Self Reflection Essays (Examples)

Self-eflection

Life development

There has been a lot of focus put on the concept of life and the growth process, the development of the human mind and even the behaviors displayed as one grows and the changing patterns of the behaviors of the individual. Scholars have come up with varied explanations on what shapes behavior of people with some going for the physical contact and the physical world, while others going for experiences in life, yet others going for the mind in an attempt to explain the behavior of human beings.

There are various theories that can help explain behavior;

The Social / learning theory and aggressive personality which indicates that human beings highly depend on one another and the contiguity plays a big role in the shaping of personality and the behaviors that one gives back to the society (Delatrre, E., 2006).

Psychoanalytic theory and aggressive personality was propagated…

Self-Reflection to Improve Teaching

The work of Stephen rookfield states that critical reflection is the method to revealing the worth of teaching and critically reflective teachers "are excellent teachers who continually hone their personalized 'authentic voice' a 'pedagogic rectitude' that reveals the 'value and dignity' of the teacher's work 'because now we know what it's worth." (p.46-7) The critically reflective teacher has a goal to achieve a goal of an in-depth awareness of their teaching from as many perspectives as they can. rookfield states there are four lenses the teacher can engage in the critical reflection process including: (1) the autobiographical; (2) the student's eyes; (3) our colleague's experiences; and (4) theoretical literature. (rookfield, 1995 cited in: Arts Teaching & Learning Network, nd, p.1)

Nurse Educator Role in Patient-Care Facility & Two Important Actions to Ensure Growth as an Educator

The work of Hoskins and Thompson (2009) state in the…

Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing Evidence-Based Concepts, Skills, and Practices would prove an excellent and exhaustive source. Essentially a handbook that will be of value not just to a student in the field but also to a practicing professional, the reference offers an actionable framework through which one can channel one's own experiences and needs. In this regard, the text book is perhaps the most effective instrument that we have used in the course as a mode of improving professional development goals. The text speaks from the presumption that we have already begun to engage certain treatment experiences and works from that gathering knowledge to build a professional foundation in each individual student.

However, I would find with some disappointment that the clinical aspects of this course did not match the sentiment of the text. I should say that my expectations have been somewhat informed by prior experiences in the educational context…

Reward is for me a more effective incentive to perform than the threat of punishment, since negative feedback often results in negative or minimal performance.

Having said the above, it is also important to me that my personnel would have skills to support possible unpredictable occurrences in the workplace. My leaders would therefore have qualities that are not necessarily part of my own psychological set of strengths.

Leadership Style would use a democratic leadership style, because I like others to voice their opinions honestly and without fear. While I highly prize respect for authorities, I think respect for one's employees is equally important. If there is no mutual respect, work performance on the part of both my workers and myself will inevitably suffer.

Challenges

The greatest challenge for me in working with personnel is my attachment to consistency. I do not function very well in changing environments, and would therefore…

Self-Reflection:

Writing the proposal, annotated bibliography, and research argument on overfishing in the Pacific Ocean has been an exciting and challenging process. The exciting aspects of this task originate from the lessons and skills I have gained regarding the topic and on conducting research. This task has also provided me with a new perspective regarding the problem of overfishing across the globe, especially in the Pacific Ocean. On the contrary, this process has also had several complexities including the scarcity of previous researches that have been carried out regarding the issue. Most of the documented aspects on the issue of overfishing basically focus on the impact of the issue on Pacific island nations from an economic perspective. As a result, it was challenging to find resources that specifically address the issue in light of its increased practice in the Pacific Ocean.

Learned Experiences:

The process of writing an annotated bibliography,…

Self-eflection

The field of social work is complicated and requires a great deal of human empathy and understanding. It is also important to have the ability to analyze things from an intellectual perspective using critical thinking and reasonable understanding. When both of these forces are combined in harmony, problems become much more solvable and knowledge flows much freer and is much more effective.

The purpose of this essay is t combine these skills by analyzing two pieces of literature dealing with poverty and the effects of social work. David K. Shipler's The Working Poor: Invisible in America and The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls are the two books that will be compared in this essay. To do this, this work will evaluate each book separately and indentify personal thoughts, feelings and values associated with each. A comparison will then be made between the two works to complete a fuller knowledge…

Self-eflection on the Self

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the self as "the evaluation by oneself of one's worth as an individual in distinction from one's interpersonal or social roles." If find this definition to be lacking of any real substance, especially when contemplating the role of the self in the social world. The word social is also important and is defined as "relating to or involving activities in which people spend time talking to each other or doing enjoyable things with each other." The self in the social world therefore represents my own view of the self in relation to my own views of others 'activities.

