The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck Essay - 1375 Words

The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck (Essay Sample) Content: Your NameProfessorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s NameCourse NameDate of SubmissionThe Moon is Down by John SteinbeckIntroductionThe work of John was first published in 1942 addressing issues of that time in history as the Second World War raged (Steinbeck 115). However, his work remains relevant to current readers with strong encouragement messages. John Steinbeckà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s book presents a story of attacks by foreign militia to a remote coastal town in Europe. He does not give details of neither the country nor the townà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s identities, and the period of attack. The main aim of the attack is to gain access to coal, which is the main natural resource in the town. The attack changes the lives of the citizens of the town within a limited period. Before the invasion the town was democratic and its residents enjoyed freedom that lasted only until the militia invaded the town (Coerse 110). These attacks resulted to the locals of the town becoming answerable to foreigners in helmets who snatched them their freedom. The author unveils the twisted human nature whereby the natives of the town become enraged looking for their own freedom by destroying the attackers while the invaders gain empathy after considering the pain they have caused to a once calm town (Forster 27). An analysis of the book, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"The Moon is Downà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬, reveals how it aims at addressing the impacts of war on the human emotions.The Book PostureThe book is posed as propaganda during the Second World War with an aim of encouraging the town dwellers invaded by militia. The first chapter of the book introduces the reader to a town attacked by a Nazi group. A well known shopkeeper in the town, Corell George, ensured that policemen, postman, and the townà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s soldiers were away at the time of invasion (Demott 54). This gives the assailants an easy time to triumph over the peaceful town.The Townà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s History and ResourcesThe town has lived in harmony for many years and l acks knowledge on how to handle the attack. The assailantsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬ main target in the town is coal. They do not demand it directly, but later on the natives discover that the authoritarian principles of the invaders were as a result of their interest in the townà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s natural resource (Alexander 95). One of the aggressors is killed by a miner, Alexander Mordern. This leads to the trial of Alexander and a verdict to kill him by firing is passed which led to retaliation by a local who harms lieutenant Prackle (Steinbeck 87). The invaders declare war from this point and they start by unarming all the locals through confiscation of their weapons. They vow to ensure they conquer the town as planned and threaten the locals with brutality in case any actions of vengeance happen.Human Nature TwistsThe town experiences a cold winter as months heave by secret opposition movements. The operations of the mines often stopped as cases of accidents increased at the sites. As events conti nue to unfold, some of the locals covertly seek refuge elsewhere out of the town. The strategy of the invaders to use violence and brutal handling of the people less affected the townspeople chilly compliance (Gimlich 34). As the natives of the town undergo pain, also the militias are suffering, living with doubt and fear wishing to be with their families and they feel lonely in the battle fields. Annie visits Morden one night to notify Molly of a secret meeting to be done at her house. This is because of the planned escape of the Anders boys who are also arranging to evade with Corell. Tonder, the Lieutenant, passes by and he reveals to her he is lonely (Steinbeck 68). The planned secret meeting is done, but when Tonder returns with hopes of making love to her, Molly picks a pair of scissors with the intention of killing him. In heavy winter, dynamite kits are dropped by planes at night. These kits give instructions to the townspeople on how to attack the soldiers with explosives. Lanser the Colonel discovers that intense steps have to be made or else they are losing authority over the town. It is learned that devious Corell has been connecting with the headquarters and monitoring the people of the town. Corell is in possession of documents from the headquarters that provides him with power over Colonel Lanser.Final VerdictEventually, Lanser has to obey commands that demands Mayor Orden and Doctor Winter has to be held captive and executed if the dynamites are utilized by the locals. The last chapter of the story a recitation of Socrates words is done by Colonel Lanser, Mayor Morden, and Doctor Winter (Steinbeck 115).in the last scene of the book explosions occur, some from the coal mine fields and others from the palace as well.Main ThemeThe main theme of the story by John Steinbeck is to encourage regions attacked by soldiers as the World War II took place. It was first posed as a propaganda novel at the time of the War and it did not receive much audience as anticipated. The book gives hope and emphasis on not giving up without fighting back whenever humans are attacked. The bookà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬s theme was relevant to the readers back in history just the same way it is to the contemporary world. Steinbeck uses the story to contradict the obvious human nature of submission whenever they are invaded. He reckons on the human emotions and feelings that should be utilized well in reasoning rather than just following other forces mindlessly. He acknowledges the human feelings that are alert to conflict with those of who try to attack us. The development of the story demonstrates such feelings in the townspeople when they eventually retaliate to the invasions. This is confirmed by the Mayors words, "My people do not like to have others think for them. May be they are different from your people." (Steinbeck 17). The locals were united and rebellious to the foreigners. Lieutenant Tondler got worried of losing their control over the town saying, " Flie...

