The Christianity Of Christianity From A Pagan Society

England’s history includes interesting facts in regard to religion that developed over time. One piece of Historiography mentions the development of Christianity from a Pagan society to Christianity. This development is mentioned in Bede’s work Ecclesiastical History of the Christian People. He discusses kings who helps bring the faith of Christianity to a rise. Paganism does exist even if Christianity began to rise. Bede suggests there is variations in England due to paganism existing and Christianity is trying to arise. Variations are involved in Paganism at a time when it is dominant over Christianity. By the time of Pope Gregory, many people began to worship idols. He is concerned that these matters will become a major problem . Gregory writes a letter of concern to King Athelbert of Kent about the situation. He asks Athelbert to speread the Christian faith and suppress the worship of idols. Though, he continues to go on to say that God will bless him if he does this every day. Several people may establish that Catholicism is the actual faith. The main point of this all is that Paganism existed alongside Christianity. This causes the variation of the culture that is with inside the towns of early England. It is noted that despite his efforts Paganism still lingers. Now changes of Christianity began to rise under the period of Augustine. He helped reform a church that is in shambles. Yet, this is not the only exploit that he achieved. He will get King Ethelbert toShow MoreRelatedReconciling Ingrained Traditions with Newly Emerging Christianity1203 Words   |  5 Pages Before the eighth century, England was a pagan society, the English originated from a society marred in idolatry and polytheism. The intermingling of Christian and pagan elements in Beowulf are consistent with the attitudes toward religion that are found in Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People. Beowulf was written in the Middle Ages (500-1000) on Scandinavia, which was a highly pagan society, however the narrator is telling this story within the timeframe of medieval Anglo-SaxonRead MorePaganism In Beowulf1182 Words   |  5 Pagesreligious history where Christian and pagan beliefs were introduced to society. This poem was written in the time of the Anglo- Saxon period where pagan was the preferred religion. In later years as time gradually passed, Christianity became one of the more favored religions. Beowulf contains many elements of both religions. Though paganism was very popular throughout this poem, it showed a mixture of the two beliefs. These beliefs played a major role in the society of the seventh century, and these themesRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book God On The Dock 1184 Words   |  5 Pagesrecognizes and fully accepts the similarities, but offers a new approach to the situation: The heart of Christianity is a myth which is also a fact. The old myth of the Dying God, without ceasing to be myth, comes down from the heaven of legend and imagination to the earth of history. It happens—at a particular date, in a particular place, followed by definable historical consequences. We pass from a Balder or an Osiris, dying nobody knows when or where, to a historical Person crucified (it is all inRead MoreEssay on Success of Christianity in the Roman Empire852 Words   |  4 Pagesin the fourth century Christianity was formed, born as a movement within Judaism Christianity emphasized the personal relationship between God and people slowly spread through the Roman Empire until ultimately dominating the western culture. Three of the several factors that aided to the growth of Christianity in the Roman Empire were; the central beliefs and value of Christianity, prominent figures, and Christianity appeal to women. 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There has been a lot of back and forth about the main religion in the countries we have studied, and predominantly in Rome. The main religion of a country is traced back to the religion of the political authority. Citizens looked up to their rulers, therefore convert to the religion of the authority. Initially, Romans viewed Chr istianity as a new sect of JudaismRead MoreThe Spread of Christianity Throughout Europe Essay1184 Words   |  5 PagesEuropean empires, beginning just prior to the fall of Rome, is the spread of Christianity to all areas of the continent in as little as a few hundred years. Many theologians state that Christianities spread is the indirect influence of God and the adoration of people to one true faith. Though it is true that Christianity has brought about people that even atheists could call saints, it is unquestionable that Christianity was so monumental because it united larger groups of people and its spreadRead MoreThe Triumph of Christianity in the Roman Empire Essays560 Words   |  3 PagesChristians went from being persecuted to dominating Rome rather quickly. In a world where separation between church and state does not exist, a Christian becoming the sole emperor of Rome symbolized a huge turning point in history. The power switched and the Pagans in turn became per secuted. Christians rose up and took control of all aspects of Roman society. The Pagan past was destroyed, banned, or forgotten about. Those Christians that did not agree with how things were being run either left

Juvenile Justice And Delinquency Prevention...