To me, the self is a divine source of energy that radiates and pulsates throughout everything in nature. There are compelling scientific models that suggest that this mysterious energy is in fact ever present and all powerful. This power radiates within my own incarnation…

Self-Reflection and the Philosophical Mirror

In Plato's Socratic dialogue in Apology, Socrates makes the bold declaration that "the unexamined life is not worth living" (Apology 38a). Since I am a great believer in the value of self-examination, this quote seemed to be a perfect opening to my essay. However, as I delved deeper into the text, I began to realize that this quote is often taken out of context. On a surface level, the "unexamined life" concept seems to represent the notion that if we do not reflect on our experiences and apply them to our own lives as an apparatus for learning and self-improvement, then our experiences are of little value. However, on a deeper level, this Socratic proposition stems from the inevitable alienation that an individual experiences by holding true to this. The need to feel that we are part of a group is in many ways an…

Self-reflection is one of those things that build a person. It draws a line between the person you were, and the person you are now. This allows growth and progress, it forces the person to acknowledge their faults and move on. The end of a class and the drawing near of the semester is a great time for such self-reflection.

This class was intended to bring a certain level of understanding, skills, and general knowledge to the students attending. Certain objectives needed to be fulfilled, certain knowledge must have been instilled in order for the class to be complete. These objectives, of course, focus around the course modules.

The first module was "Interpret how operations management influences organizational effectiveness." I will be honest, and admit that I was originally intimidated when I read this objective. It seemed so unnecessarily obfuscated. What did it mean? But, as I began to study,…

Self-eflection

Nursing and culture sensitivity

There are no cultures that are superior to others within the social setting and the practices of each given community has specific reason for their existence hence the need to uphold such even within the nursing fraternity. This calls for culture sensitive nursing practices and behavior during the interaction between the nurse and the patient. Hitherto my learning on the nature of culturally sensitive nursing and its role in nursing, I viewed nursing as a practice and a profession that began and ended with the patient seeing the nurse for the particular illness and the nurse undertakes the routine checklist of the drugs administration. This however has changed and I realized that nursing is continuous and is interactive. It is continuous in a manner that even in the absence of the nurse, the interaction still goes on. If the nurse mishandled the patient or showed…

Self-eflection Is Critical to the Development of Personal Education Platform and Work as an Educational Leader

The development of a personal education platform demands critical self-reflection for prospective education leaders to understand themselves. It entails educational leaders grasping their unvarnished, genuine, or sacred self. This introspective process guides educational leaders by engaging in self-interrogation. The process of critical self-reflection guides educational leaders across the liberation path for themselves and others. Educational leaders begin by liberating themselves and fragmenting the search for emancipation, understanding, and clarity.

Self-reflection is an inwardly coordinated process created through various external forces. It is marked by changes in thinking. Therefore, the change an individual wants to achieve will have to be formulated in his/her mind. After leaders reflect deeply on their biases, assumptions, beliefs, feelings and stereotypes, they can then see themselves and their components with great clarity. Self-reflection enables leaders to question sources of their…

Professional Being

People rarely take the time to get to know themselves. If one does not know oneself, one can never really know anyone else. Self-reflection refers to the capacity for an individual to employ introspection and the willingness to be able to investigate their drives, desires, expectations, needs, wants, competencies, and more about how a person views one's own purpose and nature. Self refection can be applied to one's professional goals, personal goals, and nearly every situation in which a person encounters in their life.

An attorney who honestly exercises self-reflection is clear about their motives, goals, and how they should handle all aspects of their professional and personal life with respect to these. The self-reflective attorney is completely honest during this introspection. Sometimes this can be scary, but it is important that one understand oneself completely in order for self-reflection to be effective. The self-reflective attorney understands their…

Entrepreneurial Dynamic Leadership Process Self-Reflection

I have found the Entrepreneurial Dynamic Leadership Process (EDLP) model to be very helpful and relevant in reviewing my own leadership experiences and behaviors so far in my life. I really appreciate the model's emphasis on self-leadership. Leaders must first lead themselves in order for others to follow, or for them to inspire others to action, including their own leadership. I especially enjoy the metaphor of self-leadership as the toolbox, and the other leadership styles as tools.

I also find the idea of leadership styles as something that one can pick and choose from, rather than simply have a style that one is stuck with and have to try and adapt to circumstances, to be liberating and even empowering. Until this point in my life, I had thought of one's leadership style as an aspect of one's self, like height, personality or intelligence that cannot…

She appears to be well balanced. She is a pre-med student with a minor in business. Being an only child, her parents wanted her to live at home and commute, however, she chose to live on campus and feels she would miss out on much of the college social life if not for dorm life. She loves the experience of dorm life and enjoys the independence from her over-protective parents.

She admits to being shy when she first came, especially around males. She says she was not sure how to communicate with them, since she came from an all-girls school. However, she seems to have adjusted to socializing with mixed-gender groups and admits that she enjoys meeting new people everyday.

She admits to being intimidated by the size of the classes and the fact that she could not talk to her professor any time she felt like it. She also…

When it comes to "encouraging the heart" I need to be bolder and more communicative in ways that I can express my appreciation to my athletes, and thus encourage them to perform at their best level. As this strategy involves the act of recognizing "individual contributions to the success of every project" and "Celebrating team accomplishments regularly" communication is clearly key. I definitely need to be more proactive and praising my athletes and talking about how important their hard work is to me, regardless of the outcome of the match. it's important for me to thank my athletes from time to time and express how much their courage and their risk-taking is inspiring to me and to the entire school. Such words can work wonders in boosting morale and helping athletes keep the "bigger picture" of events in their mind.

