Challenges to Recruiting Teachers

Challenges to Recruiting Teachers Throughout regional South Australia, Australia and internationally the struggle of schools to attract and retain both talented and committed graduate teachers is becoming increasingly difficult. This is particularly apparent in an era where the demands of teaching and education are at unprecedented levels. In the United States, a similar situation is evident. Ingersoll (2012) found that the attrition rates of first-year teachers have increased by about one-third in the past two decades. Other studies more specific to Australia, have reported that the rate of new teachers leaving the profession at the end of their first year is as high as one in five (Baird et al. 2016). There is no question that the attrition rate of graduate teachers is concerning. In my present role in the senior leadership team of a country school in regional South Australia. It is pertinent for me to use my current context as a school leader, as well as my first experience as a graduate teacher as the basis for review on how the Tools for Thinking, more specifically Social Networks and Networked Communities are demonstrated and influential within a school environment. This report is undertaken with a view to magnify how the social networking opportunities and team dynamics that surround new graduate teachers can affect their experiences, as well as their realisation of a positive professional identity. There are a number of contributing factors recognised as providing the impetus for new teachers leaving the profession, including compensation, status and recognition (Rostock et al. 2014). However, increasing evidence through studies into beginning teacher induction including Alsup, 2006 and Britzman, 2003 in Rostock et al. (2014) demonstrate that a teachers ability to accomplish the difficult task of forming a workable professional identity in the midst of competing discourses about teaching is having significant impact on this rate of attrition. It is a common assessment of educational research that new graduate teachers often experience the impact and weight of responsibility in the realisation and workload of their teaching duties (Flores Day 2006). Many new teachers recognise certain disconnections between the expectations theyre set and the actuality of the classroom. Flores; Huberman; Veenman in (Flores Day 2006) mention feelings of isolation and a continual struggle with an absence of clear support, encouragement and guidance. In most instances it is evident that the success of beginning teachers can be directly related to their social network, the culture of the school setting and consequently the graduate teachers fulfillment and development of a positive professional identity. It is important to reflect on the connection between social networks and identity specifically their significance to a graduate teachers development. Spencer- Oatey in (Merchant 2012) explains: Identity helps people locate themselves in social worlds. By helping to define where they belong and where they do not belong in relation to others, it helps to anchor them in their social worlds, giving them a sense of place. Following on, a simple definition of a social network could be explained as the communal links between Actors (Vera Schupp 2006). Knoke and Yang (2008) define Actors as individual persons, or a collective, such as a group or formal organization. Social networks impact on perceptions, beliefs, and actions through a variety of structural mechanisms that are socially constructed by the relations among entities (Knoke Yang 2008). Therefore, as Vera and Schupp (2006) suggest the capacities of an individual to act in society, and the implications of that action, (in this case: specifically a teacher in a school environment) depend not only on his/her attributes but also on the pattern of relations within which he/she is located. It is with the concept of social network analysis that I seek to undertake an investigation into the social network characteristics of my current context in a role of educational leadership, as well as analysing the difficulties and struggles of identity and adapting to the school context, of which I experienced as a graduate teacher. Social Network Analysis (SNA) is founded upon the derivation of a mutual relationship between the individual and society, with the intent of explaining the collective properties that are defined by relational patterns and the similarities or differences between those patterns Haines (1988) in Vera and Schupp (2006). As Merchant (2012) explains Social network analysis helps us to map the relationship between the individual and the larger social systems in which he or she participates. As a result, the relationships themselves have become the unit of analysis (Merchant 2012). The type of network representation that will be used for analysis between my graduate context and my current leadership context will be an egocentric (Knoke Yang 2008) intentional professional network (Baker-Doyle 2011). Knoke and Yang (2008) describe an egocentric network as one comprised of one actor, the ego, and all other actors, the alters, with whom all the ego has direct relations. Each ego actor can, in turn, be