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Powerful Imagery and Themes in The Killer Angels Essay

In The Killer Angels, Michael Shaara fictionally illustrates the historical facts of the battle at Gettysburg. Shaara gives action and words to characters of another time, and then places these players on the stage of this great battle. Through the use of powerful biblical and non-biblical imagery and themes the epic nature of the battle at Gettysburg and its characters are enhanced. Such imagery and themes, combined with Shaaras fictionalization, help to contribute to why this single battle holds such monumental significance and influence upon the lives of Americans over a century removed from its occurrence. In the Foreword, before the battle begins, Shaara starts with a list of the principle players in the upcoming†¦show more content†¦This helps to give the entire event a timeless characteristic. The Confederates tend to fill the aspects of biblical imagery and themes in more numerous ways than that of the Union side. This is due, in part, to the fact that the Confederate Army had a more unified religious belief system as well as a solid, devotional-like faith in Lee as their leader. (Shaara ix) Lee is the pinnacle of the Confederate hierarchy. He is like an angel of the Lord (Shaara 67) in the presence of his men. On the first day of battle he is prompted from within himself to ride out to merely be seen by his soldiers in the midst of battle in order to boost morale. (Shaara 112) Not only is Lee aware of the importance he holds in the eyes of his men and the strength that he gives them, but also in his weakness and weariness. He does not attribute to himself qualities that superseded God. Shaara emphatically states that Lee believed absolutely in God. (Shaara x) Lees divinity is attributed to him by his men. For instance, Longstreet conveyed to Arthur Fremantle a conversation concerning Darwins theory of evolution. He stated that even though those discussing the issue agreed that Darwins theory was probably true, one person spoke out that Lee didnt come from no ape. (Shaara 138) This implies that in the eyes of his men, Lee was viewed as being apart from mere m ortals. Although Lee aloneShow MoreRelatedHow Does Conflict Manifest Itself in Romeo and Juliet?1509 Words   |  6 Pages2, after Juliet first learns that her lover Romeo has killed her cousin Tybalt. In anger Juliet describes Romeo as a â€Å"fiend angelica!† This quote is an oxymoron because fiend means devil or Satan, while the definition of angelica is angel or honorable. Since an angel cannot also be the devil the phrase is an oxymoron. Shakespeare uses this oxymoron to display the two sides of Romeo and the conflict which Juliet has within herself. 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Summary 4. Characters 5. Themes 6. Style 7. Historical Context 8. Critical Overview 9. Essays and Criticism 10. Compare and Contrast 11. Topics for Further Study 12. Media Adaptations 13. What Do I Read Next? 14. Bibliography and Further Reading 15. Copyright Introduction EudoraRead MoreEudora Welty a Worn Path12173 Words   |  49 Pagesthe written permission of the publisher. For complete copyright information on these eNotes please visit: http://www.enotes.com/worn−path/copyright Table of Contents 1. A Worn Path: Introduction 2. Eudora Welty Biography 3. Summary 4. Characters 5. Themes 6. Style 7. Historical Context 8. Critical Overview 9. Essays and Criticism 10. Compare and Contrast 11. Topics for Further Study 12. Media Adaptations 13. What Do I Read Next? 14. Bibliography and Further Reading 15. Copyright Introduction EudoraRead MoreMarketing Mistakes and Successes175322 Words   |  702 PagesVanguard: Is Advertising Really Needed? 