning process. Nevertheless, since the demand of teachers for guidance and support rendered from supervisors has increased from time to time, some countries changed the terminology and preferring the term supervisor over that of inspector. According to Grawue (2007), some countries have recently developed more specific terminologies: Malawi, uses education methods advisor, and Uganda teacher development advisor. The concepts of supervision and inspection have been changed frequently in Ethiopian education system and the reason was not clearly pedagogical (Haileselassie, 2001). In 19 42, educational inspection was practiced for the first time, then it was changed to supervision in the late 1960s , again to inspection in mid 1970s and for the fourth time it shifted to supervision in 1994 (Haileselassie,2001). Haileselassie stated that: Apart from perhaps political decisions, one could not come up with any sound educational and pedagogical rationale to justify the continuous shift made in the name. With the name changes made we do not notice any significant changes in either the content or purpose and functions. (Haileselassie, 2001, p. 11-12) From 1994 onwards, supervision has been practiced in Ethiopia decentralized educational management. According to the Education and Training Policy (1994), educational supervision is recognized at the center (Ministry of Education), Regional, Zonal, District (Woreda) and School levels. Instructional supervision at school level is practiced by principals, deputy principals, department head, and senior teachers. According to Haileselassie (1997), the functional and true sense of educational supervision depends on the supervisory operation made at the grassroots level, i.e. School level. In this regard, subject-area instructional supervision has practiced in all schools of Addis Ababa since the beginning of 2004. The major responsibilities of subject-area instructional supervisors in Addis Ababa include: (1) examining and reporting the programs, organization and management of the teaching-learning activities; (2) developing and presenting alternative methods used to improve instructional programs; (3) guiding and monitoring schools and teachers; (4) preparing and organizing professional trainings, workshops, seminars, etc.; (5) monitoring and supporting the mentoring (induction) programs for beginner teachers; and (6) providing direct assistance and perform instructional and managerial activities in schools with teachers and principals by organizing and implementing clinical, collegial, peer coaching and cognitive coaching techniques of instructional supervision, etc (Alemayehu, 2008). 2.2 Overview of Supervisory Approaches According to Blasà © and Blasà © (1998), although many supervisory approaches are collaborative in nature, for long time, supervisory of instruction has been viewed exclusively as an inspection issue. Sergiovanni (1992) described supervision as a ritual they [supervisors and teachers] participate according to well established scripts without much consequence (p. 203). This author continued that today, supervision as inspection can be regarded as an artifact of the past, a function that is no longer tenable or prevalent in contemporary education (p. 204). He explained that though functioned for a considerable span of time, this type of supervision caused negative stereotypes among teachers, where they viewed as subordinates whose professional performance was controlled. Supporting this idea, Anderson and Snyder (1993) stated, because of this, teachers are unaccustomed to the sort of mutual dialogue for which terms like mentoring, peer coaching collegial assistance are coming in to u se (p.1). It should be clear, however, that traditional supervisory approaches should not be removed completely because supervisory authority and control are essential for professional development. Mitchell and Sackney (2000) explained this as much of past practice is educationally sound and should not be discarded (p. 37). Having said this, it is important to differentiate instructional supervision from evaluation. Authors described the former as a formative approach and the later as a summative approach (Poole, 1994; Zepeda, 2007). Poole (1994) stated that instructional supervision is a formative process that emphasizes collegial examination of teaching and learning (p. 305). In this regard, participants in the supervision process plan and implement a range of professional growth opportunities designed to meet teachers professional growth and educational goals and objectives at different levels. Teacher evaluation, on the other hand, is a summative process that focus on assessing the compete nce of teachers, which involves a formal, written appraisal or judgment of an individuals professional competence at specific time (Poole, 1994, p. 305). The supervisory (formative) and evaluative (summative) processes should go hand in hand (Sergiovanni Starratt, 2007). While supervision is essential for teachers professional growth, evaluation is essential to determine this growth and teacher effectiveness (Kutsyuruba, 2003; Wareing, 1990). The widely used approaches to evaluation are administrative monitoring, report writing, checklists, and self-assessment. On the other hand, approaches to supervision are categorized as clinical supervision, peer coaching, cognitive coaching, mentoring, self-reflection, professional growth plans, and portfolios (Alfonso Firth, 