described by the number, intensity, and other characteristics of its linkages with its set of alters, for example, the proportion of reciprocated relations or the density of ties among its alters. (Knoke Yang 2008) An intentional professional network is formed around collective professional relationships, usually based within the local environment (school) and reflects the network of people that teachers select to collaborate and interact with (Baker-Doyle 2011). Graduate Teacher Analysis In Figure 1, I have a visual representation of my egocentric intentional professional network and diverse professional allies as a graduate teacher. I am passionate about teaching in rural communities so I was very excited when I received an appointment to a high school in the Mid North of South Australia. My specialisation was in Design and Technologies and I was appointed to support the existing Practical Technology teacher. When the school finalised my timetable I was placed with a difficult proposition of having to teach a higher load than normally allocated to a new teacher and secondary science. Secondary science was outside my area of specialisation, as can often be the case in teaching at a secondary rural school. However, my concern with science was that it was something I had last studied in Year 10 in high school, and now I was required to teach it at a senior level. I expressed my concern, but was assured support would be in place. In Figure 1, the strength of the relationships are demonstrated by the arrows linking myself to the alters (all other actors). The rectangle boxes demonstrate those professionals with whom I worked on a daily basis. In the first year or two of teaching, these relationships are pivotal to ensure teachers are able to manage the workload. Unfortunately, as is clearly demonstrated by the strength of the arrows, the strength of my relationship and support structures from those whom I needed it most, were sadly absent. More specifically the Science Coordinator, and the Technologies Coordinator, did not want to provide any form of support, induction or resources to a new teacher. This was particularly concerning due to my responsibilities in teaching science an area in which I was not confident. It was at this point in time when the feelings of isolation (Flores Day 2006) began. Without realising at this time, my small intentional professional network as a graduate certainly affected the development and confidence of my professional identity. Whilst I found teaching science, and working with the coordinator, an immense struggle, I was extremely fortunate to have a fellow technologies teacher who was incredibly supportive (The relational link in Figure 1 is strong). He assisted me in managing the technologies and daily administration portion of my teaching requirements successfully. To this day, and upon reflection, I am still incredibly grateful for his support and of the mentoring role he provided. I would certainly not have continued or been present in the teaching profession without his input or the influence of the students. Whilst some of the important relationships on the school site were incredibly difficult, I was also fortunate to have access to some Diverse Professional Allies. Baker-Doyle (2011) describes Diverse Professional Allies as nontraditional support providers who are not usually considered professionals, such as parents, volunteers, or students. Diverse Professional Allies are invested in the professional growth of the teachers (Baker-Doyle 2011). The Diverse Professional Allies are represented in Figure 1 through the hexagonal shapes. A regional group of Technologies educators and my fellow university graduates were recognised as one type of Diverse Professional Ally. Each of these groups were able to provide me with insights from across the state and encouragement to continue as well as the challenge and support to drive improvement in my existing professional practice. The most significant Diverse Professional Allies that I was fortunate to have in my social network were the students. The students, amongst all of the difficulties with staff, made it all make sense. Their personalities, enthusiasm and individual perspectives made the time in class worthwhile. They were the incentive to keep going, to go out and research more about science, to continually improve my delivery. Baker-Doyle (2011) explains Diverse Professional Alliesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ help teachers challenge the traditional norms of the school or teaching and break out notions about curriculum or practice that limited the teachers personal involvement in the curriculum (Baker-Doyle 2011). This was certainly the case for the students in my network. Figure 1 Matt Linns Graduate egocentric Intentional Professional Network and Diverse Professional Allies Senior Leader Analysis 8 years on, my current context is also represented in an egocentric intentional professional network as demonstrated in Figure 2. Throughout the time since I was a graduate teacher, my intentional professional network has changed considerably. The development of my confidence and responsibilities over time have impacted on the size of my social network in a professional