283 302 319 PART VI ETHICAL MISTAKES Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Merck’s Vioxx: Catastrophe and Other Problems MetLife: Deceptive Sales Practices Ford Explorers with Firestone Tires: A Killer Scenario Ill Handled 335 351 Conclusions: What We Can Learn 380 Chapter 24 Index 333 365 400 CHAPTER ONE Introduction A t this writing, Marketing Mistakes has passed its thirtieth anniversary. Who would haveRead MoreMarketing Management 14th Edition Test Bank Kotler Test Bank173911 Words   |  696 PagesInternets impact on the way business is conducted today, EXCEPT one. Identify the exception. A) It has facilitated high-speed communication among employees. B) It has empowered consumers with easy access to information. C) It can be used as a powerful sales channel. D) It has facilitated mass marketing but not the sale of customized products. 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10 Quotes to Help Celebrate a 30th Birthday

Some like a big splash, others like a quiet affair, but most everyone likes their birthday celebrations. If you like birthdays, even the morning of your birthday seems like the best morning of the year. Even if a cloud threatens to explode in the skies, you wake up feeling happy. You quickly go through your birthday greetings that come in the form of text messages, phone calls, and social media posts. And isnt it wonderful to receive flowers or a beautiful birthday cake, with a Happy Birthday card in it? You thank everybody who remembered your birthday. You feel a sense of joy when you express gratitude to your loved ones. Why Do We Enjoy Celebrating Birthdays? Once a year, you get the chance to be special. Friends, family, and loved ones wish you happiness, good health, and prosperity. They shower you with love, attention, gifts, and goodies. They spend time with you and share your happiness. The 30th birthday is special. You are now officially a mature and responsible adult who has the necessary wisdom to make important decisions in life. The 30th birthday heralds your adult status with measured indulgence. Here are some noteworthy quotes that put matters in the right perspective, ready to share in birthday cards and on cakes, during celebratory toasts, and more. Muhammad Ali The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life. Hervey Allen The only time you really live fully is from 30 to 60. The young are slaves to dreams; the old, servants of regrets. Only the middle-aged have all their five senses in the keeping of their wits. Anonymous At the age of 20, we dont care what the world thinks of us; at 30, we worry about what it is thinking of us; at 40, we discover that it wasnt thinking of us at all. Georges Clemenceau Everything I know I learned after I was 30. Charles Caleb Colton The excess of our youth are checks written against our age, and they are payable with interest 30 years later. F. Scott Fitzgerald Thirty—the promise of a decade of loneliness, a thinning list of single men to know, a thinning briefcase of enthusiasm, thinning hair. Benjamin Franklin At 20 years of age, the will reigns; at 30, the wit; and at 40, the judgment. Robert Frost Time and tide wait for no man, but time always stands still for a woman of 30. Elbert Hubbard Ones 30th birthday and ones 60th are days that press their message home with iron hand. With his 70th milestone past, a man feels that his work is done, and dim voices call to him from across the Unseen. His work is done, and so illy, compared with what he had wished and expected! But the impressions made upon his heart by the day are no deeper than those his 30th birthday inspires. At 30, youth, with all it palliates and excuses, is gone forever. The time for mere fooling is past; the young avoid you, or else look up to you and tempt you to grow reminiscent. You are a man and must give an account of yourself. Lew Wallace A man 30 years old, I said to myself, should have his field of life all ploughed, and his planting well done; for after that it is summertime.