1990; Clarke, 1995; Poole, 1994; Reninan, 2002; Sergiovanni Starratt, 2007; Zepeda, 2007). Implementing different supervisory approaches is essential not only to give choices to teachers; it is also important to provide choices to the administrators and schools (Kutsyuruba, 2003). Each component of supervisory approaches are discussed as follows. Clinical Supervision According to Sergiovanni and Starratt (2007), clinical supervision is a face- to- face contract with teachers with the intent of improving instruction and increasing professional growth (p. 23). It is a sequential, cyclic and systematic supervisory process which involves face-to-face interaction between teachers and supervisors designed to improve the teachers classroom instructions (Kutsyuruba, 2003). The purpose of clinical supervision according to Snow-Gerono (2008) is to provide support to teachers (to assist) and gradually to increase teachers abilities to be self-supervising (p. 1511). Clinical supervision is a specific cycle or pattern of working with teachers (Sergiovanni Starratt, 1993, p. 222). It is a partnership in inquiry where by the person assuming the role of supervisor functions more as an individual with experience and insight than as an expert who determines what is right and wrong (Harris, 1985). Goldhammer, Anderson and Karjewski (1980) described the structure o f clinical supervision that includes pre-observation conference, class room observation, analysis and strategy, supervision conference, and post-conference analysis. Clinical supervision is officially applicable with: inexperienced beginning teachers, teachers are experiencing difficulties, and experienced teachers who are in need of improving their instructional performance. Sergiovanni and Starratt (2007) stated that clinical supervision is typically formative than summative in its evaluative approach in order to enable beginning teaches collaborate to research their practices and improve their teaching and learning (p. 233). As a result of this, the writers further described that the focus of clinical supervision is not on quality control, rather on the professional improvement of the teacher that guarantees quality of teaching and students performance (Sergiovanni Starratt, 2007). Collaborative Supervision Collaboration and collegially are very important in todays modern schools. According to Burke and Fessler (1983), teachers are the central focuses of collaborative approach to supervision. Collaborative approaches to supervision are mainly designed to help beginning teachers and those who are new to a school or teaching environment with the appropriate support from more experienced colleagues. Thus, these colleagues have an ethical and professional responsibility of providing the required type of support upon request (Kutsyuruba, 2003). In this regard, a teacher who needs collegial and collaborative support should realize that needs do not exist for professional growth, that feedback from colleagues and other sources should be solicited in order to move toward improvement (Burke Fessler, 1983, p.109). The major components of collaborative approaches to supervision which are especially needed for beginner or novice teachers are: peer coaching, cognitive coaching and mentoring (Shower s Joyce, 1996; Sergiovanni Starratt, 2007; Sullivan Glanz, 2003; Kutsyuruba, 2003). Peer coaching Peer coaching, according to Sullivan and Glanz (2000), is defined as teachers helping teachers reflect on and improve teaching practice and/or implement particular teaching skills needed to implement knowledge gained through faculty or curriculum development (p. 215). The term coaching is introduced to characterize practice and feedback following staff development sessions. According to Singhal (1996), supervision is more effective if the supervisor follows the team approach. This would mean that the supervisor should have a clear interaction with teachers and group of teachers, provide an open, but supportive atmosphere for efficient communication, and involve them in decision making. The goal of coaching as described by Sergiovanni and Starratt (2007), is to develop communities within which teachers collaborate to honor a very simple value- when we learn together, we learn more, and when we learn more, we will more effectively serve our students (p. 251). Thus, peer coaching provid es possible opportunities to beginner teachers to refine teaching skills through collaborative relationships, participatory decision making, and immediate feedback (Bowman McCormick, 2000; Sullivan Glanz, 2000). In this regard, research findings showed that beginning teachers rated experienced teachers who coached than as highly competent and the process itself as very necessary (Kutsyuruba, 2003). Cognitive coaching According to Costa and Garmston (1994), cognitive coaching refers to a nonjudgmental process built around a planning conference, observation, and a reflecting conference (p. 2). Cognitive coaching differs from peer coaching in that peer coaching focuses on innovations in curriculum and instructions, where as cognitive coaching is aimed at improving existing practices (Showers Joyce, 1996). As Beach and Reinhartz (2000) described, cognitive coaching pairs teacher with teacher, teacher with supervisor, or supervisor with supervisor, however, when two educators are in similar roles or positions, the process is referred as peer supervision. The writers further identified three