Saturday, March 5, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
LIFE GUIDELINES
LIFE GUIDELINES
Light the candle in your homes and your hearts before lighting them in the temples.
The aim is to be the best and never settle for the second best.
Be better informed than the average.
Getters generally don’t get happiness, givers get it.
Divide and conquer your goal,
By the yard, it is hard ;
By an inch, it is a cinch.
A good leader is the one who produces leaders, like a lamp lighting another lamp.
Letter is a norm builder.
Doing your best is more important than doing the best.
It is not sugar that makes the milk sweeter, it is the stirring.
Do a little more than you are paid to,
Give a little more than you have to, Try a little harder than you want to,
Aim a little higher than you think possible,
And
Give a lot of thanks to God for health, family and friends.
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Thursday, February 24, 2011
MOTHER THE EPITOME OF LOVE AND COMPASSION
WHAT YOUR MOTHER MEANS TO YOU - A tribute to my mother
(TO ME, A MOTHER IS THE HOLIEST AMONG ALL HOLY INSTITUTIONS, THE BEST FRIEND, GUIDE AND PHILOSOPHER IN OUR LIFE; MOST SUPPORTIVE AND UNDERSTANDING IN DIFFICULT TIMES; AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GOD-GIFTED WISDOM, A PILLAR OF STRENGTH TO LEAN ON AND AN OCEAN FULL OF LOVE AND AFFECTION)
This is a true account of an incident that happened 57 years ago - in 1954 between the months of May and June - with its impact still active on me. I wish to share with the readers to show what a MOTHER means to one in life and how she shapes the character and attitude of her children.
In 1954 I completed my graduation and I was keen to take up a job to support my family that was in dire straits because of limited family income from the sole earnings of my father a Christian priest. My father’s job was such that outside we were to keep a high profile with a low income that would just suffice to keep the wolf away from the door. He had to borrow heavily from others to pay for the educational expenses of his three sons and a daughter. I ran the errands for loans and I had to face very humiliating situations many a time. Schools and College Managements were not devilishly commercialised then. The High School fee was around Rs.50/- a year and the College fee was Rs.15/- or so per month. My mother showed her real mettle and she managed the situation brilliantly - from procuring firewood to extracting rice out of raw paddy to cooking food and serving to the satisfaction of all. After my graduation my parents had great expectations that I would contribute to the family well-being and I wanted to live up to it. My father being a tolerant Christian priest enjoyed great influence with parishioners and among our Hindu brethren in the locality. To procure a job, I pinpointed a particular person - a grand old man who was the family patriarch of a rich family. One of the members of the family - a humble God fearing graceful person - was running a small industry in Madras suburbs. I requested my father to go and meet the person and request a recommendation for a job in the Madras factory. I was qualified because during annual college holidays in previous years I had mastered typewriting and could use a typewriter very well and fast. The person agreed and accordingly wrote a letter to the owner of the Madras factory. Prompt came the reply. He would provide me with a job if I mastered in shorthand and typewriting. Shorthand was Greek to me and I requested the person to write to Madras to take me in and I would master shorthand soon while working. He refused. He curtly told me that he would not write as writing would mean hurting the business person if he could not oblige and can result in his closing on his occasional visits to him. He was right. But that was also closing a hope that was kindled in me. It was too much for me to bear and I remained silent for some time. Then I bade good-bye to the grand old man and came out. I went into brooding and with the limited knowledge on life I had at that age I saw everything dark around me. I did not talk to any one; replied to questions in fewer words and always retired to sit on a giant log kept at the Church premises. This continued for two days and my mother saw that something was amiss in me. Once sitting on the log she came to me and sat next to me and asked me in a soft voice what was wrong with me. I cried and told her what had happened in my search for employment. She held me close to her and kissed on my forehead and in a soft controlled voice she said; “Believe in God, He has some better plans reserved for you”. I was very affectionate to my mother and my brothers and sister used to call me ‘Mother’s Pet’. As she retreated I wiped off my tears and followed her. And that chapter was off my mind. But look, how my God had led me to my destination.
Later on my father’s recommendation I got a job in an Advertising Agency in Kottayam in Travancore, now a part of Kerala. By this time my elder brother migrated to Bombay. The Advertisement Agency closed for want of business and my brother called me to Bombay where I got a job as an Accounts Assistant in the Office of a large Pharmaceutical factory. In a short span through dedicated hard work, I jumped all the Seniors and Experienced to become the Office Supervisor of the establishment. I was aggressive. I wanted to reach higher with more income to look after my family. I succeeded. I joined the Sales Department of one of leading multinationals of the world. I wanted to reach higher. Collecting all the relevant details through directories and books, I prepared a ‘Market Survey Report’ for consumer products in Kerala. It was appreciated by the Management. When a vacancy arose in Madras covering all the Southern States, I was assigned to that job. In this position:
1. I had called on the Madras Company, holding a much respectable and responsible position, which by now had become a Corporate giant in their field,
2. I had interacted with most of its Directors in a group representing my company,
3. I rose to a very high position in my company in course of time which I could not have equalled had I received a job in 1954 in that company,
4. I secured enough financial stability to comfortably look after my parents and my siblings from 1956 onwards,
5. I earned more and more through hard work and His Grace, that enabled me to buy my own factory in Madras where my GOOD AND GRACEFUL TENANT is a family enterprise of the Madras Industrialist, a GRACEFUL PERSON who is no more. My tenant till this day does not know about the story. Unbelievable, you feel! But it happened. My mother prayed for me and God could not escape rewarding me with His blessings.
Between 1954 and 2004, I had faced crisis after crisis in my life. At the height of each crisis my mother’s advice reflects in my mind: I hear her soft, soothing voice of wisdom and I leave the crisis to take its course. Many a time I found it was disastrous to me, but what was disastrous to me then turned out to my good ultimately.
TO ME, A MOTHER IS THE HOLIEST AMONG ALL HOLY INSTITUTIONS, THE BEST FRIEND, GUIDE AND PHILOSOPHER IN OUR LIFE; MOST SUPPORTIVE AND UNDERSTANDING IN DIFFICULT TIMES; AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GOD-GIFTED WISDOM, A PILLAR OF STRENGTH TO LEAN ON AND AN OCEAN FULL OF LOVE AND AFFECTION.
Unbelievable, you feel! But it happened. My mother prayed for me and God could not escape rewarding me with His blessings. BE GOOD, FOR GOD TO BE GOOD.
(TO ME, A MOTHER IS THE HOLIEST AMONG ALL HOLY INSTITUTIONS, THE BEST FRIEND, GUIDE AND PHILOSOPHER IN OUR LIFE; MOST SUPPORTIVE AND UNDERSTANDING IN DIFFICULT TIMES; AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GOD-GIFTED WISDOM, A PILLAR OF STRENGTH TO LEAN ON AND AN OCEAN FULL OF LOVE AND AFFECTION)
This is a true account of an incident that happened 57 years ago - in 1954 between the months of May and June - with its impact still active on me. I wish to share with the readers to show what a MOTHER means to one in life and how she shapes the character and attitude of her children.