College Should Not Be Free Essay example - 720 Words

College should not be free. I personally dont think that college should be free. Students who pay for their college are more motivated, hard working and independent. Many students would have poor motivation to finish school, because they can always come back. As a matter of fact students with ambitions to get university degree are learning much harder in high school than other, who thinks they don’t need an extra paper. There are many students that are so smart, and they will find the way to get money for school. With extra work and help from family students will be able to afford college tuitions. Students need to depend on themselves; otherwise every taxpayer will have to cover their education expenses. There are several reasons why†¦show more content†¦For instance, financial aid forms, part time job, and assistantship program. There are many financial aid forms, like grants and loans, available which will help students afford college. Besides assistance from gove rnment students should look for eventual employment. Many students work either part or full time, while they are taking college classes, so that they are able to cover their tuitions, books and other fees. In addition to occupation students can look for help from colleges as well. Universities offer assistantships program, as a way to gain employee, in return offer significant financial help and tuition waiver. In general, college should not be free, because students might be unmotivated, lazy or unconcerned about their education. Having to work while going to school can be hard, but it can also teach students the value of a hard day’s work. As a matter of fact, college is a personal choice, not a requirement, and for the most part nobody is forced to attend third level of education. Those students who decide to go are well educated, they think in front about their future and their parents prepared them as much as they could. Students entering professions such medicine will be certainly able to repay their loans after graduation in truth, students may have some difficulty in few years as far as loans, but it’s obviously that with expected income in future there will be no problem to pay loans back. Students need to find a program or degreeShow MoreRelatedShould College Be Free College?848 Words   |  4 Pages Free College Why are not more people going to college? One obvious answer would be cost, especially the cost of tuition. But the problem is not just that college is expensive. It is also that going to college is complicated. Free college is not just about cultural and social, neither economic. It means navigating advanced courses, standardized tests, and forms. It means figuring out implicit rules-rules that can change. College graduates have higher employment ratesRead MoreShould College Be Free? Essay1520 Words   |  7 PagesShould college be free? A current universal problem poses this question. In today’s world, full of public education standards that hold students maybe too high and in a generation bogged down by student debt, this issue qualifies as a problem more than many are maybe even willing to admit. While the prospect of free college proposes excellent ideals such as a stronger and smarter generation, no student loan problems, and a higher educated society, the truth may a ctually lie in the reality thatRead MoreShould College Be Free College?1614 Words   |  7 Pagescandidates because of his belief that tuition and cost of living at public colleges and universities should be free. Free college has become one of the most talked about policy proposals on the campaign trail, but questions surround the policy, such as how it would work, how much it would cost and how it would affect students (Rhatican). Most colleges bundle their prices in terms of tuition and fees. In 1995, tuition for private colleges was around 14k, for Public out of state it was around 7k and for publicRead MoreShould College Be Free College?1688 Words   |  7 Pagesto cover the costs? Free college is now brought up as a debate whether or not students should receive free college tuition while attending college. Some individuals would like this idea, but I am definite the taxpayers would not like it or support it. If the government cannot afford what they are in debt with now, I am quiet uncertain how adding free college would help the debt go down. I am sure that the government would find some way to get their money back from allowing free tuition, or twice theRead MoreCollege Should Not Be Free876 Words   |  4 Pagesmake public college tuition free. A recent movement to federally mandate college funding has struck the interest of the lower, impoverished members of society. However, if college tuition were free it would be unfair, unregulated, and cost-ineffective in the long run. What does free really mean? Does it include just tuition, or room, board and books? Also, would it be completely free? Someone has to pay something somewhere down the line. There is no way to make college completely free. It would beRead MoreShould Colleges Be Free? Essay1186 Words   |  5 PagesShould colleges be free in America? It is a question that is more relevant today than ever before. As education is one key factor that determines the nation’s fate going forward, this question is worth debating. Making free college education may sound good theoretically but requires herculean efforts to make it practically possible. The main question is whether such program be effective in the long run or not? If, yes how long will the government able to support these costs and from where? Are tuitionRead MoreShould College Be Free?893 Words   |  4 Pagesor not college should be free. Images of students rallying and protesting can be often seen in the news. They are in favor of making college free. I disagree and feel that college should not be free. People would be more likely to fail because there would be no financial consequence, the financial burden would be passed on to taxpayers who wouldn’t even benefit from it, and it would not be fair to those who work hard through earning scholarships and serving in the military. College should not beRead MoreShould College Be Free844 Words   |  4 PagesShould college be free? Posted on  May 8, 2011  by  writefix Should college education be free, or should university students be required to pay tuition fees? Some countries have free education from kindergarten to university, while  students in other countries have to pay  at every step of the way.  This essay will look at some of the reasons for this difference  at university level. Free third level education has several advantages. First of all,  everyone can attend, so the gap between rich and poorRead MoreCollege Should Be Free759 Words   |  3 Pages Should the cost of earning a college degree be free? Some students,parents, and educators say that it is morally wrong for a child to spend their entire life going to public school for free and having them to just turn around and pay for college. The students, parents, and educators all would agree that the cost of obtaining a college degree should indeed be free. Those who are against this issue believe that the students themselves or their parents who are financially able should pay for someRead MoreShould College Be Free?1907 Words   |  8 PagesShould College Be â€Å"Free† in America? As many young millennials rally behind Bernie Sanders and his outlandish claims of free public college for all, others sigh and shake their heads in disapproval. Are these college students really entitled to free higher education? Is it every American’s unalienable right to have a college education? Despite the recent push for free college in the United States, the economic burden and drop in personal responsibility it would create proves that colleges should

The British s Involvement During The 1947-1948 War Of...