Essentially, all the key aspects of leadership are the areas…

performed well. This self-evaluation details my learning in the areas that we studied in class, including the pride/craftsmanship approach both Sennett and Taylor address in their respective works. I appreciated the inclusion of these books in the course because they offer what I believe to be unique perspectives on relevant ethical issues. In The Craftsman, Sennett talks about the fact that people need to take pride in their work, and extends that argument to show that people who do take pride in their work will be happier than those who do not. The argument could be utilitarian, but it could also be Marxist because Marx also believed that the capitalist system in which workers are divorced from any craft led to feelings of alienation, disenfranchisement, and conflict in the society.

In Restoring Pride, Taylor talks about the same issue from a different point-of-view. Taylor claims that some people are better…

Leadership self-assessment quiz shows how I have used leadership skills in the past. I can apply what I learned from my past experiences as a leader to my current situation. I held a formal position of leadership as early as high school, when I was vice president of the student council. During this position, I made critical decisions related to important social events and worked with members of the team on a regular basis. My communication skills were good, because I had a good sense of humor. These same traits have been evident in other leadership positions I have held in my professional life. For example, the first job I had was at a fast food restaurant. However, I noticed that we were wasting napkins and I mentioned this to the manager. I suggested that we cease automatically giving people large handfuls of napkins, especially through the take-out window. The…

Ethics Presentation

Ethics, particularly in the global economy in which society operates, is very important. For one, the foundation by which society operates is grounded in ethics. Having a group with proper ethical characteristics fosters an environment of trust. While working in this group, I found myself faced with numerous ethical dilemmas. Some of these dilemmas were minor, while others required thought to arrive at the correct decision.

While working in this group, the primary ethical dilemma that we faced was plagiarism. Although the information age has ushered in an era of unparalleled information exchange; this exchange of information has brought with it a litany of consequences. For one, it is a fairly simple charge, to obtain a substantial portion of our group project material for online sources, without any regard to those who created the material. The group, in essence, had the ability, to seamlessly copy online material, and…

transitions during my first semester in college, but I did feel certain changes in myself during the months I have been here, slowly walking towards adulthood. This transition phase has taught me appreciation for my family, a feeling of independence and made me more confident.

eing independent and having a clear sense of what it truly entails are different things. I have more initiative, drive and the knowledge that I have to do things on my own. I can't look to my parents to tell me everything I need to do and this doesn't bother me, because I now like doing things on my own. I feel a greater sense of responsibility and purpose that has become a part of my personality due to this newly found self-reliance. Every day I gain new insight into myself and how I like to approach matters and this makes me sure of myself…

culture' as the set of interconnected values that govern and form conduct, opinions, judgment, and communication. Everybody uses a unique lens to view the world. However, usually, worldviews of individuals hailing from similar backgrounds or undergoing similar social experiences will be similar and this 'similarity' generates a shared view of society. Individuals' participation in distinct social groups may be deemed as their respective cultural identities. Understanding a certain worldview facilitates understanding of its corresponding culture (Stacks, 2004).

In Stacks' (2004) opinion, cultural competence recognizes and is responsive to the distinct worldviews of diverse societies and individuals. How a person perceives the world is governed by his/her life experiences, of which several may be common to other members belonging to the same cultural group. For comprehending a person, it is necessary to first develop a grasp of these experiences. Aside from identifying and acknowledging cultural behavioral patterns, culturally competent individuals should…

Monologue, a Dialogue with the Self: Reflections on "No Exit" by Sartre

The Self: There is "No Exit" from hell -- not in Christian, theological terms, but by the terms set by Sartre's play of the same name, there is no exit from the self. The varieties of characters that populate the waiting room of hell are condemned for all eternity to examine and reexamine their lives. Socrates may have said that the unexamined life is not worth living, but the over-examined life, when imposed upon the human psyche by reading too much philosophy and self-improvement literature or self-imposed as the result of egocentrism, can be equally eviscerating.

Hell is other people, says the author. Imagine one's self with two individuals one despises, and then one has "No Exit" -- or imagine one's self alone, in a waiting room, locked with the personifications, all of the absurd worries and obsessions…

Self-egulation Issues in Children and Adolescence with ADHD, ODD, and OCD

Self-regulation in children and adolescence who suffer from ADHD, ODD, and OCD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and Oppositional Defiant Disorder) is often evident due to several things. A lot of the issues in relation to self-regulation stem from additional anxiety the child/teen may feel from the difficulties experienced from these kinds of mental disorders. OCD is known to cause anxiety and isolationist behaviors leading to decreased emotional self-regulation. ADHD at times can cause hyperfocus, making it difficult for the child/teen to switch tasks therefore limiting their ability to handle their emotions and activities that assist in regulating themselves. ODD, connected to ADHD, is a disorder that has the child react angrily and spitefully to people in otherwise normally responsive situations. The extreme feelings of children or adolescence who manifest ODD make it hard for them to…

Performance in This Class eflects the Following Dispositions:

Social responsibility. This class has emphasized the importance of applying the principles of social responsibility to all actions and activities. Through an attitude of social responsibility it becomes possible to find meaning in even the most mundane of activities. As Colson (n.d.) points out, the heart of Christianity is social responsibility, making social responsibility integral to personal growth and development.