In 1954 I completed my graduation and I was keen to take up a job to support my family that was in dire straits because of limited family income from the sole earnings of my father a Christian priest. My father’s job was such that outside we were to keep a high profile with a low income that would just suffice to keep the wolf away from the door. He had to borrow heavily from others to pay for the educational expenses of his three sons and a daughter. I ran the errands for loans and I had to face very humiliating situations many a time. Schools and College Managements were not devilishly commercialised then. The High School fee was around Rs.50/- a year and the College fee was Rs.15/- or so per month. My mother showed her real mettle and she managed the situation brilliantly - from procuring firewood to extracting rice out of raw paddy to cooking food and serving to the satisfaction of all. After my graduation my parents had great expectations that I would contribute to the family well-being and I wanted to live up to it. My father being a tolerant Christian priest enjoyed great influence with parishioners and among our Hindu brethren in the locality. To procure a job, I pinpointed a particular person - a grand old man who was the family patriarch of a rich family. One of the members of the family - a humble God fearing graceful person - was running a small industry in Madras suburbs. I requested my father to go and meet the person and request a recommendation for a job in the Madras factory. I was qualified because during annual college holidays in previous years I had mastered typewriting and could use a typewriter very well and fast. The person agreed and accordingly wrote a letter to the owner of the Madras factory. Prompt came the reply. He would provide me with a job if I mastered in shorthand and typewriting. Shorthand was Greek to me and I requested the person to write to Madras to take me in and I would master shorthand soon while working. He refused. He curtly told me that he would not write as writing would mean hurting the business person if he could not oblige and can result in his closing on his occasional visits to him. He was right. But that was also closing a hope that was kindled in me. It was too much for me to bear and I remained silent for some time. Then I bade good-bye to the grand old man and came out. I went into brooding and with the limited knowledge on life I had at that age I saw everything dark around me. I did not talk to any one; replied to questions in fewer words and always retired to sit on a giant log kept at the Church premises. This continued for two days and my mother saw that something was amiss in me. Once sitting on the log she came to me and sat next to me and asked me in a soft voice what was wrong with me. I cried and told her what had happened in my search for employment. She held me close to her and kissed on my forehead and in a soft controlled voice she said; “Believe in God, He has some better plans reserved for you”. I was very affectionate to my mother and my brothers and sister used to call me ‘Mother’s Pet’. As she retreated I wiped off my tears and followed her. And that chapter was off my mind. But look, how my God had led me to my destination.
Later on my father’s recommendation I got a job in an Advertising Agency in Kottayam in Travancore, now a part of Kerala. By this time my elder brother migrated to Bombay. The Advertisement Agency closed for want of business and my brother called me to Bombay where I got a job as an Accounts Assistant in the Office of a large Pharmaceutical factory. In a short span through dedicated hard work, I jumped all the Seniors and Experienced to become the Office Supervisor of the establishment. I was aggressive. I wanted to reach higher with more income to look after my family. I succeeded. I joined the Sales Department of one of leading multinationals of the world. I wanted to reach higher. Collecting all the relevant details through directories and books, I prepared a ‘Market Survey Report’ for consumer products in Kerala. It was appreciated by the Management. When a vacancy arose in Madras covering all the Southern States, I was assigned to that job. In this position:
1. I had called on the Madras Company, holding a much respectable and responsible position, which by now had become a Corporate giant in their field,
2. I had interacted with most of its Directors in a group representing my company,
3. I rose to a very high position in my company in course of time which I could not have equalled had I received a job in 1954 in that company,
4. I secured enough financial stability to comfortably look after my parents and my siblings from 1956 onwards,
5. I earned more and more through hard work and His Grace, that enabled me to buy my own factory in Madras where my GOOD AND GRACEFUL TENANT is a family enterprise of the Madras Industrialist, a GRACEFUL PERSON who is no more. My tenant till this day does not know about the story. Unbelievable, you feel! But it happened. My mother prayed for me and God could not escape rewarding me with His blessings.
Between 1954 and 2004, I had faced crisis after crisis in my life. At the height of each crisis my mother’s advice reflects in my mind: I hear her soft, soothing voice of wisdom and I leave the crisis to take its course. Many a time I found it was disastrous to me, but what was disastrous to me then turned out to my good ultimately.
TO ME, A MOTHER IS THE HOLIEST AMONG ALL HOLY INSTITUTIONS, THE BEST FRIEND, GUIDE AND PHILOSOPHER IN OUR LIFE; MOST SUPPORTIVE AND UNDERSTANDING IN DIFFICULT TIMES; AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GOD-GIFTED WISDOM, A PILLAR OF STRENGTH TO LEAN ON AND AN OCEAN FULL OF LOVE AND AFFECTION.
Unbelievable, you feel! But it happened. My mother prayed for me and God could not escape rewarding me with His blessings. BE GOOD, FOR GOD TO BE GOOD.
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Wednesday, January 19, 2011
sales digest
My question!
Does it make sense that God answers only tearful prayers? Evangelists make us believe so. Is God that cruel?
I am a little sadistic. I get maximum entertainment viewing blessings-brokers parading the healed to add to their credibility, claiming that God answered their prayers through tearful prayers. When they pray, they cry, - no tears please - and distort their faces and features and raise their hands copying Jesus Christ in His prayers. Is our God that cruel that He makes us cry? Evangelists say that Satan sow diseases and Christ runs after and heals the victim - only after registering their tearful prayers through heavenly brokers. Why Jesus Christ allows Satan to do this evil? We believe we are His creations and does He not have a duty and responsibility to look after our welfare, as we did not choose this life we possess? Our earthly fathers take this responsibility far more seriously and are to be emulated by Heavenly-beings. I believe in the Ultimate that is our God and I am unable to digest this senseless nonsense? The image of God is tarnished by His own creations and they indulge in faith abuses.
Answers
1. God answers all prayer to those who believe
2. Jesus never told his followers to act like idiots, or say stupid things...
3. If someone is sorry for his sins, doing their best, and needs help.... God will answer the prayers.... they do not have to cry on TV for God to hear them...
4. God hears the sincere prayers of those who are His... He dose not hear the prayers of the non-believers who have not come to Him in The Way He prescribes... and he does not hear the in-sincere prayers of the believers either.... God does not answer every prayer with an affirmative.
5. Evangelists are money grubbing, hair spray using, liars, and cheaters, embezzlers who will take every cent from the naive and gullible.
6. How could a creation reveal anything but a "tarnished" vision of its creator? A pot can hardly reveal the slight curve on the potters fingers let alone imagine the make of intentions of its creator outside of its own being. For us to truly know God we can, but believe to know. God by definition being perfection and the all to obvious assumption that humans are flawed means again we cant truly "know" in perfection what is perfect.
7. Tearful prayers are a sad outcome of our society. When things are going good we take care of ourselves, when it is tough we do not want to deal and pass down the burden to a simple idea of someone who listens and takes away our pain that we so rightfully deserve. So my advice, when you encounter pain cleave onto it learning to love it for what it is for through pain come true pleasure.
8. God answers prayers if we believe and if it is His will, God Bless!
9. TV Evangelists are all on the Forbes 400 list of richest men in America. They are really good at what they do to get on TV. They are super rich and have multimillion-dollar mansions and whole fleets of jets and cars and servants and they are the highest paid movie stars on record. So they say what causes you to send money! They are all about the money and do very little good with the money except get rich. Have gold faucets and the Bakers had air-conditioned doghouse. They build hospitals and colleges but they are not free. They to make them money and remember it are all tax-free. They try to sound respectable by being against something we all are, like abortion or Gay's but there is very few of the viewing public that is that or does that. So it doesn't really hurt their contributions. They are for big business and the Republican Party, who is also for big business. They say, be good but carefully stay away from what good means. Like adultery or lies or fornication. Knowing most of the viewing public is doing those things. They are the modern day snake oil salesmen, but hardly authorities on what God does
courtesy mr.k.mathew thomas Editor sales digest
sales digest
1. Don't criticize, condemn or complain.
2. Give honest and sincere appreciation.
3. Arouse in the other person an eager want.
***************
Six ways to make people like you.
1. Become genuinely interested in other people.
2. Smile.
3. Remember that a person's name is to that person.
the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
4. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
5. Talk in terms of the other person's interests.
6. Make the other person feel important - and do it sincerely.
***************
Win people to your way of thinking
1. The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.
2. Show respect for the other person's opinions. Never say, "You're wrong."
3. If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.
4. Begin in a friendly way.
5. Get the other person saying "yes, yes" immediately.
6. Let the other person do a great deal of the talking.
7. Let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers.
8. Try honestly to see things from the other person's point of view.
9. Be sympathetic with the other person's ideas and desires.
10. Appeal to the nobler motives.
11. Dramatize your ideas.
12. Throw down a challenge.
***************
A leader's job often includes changing your people's attitudes and behavior. Some suggestions to accomplish this:
1. Begin with praise and honest appreciation.
2. Call attention to people's mistakes indirectly.
3. Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person.
4. Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.
5. Let the other person save face.
6. Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement. Be "hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise."
7. Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to.
8. Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.