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to research the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act. The paper will focus on the purpose of this legislation, as well as the values that are expressed by this policy. This paper will not only address why this piece of legislation is important it will discuss the effects this act has had on the communities as well as the youths themselves. This paper, will also address the potential for change about the public attitudes towards the juvenile justice system and the social conditions it faces. Arguments will be presented to support the policy as well as arguments that were opposed to the passing of this it. The overall effect of the paper is to provide an overview of the issues surrounding the legislation and the importance of this act being passing for the betterment of the Juvenile Justice System. There are thousands of children that are caught up in the criminal justice system today. For the vast majority of them it will be revolving door. We find ourselves asking what works in juvenile justice system and that is always everyone’s main concern and unfortunately, the most common answer to that question is we don’t know. There is a single important piece of federal legislation affecting youth in juvenile justice systems across the country and it is the primary vessel through which the federal government sets standards for state and local juvenile justice systems. This piece of legislation provides directShow MoreRelatedJuvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act6750 Words   |  27 PagesIntroduction The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) is the principal federal program through which the federal government sets standards for juvenile justice systems at the state and local levels. It provides direct funding for states, research, training, and technical assistance, and evaluation. The JJDPA was originally enacted in 1974 and even though the JJDPA has been revised several times over the past 30 years, its basic composition has remained the same. Since the act was passedRead MoreLearning Disablilites and Delinquency from our Juveniles1823 Words   |  7 Pagesof our diverse learning disabled children leads to poor school performance, and in a high number of cases juvenile delinquency. Unfortunately, the learning disability rate among delinquent youth is between 30% and 50%, this is in contrast to the number of special education students represented in public school, which is 10% nationally. The stark difference in the percentage of delinquency and learning disabled when compared to the national average of learning disabled has had significant attentionRead MoreJuvenile Crime Issues in Today’s Criminal Justice System18893 Words   |  76 Pagesrights that may be threatened by technological advances and other developments:  ©  ©  ©  © chapter 15 Juvenile Justice chapter 16 Drugs and Crime chapter 17 Terrorism and Multinational Criminal Justice chapter 18 The Future of Criminal Justice These individual rights must be effectively balanced against these present and emerging community concerns: Widespread drug abuse among youth The threat of juvenile crime Urban gang violence High-technology, computer, and Internet crime (cybercrime) TerrorismRead MoreLaw Enforcement in the 21st Century15936 Words   |  64 PagesFederal Agencies Department of Justice Department of Homeland Security Department of the Treasury U.S. Postal Service Tribal Agencies Chapter Objectives ââ€"  Describe the concept of linkage blindness and its importance in the criminal justice system. ââ€"  Understand the police role in maintaining social control. ââ€"  Explain why discretion is a necessary aspect of policing. ââ€"  Explain what is meant by the rule of law. ââ€"  Understand the role of law enforcement in the criminal justice system. ââ€"  Contrast the crimeRead MoreMedicare Policy Analysis447966 Words   |  1792 PagesTITLES, rmajette on DSK29S0YB1PROD with BILLS 4 5 AND SUBTITLES. (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 6 ‘‘Affordable Health Care for America Act’’. VerDate Nov 24 2008 12:56 Oct 30, 2009 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3962.IH H3962 2 1 2 (b) TABLE TITLES.—This OF DIVISIONS, TITLES, AND SUB- Act is divided into divisions, titles, and 3 subtitles as follows: DIVISION A—AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE

What Is Greed Free Essays

string(119) " he might not have been defeated by the allies at all, it was his greed that led to not only his bus his regimes fall\." When Does Greed Become Too Much? In 2008, employees within a failing firm on Wall Street were given $16 billion in bonuses. That seems outrageous, doesn’t it? Anger was the response of the American people indefinitely. However, if they had done further research they would have realized that the $16 billion in bonuses was merely half of what the company gave out in bonuses during good times. We will write a custom essay sample on What Is Greed? or any similar topic only for you Order Now Many of the reporters telling the story discussed the issue of rewarding the greed of the employees with taxpayer money. Which brings us to the question, what exactly is greed? If they would have earned more before, they are expecting the amount that is coming. It is not greed if every year before that the money had been guaranteed, is it? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines greed as, â€Å"a selfish and excessive desire for more of something than is needed. † ________________________________________________________________________ The word greed dates back to the 1200-1300’s, where in France it came from the word avarus meaning greedy which was a form of avere meaning to crave or long for. Coming from the word avarus was avaritia which meant just greed and from that word came avarice which meant greed or covetousness (Harper, 1). Covetousness is defined as an envious eagerness to possess something(Merriam-Webster, 2). Greed from the 1600’s to present is a back formation of the word greedy which has many routes and definitions. The West Saxon word graedig or the Anglican word gredig both meant voracious or covetous (Harper, 1). Voracious is defined as wanting to devour great quantities or having a very eager approach to an activity (Merriam Webster). From the Proto-Germanic language were the words graedagaz and graeduz meaning greed and hunger; possibly from the Proto-Indo-European root gher- meaning to want or in Scotland grdh- to be greedy. The origin that the people against the Wall Street bonuses would appreciate the most would be the one from the Greek word phyilargyros meaning â€Å"money-loving† and also the German word for greedy, habsuchtig coming from haben meaning â€Å"to have† +sucht meaning â€Å"sickness, disease† (Harper, 1). The last one is the most interesting because it is suggesting that greed is something than can come and go with the right or wrong stimulants, like a sickness does. What then would one need to do to boost their immune system against this greed? Or is greed something impossible for people to avoid? From the etymology we have found that greed can be related to hunger and envy and the want to have more and more, were these definitions consistent in their use over time? In order to better understand what greed really is we need to take a moment to look back at the history of greed and how often it has occurred throughout the world. In 1527 A. D. the Spaniards had sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and come across the empire of the Incas. They were on their way to the New World and they came across a raft with a crew of approximately 20 men along with many treasures. After catching a glimpse of the treasure on the raft, the greed of the Spaniards welled up until they decided to conduct an expedition to conquer the Incas’ empire. After many years of getting a crew and resources for this expedition the Spaniards finally headed into the Incas Empire in 1532 A. D. ; fortunately the conquering of the empire was easier due to the civil war of the Incas. The Spaniards took the Incas emperor hostage and in return were offered a room of silver and gold as his ransom. The Spaniards greed continued to get bigger and they took the contents of the room, but did not return the emperor, but instead killed him. The Incan people then revolted under the Spanish control (History World, 1). If the Spaniards and not been so greedy in their desire to take over the empire maybe they could have won over the people as their own; instead they were driven by greed and one man even named them thieves of the Incan people. Mansio Serra Leguizamon, the last conquistador, said: â€Å"I wish your Your Majesty to understand the motive that moves me to make this statement is the peace of my conscience and because of the guilt I share. For we have destroyed by our evil behavior such a government as was enjoyed by these natives. They were so free of crime and greed, both men and women, that they could leave gold or silver worth a hundred thousand pesos in their open house. So that when they discovered that we were thieves and men who sought to force their wives and daughters to commit sin with them, they despised us. Instances similar to that of the Spaniards and the Incas repeated themselves multiple times throughout history. From the land greed of the Europeans against the people of Africa to the land greed of the Americans against the Native Indians, those nations that progress seem to demonstrate an intense level of greed in order to get to the top. However, while this greed in particular led to the succ ess of those nations demonstrating it there have also been examples where it led to the demise of a dictator or of a group as a whole. For example, Adolf Hitler had already defeated the majority of his European enemies, the last being Great Britain. Hitler had signed a pact two years prior stating that he would not wage war on them, causing the nations to not have armed themselves. Hitler’s decision to break this agreement could only be motivated by his greed to dominate all the other countries; even if Great Britain was ten times the size of his empire. While Nazi Germany had the most powerful military at the time they were not used to the cold weather and were soon overcome by the Soviet Union troops. If Hitler had simply left the Soviet Union alone he might not have been defeated by the allies at all, it was his greed that led to not only his bus his regimes fall. You read "What Is Greed?" in category "Papers" Other examples of the fall of entire nations due to greed include the fall of the Roman Empire and the fall of Ancient Greece. A large group of historians have come to the conclusion that the majority of progress in the world is a result of the greed of more powerful nations to become even more powerful. This system is good for those progressing and bad for the smaller, less developed nations who are being taken over. Whether or not greed is moral in this aspect is another argument, but the definition of greed stated previously is most definitely applicable to these historical examples. In the example of the Spaniards and Incas it is greed because the Spaniards already had their own empire across the ocean, however they were driven by the want of more land and of the treasure of the Incas to continue on and take more than was necessary