components of cognitive coaching: planning, lesson observation, and reflection. Costa and Garmston (1994) described three basic purposes of cognitive coaching, namely: (1) developing and maintaining trusting relationship; (2) fostering growth toward both autonomous and independent behavior; and (3) promoting learning. In a cognitive coaching process, teachers learn each other, built mutual trust, and encouraged to reach at a higher level of autonomy- the ability to self-monitor, self-evaluate, and self-analyze (Garmston, Linder Whitaker, 1993). Mentoring Mentoring as defined by Sullivan and Glanz (2000) is a process that facilitates instructional improvement wherein an experienced educator agrees to provide assistance, support, and recommendations to another staff member (p. 213). Mentoring is a form of collaborative (peer) supervision focused on helping new teachers or beginning teachers successfully learn their roles, establish their self images as teachers figure out the school and its culture, and understand how teaching unfolds in real class rooms (Sergiovanni Starratt, 2007). Sullivan and Glanz (2000) stated the works of mentors as: The mentor can work with a novice or less experienced teacher collaboratively, nonjudgmentally studying and deliberating on ways instruction in the class room may be improved, or the mentor can share expertise in a specific area with other educators. Mentors are not judges or critics, but facilitators of instructional improvement. All interactions and recommendations between the mentor and staff members are confidential. (p. 213) Research projects and publications revealed that mentoring has clear connections with supervision and professional development which serve to augment the succession planning and professional development of teachers (Reiman Thies-Sprinthall, 1998).In addition, Sergiovanni and Starratt (2007) described that the emphasis of mentoring on helping new or beginner teachers is typically useful for mentors as well. By helping a colleague (beginner teacher), mentors able to see their problems more clearly and learn ways to overcome them. As a result, mentoring is the kind of relationship in which learning benefits everyone involved. Self-Reflection As the context of education is ever changing, teachers should have a professional and ethical responsibility to reflect on what is happening in response to changing circumstances. Thus, they can participate in collective reflection practices such as peer coaching, cognitive coaching, or mentoring, as well as self-assessment reflective practices (Kutsyuruba, 2003). According to Glatthorn (1990), self- directed development is a process by which a teacher systematically plans for his or her own professional growth in teaching. Glatthorn further described that self-directed approaches are mostly ideal for teachers who prefer to work alone or who, because of scheduling or other difficulties, are unable to work cooperatively with other teachers. Sergiovanni and Starratt (2007) considered this option to be efficient in use of time, less costly, and less demanding in its reliance on others. Thus, the writers indicated that in self-directed supervision teachers work alone by assuming responsi bility for their own professional development (p. 276). Furthermore, Glatthorn (1990) suggested that self-development is an option provided for teachers that enable them to set their own professional growth goals, find the resources needed to achieve those goals, and undertake the steps needed to accomplish those outcomes (p. 200). In addition, this approach is particularly suited to competent and experienced teachers who are able to manage their time well (Sergiovanni Starratt, 2007). Portfolios As teachers want to be actively participated in their own development and supervision, they need to take ownership of the evaluation process (Kutsyuruba, 2003). The best way for teachers to actively involve in such practices is the teaching portfolio (Painter, 2001). A teaching portfolio is defined as a process of supervision with teacher compiled collection of artifacts, reproductions, testimonials, and student work that represents the teachers professional growth and abilities (Riggs Sandlin, 2000). A portfolio, according to Zepeda (2007), is an individualized, ongoing record of growth that provides the opportunity for teachers to collect artifacts over an extended period of time (p. 85). Similarly, Sergiovanni and Starratt (2007) stated that the intent of portfolio development is to establish a file or collection of artifacts, records, photo essays, cassettes, and other materials designed to represent some aspect of the class room program and teaching activities. As Sullivan and Glanz (2000) stated portfolio documents not only innovative and effective practices of teachers, but also it is a central road for teachers professional growth through self-reflection, analysis, and sharing with colleagues through discussion and writing (p. 215). The writers further described that portfolio can be used to support and enrich mentoring and coaching relationships. Professional Growth Plans Professional growth plans are defined as individual goal-setting activities, long term projects teachers develop and carry out relating to the teaching (Brandt, 1996, p. 31). This means that teachers reflect on their instructional and professional goals by setting intended outcomes and plans for achieving these goals. In professional growth plans