9. Make the other person happy about doing the thing you suggest.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Sunday, December 26, 2010
THOMAS THOUGHTS
WE educate, enlighten and entertain
A child is born raw and innocent. It is those around it as it grows up mould its personality, attitudes and outlook on life. Good parenting ensures a healthy growth for the children by loving them and respecting their sentiments.
The foundation of good parenting is built on total sacrifice of self Interests focusing only on children’s allround healthy growth. t
A girl is a symbol of great affection. She is also the creator’s token of immense affection, which he gifts only to his chosen dear ones
Children constanty subjected to harsh discipline by the vain do not make good leaders
You can excel in life only as a good human being
Children intelligently observe how their parents treat their parents. They Love and respect parents who love and respect their parents
Think! Adopt the one child norm. Never, never cause the birth of a second child in this dirty world of pain, diseases,
uncertainty, chaos, injustice & violence.
Constant guidance, encouragement and support from parents and teachers develop the much needed positive outlook in the children.
Good teachers and only good teachers can correct their wards without resorting to punishment.
Parents do have the right to discipline their children. Parents do not have the right to abuse or neglect their children. Discipline means helping children learn to live the right way to be useful to them as well as to the society they live in.
A child is god-designed. Living with a gifted child is the happiest experience in life. The total environment now is cruel and living in health and comfort remain only in dreams. In this situation, never, never think of more than one child in the family and causing a second birth is a sin against an unwary soul
Gifted home is one with one child and only one child and no more.
Teens! You are living in a highly competitive world. Plan your career and life with the asistance of your parents, teachers and elders. Obey them love them and respect them if you value your future.
Loving parents and loving children make a loving home
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
OUR YOUTH NOW!
"Our youth now love luxury. They have bad manners,
contempt for authority;
they show disrespect for their elders
and love chatter in place of exercise;
they no longer rise when elders enter the room;
they contradict their parents,
chatter before company; gobble up their
food and tyrannize their teachers."
(Socrates, 5th Century BC)
SUPERSTITION IS A BANE AT MOST HOMES
WE educate, enlighten and entertain\
SUPERSTITION is merely cowardice in regard to the supernatural
The superstitious man will wash his hands in the morning, sprinkle himself from the vessels in the temple, place a laurel leaf in his mouth, and thus go about all day
If a weasel runs across his path, he will not go on until someone has crossed the road, or he has thrown three stones across it.
When he notices a snake in the house, if it is a brown one he calls on Sabazios, if it is a sacred one he sets up an enclosure on the spot.
He pours oil from his flask on the smooth stones at the crossways, and having knelt down and worshipped them, goes on.
If a mouse eats through a meal sack, off he goes to the interpreter of omens to ask what he is to do, and if he gets the answer ‘Give it to the shoemaker and get it sewn up again,’ he pays no attention, but goes away and tries to expiat the omen by sacrifice. He will purify his house perpetually, saying that Hekate has been brought into it by witchcraft. If an owl screeches as he passes be cries out in alarm ‘May Athene avert the omen,’ and goes on.
He will not touch a tomb with his foot or come near a corpse or a woman with child, saying he must guard against being defiled.
On the fourth and twenty-fourth of each month he commands his servants to mix wine, and goes out and purchases myrtle, frankincense, and cakes, and returning, pours libations, makes sacrifices, and crowns the Hermaphrodites all the rest of the day.
When he has had a dream he visits the interpreters of dreams, the soothsayers, the augurs, to ask to what God or Goddess he should pray, and will he initiated into the Orphic mysteries.
He will of a certainty be one of those people who sprinkle themselves with sea water on the shore, going off for that purpose every month with his wife, or if she has not the time, with the nurse and children. If ever he sees anyone feasting on the garlic left for Hekate at the crossroads he runs away, pours water over his head and gets the priestess to carry a squill or a puppy round him to purify him. And if he sees a madman or an epileptic he straightway shivers and spits into his own bosom.
TEACHER CODE OF CONDUCT
TEACHER CODE OF CONDUCT
To provide students with quality educational opportunities which reflect both excellence and equity, every teacher shall:-
1. Demonstrate a belief that all students can learn
2. Give assignments that make learning relevant.
3. Teach responsible citizenship and life skills.
4. Treat each student fairly.
5. Promote a safe and positive learning environment.
6. Be a good adult role model.
7. Exhibit a caring, honest and professional attitude.
8. Maintain professional growth and development.
9. Communicate with parents.
10. Recognize the community as a partner in educating students
11. Maintain confidentiality.
12. Abide by policies and regulations
Friday, November 19, 2010
TEACHERS AND PARENT
Self-discipline is the key to personal greatness. It is the magic quality that opens all doors for you, and makes everything else possible. With self-discipline, the average person can rise as far and as fast as his talents and intelligence can take him. But without self-discipline, a person with every blessing of background, education and opportunity will seldom rise above mediocrity…. ……………… Brian Tracy |
| The Parable of a Child |
| A young school teacher had a dream that an angel appeared to him and said, "You will be given a child who will grow up to become a world leader. How will you prepare her so that she will realize her intelligence, grow in confidence, develop both her assertiveness and sensitivity, be open-minded, yet strong in character? In short, what kind of education will you provide that she can become one of the world's truly great leaders?" The young teacher awoke in a cold sweat. It had never occurred to him before—any one of his present or future students could be the person described in his dream. Was he preparing them to rise to any position to which they may aspire? He thought, ‘How might my teaching change if I knew that one of my students were this person?' He gradually began to formulate a plan in his mind. This student would need experience as well as instruction. She would need to know how to solve problems of various kinds. She would need to grow in character as well as knowledge. She would need self-assurance as well as the ability to listen well and work with others. She would need to understand and appreciate the past, yet feel optimistic about the future. She would need to know the value of lifelong learning in order to keep a curious and active mind. She would need to grow in understanding of others and become a student of the spirit. She would need to set high standards for herself and learn self discipline, yet she would also need love and encouragement, that she might be filled with love and goodness. His teaching changed. Every young person who walked through his classroom became, for him, a future world leader. He saw each one, not as they were, but as they could be. He expected the best from his students, yet tempered it with compassion. He taught each one as if the future of the world depended on his instruction. After many years, a woman he knew rose to a position of world prominence. He realized that she must surely have been the girl described in his dream. Only she was not one of his students, but rather his daughter. For of all the various teachers in her life, her father was the best. I've heard it said that "Children are living messages we send to a time and place we will never see." But this isn't simply a parable about an unnamed school teacher. It is a parable about you and me—whether or not we are parents or even teachers. And the story, our story, actually begins like this: "You will be given a child who will grow up to become…." You finish the sentence. If not a world leader, then a superb father? An excellent teacher? A gifted healer? An innovative problem solver? An inspiring artist? A generous philanthropist? Where and how you will encounter this child is a mystery. But believe that one child's future may depend upon influence only you can provide, and something remarkable will happen. For no young person will ever be ordinary to you again. And you will never be the same. ….. by Steve Goodier |
|
Brian Tracy |
" MY HEART FOLLOWS YOU - WHEREVER, WHENEVER, FOREVER..."
Sunday, November 14, 2010
happy and safe children's day
http://epaper.indianexpress.com/IE/IEH/2010/11/14/article/002/14_11_2010_002_003.jpg
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
THOMAS:
WE eIn marital life, mutual admiration, mutual concern, mutual respect, mutual sacrifice, mutual devotion and mutual dedication count more. On these foundations are the loyalty built. In its absence betrayal takes over.
Knowledge + commonsense + intelligence + wisdom + progressive thoughts = Intellectual personality
Every girl dreams of a husband who is handsome, rich, sexy,
successful, pleasant, well educated and loving. After-all dreams remain dreams!
A place of worship is a poor substitute for a pure god-abiding home.
The mighty universe dwarfs in the presence of a mother.
If we desire to make a mark in our life we must first start with obeying and respecting our teachers, parents and elders”.
When parents violate the purity of home environment, children follow suit
“Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? (Proverbs 6:27) (RELATE IT TO ADULTERY, AIDS AND WAYWARD LIVING.
Pity the children who are born to addiction-ridden parents - K. Mathew Thomas
ducate, enlighten and entertain
Monday, July 12, 2010
quote by martin luther king
GOLDEN WORDS BY MARTIN LUTHER KING-"IF U CAN'T FLY,RUN.