Chenika Bukes Over 20,000 people were murdered during the 1947-1948 War of Independence. The British s involvement in the conflict during the 1910 s-1940 s is responsible for those deaths through a narrative of events in the upcoming years to the war. The British fuelled the Arab-Israeli conflict by antagonising the Palestinian Arabs, by sentencing the Jewish people to death and by beginning the 1947-1948 Mandatory Palestine war of independence. The Arab-Israeli conflict roughly began with minor disagreements and altercations since the late 19th century up until present day. Whenever the British got involved in the conflict, something seemed to go wrong. The Arabs were antagonised by the British when the McMahon agreement was not seen through. The White paper, commissioned by the British, created a death sentence for the Jewish people- Dr.Weizmann (1939, June), and when the British withdrew from the conflict a series of events led to the 1947-1948 war of independence. The McMahon Agreement was constituted on the 24th of October 1915 between the Meccans and the British. Upon the rise of Arab nationalism, the Arabs (Meccans) pursued independence from the Ottoman Empire. Amir Abdullah, son of Hussein Bin Ali the Sharif of Mecca, visited the British general consul in Egypt in February of 1914. His incentive was to verify that the British will recognise Arab independence if they support the British in war with purpose to abdicate the Ottoman Turks. Then in 1917 theShow MoreRelatedArab Israeli Conflict 883 Words   |  4 Pagesessentially a dispute over the area known up until 1948 as Palestine, which is considered holy to all three major monotheistic religions.2 The primary parties in the conflict are Israeli (formerly Zionist) Jews and Palestinian Arabs (who are predominately Muslim).3 It is one of the unresolved problems bequeathed to the region by the British and French imperialist powers following the division of the Ottoman Empire between them at the end of World War 1.4 There are many features of the Middle East,Read MoreThe During World War II1567 Words   |  7 PagesDuring World War II, Singapore was conquered and occupied by the Japanese Empire from 1942 to 1945. British Military Administration was formed to govern the island until March 1946. 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What does it mean to be an effective teacher free essay sample

A person who has enough knowledge about a particular topic may teach; however the question remains, does this make them an effective teacher? Even though there are many contributing factors that can affect a student’s performance such as physical, psychological, sociological, and economical, it should be noted that no student enters school as a â€Å"failure†. It comes down to the processes and procedures that the teacher employs, which are the main cause of student’s success or failure (Lembo, as cited in Westwood, 2004, p.79). An effective teacher will employ processes, procedure and attitudes that maximises understanding and enables a student to easily process and apply that learning to their daily lives. Furthermore, an effective teacher is a person who is able to encourage and motivate a student to promote a positive learning environment. Before discussing the aspects of effective teaching, it would be fitting to firstly discuss what teaching is. We will write a custom essay sample on What does it mean to be an effective teacher? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page A teacher can be seen as a person who provides opportunities for students to learn. The teacher’s main goal is to relay information and to impart knowledge to the learner; however becoming an effective teacher is more than just a process of transmitting information onto students. It is about the ability to take â€Å"raw† content and transform that information into understandable and meaningful knowledge. By doing this, the student will be able to easily absorb this information and access deep knowledge. The process of accessing deep knowledge involves key steps which Killen (2005, p. 39) suggests are, †¦ identifying the important concepts and principles that students need to learn, organizing those concepts and principles into a coherent structure, devising effective ways of explaining the key ideas and their relationships, identifying themes and issues that will help students integrate their knowledge, and developing learning experiences that will lead students to deep understanding. Killen’s approach displays how students can be lead to deep understanding when a teacher identifies concepts, principles, themes and issues and explains this is in a structured manner. By doing this, a student can develop their learning and integrate their knowledge into another context. However before a teacher can lead a learner to deep understanding effectively, they must first have sound pedagogical knowledge. There are three aspects to Pedagogical knowledge. The first aspect of Pedagogical knowledge is knowledge of the content. In today’s teaching context, teachers need to have a deep understanding of subject matter, how one idea relates to another and to everyday life. This will help assist students in creating useful cognitive maps and address misconceptions. By having a great understanding of content, teachers will have a great base to make ideas accessible for others. The second aspect of Pedagogical knowledge is knowledge of teaching. Knowledge of teaching is about understanding the best ways to relay information onto their students. Teachers are required to access their