as part of instructional supervisory approach, teachers select the skills they wish to improve, place their plan in writing including the source of knowledge, the type of workshop to be attended, the books and articles to read, and practice activities to be set. In this regard, Fenwick (2001) stated that professional growth plans could produce transformative effects in teaching practice, greater staff collaboration, decreased teacher anxiety, and increased focus and commitment to learning (p. 422). Summative Evaluation There is a clear link among instructional supervision, professional development and teacher evaluation (Zepeda, 2007). Teacher evaluation involves two distinct components: formative evaluation and summative evaluation (Sergiovanni Starratt, 2007). The writers differentiated formative teacher evaluation as an approach intended to increase the effectiveness of ongoing educational programs and teachers professi

Rose :: essays research papers

Choices made in â€Å"The Road Not Taken† Everyone is a traveler, choosing the roads to follow on the map of their continuous life. A straight path never leaves speaker with one sole direction on which to travel. Robert Frost’s poem "The Road Not Taken" is about how the choices affect speaker’s life. Frost illustrates speaker to make a difficult decision about choosing one of two equally promising roads to travel on. When speaker comes to a fork road, a decision needs to be made. Both paths are different and choosing the right one will depend on his past experience. It is this way that he chooses to decide where he is going to travel. Throughout this poem, it is obvious that decisions are not easy to make, and each decision will lead him down a different road to travel. In any case however, this poem clearly demonstrates Frost’s belief that it is the road that speaker chooses that makes him who he is. Speaker had two roads to choose from and wonders what would have happened if he had taken the other road. The poem begins with simple sentence, "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood," as the speaker sees two roads before him and obviously he cannot travel on both at the same time. He tries to consider the consequences as he "looked down one as far as I could." However, each road "bent in the undergrowth" as where each road obviously different. It is unclear to him what the consequences would be if he chooses either road. Frost states "And sorry I could not travel both," that shows the point in which speaker will choose only one path in which to travel on. It is always difficult to make a decision, because it is impossible not to wonder what will be missed out. There is a strong sense of wonder before the choice is made because he knows that in one lifetime he cannot travel down on every road. In an attempt to make a decision, the speaker "l ooked down one as far as I could". The road he chooses leads to the unknown choice in life. In the first stanza, the emphasis is on the road that was not traveled, but he cannot â€Å"and be one traveler† on both paths. The speaker has a difficult choice to make and is carefully considering his options, but he must choose one of the roads to travel.

Augustines Confessions Paper -- Literacy Analysis

When one reads the word "confessions," one would not necessarily associate it with the word "narrative." Confessions seem to be more of something stated directly without any story-like element. They are also a more personal thing- one does not simply put them in a story form unless purposely intending to do so, because usually it is something that expresses guilt for something personal or is between the author and their conscience (or perhaps to themselves). However, there can always be an exception, like Augustine's Confessions. It is written as a form of a narrative, even though the original the main audience for whom it was written is God, yet it is also intended to be read by anyone, almost as a didactic piece that sets an example through the portrayal of his life and his decisions. Augustine takes what he has experienced during his life and with details such as parallels to the bible turns it into a narrative that he writes with an intention of educating or perhaps setting an ex ample for any reader. ​Augustine writes his confessions not as a list, but as one event that flows to another- like a narrative. At first glance, it appears to be as the title says- a book of confessions. However, it cannot solely be approached "as a penitential work, concerned with the confession of sins, which indeed it is, in some degree; but this is not Augustine's primary concern. (Bonner 164)." He means that it is not just a confession to God, that indeed God is the main audience, but not the only audience. Augustine even states this in the actual text: "I too, O Lord, also so confess unto Thee that men may hear, to whom I cannot prove whether I confess the truth, yet do they believe me whose ears charity openeth unto me (10.3.3)" and again wi... ...no means starting on the morally correct path but still was able to turn that all around, and almost like an inspiration to all that it is never too late to make a difference or change in one's self. Works Cited Merriman, C.D. "Http://www.online-literature.com/saint-augustine/." Saint Augustine. Jalic, 2005. Web. 30 Mar. 2012. ​ O'Donnell, James J. "Augustine." : Confessions. Web. 30 Mar. 2012. . Bonner, G. Starting With Oneself; Spiritual Confessions: Augustine's Confessions. ExpTim 101, 1990. 163-64. Print. Troxel, A. Craig. ""What Did Augustine 'Confess' in His Confessions?" by A. Craig Troxel."Trinity Journal 15.2 (1994): 163-79. EarlyChurch.org.uk: 10 Years of Resourcing the Study of Early Church History. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. . ​