IF U CAN'T RUN,WALK. IF U CAN'T WALK,CRAWL.BUT WHATEVER U DO, KEEP MOVING TOWARDS YOUR GOAL.
IF U CAN'T RUN,WALK. IF U CAN'T WALK,CRAWL.BUT WHATEVER U DO, KEEP MOVING TOWARDS YOUR GOAL.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
ENLIGHTENED
TEACHERS! BEWARE
TEACHERS! BEWARE
Televangelists are on a hunting spree among schools and students to cheat on students. They act as blessings brokers and promise heavenly showers of blessings to students in the form of good marks and grades. They are cheats and prey on the faith of poor, ignorant, illiterate and knave people and deposit money in fraud trusts and Swiss banks. They are the worst type of thieves one can imagine of as they tarnish the image of God to make money. You will get the biggest amusement if you go through their soap operas telecast through money-hungry channels, seeing their gestures, expressions, lies and false claims. To many of them Jesus is an invisible surgeon who repair and replaces wombs, hearts and cancer affected organs. Holy Angel's job is to tell these commercial Evangelists who are all suffering from. They did no so far identify a single Muslim or Jew as the affected and benefited by their prayers as it would mean the end of their profession forever. They are the worst offenders of Child labour and children born to them live in a real hell, as they do not have any time to live like normal children. They sell pure coconut oil as miracle oil that can heal any diseases. Let us condemn them for cheating on the society and their unethical wealth amassing ways. The most regrettable point is that some of the historical elite institutions act as pimps to them and gain a pittance out of the Devils' earnings. If one runs an educational institution on ethical grounds, it is essential that students are made aware of their imperative duty to study hard and expose these earthly cheats hanging around as faith merchants and blessing pimps to them. Please cultivate real faith in God and start right now to eliminate the earthly parasitic Satans who live on your blood. Please do not allow them to gain ground in your school and Christian institutions that believe in God should be in the forefront to keep this anti social and anti religious elements out of their premises.
Please scan down and you will see another similar posting that will be of interest to you and put you on precaution. The Sales Digest
Please scan down and you will see another similar posting that will be of interest to you and put you on precaution. The Sales Digest
Thursday, May 24, 2007
A Cruel Teacher
Not all teachers are fair in their attitude and outlook. Most teachers are kind, gentle and loving. Some are just the opposite. One day in the absence of our class teacher the headmaster substituted him. In his looks he was cruel and to add more on his ugly face he had a rowdy mustache too. He wanted to show off his knowledge. He read out a verse from an English lesson and he asked me to repeat it. I could not and nobody could ever have done it, as the verse was long. He called me and beat me black and blue. Returning startled and pained, I stared at him. He followed me and gave several more painful lashes. In all fairness let us not deny the existence even now of such morons. K. Mathew Thomas
What Makes a Good Teacher?
· A great teacher Interacts with the child (physically, and mentally)
· A great teacher gives affection to the pupils, makes them understand what emotion is.
· A great teacher smiles to his/her pupils even when they screw him up.
· A great teacher teaches not only text book materials but also The truth that’s happening outside. Practice balanced with theory.
· A great teacher dedicates him/herself to the job. They made a commitment. Then they have to do it.
· A great teacher understands that a child is not only a tiny bundle of joy that can cry, smile, laugh. He/she must understand that in front of him stands a true miracle of life. Source: UNICEF
A TEACHER’S PRAYER
I want to teach my students how
To live this life on earth
To face its struggles and its strife
And improve their worth
Not just the lesson in a book
Or how the rivers flow
But how to choose the proper path
Wherever they may go
To understand eternal truth
And know the right from wrong
And gather all the beauty of
A flower and a song
For if I help the world to grow
In widsom and in grace
Then I shall feel that I have won
And I have filled my place
And so I ask your guidance, God
That I may do my part
For character and confidence
And happiness of heart J. Metcalf
Monday, May 21, 2007
(The following two articles in substance relate to the situation prevailing in a different country; but it has its equal reverence in this country too. If you wish to have more articles on matters relating to schools, please E-mail to tomatsenator@gmail.com. Please also advise us on how we will be more useful to you through this web site. K. Mathew Thomas)
Preventing Bullying
By Linda Lumsden
By Linda Lumsden
(Source: ERIC Digest & College of Education - University of Oregon)
School is supposed to be a place where students feel safe and secure and where they can count on being treated with respect. The reality, however, is that a significant number of students are the target of bullying episodes that result in serious, long-term academic, physical, and emotional consequences. Unfortunately, school personnel often minimize or underestimate the extent of bullying and the harm it can cause. In many cases, bullying is tolerated or ignored (Barone 1997; Colvin and others 1998).
When teachers and administrators fail to intervene, some victims ultimately take things into their own hands, often with grievous results. In its recent analysis of 37 school shooting incidents, the U.S. Secret Service learned that a majority of the shooters had suffered "bullying and harassment that was longstanding and severe" (U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center 2000).
This Digest examines the problem of bullying and some of its effects, discusses steps schools are taking, looks at ways peers can discourage bullying, and identifies other strategies that are being pursued.
What Is Bullying and How Prevalent Is the Problem?
Bullying occurs when a person willfully and repeatedly exercises power over another with hostile or malicious intent. A wide range of physical or verbal behaviors of an aggressive or antisocial nature are encompassed by the term bullying. These include "insulting, teasing, abusing verbally and physically, threatening, humiliating, harassing, and mobbing" (Colvin and others). Bullying may also assume less direct forms (sometimes referred to as "psychological bullying") such as gossiping, spreading rumors, and shunning or exclusion (O'Connell and others 1999).
In a recent survey of more than 15,000 sixth- through tenth-graders at public and private schools in the U.S., "30 percent of the students reported bullying others, being the target of bullies, or both" (Bowman 2001). The information, gathered in 1998 as part of the World Health Organization's Health Behavior in School-Aged Children Survey and released in April 2001, is "the first nationally representative research on the frequency of bullying among students in the United States" (Bowman).
Although the WHO survey queried only students in grades 6 through 10, younger students are also victims of bullying. In a study of fourth- through eighth-graders, about 15 percent reported being severely distressed by bullying and 22 percent reported academic difficulties stemming from mistreatment by peers (Hoover and Oliver 1996).
According to research done by Janice Gallagher, one out of four children is bullied, and one out of five defines themselves as a bully (Schmitt 1999). Approximately 282,000 students are physically attacked in secondary schools every month (Schmitt).
Many avoid public areas of the school such as the cafeteria and restrooms in an attempt to elude bullies. For some students, the fear is so great that they avoid school altogether. Every day approximately 160,000 students stay home from school because they are afraid of being bullied (Vail 1999).
What Is the Impact of Bullying on Targeted Students?
Bullying can have devastating effects on victims. As one middle-school student expressed it, "There is another kind of violence, and that is violence by talking. It can leave you hurting more than a cut with a knife. It can leave you bruised inside" (National Association of Attorneys General 2000).
Students who are targeted by bullies often have difficulty concentrating on their school work, and their academic performance tends to be "marginal to poor" (Ballard and others 1999). Typically, bullied students feel anxious, and this anxiety may in turn produce a variety of physical or emotional ailments.
As noted above, rates of absenteeism are higher among victimized students than rates among their nonbullied peers, as are dropout rates. According to Nansel and colleagues (2001), "youth who are bullied generally show higher levels of insecurity, anxiety, depression, loneliness, unhappiness, physical and mental symptoms, and low self-esteem." When students are bullied on a regular basis, they may become depressed and despondent, even suicidal or homicidal. As a report by the National Association of Attorneys General notes, bullying "is a precursor to physical violence by its perpetrators and can trigger violence in its victims."
The psychological scars left by bullying often endure for years. Evidence indicates that "the feelings of isolation and the loss of self-esteem that victims experience seem to last into adulthood" (Clarke and Kiselica 1997). Studies have found a higher level of depression and lower self-esteem among formerly bullied individuals at age twenty-three, even though as adults these individuals were no more harassed or socially isolated than a control group (Nansel and others).
What Can Schools Do To Counteract Bullying?
