50 Idioms About Roads and Paths

50 Idioms About Roads and Paths 50 Idioms About Roads and Paths 50 Idioms About Roads and Paths By Mark Nichol 1. all roads lead to Rome: an expression meaning that many methods will lead to the same result 2. get (back) on track: resume focus 3. get off track: lose focus 4. beat a path to [one’s] door: arrive in great numbers, with the implication that someone who offers a highly desirable good or service will attract much attention 5. blaze a trail: be the first to take a certain approach (from the Native American practice of signaling the course of a trail through a forest with burn marks) 6–7. down the road/track: at a later time 8–9. end of the line/road: a conclusion or outcome 10. fast track: a quick way to accomplish or manage something 11. go down that road: decide to take a particular action, with the implication that the decision starts one on a path that one cannot easily deviate from 12. high road: an easy or sure course to achieve a result 13–14. hit the road/trail: depart, or begin a journey 15. hot on the trail: about to discover something or catch up with someone 16. inside track: an advantage because of circumstances or connections 17. keep on track: maintain focus 18. kick the can down the road: put off a decision or action, with the idea that the decision or action is being pushed farther along the way but will be encountered again as one continues 19. lead [one] down the garden path: deceive someone 20. let’s get this show on the road: an exhortation to begin something promptly 21. lose track: fail to maintain focus, or become distracted 22. middle of the road: moderate or bland, suggesting that something is not at or near one extreme or the other 23–24. on the beaten path/track: busy, frequented, or well known 25–26. off the beaten path/track: not busy, frequented, or well known 27. on the right track: in progress toward a desired result 28. on the wrong track: misdirected 29. on the road to [blank]: used to indicate that someone is or was starting to achieve something, as in â€Å"on the road to recovery† 30. on the trail of [someone or something]: seeking a person or thing 31. on the warpath: angry, from an association with Native Americans heading for an attack 32. one for the road: a euphemism to refer to a final alcoholic drink consumed before departure 33. one-track mind: having a narrow focus 34. paper trail: documents that lead to a discovery or provide proof 35. path of least resistance: easiest approach or strategy 36. primrose path: a seductively attractive course that leads to disillusionment or a bad outcome 37–40. put/throw [one] off the track/trail: to cause someone’s attention to be misdirected, or to cause someone to lose his or her attention or place 41. road hog: a driver who does not allow other motorists to pass 42. road rash: an injury sustained when a bicyclist or motorcyclist falls on the road while moving and scrapes his or her skin 43. road show: a promotional tour, as for political campaigning; originally referred to traveling theatrical productions and similar entertainments 44. the road to hell is paved with good intentions: a proverb that states that well-meaning people make bad decisions 45. stop [one] dead in [one’s] tracks: halt or surprise someone completely 46. take the low road: do something underhanded or unscrupulous 47. high road: do something ethical or noble 48. there is no royal road to learning: learning takes work (with the implication that no special route exists for privileged people) 49. where the rubber meets the road: the point at which a challenge or problem becomes immediate or acute, from the idea of the point when a vehicle’s tires start rolling on the road beneath them 50. wide place in the road: a small town, with the implication that the increased width of a road as it passes through the town is the only distinguishing feature Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Great Opening Lines to Inspire the Start of Your StoryWhen to Form a Plural with an ApostropheAppropriate vs. Apropos vs. Apt

Its Greeking to Me

Its Greeking to Me It’s Greeking to Me It’s Greeking to Me By Maeve Maddox In the play Julius Caesar, Brutus and Cassius question Casca about the occasion on which Caesar reluctantly refused a crown offered him by Mark Antony. Casca is portrayed as a gruff, plain-speaking sort of man. CASSIUS. †¨Did Cicero say any thing? CASCA. †¨Ay, he spoke Greek. CASSIUS. †¨To what effect? CASCA. †¨Nay, an I tell you that, Ill neer look you i the face †¨again: but those that understood him smiled at one another and shook their heads; but for mine own part, it was Greek to me. Like so many quotations from Shakespeare, â€Å"it’s Greek to me† has entered everyday speech. To say that something is â€Å"Greek to you† means that something written or spoken is incomprehensible, either because you lack the information to understand, or because the speaker or writer has failed to express the idea clearly. A spin-off of Shakespeare’s quotation is the graphic design term greeking. †¨ Greeking, from a typographic point of view, is the use of nonsense or dummy text, instead of the real body copy. This is done by designers to give the page an overall grey, or flat appearance, so as not to distract from the design layout. Design: Talkboard An example of greeking known to anyone who has ever browsed WordPress themes or looked through a computer manual is lorem ipsum. This block of nonsense Latin derives from an essay byappropriately enoughCicero. Designers have good reason to use greeking. Comprehensible copy used to illustrate graphic design is distracting. A client will start reading the copy and be annoyed if it stops mid-sentence. The use of a greeking text ensures that attention remains focused on the design. Messed-up Latin seems to be the most usual form of greeking, but other languages, including Greek, are used. If you would like to generate your own passage of greeking, there’s a site for it. Your choices include Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Russian, Esperanto and Morse Code. Here’s that last paragraph greekedboth figuratively and literally: ΔÎ µ χÎ ±Ã ÃŽ ¬ ÏÆ'Ï…Î ½ÃŽ ¬ÃŽ ´ÃŽ µÃŽ »Ãâ€ ÃŽ ¿Ãâ€š ÃŽ µÃâ‚¬ÃŽ ¹Ãâ€¡ÃŽ µÃŽ ¹Ã ÃŽ ·ÃŽ ¼ÃŽ ±Ãâ€žÃŽ ¯ÃŽ µÃâ€š ÃŽ ´Ã ÃŽ ¿, ÃŽ µÃŽ »ÃŽ ­ÃŽ ³Ãâ€¡ÃŽ ¿Ãâ€¦ πΠµÃ ÃŽ ¯Ãâ‚¬ÃŽ ¿Ãâ€¦ ÃŽ ½ÃŽ ¹Ã ÃŽ ²ÃŽ ¬ÃŽ ½ÃŽ ± ÏÆ'ÃŽ µ ÃŽ ¼ÃŽ ±Ãâ€š. ΈτÏÆ'ÃŽ ¹ ÃŽ µÃŽ ¯Ãâ€¡ÃŽ ±ÃŽ ½ ÏÆ'φÎ ±ÃŽ »ÃŽ ¼ÃŽ ¬Ãâ€žÃâ€°ÃŽ ½ ως ÃŽ ½ÃŽ ­ÃŽ ±, ÃŽ ½ÃŽ ±ÃŽ ¯ ÃŽ ¼ÃŽ · ÃŽ µÃŽ »ÃŽ ­ÃŽ ³Ãâ€¡ÃŽ ¿Ãâ€¦ ÃŽ ³ÃŽ ½Ãâ€°Ã ÃŽ ¯ÃŽ ¶ÃŽ µÃŽ ¹ ÃŽ µÃŽ ¹ÃÆ'ÃŽ ±ÃŽ ³Ãâ€°ÃŽ ³ÃŽ ®. ÃŽ ÃŽ ­ÃŽ ± ÃŽ ­Ã ÃŽ ³Ãâ€°ÃŽ ½ Ï„Î µÃŽ »ÃŽ ¹ÃŽ ºÃŽ ¬ πΠµÃ ÃŽ ¹ÃŽ ¼ÃŽ ­ÃŽ ½ÃŽ ¿Ãâ€¦ÃŽ ½ ÃŽ ¼ÃŽ µ, ÃŽ ­ÃŽ ºÃŽ ´ÃŽ ¿ÃÆ'ÃŽ · ÃŽ »ÃŽ ¿ÃŽ ¹Ãâ‚¬ÃÅ'ÃŽ ½ ÏÆ'ÃŽ ¯ÃŽ ³ÃŽ ¿Ãâ€¦Ã ÃŽ ¿Ãâ€š ÃŽ ¼ÃŽ ¹ÃŽ ± ÃŽ ¿ÃŽ ¹, ÃŽ ¼ÃŽ µÃŽ ¹ÃÅ½ÃÆ'ÃŽ µÃŽ ¹ ÃŽ µÃŽ ºÃâ€žÃŽ µÃŽ »ÃŽ ­ÃÆ'ÃŽ µÃŽ ¹Ãâ€š ÃŽ ´ÃŽ ·ÃŽ ¼ÃŽ ¹ÃŽ ¿Ãâ€¦Ã ÃŽ ³ÃŽ ®ÃÆ'ÃŽ µÃŽ ¹Ãâ€š ÏÆ'ÃŽ ±ÃŽ ½ ÃŽ ¼ÃŽ µ. ÃŽ £ÃŽ ¯ÃŽ ³ÃŽ ¿Ãâ€¦Ã ÃŽ ¿Ãâ€š ÃŽ »ÃŽ ¹ÃŽ ³ÃÅ'Ï„Î µÃ ÃŽ ¿Ãâ€¦Ãâ€š Ï„Î ·Ãâ€š Ï„Î ¹, ÃŽ ¿ÃŽ ¹ φÏ ÃŽ ¬ÃÆ'ÃŽ · Ï„Î µÃŽ »ÃŽ ¹ÃŽ ºÃÅ½ÃŽ ½ Ï€Ï ÃŽ ¿ÃÆ'πΠ¬ÃŽ ¸ÃŽ µÃŽ ¹ÃŽ ± ÏÅ'ÃŽ »ÃŽ ·. Everything about lorem ipsum Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Inquire vs EnquireDo you "orient" yourself, or "orientate" yourself?Dissatisfied vs. Unsatisfied