The Arguments For and Against Coastal Protection Schemes :: Papers

The Arguments For and Against Coastal Protection Schemes The sea is constantly eroding the coastline. This destroys property, and people living nearby have reduced value on their houses. Natural beauty spots and walks are lost, reducing tourism in seaside towns. Solutions to this are coastal protection schemes that slow the waves down and delay the process of erosion on the cliffs. The arguments for sea defence schemes are as followsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Sea protection plans help to prevent further loss of economy caused by coastal erosion, for example; reduced property prices in 'at-risk' areas, less tourism due to destruction of tourist spots (which results in less money), and the replacement of important sites e.g.: industrial areas, ports and places of historical and geological interest would be expensive. Coastal protection schemes protect the habitats of plant and wildlife, which cannot be replaced. The arguments against sea defence schemes areà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Most sea defence schemes are expensive to build and maintain, and this money is taken from taxpayers. Some people say their money is wasted, because the coastal defences themselves will eventually be eroded away. Coastal defences create visual pollution, and ruin the natural atmosphere of the beach. Also, if they are poorly maintained, they may pose a hazard to swimmers and sunbathers. Methods of protecting the coast are: Sea wall. This is a barrier that reflects the waves and withstands storms, completely protecting the cliff. Although they effectively reduce erosion, they are costly at  £6000 per metre, and spoil the natural view of the coast. Beach Re-building. The sand on a beach inhibits the sea from eroding the coast as much, by absorbing some energy from the waves as they hit the shore and slows them down as they go up the slope to the cliff. This costs  £3 per cubic metre. Groynes are small walls that jut out into the sea to stop the sand (that protects the cliff) being washed away. These cost  £10000 each. But as groynes collect sand to stop it from being carried away, the amount of sand on the other side of the

Concert Critique: La Vida Breve Essay

The concert was titled â€Å"Guitar Escapades,† the long- awaited guitar duo featuring Nobel Queano and Franco Maigue. The concert happened last September 8, 2011, 7 pm, at NCAS Auditorium. Nobel L. Queano is a graduate of Psychology and Music from the University of the Philippines, Diliman. He was a former faculty member of Miriam College of Music Center, Colegio San Agustin Makati and the Temple Hill International School and a former member of the Baguio Guitar Ensemble and the Philippine Youth Orchestra. He was also a first prize winner and a recipient of the Most Outstanding Student of the Yamaha School of Music Guitar Competition in 1986 and 1987. Presently, he is working with some musicians of the Academy of Performing Arts in Hong Kong privately teaching and preparing international music students for the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music Exams. Franco Raymundo M. Maigue is a graduate of UP College of Music. He finished his Bachelor of Music degree as a cum laude. He is the first prize winner of the 2005 Competitions for Young Artists and top prize winner of the 2002 and 2009 National Music Competitions for Young Artists. He was also featured as a soloist accompanied by the manila Symphonic Orchestra at the First Philippine International Guitar Festival. He has been a member of the UP Guitar Orchestra, Kithara Quartet, Abelardo Guitar Quartet and the UP Jazz Ensemble. B. Musical theme and style Begun as royal entertainment in the 16th Century, these brief plays with songs were revived to combat enthusiasm for Italian opera, featuring uniquely Spanish settings and characters, all suffused with the potent and highly distinctive flavor of gypsy music. As outlined by Suzanne Desmarquez, the origins of this style were Arab, with intense and irregular rhythms, sharp attacks, rough endings, and wide vibrato, manifested through guitar accompaniment, castanets, zapateado (foot stomping and tapping), palmar (hand clapping), rapid triple meters, melismatic beginnings and ends of long held notes and harmonies based on open guitar chords. According to his student, Adolfo Salazar, Falla rejected basing his music directly on folklore, but rather used it as the seeds of his own style, extracting the substance of its sonorities, rhythms and spirit. To David Ewen, Falla was a mystic who sought out and assimilated the soul of Spain to produce a vibrant evocation rather than a literal depictio n. The performers presented Classical Music. II. Analysis of the elements A. Dynamics Dynamics is the loudness and softness of sound. In L a Vida Verde, B. Tempo Tempo is the speed at a regular beat. The first part of the piece is fast or allegro, then, there will be a pause, and a slower part (adagio) is played. C. Melody After hearing the piece, I remembered its melody. Melody is a series of single tones which add up to a