environment. My teaching role changed from its traditional sense approximately 4 years ago when I took on a position of directing information technology (IT). The role of IT in schools has dramatically challenged the landscape and traditional structure that schools have often used. Core school operational management systems were now all being run through IT. The whole school required IT support and knowledge to manage the abrupt changes that were taking place. Many traditional school operations were required on systems never previously used. Almost overnight, my role in IT became one supporting an entire Mid North Partnership. Whilst this was a significant responsibility, the effect this change had on my social networks particularly my intentional professional network, was transformational. This was a turning point for me as it clearly demonstrated the power and importance of having effective, but also diverse social networks. Following on, it has been possible for me to focus on building strong intentional professional networks and appreciate the support as well as realising the vital importance of effective social networks for the teaching profession. The sum of the relational links in Figure 2, are much stronger and dependable in my current context. The change in responsibilities including different forms of line-management, as well as working in senior leadership have meant that type of relations I now hold have altered considerably. Rather than only having the capacity to work with one or two key people within my intentional professional network, I have the opportunity of working very closely, with purpose, alongside a number of people throughout the week. The opportunity to relate to a number of people cannot be understated when reflecting on the significance of social networks, graduate support and the development of a positive professional identity. It is also important to note how the development of confidence and professional experience that is gained over time certainly has a significant effect in social network development. Knoke and Yang (2008) explain the dynamic nature of relations: structural relations should be viewed as dynamic processes. This principle recognizes that networks are not static structures, but are continually changing through interactions among their constituent people, groups, or organizations (Knoke Yang 2008). In my current context as a senior leader (Figure 2) I am now able work with a team across the school to reflect on our own school context how our social networks can effect a graduate teachers development. A significant focus on building a positive school culture have meant that the focus is now centred on support, induction and mentoring. Reinforcing the importance of culture on networks and professional identity, Flores and Day (2006) in their research found that perceptions of school culture and leadership impacted upon the ways in which new teachers learned and their identity developed over time. Thus, moving forward, the focus for schools and teacher education, must be in bolstering the importance of effective professional support networks for all staff. Whilst the focus of this report has been centred on new graduate teachers, the impact of networks on the establishment and development of a positive professional identity for all teachers cannot be understated. Induction programs, mentors and a supportive culture are an implicit responsibility of all schools. We all have a mutual responsibility for ensuring that new teachers have and are able to sustain and put into practice a set of values which represent aspirations for a passion for high quality teaching and learning (Flores Day 2006). Positive social networks are a paramount in ensuring new teachers are supported for long term engagement in the teaching profession. Figure 2. Matt Linns Senior Leader Intentional Professional Network and Diverse Professional Allies. Reference List Baird, J, Stroud, G, Goss, P Clark, L 2016, The Drum Friday September 16: The figures are somewhat better in five Australian teachers leaving the profession early, ABC. Baker-Doyle, KJ 2011, Looking at networks: network types and the networking practices of new teachers, The networked teacher : how new teachers build social networks for professional support, Teachers College Press, New York, pp. 18-32. Flores, MA Day, C 2006, Contexts which shape and reshape new teachers identities: A multi-perspective study, Teaching and Teacher Education, vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 219-232. Ingersoll, RM 2012, Beginning Teacher Induction What the Data Tell Us, Phi Delta Kappan Magazine, vol. 93, no. 8, pp. 47-51. Knoke, D Yang, S 2008, Network fundamentals, Social network analysis, no. 2, pp. 4-14. Merchant, G 2012, Unravelling the social network: theory and research, Learning, Media and Technology, vol. 37, no. 1, pp. 4-19. Rostock, R, Yoon, S, Remillard, J Wood, D 2014, Developing a workable teacher identity: Building and negotiating identity within a professional network, ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, University of Pennsylvania. Vera, ER Schupp, T 2006, Network analysis in comparative social sciences, Comparative Education, vol. 42, no. 3, pp. 405-429.