deep knowledge and come up with the best ways to relay the concepts and principles in a way for students to easily understand and apply. The third aspect is knowledge of learning. Before a teacher can structure concepts, ideas and principles and effectively relay this information onto learners, they must understand how learners absorb information. As no student are the same, a teacher must understand that there are many different learning styles and each lesson needs to be designed to cater for each student’s learning needs (Killen, 2005). The importance of pedagogy contributes to ensuring a teacher is effective. It once again displays that through a strong understanding of content, teaching and learning knowledge, a teacher can promote intellectual quality, a positive learning environment and meaningful learning for all students regardless of their level of achievement or ability. In the Schools. tv video â€Å"Maths – A Lesson on Shapes†, Ms. Poole displays how the use of Pedagogical Knowledge is important to being an effective teacher. She uses her knowledge of subject matter to create a lesson that allows her to relate the information on to her students in such a way that enables them to relate it to the real world, for example finding right angles on a variety of different objects. She uses her teaching knowledge by creating a lesson that uses constructivism and scaffolding, which can be seen through group work. This promotes student interaction so students can bounce ideas off one another and challenge their thinking. Finally, by using different types of aids and constructing group activities for three different abilities, Ms. Poole has used her knowledge of learners to cater for different learner types and abilities (Davies, 2008). Effective teachers are those whom are prepared by having a well planned lesson plan as this determines the success or failure of the lesson. The follow up lesson plan â€Å"Mass – Comparing masses of objects using balance scales. †(Refer to Appendix 1), has been formulated to contain all aspects of Pedagogical knowledge to ensure the success of the lesson. It contains content knowledge, which is broken down and easy to read. This will ensure the teacher can effectively relay information onto students, which is easily understood. The lesson plan contains teacher knowledge through the connection to the curriculum and syllabus, timing and pace. By allowing for adequate timing and pace, a student can think through their knowledge and apply this to another context. Moreover, the lesson plan contains leaner knowledge as it adopts approaches such as group discussions, group work and scaffolding techniques to cater for the different learner types and abilities. To broaden the aspect of teacher and learner knowledge, there are many strategies such as group work, role-play or discussion that could be used to strengthen the understanding and deep knowledge in students (Barry and King, 2004). There are many factors when choosing the most appropriate strategy such as subject matter, age, ability and learner types however it is most important to choose a strategy based on what the teacher want students to achieve at the end of the lesson. For example, a teacher wanting to show a student how to throw a ball will use a demonstration as their teaching approach compared to a teacher wanting a student to explore a topic and analyse may use discovery learning. These two approaches use two different types of cognitive thinking (Barry and King, 2004). An effective teacher would choose strategies that enable students to think, reason and debate their understanding as this allows them to process content in their own way. Spady suggested (as cited in Killen, 2005, p. 36) that â€Å"all students can learn and succeed, but not in the same day or in the same way†. This means that each student has their own way to absorb information. It is important to remember that learning is a social experience so strategies that provide students enough time and opportunities to interact and discuss with each other will cater for different learner needs and allows students to absorb information in their preferred way and at their own pace (Killen, 2007, p. 73). There are two types of teaching strategies, which include teacher-centred and learner-centred. There are a number of differences between the two strategies such as how the lesson is organised, how interactive lessons are, what the teacher does and how learning is approached by the learners themselves. The teacher-centred approach is focused on the teacher being a transmitter of information and is a more direct approach where students have less control of what they are learning and how they learn it. Whereas Student-centred approaches are more focused on what students do to achieve the required outcome, not what the teachers do. It allows students more control in their role as a learner and how they learn the specified content. Some teacher-centred approaches include lectures, observations, direct instruction or expository teaching. Some student-centred approaches include constructivism, group work and discovery learning (Killen, 2007, p. 73). If a teacher only uses one approach, they will not allow for equal learning opportunities. Alexander has suggested (as cited in Weston, 2004, p. 87) that an effective teacher should have a combination of three approaches. The first approach is direct teaching. This will allow the teacher to instruct learners exactly what to do and how to do it. The second approach is enquiry. This enables students to get their ideas