Labor and Employee Relations Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Labor and Employee Relations - Assignment Example The management would want to cut down on the perks of the employees. However the solution lies in proper agreement and then negotiating that is beneficial for both the parties involved. The International Labor Organization defines a company union as "A union limited to a single company which dominates or strongly influences it, thereby limiting its influence" [2]. The unions generally have a leader who negotiates with the company. As the supervisor of the manufacturing plant, I have the responsibility of coming to terms with the union. The first step would be to communicate to the union leader that the contract needs renewal and a formal meeting would be scheduled. In this meeting, I would present my points from the managerial point of view and the union leader would bring up the demands and worries of the employees. This initial phase gives the general idea about the extent to which the employees feel about the deal. The previous contract would be amended and points and issues would be added. Thereon several meetings will be held between me and the union leader to negotiate even further and to decide which party can compromise of which issue. A finalized version o f the contract will be rotated amidst the employees who will sign it to bind them to the contract for a certain period as agreed. It is true that the emp... Because of this we allow unions to form and negotiate the concerns of the employees so that they are happy and eventually make us happy. Part Two - You are attending a lunch and learn session on stress reduction in the workplace. In order to prepare yourself for this meeting, write a paragraph explaining how you would reduce stress at work. Write another 1-2 paragraphs indicating why you believe this approach would be successful. Pressure is part of the work and it helps to keep the employees motivated. But excessive pressure can lead to stress, which undermines performance, is costly to employers and can make people ill. Pressure and stress at work is just like any problem for the organization. If dealt in a problem solving method, it would certainly go away. The problem solving approach is outlined in these steps. 1) Identify the problem, not just the symptoms 2) Create solutions as to how stress can be reduced 3) Evaluate and analyze all the solutions to find which is the best 4) Implement the solution which will have maximum impact 5) Check if the problem is solved The problem here is not stress, rather stress is the symptom. There can be many problems because of which a person can become stressful. The need to identify the problem cannot be emphasized more. If a person thinks that stress is the problem, then he would try to reduce stress by taking tension relieving drugs, or starting smoking. Compared to a person who correctively identifies the problem as 'too much work load', he will try to talk to his boss to reduce the load. This five step approach is a tried and tested methodology to every problem but it needs to be worked out

Steroids in sports Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Steroids in sports - Essay Example We have witnessed suspension of different players due to the reason that they were involved in taking steroids for enhancing their performance. The steroids are unhealthy for the body and can affect the human body in several ways, and this is the main reason why its usage is unethical. Steroids are illegal and banned in countries for different reasons, but it is still imported and produced illegally. Steroids are harmful for its users and it can badly affect their health. Regular use of steroids can also become a reason of liver cancer and can cause death of the patient (Murray, 1-25). Everyone loves sport, and people want to see ethical game. Mostly youngsters consider players as their role models and ideals, and when they see players taking steroids or drugs to improve their performance, it negatively affects them. The players usually take steroids in two different forms, either in the form of pills or in the form of injections. The physicians should take proper care before prescribing any drug or steroid to their patients. It can badly affect or harm their health. As use of steroid in countries, physicians should make sure that they avoid prescribing any such drugs to their patients at any cost. Steroids damage the skin of the users and internally damage the organs of the human being. It gives strength, muscles, and excessive power for the time being, after that, the players feels worse. These steroids also have side effects, and its users can die because of it. Players should consult doctors only for their fitness and health issues, and should strongly be against any drugs or steroids that can harm their health. Physician and doctors should take blood tests of their patients, so that even if the players are involved in taking steroids, they should stop them and take measures for preventing its usage. The use of steroids is an

Martin Luther on Marriage Essay Example for Free

Martin Luther on Marriage Essay Martin Luther clearly states that in the beginning, God created male and female, blessed them, and told them to be fruitful and multiply . According to Martin Luther, in order for this ordinance to be fulfilled, man and woman must come together in marriage as husband and wife. It is not within the powers of a man or a woman, according to Martin Luther, to be the way he/she is or to live without a partner . Luther states that marriage is not a subject of free choice, but rather a natural and important thing. The ordinance, to be fruitful and multiply, is godly and not within the powers of man to obstruct or disregard. Man and woman are created by God for the sole purpose of multiplying, and whoever tries to resist this, lives in sin . Martin Luther however states that there are people who are exempted from marriage; the eunuchs . He states that unless one is a eunuch, he/she should not presume to be without a partner due to the fact that it is hard for one to remain righteous. He believes that marriage is something instituted by God and that all vows are invalid before Him, with the exception of any person who is a eunuch . He urges all those who have taken vows to reconsider their innate companionship and get into marriage, because they are acting contrary to the will of God. Martin Luther rejects all the reasons set by the pope in his standard law for bringing a marriage to an end or preventing it altogether. Martin Luther believes that marriage is not all about money as set by the papal authority. According to Luther, a person should not enter into marriage with her mother, sister, step-mother, step-sister, grand daughter, or aunt regardless of whether he has money or not . Martin Luther however states that one can enter into marriage with her brother’s daughter. He believes that a man should take a wife as he pleases, regardless of whether he is the spiritual father, godchild, or whether the lady is a sister or a daughter of his spiritual sponsor or not. Martin Luther believes that an adopted child is free to marry the son or the daughter of its adoptive parent due to the fact that they have no blood relationship . He also asserts that everybody is free to get into marriage with whomever he/she pleases regardless of the religious or ethnic background of such a person. He believes that everyone is a God’s creation and should enter into marriage with whomever he/she likes. According to Martin Luther, no sin or crime should be a barrier to marriage. He argues that sins should be punished with other penalties, rather than forbidding marriage. Martin Luther also states that after the death of a spouse to be, a man or woman is free to marry any of the relative of the dead partner except for mother or daughter . Martin Luther claims that marriage as a result of coercion is not valid before the eyes of God. He however states that a man, who is in marriage as a result of coercion, should not leave her wife . He also states that if a man takes more than two girls to be his wives, without the consent of her parents, then his father should decide which of the girls is to remain as a wife. He believes that parental authority must be respected before any one enters into secret engagement. Martin Luther states that marriages are not supposed to be broken without a sound cause . He states that the only logical reasons for dissolving a marriage are adultery and unfit spouse for marriage. Basing his arguments on the New Testament, Martin Luther makes it clear that no one should put asunder what God has joined together. According to Martin Luther, every party in marriage is supposed to fulfill the conjugal rights of the other. Basing his argument on the teachings of St Paul, he stresses that no man or woman has authority over his/her own body, but his/her partner does. Luther asserts that a divorce may be sought; if one of the parties does not satisfy the conjugal rights of the other. He continues to say that if a couple obtains a divorce, they should remain as such unless they are reconciled . The contemporary church, from this discussion, should realize that the estate of marriage has fallen into an extremely awful disgrace as Martin Luther asserts. It is high time the church realized that a woman is not an evil being. Women are God’s creation, and subjecting them to disrespect is blaspheming the work of God . Martin Luther states that in order that the church may carry on in light, concerning the issue of marriage, it should first hold that man and woman are the work of God, which should not be subjected to criticism . Basing his stand on the Old Testament, Martin Luther states that God knows what is good for everyone of us. It is high time therefore that the modern church leaders realized that God is the initiator of marriage. According to Martin Luther, â€Å"God saw it was not good for man to be alone, and he created for him a companion† . Modern churches, in addition to church congregations, should learn that they have no right in deterring children from marriage alluring them to nunnery and priesthood, citing the tribulations of a married life . Martin Luther states that all those who criticize or censure marriage are acting contrary to the will of God. The church, based on that fact, should be on the look out for publications which criticize marriage. Luther is greatly embittered by those who term marriage as brief joy and long-lasting bitterness. He states that â€Å"to recognize the estate of marriage is something quite different from merely being married† . The church should learn that those who do not make out the estate of marriage can in no way continue in marriage without resentment and anguish. But, on the other hand, those who recognize the estate of marriage obtain unending pleasure, joy and delight. Basing his arguments on the teachings of St Paul, he says that those who marry are not exempted from earthly problems, but continues to say that their spiritual delight greatly exceed their outward bitterness. The church, according to Martin Luther, should learn that no one can generate real happiness in marriage without recognizing that marriage is pleasing to God. The church should learn greatly from Martin Luther’s assertion that â€Å"he who refuses to marry will fall into sins† . This is due to the fact that God created both man and woman for purposes of reproduction and multiplication. He claims that if this reproduction happens not in marriage, then it is bound to happen in covert sins and fornication . Luther claims that it is high time the church stopped putting marriage so far below virginity. Luther claims that no estate should be taken as better than the estate of marriage in the sight of God . He states that those who fail to marry claiming that they are not able to support their marriage display a lack of faith in God. Yet, God has made it clear that out of our sweat shall we eat. The church should also learn that those who fail to marry out of celibacy, their vows are invalid before God unless they fall under the category of eunuchs. The Church should learn, as Luther claims, that these people are bound to commit sins due to the fact that no one has the capability of resisting God’s ordinance within him/her. The church should also learn, as Luther makes it clear, not to take money as solution to critical marriage issues. Luther states that one may marry whomever he/she likes, except for a blood relative or parents to his/her spouse, without setting up any cash for the privilege . It can therefore be concluded that marriage is a good thing, for humankind, ordained from God. It is advisable for one to marry unless he falls under the category of eunuchs lest he fall into sins. The church should not set up conditions to determine the way marriage is supposed to be handled. Money and wealth should not be a factor to consider when getting into marriage. Bibliography: Luther, Martin. The Estate of Marriage, 1522, viewed on May 19, 2010 from http://www. warwick. ac. uk/fac/arts/History/teaching/protref/women/WR0913. htm

