Personal Financial Advisors Essay Example for Free

Personal Financial Advisors Essay I want to live the good life. By that I mean a life of wealth, privilege, loving family relationships, and warm friendships. At the end of my life I will be satisfied if my spouse and children are still by my side and if I have a close circle of friends. I intend to earn a lot of money and I intend to give generously to charity. To achieve this, I need time and money. I intend to marry and have three children. My spouse and I, who are still passionately in love with each other, are building an art collection. Both sets of grandparents live no more than an hour away. We visit frequently and the kids adore them. I own my own hedge fund and earn $25 million a year. My spouse owns a business—maybe an art gallery or a professional practice. We live in a spacious penthouse apartment, probably in New York. We have floor to ceiling windows, views in every direction, a clean, sleek, modern decor, with lots of space for entertaining, which we do frequently. The kids each have their own bedrooms and share a playroom. We have a live-in nanny for the kids, a live-in cook, and help with the cleaning. We have a beach house, probably in South Hampton. We go there most weekends by helicopter. We all have busy lives so the quality time we spend together on the weekends is incredibly important to us. We take exotic vacations two times a year as a family—usually involving some kind of adventure travel pertaining to my love for scuba diving and for studying the ecology of coral reefs. Once a year my spouse and I go some place romantic on vacation together. Each year I take a vacation with one of the kids, just the two of us. The kids go to great schools with small classes and a progressive curriculum that lets them follow their own interests: there is no teaching for the exams in this school. The kids are learning to ride, and to play tennis, squash, and polo. I play these sports regularly. I have a lot of physical energy so I run or bike each day. I also work out every day in the gym in our apartment. I have given up smoking. My spouse and I are active in charity work. We are each on the board of a prestigious charity and when we go to their annual fundraising events we get our pictures in the gossip columns. We give 10% of our income to charity each year. I am a member of the Explorer’s Club because I have contributed something important to the scientific study of coral reefs. I spent a year studying the coral reefs in the Similan Islands in Thailand before starting my career. While there, I also studied Vipassna meditation, which I still practice. I am confident and gregarious. I don’t sweat the small stuff. I plan for the future and I work my plan, but I am flexible enough to enjoy surprising opportunities when they come along. 2. Career goals My long-term career goal is to own my own hedge fund and earn at least $25 million a year. The top hedge fund owners can earn considerably more than this (Story B1). To achieve this I need three things: proven skill at investing (or the skill to hire someone with skill at investing), connections to the kind of wealthy investors who put their money in hedge funds, and the ability to convince potential clients to trust me with their money. 3. A Strategic Plan for My Future I have four major goals: to stop smoking, to learn more about coral reefs, to start a hedge fund, and to find the right spouse and start a family. I can quit smoking this year. I have decided to join a smoking cessation program at a local hospital this summer. I have consulted with my doctor and he thinks this is a good option for me. I am determined to succeed. I don’t know how long, or if, I will, as a devoted amateur, ever be able to make a scientific discovery significant to earn me admittance into the Explorer’s Club, but I intend to proceed as though this is possible (Explorer’s Club). So far, my experience with scuba diving and studying coral reefs has only been as a tourist and an avid reader. I would very much like to participate in a real scientific research expedition. One of the world’s leading organizations for research into the ecology of coral reefs is the ARC Center for Excellence in Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University in Townsville, Australia (ARC Center of Excellence). My plan is to contact the scientists at the Center to learn what kind of opportunities there are for amateurs to participate in research projects. I am also considering participating in a research expedition, sponsored by the Earthwatch Institute, to Thailand’s coral reefs in December 2009 (Earthwatch Institute). I have another motive for doing this, which is that I can imagine meeting my future spouse on such an excursion. I would like to meet someone with whom I have interests in common. I think it will take me ten years to get the experience and contacts I need to start a hedge fund. I would like to apprentice myself to a leading hedge fund operator such as James Simons of Renaissance Technologies, John Paulson, or John Arnold of Centaurus Energy (Story B2). I am pursuing an education in finance. I have also been studying investment methods and I seem to have an affinity for technical analysis. I am managing a fictional portfolio as if it were real—tracking trades and so forth—and I am doing reasonably well. I am planning to join the Marketing Technicans Association and to earn the CMT credential. This involves a course of self-study and passing three challenging exams (Marketing Technican’s Association). Preparing for all three tests is said to take a total of 400 hours of study (Marketing Technician’s Association). I also intend to be active in the association—to meet others in the field and hopefully to network my way into a job in finance. As everyone knows, this is not an ideal time to be looking for a job in finance. The sector has cut 400,000 jobs in the past two years (Bowley Story). I plan on being persistent. To start a hedge fund, I will need clients. To find them, I need to go where rich people and people who manage portfolios for large institutions go. I plan to be active in fundraising for our alumna association. I play squash and tennis. I plan to learn to play polo, an expensive sport. I also plan to be active in several charitable organizations. I hope this