Commitment and work ethic. This class has taught me the importance of commitment and the value of cultivating a strong work ethic. The Bible is filled with references to the importance of self-discipline and taking responsibility for our actions. When we commit to a group such as a class, we become part of something greater than ourselves. Through working together, we achieve what we could never do alone. A strong work ethic has Biblical underpinnings (2 Thessalonians 3:6-18).

eflection. eflecting on our…

Self and Other

George Herbert Mead is one of the pioneers of American philosophy as well as among the founders of Pragmatism. His work was published in several papers during his lifetime and even after his death. After his death, his students published four books in his name from his unpublished work. Mead's work has significantly influenced the 20th century social sciences. His theory of the emergence of mind and self is considered as a milestone in social philosophy. His contributions were not limited to social philosophy but his work also contributed in other areas of philosophy such as philosophy of nature or philosophical anthropology. Because of his significant contributions, he was being considered one of the greatest thinkers of his time.

The Self According to Mead:

According to the theories presented by Mead, self is characteristically different from physiological organism. Self is not present in an individual by birth…

Thus the joy and anger of the sage do not depend on his own mind but on things." This indicates a lack of attachment to personal desire and emotion and mental states, and a commitment to spontaneity in response to life. Violence that arises because it is a necessary response to the environment, one may extrapolate, would therefore be considered different from violence that arises through selfish anger or rage. The idea that the sage responds freely to happenings in the world is very different from the western misconception that Buddhists try to block out all emotion. Emotion, like violence, is not necessarily to be rejected -- but it is to be experienced and acted not as a thing attached to the self but as a thing attached to the Pattern of which the self partakes. Non-violence is hence linked directly to the idea of Nirvana, because it is an…

Indeed, Bandura (1997) writes, "The way in which adolescents develop and exercise their personal efficacy during this period can play a key role in setting the course their life paths take" (pg. 177). Because society is made up of people, people who have higher levels of self-efficacy in large numbers tend to change society, making it more proactive, productive, and progressive. In addition, the opposite of this is also true. Indeed, larger groups with lower levels of self-esteem and self-efficacy tend to create societies that are less motivated to change, or at least pockets within this society who have motivated the laissez-faire mentality. Furthermore, one's self-esteem, self-concept, and self-efficacy help determine how one sees one's self in society. Those who see themselves as unproductive and who believe they will be burdens to society can account for many of those who make up society's prisons and areas of social assistance.

Personally,…

Still, Mason indicates that the opposite is often true in public education settings, where educators, parents and institutions collectively overlook the implications of research and demands imposed by law. Indeed, "despite the IDEA requirements, research results, teacher perceptions, and strong encouragement from disabilities rights advocate, many youth have been left out of IEP and self-determination activities. For example, 31% of the teaches in a 1998 survey reported that they wrote no self-determination goals, and 41% indicated they did not have sufficient training or information on teaching self-determination." (Mason et al., 442)

This is a troubling finding, and one which implicates the needed paradigm shift discussed already in the research endeavor. Clearly, as the matter is framed by Mason et al., educators and researchers have already acknowledged the value in the strategies addressed here. By contrast, institutional change has been hard won, with schools and administrators balking at making broad-based alterations…

Self-Exploration/Self-Discovery

Industrial psychology: Two issues

One workplace-related issue I have consistent problems with is getting to work on time. In the morning, no matter how early I set my alarm clock, I find myself constantly rushing to get to my desk at the last minute. To better understand why this has become a habit, for two days I will write down the time I set my alarm to go off; what time I actually got up; how long it took me to get ready; and how long it took to drive to work. This will help me identify what aspects of my morning I need to work on to better plan out my daily routine. Also, to motivate me to change those behaviors, I will write down the concrete consequences of my lateness, such as not being adequately prepared for an early, unplanned meeting or not being able to eat…

Wellness

The Inventories

Inventories and self-reflection surveys can be tremendously helpful for encouraging honesty and self-awareness. The "Are You Burned Out?" survey focuses specifically on stress and burnout issues, which can be detrimental to overall well-being as well as to one's ability to be helpful to others. The "Emotionally Healthy Church Inventory" is broader in scope, taking into account one's spiritual, emotional, and cognitive states of mind. These states of mind contribute also to personal well-being as well as to one's ability to serve the community. My results of these two inventories show that while there may be some areas of growth necessary, my overall emotional and spiritual states are healthy.

The "Are You Burned Out?" inventory reveals that I am not at risk for developing problems related to burnout. The survey includes several questions related to things like feelings of exhaustion, sleep disorders, feeling frustrated, and feeling empty. There…

Edit

Who is the self, and what is the self? These are among the most discussed and controversial questions in philosophy. This essay will aim to answer these questions. I will first give an analysis of what I define the self to be. I will then connect my analysis to parts of Blaise Pascal's Pensees as well as to Soren Kierkegaard's Sickness unto Death. It will be argued that the self is a spirit. As a spirit, the self should be detached from all objective factors because the objective world is not a good indicator for defining the self. Objectivity is a good indicator to define what the natural world is and how it is experienced, but it is impossible to define the self in an objective way because the self is always defining the self.