for the nation to survive. Again it seemed unnecessary for the Europeans and the Americans to take the land of the Africans and Native Indians when they already had land elsewhere, it was an unnecessary conquest. In the example of Hitler attacking the Soviet Union, it was greed because he already had a pact with them to be at peace and he broke it because he wanted more. It was not necessary for him to attack the Soviet Union but he did due to greed and the consequence of this was the demise of his regime; the same fall similar to that of the Roman Empire and Ancient Greece. It seems that throughout history the people’s perception of what greed is has remained in line to the definition from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary and this definition is consistent to the past of he word greed, just more detailed than previous definitions. It looks as though there is no way for people to avoid being greedy in its completion, whether it be wanting more candy than you need at Halloween (which was all of us at some point, I’m sure) or wanting extreme amounts of money to be paid to you from work†¦everyone has demonstrated a greedy behavior at least once in their life. This brings about th e question, is there a point to where greed becomes too overwhelming? By this I simply mean that you are not likely to hate a three year old dressed in a cowboy costume for asking for more candy when they already have a full bag on Halloween, but you might hate someone who already makes $50,000 to $100,000 a year and is receiving a bonus on top of this pay†¦when their company is failing and is being paid by bail out consisting of your tax payers dollars. Is the three year old just as guilty as the Wall Street firm employee? Most people would say no, the three year old is too young to really understand what greed is. Okay, so what about a six year old or an eight year old or a twelve year old†¦at what age does it become socially unacceptable to act in a greedy fashion? Let’s look at another comparison, but this time between people of an older age group. It’s a bright, sunny day in the city and a married couple is walking down the street when they look down and find an a hundred dollar bill. Instantly the man jumps for joy because he can finally afford some football paraphernalia he had been saving up money on the side for. The husband didn’t even think to ask the wife what she thought they should do with the money. Most people would dismiss this and say, â€Å"Oh, it’s just a hundred dollars for football stuff. Let the man be. † What if the same man worked for AIG and received a ridiculous paycheck and was asking for a bigger bonus at Christmas time to buy football paraphernalia? What’s the difference? It’s still the same man using extra or â€Å"bonus† money to buy the same football paraphernalia, but people tend to freak out when the money is coming from a company that already pays exorbitant amounts for the annual salary and then they give out a bonus in addition to this. According to the definition of greed presented by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, â€Å" a selfish and excessive desire for more of something than is needed,† both men are acting greedy. Both men from the examples are definitely presenting a selfish desire because they are going to use the extra money for themselves and football paraphernalia isn’t necessarily a necessity in everyday life. The issue of greed, similar to that of justice, seems to find its way back to jealousy and morals. What people consider too much greed depends on their view of right and wrong, and how many possessions or how much money they personally have. We may not want to admit this because we think that we have the ability to separate ourselves and judge independently, but the reality is that the majority of people are not able to do this. Sure, they may be able to present a definition-correct response and say that the three year old has bad character and is too greedy, but most people would look over the actions of a mere three year old. They may be able to say that the AIG employee is unable to determine the fate of the economy and has worked hard and deserves the bonus and should be able to do what he wants with it, but deep down they’re jealous of their higher situation and wonder if the AIG employee really deserves such high amounts of money for what they do. As a result of jealousy people tend to claim that others demonstrate too much greed. However if they looked at their own life on a day to day basis would they see that they have been greedy on smaller but much more frequent scales in comparison to the one major instance of the AIG employee? Who is anyone to judge who is too greedy when even the smallest acts of greed are still a greedy action? Maybe everyone is equally corrupt by greed but only large monetary instances are brought into the media in our society. Have we answered the initial question, when does greed become too much? Yes, we have. The common view of people today is that greed is not too much when it is a child asking for more candy on Halloween but it is too much when it is an employee receiving a $16 billion bonus. This can be simplified or abstracted into greed becomes too much when it reaches a larger, noticeable scale. In other words, greed is too much when someone is striving for something less than 10% of the population will attain. If the population had no lower class it was simply middle and higher classes, there would be more people in the higher class and therefore fewer would find greed present because it would seem more attainable. Greed is determined on the basis of what is attainable to the majority of people. Works Cited Merriam-Webster Inc. Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n. d. Web. 15 Oct. 2012. http://www. merriam-webster. com/. Harper, Douglas. â€Å"Online Etymology Dictionary. † Online Etymology Dictionary. N. p. , 2001. Web. 08 Oct. 2012. http://www. etymonline. com/index. php? search=greed. â€Å"HISTORY OF THE SPANISH EMPIRE. † HISTORY OF THE SPANISH EMPIRE. N. p. , n. d. Web. 08 Oct. 2012. http://www. historyworld. net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories. asp? groupid=1735. Merriam-Webster Inc. â€Å"Greed. † Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n. d. Web. 08 Oct. 2012. http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/greed. â€Å"AIG Bonus Payments Controversy. † Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Apr. 2012. Web. 10 Oct. 2012. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/AIG_bonus_payments_controversy. How to cite What Is Greed?, Papers

Kindergarten and Children free essay sample

Children Young People’s Workforce Early Learning Childcare Diploma Level 3 EYMP4 – Professional practice in early years settings Explain how the range of early years settings reflects the scope and purpose of the sector The early year’s sector was not developed by government policy with specific aims but was created in response to the requirements of families to change economical and social factors. Therefore public expenditure focused on families with social needs and difficulties. Local authority day nurseries catered mainly for children who were at risk from harm mainly in deprived areas. The Private sector held childminders, nannies and private nurseries available. The playgroup movement developed during the 1960s where parents set up and ran provision for their own children to learn through play in village halls and other community facilities. Families requirements for their children vary some parents want care for their children so that they can return to work, some parents want to stay with their children while they socialise, some parents want their children in settings which offer services aimed at learning. Others may want their children to be in a home based environment but unfortunately not every family can afford to pay provision fees, therefore the early year’s sector has various forms of provision to meet the needs of all families. The childcare provision includes: Mother and toddler groups A place were the toddler can socialise with other children their age, whilst the mother or father can stay and learn more ways to look after and help with the childs development Pre-school A private nursery, one that is paid for by the parent do not hold compulsory hours, the child doesn’t have a primary school place already. This is for a younger child to gain confidence at an early age. Day care A day care is for children from the age of 3 months to 5 years, they have different classes for children of different ages and the parents can drop off the child and pick them up when they wish. Some parents only take the child in for one or two hours a day so that they have some interaction with other children and have new experiences. Creche A creche is a drop in centre childcare provision, the parents do not pay a monthly fee they only pay when they need such childcare, creche’s are in many different places such as gyms, shopping centres and churches, in these areas the children are looked after whilst the parents can work out, shop or pray. The childcare sector has changed vastly in the last 50 years along with society. Mothers have stopped staying at home and also passed on primary care to nannies or child minders. More childcare settings have been needed as a result of this. The government offer all 3-4 year old children free day care in nurseries such as my setting for up to 15 hours a week, this means mothers can go to work etc. leaving their child there in the care of nursery teachers, practitioners and nursery nurses. Identify current policies, frameworks and influences on the early years sector [pic] [pic] [pic] United nations convention on the rights of the child Founded in 1989 by world leaders who decided that children needed a special convention for those under 18s because they often need special care and that the government has a responsibility to take measures to make sure children’s rights are protected, respected and fulfilled. All children have a right to adequate food, shelter, clean water, education, health care, leisure and recreation. The act also protects children’s rights by setting the standards in health care, education and legal, civil and social services. The four core principles are: Non-discrimination Devotion to the best interests of the child The right to life Survival and development Respect the views of a child All children up to the age of 18 are protected regardless of race, religion, gender, culture, whether they are rich or poor have a disability, what they do and don’t say and what language they speak, no child should be treated unfairly. The best interests of the child must always come first when making decisions that can affect them. The EYFS works at setting the standards for learning ensuring that children make progress and no child gets left behind. The education Act Free childcare provisions were introduced for under five year old children as stated briefly previously. Since September 1st 2010 this rose from 12 and a half hours a week to 15 hours a week. The free entitlement provides access to education and care and the hours can be flexible over the week, all childcare provisions must use the EYFS and help young children achieve the five Every Child Matters outcomes. Describe what is meant by evidence-based practice and give examples of