Shiloh Essay example -- essays papers

Shiloh After Shiloh the South would never smile again. Known originally as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, The Battle of Shiloh was the bloodiest battle fought in North America up to that time. Pittsburg Landing was an area from where the Yankees planned to attack the Confederates who had moved from Fort Donelson to Corinth, Mississippi. The North was commanded by General Ulysses S. Grant and the South by General Albert Sydney Johnston. The Union army was taken by surprise the first day when the Confederate Army unexpectedly attacked, but after Union reinforcements arrived the fighting virtually ended in a tie. Lasting for two days, April 6 and 7 of 1862, casualties for both sides exceeded 20,000. The Battle of Shiloh was a message to both the North and South that the Civil War was for real. General Grant was anxious to maintain the momentum of his victory at Fort Donelson. His army had moved up to a port on the Tennessee River called Pittsburg Landing in preparation for an attack on Corinth, Mississippi, where the Confederate troops were located. General Halleck, Western U.S. Army commander, had ordered Grant to stay put and wait for reinforcements. Grant had given command of the Pittsburg Landing encampment to General William T. Sherman while he waited at his camp in Savannah, Tennessee. (1) At Corinth, Confederate Generals Albert Sydney Johnston and P.G.T. Beauregard worked feverishly to ready the 40,000 plus troops there for an attack on the Union Army at Pittsburg Landing before U.S. Army General Buell and reinforcements could arrive from Nashville. The officers appointed as corps commanders for the South were Major General John Breckinridge, Major General William J. Hardee, Major General Braxton Bragg, and Major General Leonidas Polk. The South headed for Pittsburg Landing on April 4, 1862 but because of several delays the attack was postponed until April 6. The Battle of Shiloh began early the morning of April 6. Johnston’s men burst out of the woods so early that Union soldiers came out of their tents to fight. The Confederate army drove the Yankees back eight miles that day. One area that was especially troublesome for the South was nicknamed the Hornet’s Nest and was commanded by Union General Prentiss. The area was a sunken road that Federal troops rallied behind and mowed down wave after wave of Rebel attackers until General ... ...fternoon of April 7. "It was now, however, only about one o’clock†¦and Buell’s fresh men numbering 30,000 in all were still coming in. Gen. Beauregard knew there was a limit to human endurance†¦and after proper consideration, thought it wise to retire" (New Orleans, Times-Picayune, 1862). The Confederate Army retreated to Corinth. The Union Army didn’t follow them and was glad to see them go.(5) After the Battle of Shiloh both sides reported that the war would be long and drawn out. When asked, after he was captured, if he thought Shiloh would lead to peace, General Prentiss stated "Never, till the Union is restored. If we do not whip you with the men we have, we will bring more (New Orleans, Times-Picayune, 1862). Though the price of battle at Pittsburg Landing was high for both sides, it was only the beginning of the destructiveness that lay ahead. WORKS CITED Crist, Lynda Lasswell 1995. The Papers of Jefferson Davis. Louisiana State University Press. Volume VIII. Moore, Frank 1865. The Rebellion Record. Arno Press. Volume XXII. H.P. Special Correspondant, "The Battle of Shiloh." April 11, 1862. New Orleans The Times-Picayune. Volume XXVI Number 65.