I was resting on my bed and profoundly thinking about what my understanding of…

Emerson, he believed resistance to conformity and exploration of self, led to a kind of self-reliance that permeated the inner workings and imaginings of the human soul. What began as a simple analysis of self-explored concepts, took on the form of universal philosophy. This essay will examine Emerson's work, "Self-eliance" in a way that will not only analyze themes, but also provide a closer look into the context surrounding Emerson at the time as well as possible meanings behind the text.

alph Waldo Emerson wrote an 1841 essay titled "Self-eliance". An American essayist and transcendentalist philosopher, Emerson provides his most thorough statement of one of his ongoing themes: the avoidance of false consistency and conformity. Meaning, Emerson preached for people to follow their own ideas and instincts instead of relying on society's imposed rules and standards. His famous quote, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by…

An empty self wishes for nothing more than to e guided and taken care of, easy prey for an abuse therapist, or even one who is not intentionally abusive but is not trained to recognize and understand the underlying issues. Wide and varied research supports Cushman's theory on this point, proving that decontextualization of the individual, the devaluation of the patience, a belief in the universality of a therapeutic technology and the encouragement of idealization can all lead to therapeutic abuse (608). Cushman compares patients who are exploited by life-style therapy to people who are victimized by cults. Their empty selves make them susceptible to feeling "transformed" because they cannot see themselves within a larger communal matrix. Cushman argues that a main component of preventing this kind of abuse is part of what he is after in writing this article -- straightforward talk about life-style solutions and their possible dangers.…

self-defeating behavior patterns I have is procrastinating. I know that many students suffer from this behavior pattern and struggle with it, but in my case, I consider it a serious problem that has influenced my academic work. Because of procrastinating, I sometimes have to work fast (and thus imperfectly) at the last minute and work under stress. I may even not be able to finish my work in time because of not starting to do it earlier.

For example, recently I needed to write an analytical essay for my English class. I had the whole weekend to do it. Although I did some important things during those days, I kept postponing the writing process until late Sunday. The paper was due the next day. It was a short paper, but since it was an analytical one, I had to stay late at night to finish it in time. I did…

The world changes, and we must change with the world, and that is a good thing, as talents we took for granted suddenly seem more remarkable, if we develop them and they are recognized and nurtured by others.

I also believe that education, when embarked upon at a later date, can quite frequently be more enriching, given the greater self-knowledge that comes with age. As an adolescent, avoiding homework is a frequent act of childish rebellion. But the adult knows that time is finite and making the most of the here and now means embracing rather than avoiding work. An adult also knows better what he or she likes and dislikes, what are his or her strengths and weaknesses, and so the can better cope with these deficits and compensate for them.

Yet an adult may fear to take more risks, unlike the child that joyously learns to walk by…

The key to flexibility of motivation is intrinsically conflicting motivational structures. The self as defined by Jung is the core or central component that keeps these opposing forces operating as an integrated whole. To what closing stages does this process manage? It was formed by evolution and so survival is the architect but it is survival not just of the next generation but into an unclear future. The self as described by Jung is the psychic image of this limitless potential for prospect development. For itself it focuses on the various dimensions of human functioning that put in to survival including ingenuity in all its forms.

Sensing the self as something irrational, as an impalpable existent, to which the ego is neither opposed nor subject, but simply attached, and about which it spins very much as the earth does round the sun, accordingly the goal of individuation is reached. The…

Origin of Evil

The origin of evil has been a controversial issue not only in the contemporary Christian circles but also among the ancient Greek Christians. The point of contention in the discussion about the origin of evil is why a good God would have created evil. The Judeo-Christians struggled to understand how a good, powerful, and all-knowing God could allow evil to exist. The logical conclusions were that either God did not exist or God was not good[footnoteRef:1]. However, Augustine sought to clarify this erroneous notion about the existence of God. Saint Augustine believed that the discussion on the origin of evil and whether a good God has a role in its creation and existence must first begin with the understanding of evil and God. He explained that if evil was not necessarily a thing, then it may not have been created although it negates the notion that God…

Hamlet, however, is full of hesitation. He does not experience the type of confidence Antigone does and suffers because of it. These characters are not abnormal; they are exaggerated or comical in a way audiences cannot relate to them. They are uniquely human and that is why they are still popular today -- because they are real enough that audience members feel as though they have known these types of personalities before. Through these characters, the playwrights show the audience how important it is to be true to self above all else. From Creon, who loses his sense of self when he sells out to power to Hamlet, who loses his sense of self when he falls into depression, to Antigone, who gladly gives her life for what she believes, we see the power of the sense of self and the importance of how it should be respected.

ork Cited…

teacher, understanding the importance of supporting and encouraging constructive children's play, both indoors and outdoors was key. Through hands on experience, I got the chance to get involve with children's play with first graders. What caught my attention the most, was the role indoor played in the children's cognitive development. For example, when I took a closer look at children's play, I was able to see that it did more than just stimulate physical, social-emotional, and creative growth. I also discovered that Play is the primary way by which children are able to discover the world, investigate its properties, and construct an accepting in regards to how the world functions. One example was when I witnessed a small group of children that were playing in the block part, constructing with plastic unit blocks.