According to Froschl and Gropper (1999), a written anti-bullying policy distributed to everyone in the school community can help to send the message that bullying incidents will be taken seriously. Of course, to be effective, the policy must have the support of school staff, and it must be fairly and consistently applied.
To discern the nature and extent of the bullying problem in their school, administrators can distribute surveys to students, school personnel, and parents (Colvin and others). Once baseline data are collected, school personnel will be better able to judge whether any subsequent changes are actually making a difference.
Debra Pepler, director of the LaMarsh Centre for Research on Violence and Conflict Resolution at York University in Tornoto, suggests mapping a school's "hot spots" for bullying incidents (Ruth Walker 2001). Once problematic locations have been pinpointed through survey responses or a review of disciplinary records, supervision can be concentrated where it is most needed.
Barone points out that providing better supervision is not necessarily costly. For example, principals can ask teachers to stand in the doorways of their classrooms during passing time so that the halls are well supervised.
To achieve permanent changes in how students interact, Colvin and others recommend not only delivering negative consequences to those who bully, but teaching positive behavior through modeling, coaching, prompting, praise, and other forms of reinforcement. Similarly, Ballard and others encourage schools to take a proactive stance by implementing programs that teach students "social skills, conflict resolution, anger management, and character education."
One 15-year-old girl said, "I don't know how you do this, but we need to make acceptance cool" (National Association of Attorneys General).
At Central York Middle School in Pennsylvania, all students sign anti-teasing pledges and are taught how to appropriately manager their anger. Since this practice was started, the school reports a reduction in fistfights. At Laurel Elementary in Fort Collins, Colorado, students undergo "Be Cool" training in which counselors present them with provocative situations and help them recognize the difference between a "hot response" and a "cool response" (Labi 2001).
How Can Peers Discourage Bullying?
O'Connell and others (1999) assert that "peers may actively or passively reinforce the aggressive behaviors of bullies through their attention and engagement. Peer presence is positively related to the persistence of bullying episodes." Similarly, psychologist Peter Fonagy says, "The whole drama is supported by the bystander. The theater can't take place if there's no audience" (Labi 2001).
According to Salmivall (1999), bullying is increasingly viewed as a "group phenomenon," and intervention approaches should be directed toward witnesses as well as direct participants. Salmivall encourages the development of anti-bullying attitudes among peers through awareness-raising, the opportunity for self-reflection and awakening feelings of responsibility, and role-playing or rehearsing new behaviors.
To discourage peers from acting as an "audience" to bullying behavior, Seeds University Elementary School (UES) in Los Angeles has a policy of sending bystanders as well as bullies for after-school mediation. Students and their parents sign contracts at the beginning of the school year acknowledging they understand it is unacceptable to ridicule, taunt, or attempt to hurt other students (Labi). If an incident occurs, it can be used as an opportunity to educate students about alternative ways of resolving similar situations in the future.
Teaching respect and nonviolence should start in elementary school. Some suggest that nonviolence training conducted by older peers can be particularly powerful because, as one high school student put it, younger students "don't look up to old people; they look up to teenagers" (National Association of Attorneys General).
A survey administered by Naylor and Cowie (1999) found positive effects of peer-support systems designed to challenge bullying. Students accessing support, offered in the form of mentoring, befriending, mediation, and counseling, as well as their peers who provided the support, both derived benefits.
What Else Can Be Done?
Some states are beginning to require schools to adopt anti-bullying policies. Colorado, New Hampshire, and West Virginia recently passed legislation that makes it mandatory for schools to have anti-bullying policies. Massachusetts has allocated one million dollars to "bully-proof" its schools.
Students who bully often need intensive support or intervention, so it is important for schools and social-service agencies to work together. Perpetrators are frequently from "hostile family environments" (Ballard and others). They may be victims of acts of aggression at home, or witness aggression among other family members.
Parents can play a role in reducing bullying. William Pollack, a psychologist, says, "Research shows that the success of any program is 60% grounded in whether the same kinds of approaches are used at home" (Labi).
If everyone works together to discourage bullying and respond to incidents, fertile conditions are created for students to develop a greater sense of connection to their peers and for seeds of respect and acceptance to grow.
When teachers and administrators fail to intervene, some victims ultimately take things into their own hands, often with grievous results. In its recent analysis of 37 school shooting incidents, the U.S. Secret Service learned that a majority of the shooters had suffered "bullying and harassment that was longstanding and severe" (U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center 2000).
This Digest examines the problem of bullying and some of its effects, discusses steps schools are taking, looks at ways peers can discourage bullying, and identifies other strategies that are being pursued.
What Is Bullying and How Prevalent Is the Problem?
Bullying occurs when a person willfully and repeatedly exercises power over another with hostile or malicious intent. A wide range of physical or verbal behaviors of an aggressive or antisocial nature are encompassed by the term bullying. These include "insulting, teasing, abusing verbally and physically, threatening, humiliating, harassing, and mobbing" (Colvin and others). Bullying may also assume less direct forms (sometimes referred to as "psychological bullying") such as gossiping, spreading rumors, and shunning or exclusion (O'Connell and others 1999).
In a recent survey of more than 15,000 sixth- through tenth-graders at public and private schools in the U.S., "30 percent of the students reported bullying others, being the target of bullies, or both" (Bowman 2001). The information, gathered in 1998 as part of the World Health Organization's Health Behavior in School-Aged Children Survey and released in April 2001, is "the first nationally representative research on the frequency of bullying among students in the United States" (Bowman).
Although the WHO survey queried only students in grades 6 through 10, younger students are also victims of bullying. In a study of fourth- through eighth-graders, about 15 percent reported being severely distressed by bullying and 22 percent reported academic difficulties stemming from mistreatment by peers (Hoover and Oliver 1996).
According to research done by Janice Gallagher, one out of four children is bullied, and one out of five defines themselves as a bully (Schmitt 1999). Approximately 282,000 students are physically attacked in secondary schools every month (Schmitt).
Many avoid public areas of the school such as the cafeteria and restrooms in an attempt to elude bullies. For some students, the fear is so great that they avoid school altogether. Every day approximately 160,000 students stay home from school because they are afraid of being bullied (Vail 1999).
What Is the Impact of Bullying on Targeted Students?
Bullying can have devastating effects on victims. As one middle-school student expressed it, "There is another kind of violence, and that is violence by talking. It can leave you hurting more than a cut with a knife. It can leave you bruised inside" (National Association of Attorneys General 2000).
Students who are targeted by bullies often have difficulty concentrating on their school work, and their academic performance tends to be "marginal to poor" (Ballard and others 1999). Typically, bullied students feel anxious, and this anxiety may in turn produce a variety of physical or emotional ailments.
As noted above, rates of absenteeism are higher among victimized students than rates among their nonbullied peers, as are dropout rates. According to Nansel and colleagues (2001), "youth who are bullied generally show higher levels of insecurity, anxiety, depression, loneliness, unhappiness, physical and mental symptoms, and low self-esteem." When students are bullied on a regular basis, they may become depressed and despondent, even suicidal or homicidal. As a report by the National Association of Attorneys General notes, bullying "is a precursor to physical violence by its perpetrators and can trigger violence in its victims."
The psychological scars left by bullying often endure for years. Evidence indicates that "the feelings of isolation and the loss of self-esteem that victims experience seem to last into adulthood" (Clarke and Kiselica 1997). Studies have found a higher level of depression and lower self-esteem among formerly bullied individuals at age twenty-three, even though as adults these individuals were no more harassed or socially isolated than a control group (Nansel and others).
What Can Schools Do To Counteract Bullying?
According to Froschl and Gropper (1999), a written anti-bullying policy distributed to everyone in the school community can help to send the message that bullying incidents will be taken seriously. Of course, to be effective, the policy must have the support of school staff, and it must be fairly and consistently applied.
To discern the nature and extent of the bullying problem in their school, administrators can distribute surveys to students, school personnel, and parents (Colvin and others). Once baseline data are collected, school personnel will be better able to judge whether any subsequent changes are actually making a difference.