Business Plan for Salon & Spa

Introduction People seek beauty. They are constantly looking to give themselves a whole new look or improve what they have. They drop by the nearest hair and beauty salon to be pampered by stylists and beauticians to style their tresses, shape their eyebrows, and color their nails – all for a few (or more) bucks. An hour in a hair and salon shop every month and one emerges confident and ready to take on the world. Beauty salon and spa business has grown rapidly over the past decade. Latest extrapolations from U. S. census data place the salon and spa service industry at over $35 billion annually.And that figure doesn't include the retail sale of professional beauty products which is at least another $7 billion annually. While traditional barbershops, hair salons and nail salons have experienced moderate growth, high end beauty salons and day spas have seen significant spikes of revenue in recent years. In the recent years, this business has seen redundant profits in Bangladesh . In this moment introduction of â€Å"Trendster† a full-service beauty salon to the Bangladeshi market is an exciting new development for us.Our Mission: â€Å"Trendster† is dedicated to consistently providing high customer satisfaction by rendering excellent service, quality products, and furnishing an enjoyable atmosphere at an acceptable price/value relationship. We will also maintain a friendly, fair, and creative work environment, which respects diversity, ideas, and hard work. Owners and source of finance â€Å"Trendster† is a partnership business owned by several owners. Ms. Farzin Ahmed, co-owner with Kabir ahmed, her husband, has worked in a prestigious, upscale salon in Gulshan, Dhaka for the past two years.Ms. Farzin has created a large client following through hard work and dedication. She and her talented team of beauticians, has what it takes to make this venture an extremely successful one. We expect our growing reputation to lead to new clients and beauticians to support our anticipated growth. To achieve our objectives, Trendster is seeking additional loan financing. This loan will be paid from the cash flow from the business, and will be collateralized by the assets of the company, and backed by the character, experience, and personal guarantees of the owners.Address: The salon will be located at House 25, Road 5, Block A, Bashundhara Residential Area, Dhaka. The salon will utilize 1,540 square feet. The location is strategically situated on one of the high profile area, with easy access from all parts of town. Justification As we have said before, the owner has created a large client following through hard work and dedication. So, the rising demand from the owner's clients, as well as the ambitions of the owner to one day start her own salon, and the procurement of highly professional and qualified beauticians to support the salon, has made this business one of great potential.Moreover, the salon business in Bangladesh is raising potential. The keys to success in our business are: * Location: Providing an easily accessible location for customers. * Environment: Providing an environment conducive to giving relaxing and professional service. * Convenience: Offering clients a wide range of services in one setting, and extended business hours. * Reputation: Reputation of the owner and other â€Å"beauticians† as providing superior personal service. Target Market: A target market is a specific, well-defined segment of consumers that a company plans to target with its products, services and marketing activities.Target marketing orients all of the various components of the marketing function toward a single group, maximizing the appeal of brands to specific markets. The term â€Å"target audience† is a bit narrower; it refers specifically to the group of consumers targeted by advertisements. Now we are going to describe the segments of our salon’s target market: Category of segmentat ion: 1. Geographic segmentation 2. Demographic segmentation 3. Psychographic segmentation 4. Behavioral segmentation Geographic segmentation:City : Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh . Gulshan , Banani, Baridhara , Uttara , Dhanmondi are most popular area in Bangladesh and most of the rich people are living in these areas. That is why, people of these areas are our target customers of Dhaka city. Other than Dhaka, we want to open some branches of our salon in other divisions where the market is promising, such as, Rajshahi, Chittagong and Sylhet. Because, a huge number of people of these cities are wealthy enough to bear the cost of spa services. Moreover, people of these areas are educated and style conscious.So, they deserve a spa shop where they can meet their demand. If we launch our Salon in those areas then it will carry a good profit that’s really the main cause. Another city, which will become another large market after Dhaka, is Cox’s bazar. No doubt, the long est sea-beach has a very large amount of foreigners who come to enjoy the holidays, must seek the heavenly pleasure of spa service. It will be our best chance to start our business there considering both local and foreign visitors comfort to enjoy the sea-sight with full satisfaction.And no doubt, a huge amount of profit will come from this target market for future. 2. Density: Certainly we are targeting the urban areas. No doubt, the poor and uneducated villagers will not agree for getting those benefits of spa and they also cannot bear the cost too. That is the main cause to target the urban area as a target market. Demographic segmentation: 1. Income: We want to give better service to the customer than the others. We will provide services to the people of different kinds of income.But the main condition will be the customer himself/herself must have that capacity to pay for the service. So, we have planned to make target customers those who are well-off to pay such as, middle and top level employees, business persons, university faculties etc. we are also offering reasonable price for the students whose income ranges 6000-12000 with discounts. 2. Education: Students of different universities who are fashion conscious are our target customers. We are offering discounts for the students. Now, it is not possible to target the students of whole Bangladesh, or outside the Dhaka city.In this respect, we are focusing on those who are near to our shop, such as, students of NSU, IUB, AIUB etc. it is sure that targeting this segment, we are going to get a huge number of customers who are students. 3. Age and education: Though our target market is different employees of good amount of income, business persons and students, but we cannot ignore others beside these customers who too take the services either only haircutting or spa service with barber services. The details of these customers, their potentials, occupations are stated below with target customers.Age| Occup ation| Details | Market potential| 5 to 12 (children)| Kindergarten students or primary students | Do not have so much knowledge on hair-stylingBirth rate in Bangladesh is increasing| Weak| 13 – 18 Teenagers| Secondary school students| Begin to follow the current trendStrict rules in secondary schoolSmall consumption power | Medium| 18 -25(young adults)| University students| Normally no rules restricting their hair style Have income sources because can be a home tutor or doing so work through internet like as free launching etc. Strong| 25 to 40 (mature adults )| Doctor , engineer, teacher, banker , marketing officer, business man ,| Do not communicate with customers Income sources | Medium | 40 -60(Middle aged adults )| Doctor, engineer, teacher, banker, marketing officer, business man. | Problems of having less hair Willing to pay more on hair treatment| Quite strong | Above 60(old aged adults)| N/A| Normally do not have so much hair| Weak| Psychographic segmentation: 1. Li festyle: From achievers and striver obviously it is possible to make good profit because they are really so careful about their lifestyle.But from the survivors the market potential is so weak that we were forced to target the achievers. 2. Social class: The upper class people is always careful about their life. So, it’s obvious that they will agree to spend much money if they get quality services. So from this segment our main target will be upper class people. The middle class people also careful about their hair and other elements of fashion, but not as the upper does. Behavioral segmentation: 1.Occasion: In Bangladesh Eid, Pahela Baishakh, puja, Valentine’s day are the occasions people celebrate with great joy. In this time we can give some special offers or discounts for the customer for building a good relationship with the customers. We will give same facility like as another salon like as ours but will give service lower rate than them for marriage ceremony occ asions. 2. Benefit: We will provide good quality products to give the service of the customer to attract them to this salon. If we do this then we will get some regular customers who will be profitable for us. User Status: We will provide discount for the regular and first time user that will help us to attract them to this salon which is essential to make good relation with the customers and to attract the customers for our salon. Positioning strategy: Positioning strategy is the process by which marketers try to create an image or identity in the minds of their target market for its product, brand, or organization. Core Idea Concept simply describes the product or service. Its purpose is merely to determine whether the idea has any interest to the end buyer.Positioning Concept attempts to sell the benefits of the product or service to a potential buyer. The positioning concepts focus on the rational or emotional benefits that buyer will receive or feel by using the product/service . A successful positioning concept must be developed and qualified before a â€Å"positioning statement† can be created. The positioning concept is shared with the target audience for feedback and optimization. Brand positioning process Effective Brand Positioning is contingent upon identifying and communicating a brand's uniqueness, differentiation and verifiable value.It is important to note that â€Å"me too† brand positioning contradicts the notion of differentiation and should be avoided at all costs. This type of copycat brand positioning only works if the business offers its solutions at a significant discount over the other competitor(s). Generally, the brand positioning process involves: 1. Identifying the business's direct competition (could include players that offer your product/service amongst a larger portfolio of solutions) 2. Understanding how each competitor is positioning their business today (e. g. laiming to be the fastest, cheapest, largest, the #1 provider, etc. ) 3. Documenting the provider's own positioning as it exists today (may not exist if startup business) 4. Comparing the company's positioning to its competitors' to identify viable areas for differentiation 5. Developing a distinctive, differentiating and value-based positioning concept 6. Creating a positioning statement with key messages and customer value propositions to be used for communications development across the variety of target audience touch points (advertising, media, PR, website, etc. )Product positioning process Generally, the product positioning process involves: 1. Defining the market in which the product or brand will compete (who the relevant buyers are) 2. Identifying the attributes (also called dimensions) that define the product ‘space' 3. Collecting information from a sample of customers about their perceptions of each product on the relevant attributes 4. Determine each product's share of mind 5. Determine each product's current locati on in the product space 