They start by endeavoring to put various shapes and sizes of unit blocks on top of each…

Utilitarianism is a consequentialist ethical framework. The consequences of an action are more important than the motivations behind the action or the action itself. An action has "utility" if it serves the greatest good. The basic principle of utilitarianism is creating the greatest good for the greatest number of people, or the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. The ethics of utilitarianism differ from ethical egoism in that the individual may make a sacrifice for the common good because it is the aggregate of happiness/goodness that matters, not maximizing individual happiness. Central to utilitarianism is the belief that all people are inherently equal and of equal consideration when making ethical decisions (p. 55). John Stuart Mill outlined the core tenets of utilitarianism, which became a fundamental component of Enlightenment political philosophy. Another utilitarian philosopher, Jeremy Bentham, proposed a happiness calculus that can be used to more rigorously apply…

esearch instruments fall into two broad categories: those compiled by the researcher him or herself in the form of recorded observations, logs, and rating scales and those completed by the interview subject him or herself in the form of questionnaires and interviews. egardless of the instruments used, research studies should be guided by acceptable standards of validity and reliability. "Validity is the extent to which an instrument measures what it is supposed to measure and performs as it is designed to perform" ("Instrument, validity, reliability" 2014). Statistical tests are usually used to establish the external validity of an instrument. "External validity is the extent to which the results of a study can be generalized from a sample to a population" ("Instrument, validity, reliability" 2014). In contrast, internal validity is the extent to which the instrument is internally valid based upon the results obtained within the sample. An instrument may be…

Smith may dislike the stereotype, but she cannot help internalizing it. She feels unfinished because she is regarded as unfinished, and even members of her community urge her to straighten her hair. This is completely different from the joyous, affirmative sigh "I am complete" at the end of Morales' poem. Just as Morales admits that all experiences with racism and discrimination are different, Smith's poem demonstrates how African-American women frequently lack assurance of their sense of self and that their physical qualities are regarded as alien to what is considered 'good' and 'American.' (The young Smith's wearing white to cover up one's tallness seems an attempt to mask blackness and presumed 'badness' with clothing). Morales' instability of identity lies in multiplicity of national cultures, but Smith, even as a young, black girl, but carefully balance her sense as an American and African-American with even greater care and psychological discomfort that…

Friendship, Marriage and God

One of the most compelling themes of the Christian gospel is love. Christian love refers to many things including the divine love of God for Creation, and also to human love for each other. Human love can manifest in a number of different ways or types of relationships. Marriage and friendship are two of the most important and universal types of human relationships that are based on love. In spite of differences in culture, language, and ethnicity, all Christians perceive and communicate love in similar ways. Christian love as a strong theological component, as for the first time in recorded history, God became equal to love: "God is love," (1 John 4:8). The Bible also shows how and why love can be psychologically as well as spiritually transformative, which is why the theme of love remains constant throughout the New Testament. Essentially, there are three distinct…

Alcohol and Addiction: Empirical Observations of a -Step Program in ActionFirst organized in 1935 by Dr. Bob Smith and Bill Wilson to help others who were suffering from the ravages of alcoholism, Alcoholics Anonymous has become one of the worlds most recognized and attended 12-step programs today (Wagener, 2019). The purpose of the research paper is provide my empirical observations of an Alcoholic Anonymous (AA) meeting. The research question that will guide the project is, Are 12-step programs an effective intervention for addictions? This research question was motivated by a study of the effectiveness of 12-step programs for the treatment of alcoholism compared to other types of interventions by Blum and Davis (2014). A description of my experiences at a local open AA meeting is followed by a summary of the research and important findings concerning the guiding research question in the papers conclusion.eview and DiscussionFinding an open AA meeting…

Self-knowledge is a very important concept in the realm of education and self-improvement. Some of the greatest teachers in history echoed the sentiments of 'know thyself' and the know the universe. But before understanding how self knowledge can help, especially in an educational system, it is helpful to define and identify what exactly the self is and how it is influencing the situation.

Regardless of the finer points of defining the self, Thomas Jefferson Middle School, the target of my analysis, made me aware of the importance of knowing my own role within the education system. To me the education system is a community effort, and while teachers are often given the brunt of the workload to achieve this aim, parents and other leaders in the community are essentially responsible for the quality of education that is presented to the members of its group.

I have found that in this…

Formation of Self

The central unifying theme for the readings analyzed for this particular assignment is the effects of culture on the individual. Moreover, culture specifically affects a number of crucial cognitive, emotional, and motivational factors for people (Markus and Kitayam, 1991, p. 225), as they pertain to an individual's perception of (his or her) self. Some of the facets of culture include "a distinct language; a distinct customs…and distinct beliefs" (Galotti, 2007, p. 574). Personally, I can identify with many of the concepts introduced in the readings pertaining to what essentially is how an individual defines his or her self. I am fairly fiercely attached to my own individuality, and was pleased to read a number of works which essentially discussed varying factors that contribute to individuality. However, it is somewhat of a paradox to consider the fact that culture specifically contributes to individuality, since one of the precursors…