Debra Pepler, director of the LaMarsh Centre for Research on Violence and Conflict Resolution at York University in Tornoto, suggests mapping a school's "hot spots" for bullying incidents (Ruth Walker 2001). Once problematic locations have been pinpointed through survey responses or a review of disciplinary records, supervision can be concentrated where it is most needed.
Barone points out that providing better supervision is not necessarily costly. For example, principals can ask teachers to stand in the doorways of their classrooms during passing time so that the halls are well supervised.
To achieve permanent changes in how students interact, Colvin and others recommend not only delivering negative consequences to those who bully, but teaching positive behavior through modeling, coaching, prompting, praise, and other forms of reinforcement. Similarly, Ballard and others encourage schools to take a proactive stance by implementing programs that teach students "social skills, conflict resolution, anger management, and character education."
One 15-year-old girl said, "I don't know how you do this, but we need to make acceptance cool" (National Association of Attorneys General).
At Central York Middle School in Pennsylvania, all students sign anti-teasing pledges and are taught how to appropriately manager their anger. Since this practice was started, the school reports a reduction in fistfights. At Laurel Elementary in Fort Collins, Colorado, students undergo "Be Cool" training in which counselors present them with provocative situations and help them recognize the difference between a "hot response" and a "cool response" (Labi 2001).
How Can Peers Discourage Bullying?
O'Connell and others (1999) assert that "peers may actively or passively reinforce the aggressive behaviors of bullies through their attention and engagement. Peer presence is positively related to the persistence of bullying episodes." Similarly, psychologist Peter Fonagy says, "The whole drama is supported by the bystander. The theater can't take place if there's no audience" (Labi 2001).
According to Salmivall (1999), bullying is increasingly viewed as a "group phenomenon," and intervention approaches should be directed toward witnesses as well as direct participants. Salmivall encourages the development of anti-bullying attitudes among peers through awareness-raising, the opportunity for self-reflection and awakening feelings of responsibility, and role-playing or rehearsing new behaviors.
To discourage peers from acting as an "audience" to bullying behavior, Seeds University Elementary School (UES) in Los Angeles has a policy of sending bystanders as well as bullies for after-school mediation. Students and their parents sign contracts at the beginning of the school year acknowledging they understand it is unacceptable to ridicule, taunt, or attempt to hurt other students (Labi). If an incident occurs, it can be used as an opportunity to educate students about alternative ways of resolving similar situations in the future.
Teaching respect and nonviolence should start in elementary school. Some suggest that nonviolence training conducted by older peers can be particularly powerful because, as one high school student put it, younger students "don't look up to old people; they look up to teenagers" (National Association of Attorneys General).
A survey administered by Naylor and Cowie (1999) found positive effects of peer-support systems designed to challenge bullying. Students accessing support, offered in the form of mentoring, befriending, mediation, and counseling, as well as their peers who provided the support, both derived benefits.
What Else Can Be Done?
Some states are beginning to require schools to adopt anti-bullying policies. Colorado, New Hampshire, and West Virginia recently passed legislation that makes it mandatory for schools to have anti-bullying policies. Massachusetts has allocated one million dollars to "bully-proof" its schools.
Students who bully often need intensive support or intervention, so it is important for schools and social-service agencies to work together. Perpetrators are frequently from "hostile family environments" (Ballard and others). They may be victims of acts of aggression at home, or witness aggression among other family members.
Parents can play a role in reducing bullying. William Pollack, a psychologist, says, "Research shows that the success of any program is 60% grounded in whether the same kinds of approaches are used at home" (Labi).
If everyone works together to discourage bullying and respond to incidents, fertile conditions are created for students to develop a greater sense of connection to their peers and for seeds of respect and acceptance to grow.
SCHOOL DISCIPLINE
By Joan Gaustad
By Joan Gaustad
School discipline has two main goals: (1) ensure the safety of staff and students, and (2) create an environment conducive to learning. Serious student misconduct involving violent or criminal behavior defeats these goals and often makes headlines in the process. However, the commonest discipline problems involve noncriminal student behavior (Moles 1989).
These less dramatic problems may not threaten personal safety, but they still negatively affect the learning environment. Disruptions interrupt lessons for all students, and disruptive students lose even more learning time. For example, Gottfredson and others (1989) calculate that in six middle schools in Charleston, South Carolina, students lost 7,932 instructional days--44 years!--to in-school and out-of-school suspensions in a single academic year.
It is important to keep the ultimate goal in mind while working to improve school discipline. As education researcher Daniel Duke (1989) points out, "the goal of good behavior is necessary, but not sufficient to ensure academic growth." Effective school discipline strategies seek to encourage responsible behavior and to provide all students with a satisfying school experience as well as to discourage misconduct.
What School Characteristics Are Associated with Discipline Problems?
When Johns Hopkins University researchers Gary D. Gottfredson and Denise C. Gottfredson analyzed data from over 600 of the nation's secondary schools, they found that the following school characteristics were associated with discipline problems: Rules were unclear or perceived as unfairly or inconsistently enforced; students did not believe in the rules; teachers and administrators did not know what the rules were or disagreed on the proper responses to student misconduct; teacher-administration cooperation was poor or the administration inactive; teachers tended to have punitive attitudes; misconduct was ignored; and schools were large or lacked adequate resources for teaching (cited in Gottfredson 1989).
After reviewing dozens of studies on student behavior, Duke agreed with many of the Gottfredsons' conclusions. Orderly schools, he noted, usually balance clearly established and communicated rules with a climate of concern for students as individuals, and small alternative schools often maintain order successfully with fewer formal rules and a more flexible approach to infractions than large schools typically have.
How Can Schools Decrease Disruptive Behavior?
Working to change the above-mentioned characteristics may decrease disruptive behavior. First, rules and the consequences of breaking them should be clearly specified and communicated to staff, students, and parents by such means as newsletters, student assemblies, and handbooks. Meyers and Pawlas (1989) recommend periodically restating the rules, especially after students return from summer or winter vacation.
Once rules have been communicated, fair and consistent enforcement helps maintain students' respect for the school's discipline system. Consistency will be greater when fewer individuals are responsible for enforcement. Providing a hearing process for students to present their side of the story and establishing an appeal process will also increase students' and parents' perceptions of fairness.
The Gottfredsons suggest creating smaller schools or dividing large schools into several schools-within-schools (cited in Duke). This has been done in several Portland, Oregon, middle schools that have large numbers of at-risk students. For example, as Director of Instruction Leigh Wilcox explained, Lane Middle School has been divided into three minischools, each with a complete age range of students taught by a team of teachers (telephone interview, July 10, 1992).
Discipline policies should distinguish between categories of offenses. Minor infractions may be treated flexibly, depending on the circumstances, while nonnegotiable consequences are set for serious offenses. Actual criminal offenses may be reported to the police as part of a cooperative anticrime effort (Gaustad 1991).
How Can Schools Increase Positive Behavior?
Research has shown that social rewards such as smiling, praising, and complimenting are extremely effective in increasing desirable behavior.
Citing studies showing that students who dislike school, do poorly academically, and have limited career objectives are more likely to be disruptive, Gottfredson (1989) recommends that schools work to increase academic success for low-achievers. However, this alone is not enough. A comparison of three alternative programs for at-risk youth revealed that while achievement increased in all three, delinquent behavior decreased only in the program that also increased students' social involvement and attachment to school.
"Face it, if a class if boring, students will be disruptive," the NAESP (1983) points out. Making school enjoyable and interesting for as many students as possible--for example, by changing instructional practices to accommodate a variety of learning styles--may dramatically decrease discipline problems.
Sometimes problem behavior occurs because students simply don't know how to act appropriately. Black and Downs (1992) urge administrators to regard disciplinary referrals as opportunities to teach students valuable social skills that will promote success in future employment as well as in school. They present detailed procedures for "de-escalating disruptive behavior, obtaining and maintaining instructional control, teaching alternative behaviors, and preparing students for classroom re-entry."
How Important Is Administrative Leadership?
The principal plays an important leadership role in establishing school discipline, both by effective administration and by personal example. Principals of well-disciplined students are usually highly visible models. They engage in what Duke describes as "management by walking around," greeting students and teachers and informally monitoring possible problem areas. Effective principals are liked and respected, rather than feared, and communicate caring for students as well as willingness to impose punishment if necessary (NAESP 1983).