6. Determine the target market's preferred combination of attributes (referred to as an ideal vector) 7.Examine the fit between: * The position of your product * The position of the ideal vector Product Positioning for salon Product positioning refers to all â€Å"products and services,† not just the physical products that we use (and sell) in our spa. Product decisions include: * Brand * Quality * Styling * Safety * Packaging * Guarantees * Support Price Positioning for salon: Pricing spa products and services is a key element of the marketing mix. Pricing decisions influence all your other marketing decisions. Pricing decisions include: * Skim pricing (to maximize profits) Penetration pricing (quantity maximization) * Suggested retail price * Discounting * Bundling * Seasonal pricing We have considered the following: To maximize profits, should we price our services and to â€Å"skim the cream† off the top of the market, to those who are less â€Å"price sensitive†? Will our target customers support that strategy? Will we and our employees be better served if we keep prices low, to reach a broader market? Will we sell at (or below) suggested retail price? Will we offer discounts by bundling products and services? Do we run seasonal promotions?When clients buy spa packages, do we offer discounts on products and/or future services. Selecting an overall positioning strategy : Consumers typically chose products and service that give them the greatest value. Marketers want to position their brands on the key benefits that they offer relative to competing brands. The full positioning of brand is called the brands value proposition the full mix of benefits upon which the brand is positioned. More for more: â€Å"More for more† positioning involves providing the most upscale product or service and charging a higher price to cover the highest cost.Black cut hair salon, so much included instrument. Each claims superi or quality, durability, performance, or style and change a price to much. Not only is the marketing offers high in quality. It also offers prestige to the customer. It symbolizes status and a loftier lifestyle. Often the price difference exceeds the actual incrementing quality. In general , companies should be on the lookout for opportunities to introduce a much-more-for-much-more brand in any underdeveloped product or service category yet more-for-more brands can be vulnerable.More for the same: Hair salon can attack a competitors more for more positioning by in traducing a brand offering comparable quality but at a lower price. Black cut hair salon its Lexus line with a â€Å"more for the same† value proposition. The same for less: offering â€Å"the same for less† can be powerful value proposition everyone likes a good deal. For example ,fair and care salon offers equivalent service at a lower price for performance . Discount stores such as spa service. Less for muc h less: A market almost always exist for products that offer less therefore cost loss.Few people need , want , or can afford â€Å"the very best† in everything they buy. In many cases , consumers will gladly settle for less than optimal performance or give up some of the bells and whistles in exchange for low price . â€Å"less-for-much-less† positioning involves meting consumers lower performance or quality requirements at a much lower price. For example fair care hair salon general stores offer more affordable goods at very low price. More for less: of course, the winning value proposition would be the offer â€Å"More for less†. Many salon claim to do this.For example, fair and care salon claims to have better products and lower prices for a given level of performance. In the short run , some companies can actually achieve such lofty positions. Yet in the long run, companies will find it very difficult to sustain such best –of-both positioning. Offerin g more usually costs more , making it difficult to deliver on the â€Å"for less† promise. Fair and care salon that try to deliver both may lose out to more – focused competitors. The important thing is that each company must develop its own positioning strategy, one that makes it special to its target consumers.Offering only â€Å"the same for the same† provides no competitive advantages . leaving the firm in the middle of the pack . salon offerings one of the three losing value propositions_ â€Å"the same for more,† â€Å"less for more†, â€Å"less for the same†_ will inevitably fail. Here, customers soon realize that they’ve been underserved , tell others and abandon the brand. Positioning statement: Company and brand positioning should be summed up in a positioning statement. The statement should follow this form: To target segment and need our brand is concept that point of difference.The positioning first states the product mem bership in a category (spa or salon business) and then shows its point of difference from other members in category has more salon. Placing a brand in a specific category suggests similarities that it might share with other products in category but the case for the brand in a surprisingly different category. Differentiation Strategies of Salon Differentiation Strategies This strategy involves selecting one or more criteria used by buyers in a market – and then positioning the business uniquely to meet those criteria.This strategy is usually associated with charging a premium price for the product – often to reflect the higher production costs and extra value-added features provided for the consumer. Differentiation is about charging a premium price that more than covers the additional production costs, and about giving customers clear reasons to prefer the product over other, less differentiated products. Top of Form * Complementary Services: This will encourage additi onal customer purchases. For example, If you offer facials, offer a free make up consult with every facial.Customers who like to pamper themselves will appreciate the additional offers and your salon will make more money. * Products: Sell products that relate to the services you offer. For example if you offer braiding, you can sell hair maintenance product such as braid spray, hair food e. t. c. You could also create your own product; you could have different beauty services put together as a package deal. * Atmosphere: Create an atmosphere in your beauty salon that allows you to charge a premium price for your services. For example, make your beauty salon feel like a spa with, soothing music and soft lighting.When customers feel rejuvenated and look great after they leave your salon, they will pay more and return more frequently. * Target group: Differentiate your beauty salon from your competitors. For example, if your primary competitor focuses on high-end appointment-based clie nts, you should focus on basic services and walk-in clients. On the other hand, you could offer services that are not available at your competitor's salon. If your competitor only offers hair services, you should offer nail services, facials and makeup services. Strategy – Differentiation FocusIn the differentiation focus strategy, a business aims to differentiate within just one or a small number of target market segments. The special customer needs of the segment mean that there are opportunities to provide products that are clearly different from competitors who may be targeting a broader group of customers. The important issue for any business adopting this strategy is to ensure that customers really do have different needs and wants – in other words that there is a valid basis for differentiation – and that existing competitor products are not meeting those needs and wants.Strategy – Cost Focus Here a business seeks a lower-cost advantage in just on or a small number of market segments. The product will be basic – perhaps a similar product to the higher-priced and featured market leader, but acceptable to sufficient consumers. Such products are often called â€Å"me-tool’s product differentiation (also known simply as â€Å"differentiation†) is the process of distinguishing a product or offering from others, to make it more attractive to a particular target market. This involves differentiating it from competitors' products as well as a firm's own product offerings.Rationale Differentiation can be a source of competitive advantage. Although research in a niche market may result in changing a product in order to improve differentiation, the changes themselves are not differentiation. Marketing or product differentiation is the process of describing the differences between products or services, or the resulting list of differences. This is done in order to demonstrate the unique aspects of a firm's product a nd create a sense of value. Marketing textbooks are firm on the point that any differentiation must be valued by buyers .The term unique selling proposition refers to advertising to communicate a product's differentiation. * Ignorance of buyers regarding the essential characteristics and qualities of goods they are purchasing * Sales promotion activities of sellers and, in particular, advertising * Differences in availability (e. g. timing and location). Marketing mix: Marketing mix is the set of controllable tactical marketing tool- product, price, place and promotion- that the firm blends to produce the response it wants in the target market. The marketing mix is everything we can do to influence the demand for our service.The four groups of variables known as â€Å"the 4 Ps†: product, price, place, promotion. The marketing mix of our salon is stated below: Product: Product is actually the services we will provide to the target customers in our salon. There are different ty pes of services in our salon starting from hair cutting of male and female, hair coloring service, skin care treatment, different types of massages to sooth the people from different types of pressures and other different kinds of salon and spa services. All these services are to be given with great care keeping the customers satisfaction in the mind.In the following, the list of services is given: Salon and Spa Services:Hair Salon Business Services:? Haircuts, styling and trims. ? Hair coloring and highlights ? Hair and scalp treatments. ? Hair shampoo and conditioning. ? Hair relaxers and perms. ? Hair curling, reconstructing and waving Nail Salon Business Services:? Manicures. ? Pedicures. ? Nail polish. ? Nail repair and sculpting. ? Hand conditioning. Day Spa and Beauty Business Services:? Body scrubs. ? Body wrapping and herbal wraps. ? Massage and aromatherapy. ? Hot stone therapy. ? Acupuncture and Reflexology. ? Derma abrasion. ? Anti-aging. Facials. ? Makeup and makeovers. ? Skin cleansing and care. ? Body waxing.? Polishing, buffing and bronzing. ? Tanning. ? Piercing. | Salon and Spa Products:Hair Salon Products:? Shampoos. ? Conditioners. ? Extra hair treatment. ? Pre-styling products. ? Hair styling products. ? Hair finishes. ? Brushes and hair tools. Skin Care, Nail and Beauty Products:? Face skin care products. ? Body skin care products. ? Makeup. ? Makeup tools. ? Nail polish products. ? Nail finish products. ? Nail tools. ? Perfumes. ? Bed and bath products. | The list tells that how our shop is and how its work quality will be.Price: Now, we will discuss about the second variable of marketing mix of our shop. In every business farm, one of the major activities is to set price of the services. The price must be fair and within the budget of the people. Also, it is also important to set price in such a way that, a farm can attend its profit. So, we have tried our best to set a fair price which meets the customer vale and our profits. The price list of our services is given below: Service providing Price (BDT) Hair Salon Business Services:Haircuts, styling and trims. 200 Hair coloring and highlights 350 Hair and scalp treatments. 