Planning and Reflection

During my student teaching experiences I kept a journal, which greatly helped me to organize my thoughts and clarify the areas in which I most needed to improve. My mentor also pointed out for me the key areas that need improvement. Therefore, as I look forward to a professional career as a teacher, I will be able to draw on these early experiences. I will remember what works and what doesn't and I already feel far more confident and proficient than I did before I undertook the student teaching challenge. In general a few major themes emerged through reviewing my journal entries and the statements written by my mentors. My strengths are my willingness to use a wide variety of teaching materials and teaching styles. An enthusiastic implementation of multimedia materials keeps students actively engaged, and keeps lessons more interesting. Moreover, my lessons are well-planned and incorporate…

Du Sable Museum

A Reflection of African-American History

The DuSable Museum of African-American History is the oldest major museum related to African-American legacy. Founded by Margaret Taylor in 1961, the museum runs on a self-governing model with focus on collection, interpretation and achievement of African-American history. Its location in Chicago provides it an edge over other museums entailing artifacts related to this subject as Chicago was one of the prime cities where the major migration of African-American migration took place. Therefore, the city has African-American blood and heritage in its roots. This is the reason why the organization receives donations from local communities which ranges from single artifact to entire collection. The Diaspora of black people and the regions that black communities were related to, is well-reflected by the collection of Artifacts provided by local African-American communities. Its extensive collection of African-American heritage gives it a status of connoisseurship in…

Authentic Self

Delving deep within one's own mind provides opportunity for personal growth and this intention may be useful in attaining potential. Accumulating certain valuable personal skills throughout a lifetime has given me an opportunity to reflect on these experiences and summarize them in an educational manner, useful for gaining understanding into these practices. Leadership seems at times a very interesting phenomenon that has varying consequences and originations. My own personal leadership skills, I believe, are a clear and true reflection of my authentic self and provide a useful and cathartic method of displaying this authentic self towards others. The purpose of this essay is to explore my authentic self and describe how my authentic leadership skills are derived from this source. I will explore my strengths and weaknesses and examine how they relate to my value system and other learned behaviors. I will also discuss how I have improved…

We are more than welcome to assist any client who has trouble understanding anything. However, we do not offer to meet with clients whose first language is not English to decipher communications that they might not understand. Making this effort goes a long way toward promoting client health and well being.

We do have bilingual staff but Spanish is the only language besides English that is well-represented. It would be more helpful to hire people who have some command of other languages that our clients might speak. One of the areas I believe we do well in is sensitivity to diverse views of family and health. We allow extended members of the family to visit and consult with them too. I understand that people from different cultures grieve differently, too. Finally, I would be better off reading peer-reviewed journal articles as to the most current best practices that take cultural…

Dibs in Search of Self by Virginia Mae Axline is such a profoundly interesting book because it demonstrates one of the most challenging cases I've ever encountered within the realm of child psychology and an effective yet, gradual method of dealing with this case. Dibs to me represents a child stifled and overcome with emotions. He is so choked with emotions he's become almost completely uncommunicative. He did not socialize with other students in his class, and would not engage with any adults except by way of hysterics or tantrums. Dibs in many respects had checked out of life and out of all social situations: he would not speak, but would hide under tables or in isolation from the groups. Axline makes this apparent from the start of the book; the example that she uses in this case is extremely well representative of the behavior that Dibs engages in as…

Self-Regulation Practice

Self-regulation is a consistent process of organizing and managing thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and environment (Ramdass, 2011). It involves setting goals, selecting appropriate learning strategies, maintaining motivation, and monitoring and evaluating academic progress. The self-regulation processes and self-beliefs also include time management, managing the environment (distractions), maintaining attention, and self-efficacy.

Students who use self-regulatory practices are higher achievers. Evidence shows that self-regulation skills and motivational beliefs correlate positively with homework activities (Ramdass, 2011). Homework assignments help at risk and struggling students develop motivation and self-regulation skills.

Self-regulation operates in the cognitive (learning strategies), motivational (self-efficacy, task value), and metacognitive (self-monitoring, self-reflection) areas of psychological functioning. Self-regulation motivation enables students to believe in their own individual capabilities. Cognitive self-regulation relates to the learning strategies and is different with each homework task. Metacognition enables goal setting and the monitoring of the learning progress.

Mastery of self-regulation depends on the belief in…

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The Aftermath

Uncle Tom characters were common in both white and black productions of the time, yet no director before Micheaux had so much as dared to shine a light on the psychology that ravages such characters. By essentially bowing to the two white men, Micheaux implied that Old Ned was less than a man; an individual whittled down to nothing more than yes-man and wholly deprived of self-worth. At this point in the history of black films, with some of the most flagrant sufferings of blacks exposed to the American public, the only logical path forward that African-Americans could take was to begin making cogent demands to improve their collective social situation.

Slowly, black characters in film took on greater and more significant roles in film. Sidney Poitier was one of the most powerful film stars of the mid twentieth century. In roles like the 1950 film by…

The individuals with the condition often face a series of exclusions and rejections (Widiger 2011). There are many scenarios that have been denied basic needs such as housing on the basis of their mental status. People are denied loans, job opportunities and health insurances on the basis of mental health. The stigmatization cases are so prevalent that many people affected or who suspect they have the condition fear to seek professional assistance.