across, solve problems, challenges their thinking and assists students in reflecting on their learning. The third approach is scaffolding, which assists students in their learning and allows them to progress from one level to the next. By having a combination of teaching strategies a teacher will be able to cater for all learning needs. In the Schools. tv video, Ms. Poole uses a combination of strategies; however it is evident that the lesson is very student-centred. She starts the lesson with direct teaching. This allows her to instruct the class of what to do and how to do it. She uses enquiry and scaffolding throughout the lesson as seen in her group discussions and group work. The group discussions allow students to interact socially so they can exchange ideas and through group work, students are able to solve problems and challenge their own thinking. Moreover, by scaffolding her students, Ms. Poole ensures that her students can progress from one level of understanding to the next (Davies, 2008). By having a combination of teaching strategies, Ms. Poole can effectively cater for all learning needs. The follow up lesson plan (Refer to Appendix 1), takes on a mainly a student-centred approach; however like the previous lesson, it has a combination of teaching strategies to cater for all learners. The lesson beings with a direct teaching approach in order for the teacher to access prior knowledge and link this lesson to the previous. Throughout the lesson, enquiry is used through questioning and group work. This again allows students to interact socially and get their ideas across so they can challenge their thinking with other students. Finally, by having a mixed ability activity in this lesson, not only does the teach scaffold students, but the more able can scaffold the less able students. To again reiterate a point, by having a combination of teaching approaches and strategies a teacher will be able to cater for all students learning types, which will allow for more effective teaching. It is important to also note that an effective teacher is not just about what a teacher knows. It is also about the personality they have and the type of person they are. A teacher who may have all the knowledge in the world about teaching, but are really negative, arrogant or boring as a person may not get the respect or care of their students. This in effect may mean that a school experience for a student can be negative and student learning will diminish. A question put forward by Killen (as cited in Faull n. d) was, â€Å"What type of person does a teacher need to be in order to implement each of the elements of Quality Teaching Effectively? † The question asked by Killen is of great importance as it suggests effective teaching should include the emotional and mental outlook of the teacher as an individual. So what are the characteristics that separate good teachers from exceptional teachers? Killen (2005, p. 33) described exceptional teachers as knowledgeable, enthusiastic, confident, effective communicators, committed, compassionate, patient and persistent. Furthermore, they are resourceful, inventive, well organized, optimistic and ethical. Similarly, Batten, Marland, Khamis, Morgan and Morris (as cited in Westwood, 2004) has described a student’s view of a good teacher is a person who explains content well, makes lessons enjoyable, has a sense of humour, cares about students, is ready to listen and is understanding. Through extensive research, it is evident that effective teaching goes beyond pedagogical practices. An effective teacher has a particular set of characteristics, which allows them to motivate, encourage, understand and inspire students. In effect this contributes to a positive learning environment and effective learning. In the Schools. tv video, Ms. Poole has the characteristics of an effective teacher. Her statements are always positive and it is evident that she cares for her students, which can be seen through her reward system of â€Å"Star of the day†. Ms. Poole is helpful throughout her lesson and assists her students through scaffolding techniques. She encourages the class to help each other and makes the lesson a very interactive one (Davies, 2008). Through her characteristics as a person, Ms. Poole makes her lesson a positive learning environment, which motivates students and promotes learning. The follow up lesson plan (Please refer to Appendix 1) has been formulated to bring out characteristics of an effective teacher. Throughout the lesson, the teacher is required to be attentive, motivating and encourage all students. The teacher is to provide constructive feedback and scaffolding where necessary. By having group work and group discussion, it will promote social interaction so that the teacher can gage the level of understanding of all students. By being motivating, encouraging and providing constructive feedback, the teacher will be able to make the lesson fun, which will bring about a positive learning environment and promote learning. In conclusion, an effective teacher is a person who adopts processes, procedure and attitudes, which maximises student understanding. This can be done by having sound Pedagogical knowledge and using this knowledge to come up with appropriate strategies that enable students to effectively relay information onto students that is meaningful, easy for them to absorb and apply. Furthermore, by being caring understanding, encouraging and motivating a teacher can get the respect and care of their students, which will promote a positive learning environment.