networking will put me in touch with the right people. Salesmanship is very important in the hedge fund business. Why should a potential client trust me with their money? I intend to build a reputation as an ethical, dependable, solid person. People will trust me because I will be trustworthy. This may sound obvious, but one thing that is sorely missing right now in the financial community is trust. Too many people have been too badly burned by the people they trusted to give them financial advice. Probably the goal that matters most to me is meeting a life partner. I hope I can do this in the next five years. I know how to meet people—that’s easy. But what I want to do is form strong, lasting relationships based on honestly knowing each other. The best way for me to do that is to be considerate and honest. In the past I have noticed in myself a tendency to play to the crowd. I will do what is necessary to get a laugh or to make someone like me, even if it means saying something about my thoughts, feelings, or opinions that isn’t really true. This is not going to work when it comes to finding a life partner. I need to be funny, considerate and honest at the same time. I am somewhat afraid of doing this. 4. A Strategic Plan â€Å"B† for My Future What if my plans don’t work out? I find this very hard to imagine. If I put myself in the right place, frequently enough, I know something good will happen, even if it isn’t exactly what I have in mind now. There are always options. I intend to follow my heart so I make the right choices. Suppose I can’t get a job in finance when I want to? I will probably consider going to work for one of the government regulatory agencies; they will probably be hiring. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) is one possibility, especially since the CMT credential takes me part of the way towards the FINRA Registered Research Analyst credential (Marketing Technicians Association). This would open more doors. I am very ambitious, but if ten years pass and my dream of starting a hedge fund begins to look like an impossible goal, I will probably consider starting my own personal financial advisor practice. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is forecasting that demand for personal financial advisors will increase by 44% over the next seven years (Bureau of Labor Statistics). I am very interested in the idea of starting my own business, even if it can’t be a hedge fund. Right now, I can’t say what other kind of company I might start but it could be anything. I believe that I have to put myself in the way of opportunities. I will do this by becoming an avid watcher of the economy and an avid investigator of business conditions. I know what I am looking for: a product or service that is necessary and nonexistent. This is how the great fortunes are made. In a general sense, I am most interested in ways in which the internet can be used to deliver new services. Netflix is an inspiration. The question to ask is how could computing and networking be applied to get people this service. If you are talking about a service or product that can be delivered globally over the internet, so much the better. Amazon changed the way people shop for books. Fresh Direct has changed the way New Yorkers shop for groceries. Seamless Web has changed the way people order meals in from restaurants. I see the world as being endlessly full of possibilities. I know my dream is of extreme wealth and privilege. Maybe it is more of a fantasy than something that can be planned for. But I know all the steps I take in pursuing my dream—networking, CMT certification, building a reputation as trustworthy—will open opportunities for me. I can’t know what these opportunities are in advance. My plan â€Å"B† really is much more strategic than tactical. My plan â€Å"A† is tactical. But for plan â€Å"B† I intend to do things that I am really interested in, to take advantage of all opportunities to meet others with similar interests, especially those with a track record of achievement, and to continue studying and learning. There will be opportunities and I will have my eyes open so I can see them. The CMT isn’t the only certification I can pursue; it is just the one that interests me the most right now. The CFA Institute offers the CFA certification which is one of the most prestigious on Wall Street (CFA Institute). This is another course of self-study followed punctuated by three exams (CFA Institute). The more I try to make a plan for the future, the more convinced I become that preparation is the most important thing I can do. This is regarding my love life, my family life, my interest in coral reefs, and my career. If I study and if I seek out other people, I will discover opportunities. You can’t study for love, but you can understand yourself and what you desire. The more I learn about who I am and what I have to give to a life partner, the more likely I will be to find that special someone. I want intimacy, depth, and trust. I want to know and be known as much as possible. I don’t want secrets and I don’t want lies. I am convinced that the only way I will find a person who wants what I do, and with me, is if I give these things first. Works Cited ARC Centre of Excellence. Coral Reefs on Brink of Disaster, Scientists Urge Action Now. Science Daily. 22 October 2007. 28 April 2009 http://www. sciencedaily. com ¬ /releases/2007/10/071021225256. htm. Bowley, G. Story, S. â€Å"Crisis Altering Wall Street as Big Banks Lose Top Talent. The New York Times. 12 April 2009. 27 April 2009 http://www. nytimes. com/2009/04/12/business/12wall. html? partner=rss. Bureau of Labor Statistics. â€Å"Financial Analysts and Personal Financial Advisors. † Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-2009 Edition. 27 April 2009 http://www. bls. gov/oco/ocos259. htm. CFA Institute. â€Å"What Is the CFA Program? † 28 April 2009 http://www. bls. gov/oco/ocos259. htm. â€Å"Coral Reefs of Thailand. † Earthwatch Institute. 28 April 2009 http://www. earthwatch. org/exped/heiss. html. Explorer’s Club. 28 April 2009 http://www. explorers. org/. Marketing Technicians Association. â€Å"CMT Program. † 28 April 2009 http://www. mta. org/eweb/DynamicPage. aspx? webcode=CMTProgram. Story, Louise. March, 25, 2009. â€Å"Top Hedge Fund Managers Do Well in a Down Year. † New York Times, p. B1.