Stigmatization causes the person to have low self-esteem the strong social, religious and cultural beliefs have greatly distorted views of people on mental illness. Media portrays most of the characters with aggressive behavior and other negative traits as suffering from mental illness. This has created the impression that mental sickness is a sign of inferior character.

The basics of mental health include examination of theories of psychology, sociology, health psychology and transitions of life in relation to mental…

One of the major things I noticed throughout this interview, both through her answers and her general behavior, was the fact that her body was unable to cope with her extreme work ethic anymore. Although she admits to continuing to work long hours even after she was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes, she also admits to the fatigue and general soreness she now overwhelming feels after such a long days work. This would not be a surprising fact in anyone else's perspective, but for a woman with such a drive within her, this could be a devastating beginning of her end, which she can not even take time to prepare for. She still works long hours, and forces herself to deal with the pain of no longer being able to keep up with her ambitions. The pace of the factory where she works has not changed, but her ability to…

S. must keep in mind when dealing with the Middle East and Central Asia. Khalidi states in no uncertain terms that because the U.S. is what he terms enthusiastically rather than apologetically ignorant about the region's past, the United States has assumed the mantel of imperialism and carrying the white man's burden, in this case to bring democracy rather than Christianity. America is seen as trying to make over the Middle East into a mini-America, and a de facto if not de jure colony, in contrast to so-called fundamentalists who attempt to liberate the Middle East from American cultural forces. Even if secular nationalist dictators like Saddam Hussein are not beloved (nor religious fundamentalists like the Taliban regime in Afghanistan) one's own enemy is seen as preferable to the est. That, in the eyes of many residents of the Middle East would be true, backward progress.

How does Khalidi present…

American poet Walt Whitman, "One's-Self I Sing," "Song of Myself" #s 1,6,9,10,12,14,15,31,33, and 52, and "Vigil Strange I Kept on the Field one Night." Specifically, it will reflect on three pieces of work and show what is going on in historical context, information about the author, what period he wrote these works, and how these works reflect personal experience.

Walt Whitman wrote during the Civil War, and he wrote much about the horrors of battle, and losing one's family, which clearly shows in "Vigil Strange I Kept on the Field one Night." In this poem, the narrator keeps vigil over his dead son, and then buries him, which thousands of Americans were doing as the Civil War wore on. The language of the poem is rich and emotional, "Vigil final for you brave boy, (I could not save you, swift was your death, / I faithfully loved you and cared…

Value Orientation

I tend to prefer eclectic counseling above all other modalities, generally scripting my practice towards particular individuals and directing my approach towards his or her personality. That is as it should be. Nonetheless, I myself have certain preferences and these are in order of rank: behaviorism (not excluding mentalism); most aspects of Rogerian counseling; a barely-known approach called 'focusing; and the essence of Beck's (1999) approach (not rational emotive therapy which I consider subjective and ethnocentric as well as time-bound).

The aspect that I like about behaviorism is its practical quality. Studies (e.g. Feldman & Kokinov, 2009) have shown that emotional regurgitation (or emoting) is detrimental to a person's peace of mind and diverts them from dealing with the problem. Life, it seems to me, is absorbed with 'doing'; rather than' being', and my observations of successful and content people shows that, oftentimes, the most emotionally and mentally…

Individual eflection experience working a group

It was quite an experience to work with a group on a project instead of working alone. There is actually a delicate dichotomy between the characteristics required to fulfill these two pivotal components of both education and the modern workplace environment. On the one hand, autonomy, independence, and self-motivation are vital prerequisites for working alone, and are desirable qualities as such. On the other hand, these qualities are useless if an individual is not adroit at communicating, resolving conflict by considering different perspectives (Melamed and eiman, 2006), and working well with others. There are two distinct sets of skills required for working in these various settings, although there are some aspects of working in a group which do require the aforementioned traits associated with working independently.

My experience working in a group was actually fairly pleasant, and certainly productive. Essentially, what is required when…

I decided to take their idea of turning the adoption of the system into a game, and it would be one entirely available offline as well. This would give the older workers a chance to compete and see their progress. I devised a game of showing not productivity, but customer satisfaction -- a rare metric that was captured in our post-department surveys. The senior managers of the department had extensive dashboards on productivity alone and were at times too obsessed with it, I thought. People in the department considered their worth in productivity alone, not so much in the customer satisfaction they delivered. Focusing on that metric, I put together a short dashboard and had a meeting with everyone in the department, saying that the new system would be used for showing how they as a team delighted and excelled for our internal customers. Immediately the barriers came down with…

What works for one patient may not work for the next. If everyone is treated according to the way that everyone else has always been treated then it may be that no one ever gets any better.

Every child should be treated so that they have the opportunity to have the best life possible. I definitely think that it would be unethical to not treat a child who I believe could minimize the consequences of a disabling condition. Every child deserves the chance to have the best life possible and if a medical professional has the ability to make sure that this happens then they should be bound to do just that. What constitutes a successful intervention for one child may not be viewed as being successful for the next, but they will find something that is successful for them. Every child has potential and it is up to the…