recognizable whole. A melody begins, moves, and ends; it has direction, shape, and continuity. How the tones of a melody are performed can vary its effect, too. Sometimes they are sung or played in a smooth, connected style called legato. Or they may be performed in a short, detached manner called staccato. D. Other elements of music III. General reaction to the concert A. Describe the mood audience were amazed (may mabilis na part kasi)nakakaexcite! B. Images and ideas conveyed pre Spanish era†¦ kamisa de chino for boys†¦ for girls†¦ nakikipaglandian ung girls sa boys. may pakipot epek†¦ suyuan sa loob ng simbahan. may pamaypay ung girls. sisilipin ung boy tapos magtatakip ng pamaypay. It is a pre-Spanish era. There were men and women in a church. The men wore kamisa de chino while the women were dress in [damit ng girls? ewan!]. It is like the men were courting the women in the church. The women were shy while the men are aggressive and they are trying to pursue the women. C. Memorable feature of the concert The memorable feature of the concert was when they played the song â€Å"Sana Maulit Muli.† It is a popular song in the country, and everybody knows the song. Those who remember the lyrics sang the song. I liked the way they play the song; it’s refreshing and pleasing to the ear. The audience were lively. This is my first time to hear the song in an acoustic It is relaxing, as you listen to them play. D. Did you like the concert? Why/ Why not? I liked the concert. Why? I am a music lover. I appreciate all kinds of music. I believe that doing the classical songs in acoustic guitar is really hard. I admire the performers, I am a frustrated guitarist. For me to watched such astounding performance, I am overjoyed. I liked the concert because I liked to play guitar. Though there were times that I fell asleep, (well, it can’t be helped because what they’re playing is classical music) and Classical music is like a lullaby to me. I usually listen to classical music when I can’t sleep. I am fascinated by their talent. I want to be a good guitar player too, conducting concerts and go to places and make people happy with my music. I’ve never been to a guitar concert before but I think that the concert was awesome. Playing a guitar for such a long time is hard. And besides the pieces that they play were hard and complicated. They’re awesome.

Listening Skills

Effective communication dramatically distinguishes humans from other forms of life. It allows us to organize and work together in groups and develop a civilized society. In fact, without communication, there can be no social organization. Besides being important in todays changing business environment, effective communication is vital for personal satisfaction and success. Through communication, people are able to clarify their concepts and ideas. It enables us to understand, persuade, and work with other people. In many ways, our success in personal and corporate life is based on our ability to communicate effectively.After having laid so much importance on communication, we must also understand that communication is never one way. Communication in simple terms can be defined as ‘the process of sharing by which messages produce responses’ (Munter, 1987). It is always a two way process with a ‘sender’ sending a message and a ‘receiver’ providing a feedback of its reception. The success of an effective communication therefore rests on the ‘receiver’ who is at the listening end.A research proves that â€Å"Communication is 85 percent listening and 15 percent talking† (Pierce and Palmer, 2006). Not denying the significance of effectively putting across your message, listening to others is equally important and surprisingly difficult skill. We have to be an effective listener when we are brainstorming ideas with others, collecting data, talking on the telephone, resolving conflicts, attending lectures and even while conversing with our kids. We must remember that the person who is talking can sense whether listener is attentive or not.So, how to improve our listening skills? Various researchers have given various techniques to be an effective listener. There is however consensus on first removing the internal and external blocks which may be affecting our concentration. A major internal block stems from our ability to think so much faster than a speaker can possibly talk. People on average talk at about 125 words per minute but our brain can process information at more than 600 words per minute (Munter, 1987).With so much extra time available in our brain, we tend to wander to completely unrelated topics. Another important internal block to listening is emotional. It’s hard to resist jumping to conclusions, defending our own position, contesting new ideas, and indulging into a thought process of preparing our own response. The external blocks on the other hand can be your uncomfortable seat, distractions caused by various sounds, a glance at papers in our hands/desk or even some pleasant smell of perfume or food coming from nearby. Of all the external blocks, time is probably the most important. Removing all such blocks is the first step to effective listening.The second step in developing listening skills is adopting a suitable posture or ‘how we look’ when we are listening. A good listener needs to stand or sit with an ‘open posture’ that is facing the other person and looking alert. On the other hand ‘closed or aggressive postures’ like keeping the