training of an athlete Essay -- essays research papers

Training of an Athlete   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When training a football player, or any athlete for that matter you want to make sure that they are not smoking. Smoking is very harmful and addictive to the body and causes increased airway resistance. When smoking is done it takes 24 hours to clear the poisons from 1 cigarette. The effects of smoking can be damaging for life by causing heart disease, cilia damage, throat cancer and other many life-treating effects. If an athlete is smoking the results of smoking they will see will be decreased endurance, decreased ventilation, decreased Max VO2, and decreased oxygen capacity. For athletes to be able to perform at their best it is important for them not to be smoking.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When training or playing games endurance athletes will sometimes experience something that is called â€Å"second wind†. Second wind is the feeling of relief upon making the necessary metabolic adjustments to a heavy exercise intensity. The major change that takes place for â€Å"second wind† to happen is when there is a changeover from labored breathing which is called (dyspnea) to normal breathing which is called (eupnea). This respiratory adjustment however is only a reflection of metabolic adjustment to the exercise intensity. The way that â€Å"second wind† is most likely explained is by a change in skeletal muscular efficiency as increasing muscular temperature brings it on.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When an athlete is training there is some type of pain experienced in the lower lateral aspects of the thoracic wall this pain is called â€Å"stitch in the side†. This is caused by the body making a respiratory adjustment to an intense exercise such as distance running. A â€Å"stitch in the side† usually occurs when the body is adjusting to new metabolic demands, it is believed that ischemia of either the diaphragm or intercostal muscles are the cause. Scientist have not been able to find any scientific evidence to explain the cause of â€Å"stitch in the side†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Innervation is the stimulation of the heart and how the heart is stimulated. The heart is stimulated by four parts starting first with the SA node- a wave of excitation begins in the sa node and travels throughout the heart. The wave of excitation is then sent by way of ephaptic conduction in the atria to the AV node, this is located at the ... ... sprinting a 40 and then walking a 40.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The frequency training for interval training is as follows. For an endurance athlete distance and time is the key to glycogen storage, never use both distance and time training in the same day, 4-7 day workout plan is usual for about 12 to 16 weeks, quarter mile intervals are most widely used training method. For a speed athlete a 3 week plan should be used, must build up ATP a CP stores, for sprinters it is not uncommon to work 5-6 time a week, year round hard and easy day alternate is most widely used training method with a pulse vs. time and recovery plan. Cross training is also another form of training that can be used for either endurance or speed athletes, when cross training make sure you pick a sport similar to the sport your are training in.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When taking and using pulse as an indicator it is important to remember these guidelines; never use thumb, the carotid or radial pulse is acceptable, use light pressure when taking pulse, must take pulse within 10 seconds of stopping, allow recovery no longer than a heart rate of 132, and most important never work of a heart rate of 180.