how this has influenced work with children in their early years Evidence based practice is a framework of decisions made from effective information researched that influences practice and allows practitioners to apply their knowledge to a situation which allows them to make a well informed decisions on future actions. Professional practice requires these findings and research to be kept up-to-date and a consideration as to how these can be applied to settings. Sometimes, we need to be sure of what we find out before taking action as it might not be real or true. This is why it is so important for me to communicate and concerns or queries to my team. My everyday practice is influenced by what I have found out or learnt previously as a mother but also professionally through watching my nursery teacher and practitioners and learning as I go. It has been interesting to see that I am heading in the right track as a parent but excited to learn things I hadnt even thought of previously for my own children that I can not only use in the setting but also bring home for my children to benefit from. An example of how research has influenced working with children is The Effective Provision of Pre-School Education (EPPE) which is the first main study in the UK that focuses on the effectiveness of early years education and studies young childrens intellectual, social and behavioural development at age 3 to 7, collecting a wide range of information on more than 3000 children, their parents, their home environment and the pre-school they attended. Its findings found that children who had attended early years provision were more likely to have better cognitive, social and behaviour skills when they started formal education than those who had no early years provision, also confirming the value of early learning through play especially from low-income families. Key Elements of effective practice (KEEP) is another example. It stressed that effective learning in children is dependent on secure relationships. Learning through play and forming secure relationships are both key elements to the EYFS. With formal and non formal observation schedules and reflective practice, there is quality of care, learning and development and accountability as staff may require training and review of procedures and policies in order to keep up to date with new evidence in the provision of health and education. Explain what is meant by Diversity Diversity is the differences between individuals and groups of people in societies. These differences could be gender, ethnic origins, social cultural or religious background, family structure, disabilities, sexuality or appearance. Equality Equality means that individuals in society experience opportunities to achieve which are as good as the opportunities experienced by other people. Inclusion Inclusion is a process of identifying, understanding and breaking down barriers to participation and belonging. Explain the importance of anti-discriminatory/anti bias practice, giving examples of how it is applied in practice with children and carers The curriculum within settings should represent the different cultures of the children within it to promote anti-discriminatory and anti bias practice, as does my setting. We include positive images within the play areas for example in books and on posters which allows our children to view pictures of different races, disabilities, sex and age which promotes an anti-bias view of the world we live in. We also have children within the setting who have special educational needs which also brings it to life for all the children to encourage this acceptance into their lives. The setting creates an environment which is acceptable to all children regardless of their background, along with being able to make them feel welcomed. We ensure they are all valued and have access in every aspect of the provision. We also have had the pleasure of meeting practitioners who are from different countries which also helps the children relate to equality within their lives. Explain how the active participation of the children in decisions affecting their lives promotes the achievement of positive outcomes Children need to actively participate in decisions that will affect their life. Children that are young need to make simple choices that enable them to find out their likes and dislikes not only for themselves but for us to then plan activities that meet their needs and challenge their abilities, it can be as simple as having a choice between an apple and a pear. This will enable them to express their needs and wishes. Letting the children make choices builds a child’s confidence, self esteem and their social skills. In our setting the children make choices all the time, this will be when a child makes a choice on what they want to do or who they want to do it with, these are simple choices that a child of pre-school and nursery age can make for themselves. This will enable the child to develop more and make choices later on in life that are more important such as, relationships, what course to take at college, whether to gain a qualification, what job they may undertake or even when to get married etc. These choices will all be big decisions that could affect the rest of their life. We as practitioners need to actively listen to the child’s choices and other ways that they may be able to communicate their wishes such as pointing, pictures, signing and any other non verbal means of communication to find out what the child or family actually want or need. We need to understand that children have voices and that they should be heard. Providing that they or others are not in any significant harm, their wishes