How to write an essay? Essay

Writing an essay Define the context of your essay. The context is the scope of the essay. What are you being asked to write about? The context can include multiple parameters including: Topic. Sometimes your teacher or professor will give you a prompt that you’re required to use. If you do get an option to pick your own topic, then choose something that you genuinely want to become an expert about or something you feel passionate about discussing. Format. The length of the essay, the way the pages are put together and the presentation all matter. Follow the rules exactly as your teacher gives them to you so that you don’t lose points. Audience. With whom are you trying to communicate? Do you want to persuade your teacher, your peers or a college admissions committee? You’ll need to tailor your writing to the correct audience. Types of Essays Narrative Narration is telling a story from a certain viewpoint, and there is usually a reason for the telling. All narrative essays will have characters, setting, climax, and most importantly, a plot. The plot is the focus of the story and is usually revealed chronologically, but there are sometimes flash forwards and flash backs. In writing a narrative essay, remember to: Include sensory and emotional details, so the reader will experience the story, not just read about it Have the story support the point you are making, and make reference to that point in the first sentence. Write in the first or third person Descriptive Descriptive essays have text which describes traits and characteristics of people, objects, events, feelings, etc in intricate detail. Whatever is being described will be thoroughly examined. For example, if you were describing roses, you would explain: Where they come from What they look like What colors they are How they grow and smell When you write a descriptive essay, you want to involve the reader’s senses and emotions. For example, you could say, â€Å"I got sleepy† or describe it like this, â€Å"As I was waiting for Santa, my eyelids began to get heavy, the lights on the tree began to blur with the green branches, and my head started to drop.† The second sentence gives vivid details to make the reader feel like he is there. Exposition Expository essays can compare, explore and discuss problems, or tell a story. An exposition essay gives information about various topics to the reader. It: Informs Describes Explains In writing an exposition, the text needs to: Be concise and easy to understand Give different views on a subject or report on a situation or event Explain something that may be difficult to understand as you write your essay. Remember that your purpose is to explain. Argumentative In an argumentative essay the writer is trying to convince the reader by demonstrating the truth or falsity of a topic. The writer’s position will be backed up with certain kinds of evidence, like statistics or opinions of experts. The writer is not just giving an opinion, but making an argument for or against something and supporting that argument with data. To know how to write an essay in an argumentative way, you have to research and backup what you say in the text. Learn by Example When learning how to write an essay, sometimes the best way to learn is to look and analyze essay examples. Following are excerpts from narrative essays: â€Å"Looking back on a childhood filled with events and memories, I find it rather difficult to pick on that leaves me with the fabled â€Å"warm and fuzzy feelings.† As the daughter of an Air Force Major, I had the pleasure of traveling across America in many moving trips. I have visited the monstrous trees of the Sequoia National Forest, stood on the edge of the Grande Canyon  and have jumped on the beds at Caesar’s Palace in Lake Tahoe.† â€Å"The day I picked my dog up from the pound was one of the happiest days of both of our lives. I had gone to the pound just a week earlier with the idea that I would just â€Å"look† at a puppy. Of course, you can no more just look at those squiggling little faces so filled with hope and joy than you can stop the sun from setting in the morning. I knew within minutes of walking in the door that I would get a puppy†¦ but it wasn’t until I saw him that I knew I had found my puppy.† â€Å"Looking for houses was supposed to be a fun and exciting process. Unfortunately, none of the ones that we saw seemed to match the specifications that we had established. They were too small, too impersonal, too close to the neighbors. After days of finding nothing even close, we began to wonder: was there really a perfect house out there for us?† The following is an example of a famous narrative written by John Updike, â€Å"Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu†: â€Å"The afternoon grew so glowering that in the sixth inning the arc lights were turned on–always a wan sight in the daytime, like the burning headlights of a funeral procession. Aided by the gloom, Fisher was slicing through the Sox rookies, and Williams did not come to bat in the seventh. He was second up in the eighth. This was almost certainly his last time to come to the plate in Fenway Park, and instead of merely cheering, as we had at his three previous appearances, we stood, all of us, and applauded.† Following are excerpts from descriptive essays: â€Å"Like his twisted feathers, his many scars, the reliable old owl chose the gnarled, weather-beaten, but solid branch often—it being a companion to the wise alone with the night and the last branch to creak in the heaviest wind. He often came to survey the fields and the clouds before his hunt, to listen to the steady sound of the stream passing through reeds under the bridge, while combing his feathers for the unwanteds—whatever they might be.† Here is a descriptive essay about a first visit to a favorite diner written by a student at Roane State Community College:†When entering the door at Lou’s, two things are immediately noticeable: the place is rarely empty and seems to consist of a maze of rooms. The first room, through the door, is the main part of the restaurant. There is another, rarely used, dining room off to the right. It was added during the oil well boom of the seventies. Through the main dining room is yet another room; it guards the door leading into  the kitchen. This room contains the most coveted table in the place. The highest tribute Lou can bestow on anyone is to allow them access to seats at this table. This table is the family table; it is reserved for Lou’s, and her daughter Karen’s, immediate family and treasured friends.†