Duckworth (1984) found that teachers' satisfaction with school discipline policy was related to their relationship with the principal. Good communication and shared values are important elements in this relationship. Ideally, a principal should be able to create consensus among staff on rules and their enforcement. In practice, some principals create consensus by recruiting like-minded staff over the course of years (Duckworth), or by arranging transfers for teachers whose views "don't fit in with goals and plans for their school" (NAESP).
In a study involving eight Charlotte, South Carolina, middle schools, Gottfredson and others concluded that stable and supportive administrative leadership was the "overriding factor" determining whether a discipline program was effective. Schools that successfully implemented a pilot program experienced distinct improve- ments in discipline.
Strong district leadership can also be crucial, according to Lieutenant Steve Hollingsworth, chief of public schools police in Portland, Oregon. When violent gang activity began to emerge in Portland schools, the superintendent took strong action from the start by creating and publicly announcing firm anti-gang policies. Knowing they "had the support of the people at the top" helped school staff present a united front to this difficult challenge (cited in Gaustad).
How Should a Schoolwide Discipline Plan Be Developed and Implemented?
A school discipline plan must conform to state and federal statutes and to district policy. Meyers and Pawlas suggest that principals consult district administrators beforehand and keep them informed as a schoolwide plan is being developed. Frels and others (1990) review relevant Supreme Court decisions and present sample suspension, discipline, and drug and alcohol policies that may serve as guidelines in policy development.
A plan should be designed around the individual school's learning goals and philosophy of education (NAESP). Grossnickel and Sesko (1990) present sample discipline philosophy, goals, and objectives from which specific regulations can be derived. According to Gottfredson, if a commercially developed program is adopted it should be tailored to local conditions, as obstacles vary greatly among schools. Allowing sufficient time for implementation is also important; new disciplinary practices often fail due to unrealistic time expectations.
A uniform reporting system is an important element of a school discipline plan. Uniform reporting permits assessment of the current extent of criminal and other disciplinary incidents, helps pinpoint problem areas, and enables administrators to evaluate the success of disciplinary actions (Gaustad).
Written policies should be developed with input from everyone who will be affected by them. Teacher input is especially important because their support is crucial to a plan's success. Meyers and Pawlas note that cafeteria and custodial staff may have excellent commonsense suggestions based on their interactions with students. They also suggest consulting parent and community representatives. Student input is also desirable (NAESP).
Once developed, discipline policies must be communicated to staff, students, parents, and community. But a policy on paper is meaningless in itself. Ongoing administrative support, inservice training in new techniques, continued communication, and periodic evaluation and modification are needed to adapt a school discipline plan to the changing needs of the school community.
Source: ERIC Digest 78 December 1992 & College of Education - University of Oregon
WHAT GREAT MEN SAY ON FRIENDSHIP
To lose a friend is hardship, but to forget them is as if you died too - Unknown
Could we see when and where we are to meet again, we would be more tender when we bid our friends good-bye - Marie Louise De La Ramee
When a friend is in trouble, don't annoy him by asking if there is anything you can do. Think up something appropriate and do it - Edgar Watson Howe
I always felt that the great high privilege, relief and comfort of friendship were that one had to explain nothing - Katherine Mansfield
A friend is someone who can sing you the song of your heart when you've forgotten it. - Unknown
Verily, great grace may go with a little gift; and precious are all things that come from friends - Theocritus
The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches but to reveal to him his own - Benjamin Disraeli
A friend is a present you give yourself - Robert Louis Stevenson
Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person; having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but to pour them all out, just as they are, chaff and grain together, knowing that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then, with a breath of kindness, blow the rest away - George Eliot
In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends - John Churton Collins
Thy friendship oft has made my heart to ache; do be my enemy — for friendship's sake - William Blake
.
True friendship is seen through the heart not through the eyes - Unknown
Never do a wrong thing to make a friend or to keep one - Robert E. Lee
Friendship without self-interest is one of the rare and beautiful things of life - James F. Byrnes
The only way to have a friend is to be one - Ralph Waldo Emerson
If a man does not make new acquaintances as he advances through life, he will soon find himself left alone; one should keep his friendships in constant repair - Samuel Johnson
The happiest business in all the world is that of making friends,
And no investment on the street pays larger dividends,
For life is more than stocks and bonds, and love than rate percent - Unknown
Friendships are fragile things, and require as much handling as any other fragile and precious thing - Randolph S. Bourne
Friendship is one mind in two bodies - Mencius
Friends are the siblings, God never gave us - Unknown
True friendship is like sound health, the value of it is seldom known until it be lost - Charles Caleb Colton
True friendship comes when silence between two people is comfortable - David Tyson Gentry
Never Explain — your Friends do not need it and your Enemies will not believeyou anyway - Elbert Hubbard
In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, for in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed - Kahlil Gibran
A friend can tell you things you don't want to tell yourself - Frances Ward Weller
A true friend sticks with you through thick and thin no matter what - Kayla
A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words - Unknown
A road to a friend's house is never long - Danish proverb
Similarities create friendship's while differences hold them together - Unknown
Could we see when and where we are to meet again, we would be more tender when we bid our friends good-bye - Marie Louise De La Ramee
When a friend is in trouble, don't annoy him by asking if there is anything you can do. Think up something appropriate and do it - Edgar Watson Howe
I always felt that the great high privilege, relief and comfort of friendship were that one had to explain nothing - Katherine Mansfield
A friend is someone who can sing you the song of your heart when you've forgotten it. - Unknown
Verily, great grace may go with a little gift; and precious are all things that come from friends - Theocritus
The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches but to reveal to him his own - Benjamin Disraeli
A friend is a present you give yourself - Robert Louis Stevenson
Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person; having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but to pour them all out, just as they are, chaff and grain together, knowing that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then, with a breath of kindness, blow the rest away - George Eliot
In prosperity, our friends know us; in adversity, we know our friends - John Churton Collins
Thy friendship oft has made my heart to ache; do be my enemy — for friendship's sake - William Blake
.
True friendship is seen through the heart not through the eyes - Unknown
Never do a wrong thing to make a friend or to keep one - Robert E. Lee
Friendship without self-interest is one of the rare and beautiful things of life - James F. Byrnes
The only way to have a friend is to be one - Ralph Waldo Emerson
If a man does not make new acquaintances as he advances through life, he will soon find himself left alone; one should keep his friendships in constant repair - Samuel Johnson
The happiest business in all the world is that of making friends,
And no investment on the street pays larger dividends,
For life is more than stocks and bonds, and love than rate percent - Unknown
Friendships are fragile things, and require as much handling as any other fragile and precious thing - Randolph S. Bourne
Friendship is one mind in two bodies - Mencius
Friends are the siblings, God never gave us - Unknown
True friendship is like sound health, the value of it is seldom known until it be lost - Charles Caleb Colton
True friendship comes when silence between two people is comfortable - David Tyson Gentry
Never Explain — your Friends do not need it and your Enemies will not believeyou anyway - Elbert Hubbard
In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, for in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed - Kahlil Gibran
A friend can tell you things you don't want to tell yourself - Frances Ward Weller
A true friend sticks with you through thick and thin no matter what - Kayla
A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words - Unknown
A road to a friend's house is never long - Danish proverb
Similarities create friendship's while differences hold them together - Unknown
Sunday, May 20, 2007
BEWARE OF FAITH TRADERS
A REQUEST TO TEACHERS AND STUDENTS
It is time we take on Evil Evangelists who slights the Holy Trinity and tarnish the image of Christianity and making it a laughable stock in the minds of non-believers by indulging in disgusting trading practices. You realize the Examination eve tension in students and their over-concerned parents and to fish in troubled waters Commercial Evangelists of different guises appear and fraudulent as they are they make false promises to students and bring on stage witnesses to prove their credentials. In these some reputed Christian schools of yore act as willing pimps to fleece the naïve and the gullible and these Evangelists with fattened purses go on in investing it in real estates and Gold under pseudo trusts for the sole benefit of their future generation. The sad thing is that even the highly educated fall victims to these self anointed holy conmen. This year out of the Thousands of elite-managed Schools in Chennai, only two acted as spineless pimps. But through Television Channels and words of mouth the word spread among students and they rush to these meetings and pay heavily for their discretion in cash and false faith. Jesus Christ is far away from these street Evangelists and He does not attend meetings to be commanded by them. Ultimately your efforts only can reward you. No average student will rise to the point of distinction because some A, B or C cry (no tears please) and pray in public. Anything, which you do on reward, is purely commercial and no sincerity or involvement is attached thereto.