500 Hair shampoo and conditioning 350 Hair relaxers and perms 400 Hair curling, reconstructing and waving 400 Shaving (foam) 100 Shaving (gel) 150Day Spa and Beauty Business Services: Body scrubs 1000/hr Body wrapping and herbal wraps 1000/hr Massage and aromatherapy 000/hr Hot stone therapy 1000/hr Facials (Men) 600 Facials (woman) 1000 Makeup and makeovers 2000-3000 Skin cleansing and care 800 Body waxing 500 Polishing, buffing and bronzing 800 Nail Salon Business Services: Manicures 500 Pedicures 500 Nail polish 200 Nail repair and sculpting 200 Hand conditioning 300Place: Place include the farm’s activity that makes the service available to the target customers. Place must be a suitable site or location where people can easily get access without any hazards. Since, we are new i n the salon market service and also in introduction stage, so it is actually not possible for us to open more than one branch in the city. Certainly our target market is the people of Dhaka and our shop will also be in Dhaka, but it seemed a great hectic job for us to find out a suitable place to open the salon. We thought, since Persona has its branch in Gulshan, Banani and Uttara, it will not be profitable for us to open a new salon and spa business in those busy and royal areas.But there is a place where Persona still did not open their branch. The place is Bashundhara Residential Area. So, this was the best chance for us to open and grab a whole market of Bashundhara where different University students, business persons, employees of different big corporate giants live. Promotional strategy 1. Stealth marketing: Viral marketing is used to build brand awareness. Viral marketing is done through Facebook, twitter and other different blogs. 2. Referral program: Referral program is a very powerful word of mouth advertising and more believable than any other form of endorsement. It is done mainly by endorsements or reference. Reference can come from friends and clients.The most powerful recommendation is the recommendation of clients who will tell to his/her friends about the service we will provide him/her. For this reason, we have to identify those people who can influence our target market and get them endorse our service. 3. Telephone marketing: Everything should be about increasing perceived value of the service in the eyes of the clients. Now the question arise how telephone marketing helps us? Every single contact clients has with the business forms a perception, either good or bad. In telephone marketing, we have to call our clients and let them know about our new promotions. Not only that, we have to ask them questions that what he/she thinks about our service according.Another part of telephone marketing is, if the clients ask us about any problems and solutions, then we will solve the problems by providing them guidelines. 4. Keep in touch: It will be very important for our business to give emphasis the existing clients and customers. For this, we have to maintain a good relationship by remaining in touch with them. We can be in touch with them by sending promotional materials, greeting cards, birthday wishes and by e-mails. E-mail marketing is highly effective to build and maintain relationship with existing customers and also to build loyalty and trust. 5. The power of free: The customers who regularly take the service of salon and spa, mainly they get some gifts from the salon. But as we are new in the market, we are giving gifts to the customers from now.Those who would have already arrived to us for taking our service more than three times, we will actually offering them different kinds of gifts. The gifts are cosmetics, skin care products, hair care products, salon voucher, product samples etc. this system is called Ã¢â‚¬Ë œGifts with purchase (GWP). ’ 6. Perform SWOT analysis: SWOT analysis too plays a great role in promotion. SWOT analysis helps to know which are our strengths, our weakness, and what is our opportunities and threats and considering these four variables, to check and analyze our strengths, weakness, threats and opportunities. By researching these four, we can promote our business easily with practical logics.Our strengths are, we are placing our business in such a place where there is no salon and spa which can provide the services as we are providing. Not only that, we are charging comparatively cheaper than other salon and spa shops in Dhaka city with qualified manpower. By doing our SWOT analysis, we got some weakness in our business which is not surprising because, we are new in the market and weakness will be there. These weakness are since we are new, we don’t have that much manpower, but the good news is that the existing manpower are as good as other reputed sal ons and spas. Another weakness is we cannot charge more than other salons and spas in our every service since we are still in introducing stage and people are lacking about our brand.Our management is not consists of experts like persona or women world, the employees are still learning, so it is sure that we have to wait for a long time to take our salon in the top. We have got huge opportunity to take ourselves in a class of reputed salon and spa shop. Salon and spa shop market is not that much widespread in our country, only in Dhaka there are some spa shops and in Chittagong too, there are may be 2 or 3 salon and spa shops, but those are very costly, actually located in five star hotels. In other cities, there are no salon and spa shops. So we can extend our business throughout Bangladesh and can create an opportunity for those people who cannot afford the huge cost of salon and spas and we can increase our brand image.There are some threats for us in this market. We are not thin king that we will be dissolved in this market, but there is a threat of not reaching in our vision. Because other salon and spa like Persona, Women’s World are so popular, strong and wide that, we may remain under them, ie, the competition is intense though the competitors are small in number. Another thing is that since our services are cheaper than others, so we may face losses in first few years which may create problems for us to attain a good return on investments (ROI). However, we are confident that despite weakness and threats, we will be the best salon and spa service institution in Bangladesh. Advertising mediaMedia is the most important medium of conveying the messages to the people. people come to know about a product or service at first through media. So media plays a big role in a product or service development. We considered some major steps in selecting advertising media. These major steps are: 1. Deciding on reach, frequencies and impact. 2. Choosing among ma jor media types. 3. Selecting specific media vehicle and 1. Deciding on reach, frequencies and impact: To select the media, the advertiser must decide on the reach and frequency needed to achieve advertising objectives. We are not unaware of this fact. So we also decided on reach, frequency and impact.Reach is the measure of percentage of people in the target market who are exposed to the advertisement campaign during a given period of time. Frequency is a measure of how many times the average person of the target market is exposed to the message. The media impact states whether our advertisements are of that quality which can attract person or convince a person to come in our salon. 2. Choosing among major media types: We had to see advantages and limitations each and every media types when we had to select the medium. We have chosen those mediums that effectively and efficiently present the advertising message to target customers within our budget. Thus we considered the mediums i mpact, effectiveness and cost. The mediums are: 1.Newspaper: Advantages are flexibility, timeliness, can cover the local market very well and high believability. The limitations are, short life, where people can surely forget about the promotions. 2. The internet: High selectivity, low cost, immediacy, interactive capabilities are advantages. Limitations include relatively low impact than the television. 3. Direct mails: High audience selectivity, flexibility, no advertisement competition etc. limitations include relatively high cost exposure, â€Å"junk mail† image. 4. Magazines: High geographic and demographic selectivity, long life and good pass-along readership. 5. Billboards: Flexibility, high repeat exposure, low cost, low message competition, good positional selectivity.Limitations are little audience selectivity. Selecting specific media vehicles: Since it is important to select the best medium, it is also necessary which brand or vehicle in that medium will gain the attention of the people. The media vehicle makes the product or service believable to the customers; certainly that vehicle does which has huge popularity, good reputations. As newspaper is the medium, we have planned to put our advertisements in the most popular newspaper which is sold in the highest numbers and which is also holds the position of no. 1 in presenting reliable newspaper and magazines. The Daily Prothom Alo and The Daily Star. People will surely response.In the internet, we are mainly targeting to put our advertisements in Facebook. Since Facebook is very popular social networking site and also more used than Twitter and other social blogs, so people will come to know about our service easily. Competitors Analysis: In salon and spa marketing, though the competitors are few in number, but the competition is still high. This is because of the brand image of the competitors. People trust them and easily convinced by their offers. People don not hesitate to take their se rvices despite knowing that they will charge high. Competitors like Persona, Women’s World, Studio Menz did not create their brand image in one day.They did it with hard labor and patience, providing high quality service by qualified men power. They charge high too for the services they provides. A short price list is given below: Service| Competitors (BDT)| Trendster (BDT)| Haircut | 300-600| 100-200| Hair color and treatment| 500-1000| 200-500| Makeovers | 3000-6000| 2000-3000| Facials | 800-1500| 600-1000| Nail treatments| 300- 700| 300-500| Aroma therapy| 1000-1500| 800-1000| Other spa services| 1000-10000| 800-2500| So these are the competitors price list differs from us. Though it looks that, we are better than us in respect of pricing, but there are some things which make them better than us.In the following, the points are given: 1. Our competitors like Persona, studio menz have more qualified manpower than us. 2. Their target market is stronger than us. 3. They have more than 3 branches in the Dhaka city, even some of them has outside of Dhaka. 4. Their ROI is surely better, and they earn good amount of profits. 5. They placed their shops in the suitable places where people can comfortably access. 6. The most important factor is that, they have a very strong brand image, for eg: Persona. If we have to sustain in the market and create a brand image of our own, then we must do whatever our competitors are doing and try to do better than them.Our competitors are strong and popular among the people, but we are also determined to be like them and within few years, we will be at the same shoulder height. Conclusion: So, after seeing all the relevant factors, we can say that, Trendster will be one of the leading salon and spa business holder in Bangladesh. Our strategy, considering the fact that we are in introducing stage, is right and practical. Though in the initial stage it is not possible to gain profit, even it is not possible to flourish the bu siness like Persona as it is now in. Everything needs time to get set, so as our business. We need time to get set ourselves in the market. As time will gradually pass, we will be near to our goal if we remain on the right track.