arms crossed, turning away, bowing shoulders or keeping hands on hips do not give a positive feedback to the person who is talking. Similarly ‘nervous gestures’ such as cleaning fingernails, drumming with fingers or keeping hands on or near the face tend to make the talker feel uncomfortable.Another aspect of improving the nonverbal signs of listening is the facial expression. A good listener needs to avoid a deadpan and stony face. Instead, look interested; raising and lowering of eyebrows, occasionally smiling or nodding can help establish rapprt. Perhaps the most important signal of attentive listening is maintaining the eye contact. Staring should be avoided however constantly looking away is also interpreted as lack of interest. The appropriate distanc e between the talker and listener also indicates the level of interest and involvement. The distance may be appropriate for conversational listening. Altogether, the importance thing to keep in mind about nonverbal signals of listening is how they make the speaker feel (Knapp, 1980).We can not fake good listening by merely adopting a suitable posture and maintaining an eye contact. Good listening must be sincere. The third step of improving listening skills is therefore embedded in controlling our feelings and thoughts (Knapp, 1980). Controlling our feelings is often difficult. We tend to interrupt or disagree before the person speaking is finished. To improve our listening skills, we need to be patient and give the speaker time. A good listener should avoid interrupting and do not block communication by arguing, criticizing or becoming angry too soon.To control your feelings, you must avoid prejudging either the topic or the speaker. Moreso, do not be overly affected by the initial impressions the topic or the speaker make on you. The best way to control our feelings is to empathize with the talker that is by putting ourselves in his or her shoes. Besides controlling the feelings, a good listener should think objectively and analytically. A good way of analyzing is to take notes mentally, write down key words, mentally summarize what the talker has said so far and weigh the evidence. Besides listening to the speaker’s content, a good listener will always analyze the speaker’s feelings so as to evaluate the motivation/intention behind his or her talk. Listen not only to what the speaker is saying, but how she or he says it. Be aware, in other words, of the speaker’s voice, volume, facial expression, and body language. Sometimes, people say one thing but a good listener can hear that they really mean something else.The last step to effective listening is ‘what to say.’ Obviously, most of the time you are listening you are not s aying anything. Humans by nature prefer talking to listening. A good listener should however learn to tolerate silence. Instead of feeling unconfortable with silence, think of it as a chance to let other person be heard. Although the most important listening skill is to listen and remain silent, however a good listener might have to say few things to encourage the other person to talk.Asking for clarifications, rephrasing/restating ideas for confirmation and asking few questions when given an opportunity to speak are few techniques not only to enhance own receptivity but are also indicative of the listener’s interest and involvement in the talk. For encouraging the speaker to talk, use small phrases such as â€Å"I see,† â€Å"Uh-huh,† and â€Å"Go on.† These phrases are not considered as interruptions rather these help to portray your interest in what the speaker is saying (Barker & Watson, 2000).To conclude, listening skills are important not only for a successful career, but are very helpful for becoming good students, parents, and friends. Its importance is much more highlighted in the corporate world which relies on good leadership and as it is pointed out that â€Å"Good leaders build teams by being willing to hire people better than themselves, staying secure in their own roles and by listening† (Maxell, 2006). The four step approach to effective listening discussed in this paper is not a final word on such an important aspect of human life but it gives a guideline for developing this skill in a methodological manner.In nut shell, to be an effective listener we need to first remove or minimize various internal and external blocks to listening, concentrate on how we look by adopting a suitable gesture, feel, analyze the content and intentions of the speaker and should know what to say at what time. We must remember that if we will not listen to people around us, under us or in our homes, they will take their ideas or pr oblems elsewhere; subordinates may feel discontended if they are not properly heard; colleagues and friends may even stop sharing their feelings with you; customers may take their business elsewhere, and at homes you will never get to know your children.ReferencesBarker, Larry & Watson, Kittie. (2000). Listen Up: How To Improve Relationships, Reduce Stress. NY: St. Martins Press.Knapp, K. (1980). Essentials of Nonverbal Communication. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.Maxwell, J. (2006). The 360-Degree Leader. Business book review library, 23 (11), 1-11.Munter, Mary. (1987). Business Communications: Strategy and Skill. Eaglewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc.Pierce, E., & Palmer, L. (2006). 24 Things Experts are Dying to Tell You. Redbook, 206 (6), 102-111.