Feminist Perspective Essay

Feminist Perspective in â€Å"The Awakening† In The Awakening, Chopin describes how the perfect man or woman should look according to society. The Awakening was published in 1899 which â€Å"aroused a storm of controversy for its then unprecedented treatment of female independence and sexuality, and for its unromantic portrayal of marriage. † (Chopin, 1899, Note) Women were expected to be obedient housewives and a doting mother to their children. The statement; â€Å"If it was not a women’s place to look after children, who’s on earth was it? (Chopin, 1899, chap 3) denotes what the woman’s responsibilities are in a marriage. Chopin uses the characters: Edna, Leonce, Madame Ratignolle and Robert Lebrun to show how marriage, independence, equal rights and freedom are portrayed in the novel, The Awakening. Leonce Pontellier was a forty year old, slender, medium built man with straight brown hair parted to one side. When Chopin describes, â€Å"since it seemed to be the law of society that hair must be parted and brushed† (Chopin, 1899, chap 4) it shows how society expects a man’s appearance to be. Leonce was away on business often and would send a box full of fruits, bon bons, and delicious syrups in abundance. Mr. Pontellier was often away from home on business trips. To make up for the time spent away from home he would send these luscious treats. The women were envious of how much Mr. Pontellier cared for Edna. Chopin best describes how other women see Mr. and Mrs. Pontellier’s relationship when she states; â€Å"selecting with dainty and discriminating fingers and a little greedily, all declared that Mr. Pontellier was the best husband in the world† (Chopin, 1899, chap 3) while sharing the tasty treats sent. Mr. Pontellier was a very materialistic man and even when he looked at his wife after being in the sun states â€Å"you are burnt beyond recognition, he added, looking at his wife as one looks at a valuable piece of property which has suffered some damage. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 1) shows how men view their wife in that era. Men liked their woman to be flawless and devoted to their family. In today’s society that would be considered a â€Å"trophy wife†. Leonce is great at providing for his family, but disregards his wife’s feelings. One example of how Mr. Pontellier is inconsiderate of his wife’s feelings is when she asked him if he would be coming home for dinner and his response was; â€Å"he halted a moment and shrugged his shoulders. / He did not know; perhaps he would return for the early dinner and perhaps he would not. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 1) However, when Edna â€Å"abandoned her Tuesdays at home, and did not return the visits of those who called upon her. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 14) and begins painting, he views her as mentally unbalanced, which he seeks advice from a doctor. â€Å"Mr. Pontellier had been rather courteous husband so long as he met certain tactic submissiveness in his wife. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 14) In other words as long as Edna does what is expected of society he would be happy. In the late 1800’s the man’s job was to provide for the family and the woman’s job was to care for the house and children. Mr. Pontellier was your typical man of that era. Edna Pontellier was a young woman of twenty eight, who’s â€Å"eyes were quick and bright; they were yellowish brown, about the color of her hair. / She was rather handsome than beautiful. (Chopin, 1899, chap 2) In the story, The Awakening Chopin describes Edna as â€Å"an American woman with a small infusion of French† (Chopin, 1899, chap 2), however it was â€Å"lost in dilution. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 2) Edna was in an unhappy marriage with Leonce and throughout the story begins to find her inner self at the Grand Isle. Chopin uses different symbols thro ughout the story to help us understand Edna’s state of mind. Edna did not fit in with the rest of the Creole women. Chopin describes Edna as â€Å"not a mother-woman† (Chopin, 1899, chap 4) indicating that she is not a dedicated mother like the other Creole women. Mrs. Pontellier, though she had married a creole, was not thoroughly home in society of the Creoles. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 4) The Creole women were known for; â€Å"fluttering about with extended, protecting wings when any harm, real or imaginary, threatened their precious brood. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 4) Edna has a quadroon nurse, whom looks after the children who â€Å"was looked upon as a huge encumbrance† (Chopin, 1899, chap 4) leaving one to believe that because of the time period that the quadroon nurse is black. In this era women were dedicated to their children and husband, however Edna defies the norms of society when she doesn’t obey these rules. Edna is fascinated by the beauty and mothering portrayed by Madame Ratignolle and forms a bond with her in the summer at Grand Isle. â€Å"Madame Ratignolle was very fond of Mrs. Pontellier and often she took her sewing and went over to sit with her in the afternoons. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 4) â€Å"Mrs. Pontellier liked to sit and gaze at her fair companion as she might look upon a faultless Madonna. (Chopin, 1899, chap 5) Madame Ratignolle was the perfect Creole woman and Edna looked to her for guidance. Madame Ratignolle is an example of an acceptable woman in this time period. However Edna realizes she is not like the other Creole women and searches within herself for independence. As a woman in the late 1800’s early 1900’s life had many challenges, especially for those who seek independence. It was unlikely for a woman to neither voice her opinions if she were unhappy in a marriage nor choose who to marry. In The Awakening, Edna’s father pushed her into marriage with Leonce. She describes her marriage as â€Å"purely an accident† (Chopin, 1899, chap 7) and with â€Å"the violent opposition of her father and her sister Margaret to her marriage with a Catholic, and we need seek no further for the motives which led her to accept Monsier Pontellier for her husband. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 7) In this era women had very little equal rights and were unable to stand their grounds on their beliefs in fear of rejection from society. In the summer at Grand Isle Edna begins to develop a negative attitude towards marriage. During the summer at Grand Isle, Edna learns how to swim, which begins her â€Å"awakening†. Edna views the sea as calming and way to escape from reality. Even when Edna isn’t at the beach she thinks about the sounds of the waves to comfort her. As Edna looks at the sea she thinks about the â€Å"motionless sails against the blue sky, made a delicious picture I just wanted to sit and look at. / The hot wind beating in my face made me think – without any connection that I can trace — of a summer day in Kentucky, of a meadow that seemed as big as the ocean to the very little girl walking through the grass, which was higher than her waist. (Chopin, 1899, chap 7) The sea reminds Edna of being a little girl without having to carry the heavy load of society. She felt freedom through the waves as they hit the shore. After Edna goes for her first swim, she is overjoyed and yells: â€Å"Think of the time I have lost splashing like a baby! † (Chopin, 1899, chap 5) This was the beginning of the end for her. This night is the first night that Edna stands up to her husband when he asks her to come in for the night while she was resting on the hammock. Edna replies; â€Å"No; I’m going to stay out here. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 6) Mr. Pontellier wasn’t used to Edna not doing what is asked. Edna hears Leonce moving about the room; every sound indicating impatience and irritation. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 6), which signifies Leonce is frustrated that Edna wasn’t submissive as usual. Edna had spent some time with her father which stirred up the feelings as to why she didn’t want to attend her sister’s wedding. Following the advice given to Mr. Pontellier by the Dr. Mandelet’s declined to intervene in her decision. As her father left Mr. Pontellier was not far behind and began talking to her father about Edna’s behavior. Edna’s father told him â€Å"You are too lenient, too lenient by far, Leonce† (Chopin, 1899 chap 29) â€Å"Authority, coercion are what is needed. / Put your foot down good and hard; the only way to manage a wife. / Take my word for it. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 29)This statement shows how men view women with little respect and freedom. It had to of taken a lot for Edna to stand up to her father and tell him no, when he was such an authority to her in life. Edna’s newfound freedom has found her venturing out and doing things she enjoys. She goes to a horse race with Mrs. Highcamp at Arobin’s drag. This is where she meets a man named Alcee Arobin. She begins to spend a lot of time with sharing her interest of horse racing. Through their constant visits Alcee begins experiencing feelings for Edna. Alcee kisses her hand as he leaves her house in the evening. After he is gone she looks â€Å"mechanically at the back of her hand which he had kissed so warmly. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 25) As Edna looked at her hand â€Å"she felt somewhat like a woman who in the moment of passion is betrayed into an act of infedility, and realizes the significance of the act without being wholly awaken from its glamour. (Chopin, 1899, chap 25) When Edna is thinking this she is not referring to her husband, but of Robert whom she fell in love with at the Grand Isle. During this time period divorce wasn’t a choice. Edna continues to fall into the arms of Alcee as they spend time together. Chopin describes the relationship developing into more than just a friendship; however Edna love and s exual desires for Robert are being portrayed with Alcee. Affairs were a forbidden and inexcusable act in the eyes of society. After this night Edna cried which â€Å"was only a phase of the multitudinous emotions which assailed her. / There was with her an overwhelming feeling of irresponsibility. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 28) This signifies that she is feeling remorseful for her doings; however her feelings for Robert are still strong. She then makes a big step and moves out into the pigeon house around the corner. Edna moves out of her home to the pigeon house and begins to support herself through her paintings. This was absurb of a woman moving out of her home away from her husband. When Mr. Pontellier learned of his wife’s intention to abandoned her home and take her residence elsewhere, he immediately wrote a letter of unqualified disapproval and remonstrance. † (Chopin, 1899, chap32) He was worried about â€Å"what people would say. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 32), so he put their house under construction to hide the fact that Edna moved out. For the time being Leonce remains away on business while Edna is living in the pigeon house. â€Å"No longer was she content to â€Å"feed upon opinion† when her own soul had invited her. (Chopin, 1899, chap32) Edna feels independent and full of life. During this time Robert returns from Mexico and Edna reveals her love to him, â€Å"I love you†, she whispered, â€Å"only you; no one but you. / It was you that awoke me last summer out of a life-long stupid dream. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 37) She defies the rules of society by loving one other than her husband, whom she was supposed to love and adore forever. However after revealing her love to Robert she leaves the house to attend to her friend who has become ill and asks him to wait for her to return. When Edna returned home there was a note left from Robert stating; â€Å"I love you. Good-by – because I love you. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 33) Robert did what was the right thing to do in society by leaving because they both would have been shunned for their affair. After reading the letter it appeared as though Edna went into shock. Chopin describes her as she â€Å"grew faint when she read the words. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 33) The next day she decides to go for a little swim and as she was walking she said to herself over and over again, â€Å"To—day it is Arobin; to—morrow it will be someone else. (Chopin, 1899, chap 34) and was also thinking about words shared with Adele Ratignolle, â€Å"she would give up the unessential, but she would not sacrifice herself for her children. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 34) She wasn’t going to sacrifice her life any longer for anybody. Edna interprets the sea as being, â€Å"seductive, never ceasing, whis pering, clamoring, murmuring, inviting the soul to wander in abysses of solitude. † (Chopin, 1899, chap 34) As she continues to walk along the beach doesn’t find anything living except for a â€Å"bird with a broken wing was beating the air above, reeling, fluttering, circling disabled down, down to the water. (Chopin, 1899, chap 34) The bird symbolizes Edna, broken. She strips away her clothing and walks into the cold ocean naked like a new-born creature, never looking back. In conclusion, it is clear throughout the novel society portrays how men and women should look. The men with their perfect hair and the women doing as they should when directed by their husband are the perfect people in that era. However Edna goes against all the rules of society when she begins going against all of her husband’s wishes and gains confidence along with independence. Society was not ready to face the strength of a woman yet. Therefore, Edna felt very alone in the world with nowhere to turn. She took her life in the very place she discovered her soul because it was the only place she truly felt alive and free. Reference Chopin, K. , (2005), The Awakening, (1899), published by Hayes Barton Press, a division of Vital Source Technologies, Inc. , Retrieved from digital library, September 16, 2011 http://digitalbookshelf. southuniversity. edu/#/books/L-999-70979/pages/17443484

Challenging Child Observation Assignment for Ece Essay

CHALLENGING CHILD OBSERVATION ASSIGNMENT For my observation assignment I chose Sam, a four-year-old boy who stays in my class for the aftercare program. I have worked with Sam previously in the camp last summer and became aware of his challenging behavior. For starters, he has a medical condition – he is prone to epilepsy (the cause is unknown). Sam is on medication and his doctors are constantly adjusting it and testing his condition. Sam’s parents asked teachers to be on the lookout for the warning signs of epilepsy. So far we have not witnessed any seizures at school, only the slight eye twitching/rolling or slight muscle jerks on the shoulders. I’ve noticed that this happens when Sam gets tired or overwhelmed by noise, too many†¦show more content†¦Then we came up with a job for Sam to perform during transition (he is a door holder). Since legos are Sam’s passion at the moment, we realized how important it is to encourage play and join Sam in his play, in which he is a commander of the lego guys and him and his â€Å"guys† are superheroes, saving the world from the â€Å"bad guys† (Ch.7, p.119), so the more items they pick up for clean-up, the less â€Å"bad guys† will come to get them. It’s a weird logic, but it worked a couple of times. I try not to use the word â€Å"bad guys† too much, but it seems to be something that Sam relates to somehow and it motivates him to do the right thing. 3. Sam and two of his buddies are playing in the yard. It’s time for clean-up. Everybody is told to pick up three items from the sand-box and put them in the storage bin. Children get busy putting things away, crowding in one area, sometimes bumping into each other by accident. This must have stirred up unnecessary agitation in Sam. He picks up the one of the small plastic toys and starts waving it in the air. When I remind Sam to pick up two more things, he continues to wave his arms like a propeller and at some point lets go of the toy. It crashes into my arm with the force that guarantees a bruise. I let out a cry of surprise. I do realize, Sam did not do it intentionally to hurt me, but it hurts and Sam is now looking at me with a worried look. I