should be listened to and followed. Examples of how children in our setting actively participate in their own choices include area of play, choice of activities during free flow time, choice of healthy food and drink available to them, choice of actions (good or bad, with intervention when necessary). Again, by giving them these choices it will help them to make small decisions in life and will enable them later in life to extend this to bigger decisions that affect their lives and will help future experiences. It also enables our children to learn to build up confidence, self-esteem and social skills by themselves and sometimes, with our guidance. Explain the importance of reviewing own practice as part of being an effective practitioner The quality of provision in any early years settings is dependent on the skills, attitudes, knowledge and experience of everyone who works there. Reflective practice is the key to quality improvement as it helps to identify the strengths and weaknesses of different aspects of a setting’s provision. Reflective practice is the term used to describe the way in which professionals evaluate their own work and consider ways of improving their work. It is important to do this, as each year a different set of children and parents join the setting. They may have different needs, expectations or interests. Activities, routines and polices may have to be changed or updated to accommodate the new families. Reflecting on practice will help to see where changes need to be made. Staff are developing all the time too. Their knowledge and skills may change due to extra training or new staff having new ideas. National standards and frameworks may also change so this may have an impact on how the setting is run. To reflect on my own practice I tend to critically question what I do and see whether it works or whether there is room for improvement by asking my team for feedback and advise. I am also new to childcare as a profession rather then parent so I am constantly taking things in and using support from my team as motivation to improve my own strengths and target my weaknesses. I tend to observe the reactions of children, parents and the team to help think about my effectiveness, but at the end of the day voicing any concerns is the best policy and my team will always come to me when needed. Especially in areas I may think are working well, I like to think about what skills and knowledge are helping me achieve this or whether I can become more efficient. In areas of weaknesses I always think of ways to improve and pick up hints and tips from my brilliant colleagues who are more then happy to advise. I may need more training in the future when I fell more experience is needed such as first aid etc. I find reflecting on my practise helpful as it gives me a clearer picture of what I actually do within my work role for my setting, and how I can make myself a valuable asset to my team. This itself gives me more confidence of my ability as practitioner and confidence to know that everybody can improve to provide the best care for all our children as I reach higher standards as I progress. Undertake a reflective analysis of own practice Being a reflective practitioner involves thinking about how you currently work and evaluating what you do in order to improve your practice. The reflective practitioner stands back, takes a balanced view and recognises what works well, but is also able to acknowledge what could be changed. To be a reflective practitioner you need to be self aware and able to look as objectively and honestly as possible at how you work with children, colleagues and parents. This is not easy, but taking a proactive role, reflecting on and analysing your own practice is far more rewarding than relying on someone in a more senior position to do this for you. Evaluating your own practice helps to put you in control of the changes that should be made, enables you to identify your professional development needs and will increase your confidence and feelings of job satisfaction. Reflective practice and self evaluation are fundamental to the Ofsted inspection process. By completing the Self Evaluation Form (SEF) managers and setting leaders are able to provide a snapshot of what happens in a setting. Through the SEF they can clearly identify the setting’s strengths and highlight what it does well. At the same time they can acknowledge any weaknesses in provision and plan the changes and improvements to be made. However, managers cannot achieve this alone. They are reliant on all practitioners in the setting taking responsibility for the quality of their individual practice and aiming for continuous improvement. As practitioner I want to be a good role model for the children in my setting by being enthusiastic to their efforts, positive and optimistic towards their abilities and good choices but also as I understand children are active learners I wish for them to be as enthusiastic as I am with their learning and development. I always aim to show a relaxed expression and warm tones in my voice that I can pitch higher as I express enthusiasm. I try to get the children eager to get involved especially in planned activities that are designed to assess the children individually as it is important for me to know each childs specific needs etc. I am aware that my relationships with the children, parents and colleagues are not only important for the setting environment but also for our children to understand how to treat others and how peers and teamwork is important in life. I treat others how I wish to be treated and respect all my team as individuals professionally as well as getting to know them and enjoying