Science a world of its own

Science, what does this word mean when you're a teacher or more importantly learning to be a teacher. Is it a dirty word? Or Just unfamiliar! Are we scared or Just unsure how to teach it? I will be looking at these thinking by current pre service teachers and graduate teachers. How do we gain confidence, belief and a good attitude towards teaching science in schools? Is it really that hard and daunting to teach 5 year olds and then again to 12 year olds. Is there any difference?Is there a way to help in making science a subject that is as important to a pre service teacher s Health & Physical Education or Art? â€Å"Science in Australian primary school is thus in a state of crisis† (Department of Employment & Training, 1989). Attitude towards teaching science at school is a major problem. Previous research has shown that elementary education majors often dislike science and lack confidence in their ability to teach it. This is an important problem because students who hold the se attitudes are likely to avoid teaching science, or teach it poorly, when they become teachers.It is therefore necessary to identify pre service elementary teachers who hold negative attitudes towards science, and attempt to convert these attitudes to positive before they become teachers. (David H. Palmer, 2001). Why is our attitude so dish-Jointed when it comes to science and to some extent mathematics too? Personally I can't remember much about doing science in primary school as it was too long ago. I feel that it was casual and fun but what I do remember doing was some exciting stuff in and around the school boundaries.Finding bugs, doing experiments and making erupting volcano's in year 6. But high school to me it started to be boring, not fun and an attitude â€Å"why do I have to go to Physics and Chemistry? Over the last two decades, a considerable amount of research attention has focused on the science attitudes of pre service elementary teachers. It has been found that m any of them hold negative attitudes which appear to have arisen from their past experiences in science, particularly at secondary level (Babel & Smith, 1994; Unloading & Wallace, 1996; Scamp, 1991; Westerners, 1982).The only good thing about science was Chemistry when you could play with chemicals and the Bunsen burners and melt things. I believe most pre service teachers think of this time in High School and make a Judgment. Within 3 seeks my attitude has started to change. With what I have seen and learnt, I am optimistic, a little excited on teaching science at primary school. What can change the attitude of the pre service teachers? There were three main reasons: personal attributes of the tutor, specific teaching strategies, and external validation.It was proposed that many of the individual factors were effective because they represented either â€Å"performance accomplishments† or â€Å"vicarious experience† as defined by Bandeau (Psychological Review, 84, 1977, 191-215). Do we as pre service teachers have enough knowledge and belief about science to infidelity teach it at school? Teaching practices are often considered as one of the reasons why American students are not currently demonstrating top achievement in science and mathematics. Both theory and common sense suggest that teachers ‘knowledge of subject matter necessarily influences their classroom practices.Linkages between teachers' personal knowledge, beliefs, and instructional activity have proven elusive despite the considerable level of concern expressed regarding low levels of mathematics and science knowledge possessed by pre and in service elementary teachers Leningrad, Putnam, Stein, & Baxter, 1991). Elementary teachers have been found to possess generally low level conceptual and factual knowledge as well as inadequate skills in the content area of science (Victor, 1962; Blower & Howe, 1969; Winner, 1993).General agreement exists that lack of such a background in sci ence knowledge significantly contributes to hesitancy and possible inability to deliver effective science instruction in classroom settings. Indeed, previous research in this area found that teachers gravitate toward performing those tasks in which they feel confident and competent (Cunningham & Blankness's. 979; Hone. 1976). Do I feel I have that belief and knowledge? I certainly don't have a full knowledge of what I need to be a competent science teacher, but be assured I'm excited to teach and be taught over the next couple of years.I certainly believe I can teach but gaining more knowledge would be an advantage. Maybe if science and mathematics subjects are more prevalent in undergraduate courses, than what it currently is around the country, it may be a subject that teachers will like to teach. As there continues to be a need for pre service teachers to bolster their understanding in these areas, this might well indicate a need for collaborative efforts between departments of s cience and mathematics and departments of education in devising ways in which higher education might better serve the needs of these entry- level teachers.Are we being taught enough in undergraduate teaching courses in the science subjects? Is more needed to alleviate the growing concern in this matter. A lot of studies have been conducted throughout the world, especially in western society. Not only pre service and graduate teachers had trouble teaching science but so did hose teaching for example grade 6. From what I have read many teachers believe that they need a more clear direction, a lack of materials and more information on suitable topics to be taught is needed. The general feeling was that teaching science involved considerable effort.This effort involved preparing a suitable topic and organizing the materials necessary to teach that topic. As well there seemed to be a lack of direction in the area of science. The feeling was that many teachers do not consider science to b e a high priority and hence were not willing to expend energy in organizing for it. A comparison was made between teaching science and social studies. The teachers suggested social studies was much easier to teach because the curriculum was well organized, the information was all together in one book and there were few materials needed.Science on the other hand required gathering ideas from a variety of books as well as a lot of materials for activities. Many of these materials were consumable and had to be replaced each year. One teacher suggested that ;there are some teachers who love science and are willing to put in the effort but the majority do not. There is no doubt that the use of a quality traduced program with supporting equipment and appropriate in servicing can help the primary teacher initiate worthwhile, sequenced science lessons on a regular basis.A study of 139 pre service teachers from the University college of Central Queensland by Ken Appleton concluded that there are general points about teaching science discipline knowledge in pre service and, by extrapolation, in service courses which can be learned from this study. Firstly, science discipline knowledge needs to be taught in a way which will give students a more positive self -image of themselves as teachers of science and technology.Teaching discipline knowledge without taking this goal into consideration may do more harm than good: ; students' self – perceptions may well remain largely negative, and may even become more negative. Secondly, the teaching strategies which have proved effective in generating positive changes in self-perception tend to be time consuming, and need to be conducted in small group settings rather than large lectures. This means that the amount of content â€Å"covered† would usually be less than; that delivered in large group lectures.That is, what is gained in students' self-confidence, is paid for by covering less intent. The small group teaching also means more expensive teaching compared to traditional lecture and laboratory methods. Thirdly, once students' self-confidence is improved, many could be expected to access science and technology content for themselves through individual research and/or normal science courses-? while not proven, this is a reasonable hypothesis given the changes documented in this study and others (Kirkwood, Berlin & Hardy, 1989).Ideally, a pre service course should there- fore contain at least two compulsory science and technology education units: he first based on strategies such as those outlined here, and the second a more specific focus on discipline knowledge. However, restrictions on the number of compulsory science education units able to be included in a pre-service course may make independent study the only viable means for many students to gain further science and technology discipline knowledge.I personally know that when I first ventured into being a teacher 7 years ago, I studied t o be a secondary PEE teacher. It was very science based, because you specialize in these subjects to teach at secondary. But primary school teaching is different you need a range of knowledge in al teaching disciplines from art, religion, JOSE, English, mathematics, IT and science to name a few. You never know when you need that knowledge even if you're a specialist teacher.If there is still such a lack of concern for competency in teaching science in primary education, maybe there should be extra training for graduate teachers either through a tertiary institution or during their first years as a teacher or even in the summer before they start teaching at a school and let's not forget about the current teachers either. Studies have shown that they still need updated knowledge in science subjects. Keeping this in mind the more extra-curricular learning a teacher can get the more confident they will be to teach science.This in turn will change their attitude and belief to teaching it and influence other pre service teachers wanting to move into the primary school teaching. Unfortunately teaching science at primary school level is still daunting to many pre service teachers. Having had bad experiences while at school themselves, this has contributed to pre service teachers not having enough practical and theory based knowledge, having little or no belief and confidence being low. Will science ever be a object that pre service teachers want to teach? Will it change over time?It has been known that a problem exists for decades but no one seems to have the answer to alleviate the problem. Many studies, surveys have been performed and implemented without success. What will the government of Australia do to fix this problem? With the change to a national curriculum, let's hope something will finally be done.