Portfolio Management Practices in HDFC Bank Essay

HDFC Bank Ltd is a major Indian financial services company based in Mumbai. The Bank is a publicly held banking company engaged in providing a wide range of banking and financial services including commercial banking and treasury operations. The Bank at present has an enviable network of 2201 branches and 7110 ATMs spread in 996 cities across India. They also have one overseas wholesale banking branch in Bahrain, a branch in Hong Kong and two representative offices in UAE and Kenya. The Bank has two subsidiary companies, namely HDFC Securities Ltd and HDB Financial Services Ltd. The Bank has three primary business segments, namely banking, wholesale banking and treasury. The Bank`s shares are listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange Limited and The National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. The Bank`s American Depository Shares (ADS) are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Bank`s Global Depository Receipts (GDRs) are listed on Luxembourg Stock Exchange. HDFC Bank Ltd Was incorporated on August 30, 1994 by Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd. In the year 1994, Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd was amongst the first to receive an â€Å"in principle† approval from the Reserve Bank of India to set up a bank in the private sector, as part of the RBI`s liberalization of the Indian Banking Industry. HDFC Bank commenced operations as a Scheduled Commercial Bank in January 1995. In the year 1996, the Bank was appointed as the clearing bank by the NSCCL. In the year 2001, they became the first private sector bank to be authorized by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) as well as the RBI to accept direct taxes. During the year, the Bank made a strategic tie-up with a Bangalore-based business solutions software developer, Tally Solutions Pvt Ltd for developing and offering products and services facilitating on-line accounting and banking services to SMEs. During the year 2001-02 the bank was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. In September 28, 2005, the Bank increased their stake in HDFC Securities Ltd from 29.5% to 55%. Consequently, HDFC Securities Ltd became a subsidiary of the Bank. During the year 2007-08, the Bank added 77 new branches take the total to 761 branches. The art and science of making decisions about investment mix and policy, matching investments to objectives, asset allocation for individuals and institutions, and balancing risk against performance. Portfolio management is all about strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in the choice of debt vs. equity, domestic vs. international, growth vs. safety, and many other tradeoffs encountered in the attempt to maximize return at a given appetite for risk. The meaning of Portfolio Management is as follows: * Portfolio is a collection of asset. * The asset may be physical or financial like share, Bonds, Debentures and Preference Shares etc. * The individual investor or fund manager would not like to put all his money in the shares of one company, for that would amount to great risk. * Main objective is to maximize portfolio return and at the same time minimizing the portfolio risk by diversification. * Portfolio management is the management of various financial assets, which comprise the portfolio. * According to Securities Exchange Board of India Act 1993, â€Å"Portfolio† means the total holding of securities belonging to any person. * Designing portfolios to suit investor requirement often involves making several projections regarding the future, based on the current information. * One of the key inputs in portfolio building is the risk bearing ability of the investor. * Portfolios are built to suit the return expectations and the risk appetite of the investor. The Basic objective is to maximize yield and minimize risk. The other objectives are as follows: * Stability of Income: An investor considers stability of income from his investment. He also considers the stability of purchasing power of income. * Capital Growth: Capital appreciation has become an important investment principle. Investors seek growth stocks which provide a very large capital appreciation by way of rights, bonus and appreciation in the market price of the share. * Liquidity: An investment is a liquid asset. It can be converted into cash with the help of stock exchange. The portfolio should contain a planned proportion of high grade and readily salable investment. * Safety: Safety means protection for investment against loss under reasonably variations. In order to provide safety, a careful review of economic and industry trends is necessary. In other words, errors in portfolio are unavoidable and it requires extensive diversification. * Tax Incentives: Investors try to minimize their tax liabilities from the investments. The portfolio manager has to keep a list of such investment avenues along with the return risk, profile, tax implications, yields and other returns.

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