I wish to make four requests to you: -
1. Please work hard and the results will follow. This is the Universal Law.
2. Please tell your students and friends that the evil commercial evangelists are out to exploit you in a given situation and it is a sin to pay money to these stinking charlatans of the most inferior quality. They disgrace the world and their religion! Evil Evangelists outrun the good ones in the community.
3. Please let me have a list of those who benefited with incredible results through brokers’ prayers with full address so that I can investigate into it. I understand that some sincere teachers too who love their wards participate in these prayers and buy some of their wares including their patented faith. If you allow faith to take over the effort to win will take a beating.
4. Please do not allow students or brother/sister teachers to promote commercial evangelism in your institution. Beware of paid brokers in your institution!
These requests are made purely in your interests and I request you further to promote this site among your friends. You will stand to benefit by browsing this as well as my other sites. Click on my profile appearing on the side bar and other sites will soon appear. For the international responses I have received on a question of the quality of Teachers and students, please find it in http://thedebatersforum.blogspot.com. Kindly keep in touch with me through my E-mail: - tomatsenator@gmail.com
These requests are made purely in your interests and I request you further to promote this site among your friends. You will stand to benefit by browsing this as well as my other sites. Click on my profile appearing on the side bar and other sites will soon appear. For the international responses I have received on a question of the quality of Teachers and students, please find it in http://thedebatersforum.blogspot.com. Kindly keep in touch with me through my E-mail: - tomatsenator@gmail.com
K. Mathew Thomas
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
A PROMISE TO BE THOUGHT ABOUT
Thankful for this Gift of Life, and for all afforded to me in it, I make these Promises:
1. I will not waste my inborn powers, a moment of my life, nor anything occurring in it;
2. I will see the beauty in all things and in all of life's moments;
3. I will value all others' rights no less than mine & never take pleasure or comfort at the expense of another;
4. I will not lie to myself/another, accept/excuse any lie, nor allow lies to adversely affect my life or another's;
5. I will take no more than my fair share of all things, nor will I envy that of others;
6. I will give as much as or more than I take/am given, in kind or in trade according to my talents and ability;
7. I will allow all children/fellow creatures to live in comfort, safety, and good health, always knowing love;
8. I will neither harm nor eat any fellow creature;
9. I will be a loving friend to all who follow these ways, will do my best to enlighten all who do not.
These 9 Promises I vow to keep as long as I live, safeguarding their observance with all my life-given strength, as the inherent rights and responsibilities of any living being, doing my utmost at all times to fulfill my purpose in this life and whatever may come after.
Principles of Clean-Living
Within Yourself:
1. Wanting/using/eating nothing obtained by causing harm to/death of any living creature.
2. Using nothing alcoholic, hallucinogenic, addictive or sensory/mind/behavior-altering.
3. Devising/using/allowing no plant or animal lifeform-altering drugs/procedures.
4. Enjoying/allowing nothing that exhibits or represents violence.
5. Devising/following no religion/rite, respecting/revering simply, GOOD's mother-source.
6. Owning nothing, envying no one, accumulating only current needs.
7. Using no substitutes for life-valuable things in trading.
8. Seeing/opposing EVIL wherever it exists, not ignoring it/pretending it's something else.
9. Accepting your own frailty/ignorance, assuming no superiority over anyone/anything.
10. Being honest about everything, even with yourself.
11. Recognizing your inborn powers, using all unselfishly to their utmost potential.
12. Accepting your life's purpose, known to you or not, & striving always to be useful. Toward others:
13. Allowing/doing nothing to cause death, fear, physical/emotional pain to a living being.
14. Allowing no violent/wrongful history/current events to ever be taught to children.
15. Allowing/excusing no violent behavior, doing all you can to stop any/all violence.
16. Accepting/supporting no rule/law without a necessary planet/life-beneficent basis.
17. Sharing all you have with those in need: including love, comfort, understanding.
18. Always putting the care & raising of healthy, happy, peaceful children first.
19. Acknowledging kinship/equality with all sentient life, avoiding any committed to evil.
20. Revering your elders and cherishing/respecting/making use of their wisdom.
21. Putting protection/preservation of your planet habitat ahead of personal comfort.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
PRACTICAL WISDOM
"Hear, my child, your father’s instruction,
and do not reject your mother’s teaching" (Proverbs 1:8)
This reminds me of the popular book "All I Ever Needed to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten," which reviewed the basic courtesies of living among other people. Things like, take turns, return things to where you found them, and take a nap when you are tired. Practical wisdom. The book of Proverbs has some practical wisdom, too. Things like, don’t hang out with sinners, trust in the Lord rather than your own insight, do the good that is within your power to do.
It seemed easy to obey the rules when I was younger. It didn’t occur to me to doubt the validity of what Mom, Dad, and God said. I never seemed short of time to obey. Now, ruled by my own judgement and constricted by my own prior choices, it seems I ignore a lot of common sense wisdom. Annoyed by all those other self-serving adults in the world, who don’t know how to merge in traffic or push shopping carts out of the parking area, I let my courtesies fly out the window, too. I may feel justified, but Proverbs says I’m simply foolish.
It would be worth our while to recall some of that practical wisdom learned at our parent’s knees and spoken in our heavenly Father’s book of wisdom, and put them into practice in our grown-up situations. May you be creatively inspired to do so!
Courtesy: Web site: eDevotions.org
A SPECIMEN QUIZ
Quiz Master: I am going to ask you a very tricky question. What is the bird you find around us crowing out?
Quiz Participant: A clue please
QM. I know it is very hard to answer. This is the clue. It is black in colour with a glossy black plumage.
QP. Hard, Sir! One more clue.
QM. You can take one more clue. It is connected with some religious ceremonies of a departed soul and fed on that day.
QP. Can’t get at it, Sir, Just one more clue.
QM. The question is very difficult, I understand. Take one more clue. It is clan loving. If one bird is hurt the whole clan comes to its rescue and support
QP. One more clue, please
QM. The question is difficult, I know, but this is going too far. Take one more clue. Its name has four alphabets. Now it is easy for you to answer.
QP. Last request, Sir! One more clue please.
QM. No more clues, please. Take the last. The first three alphabets in its name are C, R, O. Now answer.
QP. It is CROW , Sir.
QM. Oh! Great, you wizard, you answered it.
Contributed by Cherian Mani - Advertisement consultant
Saturday, April 28, 2007
STUDENT BLOOPERS
"The body consists of three parts - the branium, the borax, and the abominable cavity. The branium contains the brain, the borax contains the heart and lungs, and the abominable cavity contains the bowels, of which there are five - a, e, i, o, and u."
"H2O is hot water, and CO2 is cold water." "When you smell an oderless gas, it is probably carbon monoxide."
"Water is composed of two gins, Oxygin and Hydrogin. Oxygin is pure gin. Hydrogin is gin and water."
"Three kinds of blood vessels are arteries, vanes and caterpillars." "Blood flows down one leg and up the other."
"The moon is a planet just like the earth, only it is even deader."
"Mushrooms always grow in damp places and so they look like umbrellas." "The pistol of a flower is its only protections against insects."
"The skeleton is what is left after the insides have been taken out and the outsides have been taken off. The purpose of the skeleton is something to hitch meat to."
"A permanent set of teeth consists of eight canines, eight cuspids, two molars, and eight cuspidors."
"Vacuum: A large, empty space where the pope lives." "To keep milk from turning sour: Keep it in the cow."
- NEA Life Sciences Symposium, Kansas City, Kansas.
These comments come from test papers and essays submitted to science and health teachers by elementary, junior high, high school, and college students. As the originator noted, "It is truly astonishing what weird science our young scholars can create under the pressures of time and grades."
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