How to establish a performance improvement plan

How to establish a performance improvement plan One of the biggest challenges of working in Human Resources can be the role that you play in employee struggles and difficulties: poor performance reviews, disciplinary action, conflicts between employee and manager, etc. It can feel like you’re caught in the middle- you’re not necessarily the employee or the manager, but you’re there to represent both their interests and those of the company, so your role is a delicate one. Part of that role is facilitating performance improvement plans (PIPs) to help struggling employees get back on track in their jobs.Why use a performance improvement plan?A PIP is a tool at HR’s disposal to help restore a worsening situation. Maybe the employee has chronic difficulties with his or her role, or maybe there was an incident that has shaken his or her manager’s confidence in their job performance. A PIP is a chance to say, â€Å"Okay, this situation is not great, but there’s potential to turn things around.à ¢â‚¬  It’s a formal document and process, acknowledged by the employee and his or her manager, that there are certain steps that the employee needs to complete before his or her performance is stabilized.It’s important to note that a PIP is not necessarily a last stop on the way to firing an employee. Instead, look at it as a way to acknowledge that performance has been poor, but that there are ways to move on with clearer expectations from all involved. It can help ensure that the employee is receiving the resources he or she needs to do the job, if that support was lacking before and contributed to mistakes or poor performance.What is HR’s role in creating a PIP?The Human Resources role can vary according to the size and type of company, but there are some baseline issues you can expect to address as an HR manager:Documenting circumstances- why the employee is being placed on a PIP, what the manager’s concerns are, what the employee’s response i s, and any other factors that need to be made clearEnsuring that the employee knows his or her rights in the situationProviding information or resources that the employee needs to succeed under the PIP, such as training or company policySupporting the manager in implementing the PIP for the employeeDeveloping an action plan for both the manager and the employeeThe HR role is one of support and guidance, and making sure that all parties are engaged in the process of making the work situation better for all involved.  hbspt.cta.load(2785852, '9e52c197-5b5b-45e6-af34-d56403f973c5', {});What’s included in a PIP?The PIP is not meant to be an accusatory tool, piling on to scare or intimidate the employee into improving, or else. Rather, it’s a way to get everything in writing and make sure that everyone is clear on expectations moving forward- particularly if there are consequences if the employee does not meet particular benchmarks.A PIP should include:Written documentati on of the problematic behavior or performance issueA specific description of the expectations for the employee’s performanceA list of the resources that will be provided to the employee to improve performanceAn explicit follow-up plan, including timeframes, a schedule of meetings with the employee, or other milestones set between the manager and employeeConsequences for failure to meet the benchmarks in the plan, if applicableThere may not be a one-size-fits-all PIP for your HR department. As the HR rep, you’re part of a collaborative process so it’s important to make sure that the PIP you’re developing is applicable to the particular situation and allows for input by both the manager and employee as well.Best practices for implementing a PIPAs you know, part of your role in HR is helping to defuse tense workplace situations with proactive steps and productive solutions. The employee probably isn’t happy (hence the issues), the manager isn’t happy to have to deal with this, and no one wants to be told they’re not doing well. Navigating an unhappy situation while trying to put a mechanism in place to get things back on track is challenging, no question. Here are some best practices you should consider as you create a PIP.Be clear, in writing, about the behavior or performance that merits the PIP.Provide specific examples of each type of behavior or poor performance.Create a dialogue about potential reasons for the behavior or poor performance. Give the employee an opportunity to express his or her understanding of the issue and of the performance expectations.Create a written improvement plan with specific, measurable goals for the employee to meet on a clear timeline. Make sure to include any consequences that may happen if the employee fails to meet particular benchmarks, if applicable.Set up a time to meet with the employee or manager to review the employee’s progress along the way.If at all possible, u se an automation system to track performance and ease your way into a PIP implementation planRemember, the goal here is growth- not punishment. You want everyone involved to feel comfortable with the plan moving forward. And ideally, the plan will help address the underlying issues that caused the poor performance in the first place.How to approach a PIP with an employeeImplementing a PIP can be a touchy situation- the employee is likely feeling embarrassed that things have gotten to this point and could be emotional or defensive. Here are some things you can do to help make the plan implementation easier on everyone.Let them know you’re in their corner. The employee may feel overwhelmed, so the idea that someone has their best interests at heart during a tough time can help.Get the employee’s perspective on the issue. Let them explain where they think things went wrong and see if they have a different perspective on what the expectations were, whether they were lackin g in resources, etc. It’s possible the employee has a different interpretation of how or why things went wrong, and it’s important to get both sides.Balance the negative with some positive. Let the employee know what he or she is doing well, instead of hitting the negative over and over.Don’t be vague or ambiguous. Provide clear examples of the problematic behavior, as well as the next steps needed to correct the issue. Also be clear about the impact of his or her behavior or poor performance.Give constructive feedback. Saying â€Å"this is unacceptable,† or â€Å"just be better,† without offering potential solutions or next steps is unlikely to help the employee correct the issue. Give recommendations about how they can improve. He or she already knows that she has to improve, but may not be clear on how to approach it.Make time to meet with the employee. Make sure he or she feels supported throughout the process. It’s not enough to say, â €Å"Okay, here’s the plan, do this.† Checking in can help ensure that a) progress is happening, and b) the employee understands what’s expected at every step.One thing to remember is that PIPs are not a magic fix for work disasters or poor performance. They’re a tool you can offer to your employees as a way to right the ship before it sinks and before someone loses a job or the company suffers further consequences from the poor performance. As long as everything is clearly defined (the source of the problem, the consequences of the problem, and the specific plan for remedying the problem) and you work closely with employees and managers to implement it, it can be one of the most effective and successful tools you have for turning around poor performance. A bit of optimism and a lot of careful documentation can go a long way in ensuring employee success, even after a failure.

Noble Gases Properties

Noble Gases Properties The right column of the periodic table contains seven elements known as the inert or noble gases. Learn about the properties of the noble gas group of elements. Key Takeaways: Noble Gas Properties The noble gases are group 18 on the periodic table, which is the column of elements on the right side of the table.There are seven noble gas elements: helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, radon, and oganesson.Noble gases are the least reactive chemical elements. They are nearly inert because the atoms have a full valence electron shell, with little tendency to accept or donate electrons to form chemical bonds. Location and List  of the Noble Gases  on the Periodic Table The noble gases, also known as the inert gases or rare gases, are located in Group VIII or International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) group 18 of the periodic table. This is the column of elements along the far right side of the periodic table.  This group is a subset of the nonmetals.  Collectively, the elements are also called the helium group or the neon group. The noble gases are: Helium (He)Neon  (Ne)Argon (Ar)Krypton (Kr)Xenon (Xe)Radon (Rn)Oganesson (Og) With the exception of oganesson, all of these elements are gases at ordinary temperature and pressure. There havent been enough atoms produced of oganesson to know its phase for certain, but most scientists predict it will be a liquid or solid. Both radon and oganesson consist only of radioactive isotopes. Noble Gas Properties The noble gases are relatively nonreactive. In fact, they are the least reactive elements on the periodic table.  This is because they have a complete valence shell. They have little tendency to gain or lose electrons. In 1898, Hugo Erdmann coined the phrase noble gas to reflect the low reactivity of these elements, in much the same way as the noble metals are less reactive than other metals.  The noble gases have high ionization energies and negligible electronegativities. The noble gases have low boiling points and are all gases at room temperature. Summary of Common Properties Fairly nonreactiveComplete outer electron or valence shell (oxidation number 0)High ionization energiesVery low electronegativitiesLow boiling points (all monatomic  gases at room temperature)No color, odor, or flavor under ordinary conditions (but may form colored liquids and solids)NonflammableAt low pressure, they will conduct electricity and fluoresce Uses of the Noble Gases The noble gases are used to form inert atmospheres, typically for arc welding, to protect specimens, and to deter chemical reactions. The elements are used in lamps, such as neon lights and krypton headlamps, and in lasers. Helium is used in balloons, for deep-sea diving air tanks,  and to cool superconducting magnets. Misconceptions About the Noble Gases Although the noble gases have been called the rare gases, they arent particularly uncommon on Earth or in the universe. In fact, argon is the 3rd or 4th most abundant gas in the atmosphere  (1.3 percent by mass or 0.94 percent by volume), while neon, krypton, helium, and xenon are notable trace elements.​ For a long time, many people believed the noble gases to be completely nonreactive and unable to form chemical compounds. Although these elements dont form compounds readily, examples of molecules containing xenon, krypton, and radon have been found. At high pressure, even helium, neon, and argon participate in chemical reactions. Sources of the Noble Gases Neon, argon, krypton, and xenon all are found in air and are obtained by liquefying it and performing fractional distillation. The major source of helium is from the  cryogenic separation of natural gas. Radon, a radioactive noble gas, is produced from the  radioactive decay of heavier elements, including radium, thorium, and uranium. Element 118 is a man-made radioactive element, produced by striking a target with accelerated particles. In the future, extraterrestrial sources of noble gases may be found. Helium, in particular, is more abundant on larger planets than it is on Earth. Sources Greenwood, N. N.; Earnshaw, A. (1997). Chemistry of the Elements (2nd ed.). Oxford:Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN 0-7506-3365-4.Lehmann, J (2002). The Chemistry of Krypton. Coordination Chemistry Reviews. 233–234: 1–39. doi:10.1016/S0010-8545(02)00202-3Ozima, Minoru; Podosek, Frank A. (2002). Noble Gas Geochemistry. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-80366-7.Partington, J. R. (1957). Discovery of Radon. Nature. 179 (4566): 912. doi:10.1038/179912a0Renouf, Edward (1901). Noble gases. Science. 13 (320): 268–270.

Learning Tool Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Learning Tool - Essay Example The video should be supported by other information that would more comprehensively discuss the concept of Fordism. More information that is useful to explain the concept talked about â€Å"Fordism, Post-Fordism and the Flexible System of Production† (Willamette University, n.d.). Please indicate the source (url; literature reference; attach pdf) that you see will be useful in enhancing students’ learning within management in context. N.B. Materials should not cause offence (for example in racist language or sexist or images) The video that presented an overview of Fordism can be used as a source of information that provided crucial aspects of Fordism through the assertion that it was a driving force of modernization (Krier, 2010). As such, it was noted specifically at 4:29 minutes of the video, that Fordism existed during the 1920s to the 1970s and where powers of society effectively matched the power of capitalism (Krier, 2010). The source could be effectively used in enhancing one’s knowledge on concepts of Fordism as evolving from previous periods’ manifested characteristics on industrialization and capitalization, as