their company during work hours. It is a pleasure to work with a great group of people who are passionate about giving our children a great start in life which, in turn also gives me the motivation to thrive and provide the best care I can for my colleagues and children. I actively listen and am taking in lots of information and advise given verbally or through watching others. This is active learning and it is a cycle within the work setting. When I talk to my colleagues it is in a professional manner with interest and respect. I am also willing to help in any way I can to maintain an efficient smooth running setting. When I talk to the children in the setting I try to relate to them, coming down to their level with interest and listening to anything they have to say. They will always ask questions that I will answer as honestly as I can. I am always intrigued to know their likes and dislikes and by getting to know each individual child helps in this area. It is always nice to following up on their ideas by discussing every thing with the nursery teacher who will then advise. I try my hardest to make every parent feel welcome and at value what they tell me especially when it is about the importance of their individual child. It is important to maintain relationships with everyone as not only does it help me provide the best care I can but it also makes the place a very strong place to be as we are helping these children thrive and flourish to take these abilities with them through life. I try to help the setting by being proactive in solving problems as they arise but I will come to my team in times of need. I definitely need to continue to actively learn through my team but also establish a personal style and accept we are all different and all give a different benefit to the team. I started off with little confidence as a parent you never quiet know what boundaries you can cross with other children such as how stern to be when they make bad choices etc. Now I am much more confident and relaxed in my approach but I am always learning, every day I learn something new. I need to communicate and not be afraid to ask my nursery teacher if I misunderstand a task given to me. I made the mistake of setting out an extra activity that didnt help what the nursery teacher had planned as I assumed bowels were left out for it when in fact they were forgotten about and not put away. The nursery teacher was busy and so I tried to use my initiative but it was not a good decision. I should have waited to speak to my tutor and seek advice. This is what I shall do in the future. I tend to learn from my mistakes! Develop strategies to deal with areas of difficulty and challenges encountered in professional practice in early years settings Examples of areas of difficulty and challenges that may arise in the work setting between myself and parents of children include: Parents not collecting their child on time getting later and later Parents with outstanding fees Parents with a complaint e. . they claim a child has hit their child Speaking to a parent about a concern you have about their child (you feel that the child has specific needs, and you are worried how they may accept/not accept it). Parent has been discriminating against another parent (possibly verbally to the other parents). These issues are not only very sensitive to each individual family but they all req uire handling with professionalism and respect as a parent myself you need to feel valued and listened to and made aware that the dilema will be dealt with promptly and effectively and in confidence. This is why having full and comprehensive policies and procedures within my setting is important and relevant at these times to follow. When speaking to parents, if they came to me with a concern or complaint I would listen, really listen, even if they start to shout, often they just want to say their piece. Then if they have cause to complain or bring something up I may be able to deal with it there and then by speaking in a professional manner, without making it personal. If I am able to resolve it, I will try, if not I would this to the nursery teacher as she is a very good active listener and always wants the best for our children, parents and team. It is very important to maintain relationships as we would hate to tarnish the settings name we really do enjoy our involvement and helping our children the best way we can. To me it doesnt matter how small the concern is its important for that child and their parents, and I want to assure those parents I take things very seriously in order to resolve issues. When a parent needs addressing for issues such as a concern about their child or fees are owed then the nursery teacher will deal with this matter by forms of letters or arranging a meeting to speak in confidence regarding the above. If a parent has come to me or the nursery teacher with a complaint about another parent I would have to have a quiet word or arrange a meeting to say It has been brought to my attention that you have been speaking about another parent unkindly/discriminatingly. They may interject here and say who said, they are lying? but I would just have to remember to say something such as I am not at liberty to say, but whether it is true or not I must remind you we are an equal opportunity setting who celebrates diversity and cultural beliefs. Remember to explain sensitively and nicely that you are duty bound to make sure all the children and families are treated equally, and you would do the same for their child, if you felt they needed your support. But currentl y it is the responsibility of the nursery teacher and so I would talk to her about any such issues.