Friday, July 17, 2020

Best Interview Practices for Job Seekers

Best Interview Practices for Job Seekers Most of the best things in life are obtained with some level of difficulty, and with this in mind, getting a job is certainly not a walk in the park. Expect to be subjected to hurdles and obstacles, and accept the reality that you have to undergo a process in order to get hired at a company that you want to work in, in a job that you have always dreamed of or wanted. A job interview is simply one of the many steps in that process.A job interview does not automatically guarantee that you will be hired. However, it is one of the most persuasive tools that employers or hiring managers base their hiring decisions on. Therefore, as an interviewee, you should not take it lightly.In fact, applicants should see interviews as wonderful opportunities to “sell themselves” better to the company or organization they want to join. They will be meeting face-to-face, so they can present themselves in a way that will supplement the information in the CV and other documents that they submitted. © Shutterstock | pathdocLet me share with you some of the best interview practices that jobseekers should observe as interviewees, from the time that you are informed of the fact that you will undergo an interview, until the said interview is over.INTERVIEW PRACTICES BEFORE THE INTERVIEWPreparation.Preparation is an essential step in the whole application process, not just the interview. Hiring managers and employers can immediately tell whether a candidate is prepared or not the moment they enter the interviewing room. If you want to put your best foot forward, you have to make sure you are armed and ready to impress them.The preparation requires that you do your research and anticipate what questions will be asked during the interview.What should you research on?Background and history of the company. You have to know the company that you are applying to. If you claim to have a desire to work in that organization but you do not know the basic information about it, your credibility will immediately go right out the window. And do not just stick to the basic information, either. It is good to look deeper, such as the organization’s goals, vision, its current performance, and what you think of its future. Employers are likely to be looking for people who will be with the company for the long-term, and they want someone who is knowledgeable about the company and the direction it is headed.The job you are applying for. You should know and understand what job you are applying for, and what it is about. You should at least have some basic knowledge on the duties and responsibilities that come with the position, because how can you claim to be a very good fit for the job when you don’t know what it involves?Background of the interviewer. If you have a way of knowing the people who will be interviewing you, it would also be a good idea to do some research on them. This will put you in a position where you will better understand and anticipate the questions that wi ll be asked and to know how best to get in their good books.You can get your information for your job interview research from various sources. Start from the website of the company or the organization. Get your hands on published materials about the company. Ask around. There may be people around you who are familiar with the company.Review and anticipate questions.Jobseekers are advised to make a list of the questions that they expect to hear during the interview. You may look for these anticipated questions online or ask others who have gone through job interviews for pointers. Formulate your answers as you envision yourself being asked these questions by an interviewer.After you have listed down the common questions, you should review them and prepare or formulate responses.Keep responses concise but detailed. You should go directly to the point when answering. Do not meander or become long-winding, because this has the tendency to bore your interviewers. It may also take up a lo t of time especially when you only have a few minutes allotted for the interview. You might end up being able to answer only one or two questions because you talked too much, focusing on the buildup rather than the heart of your answer.Do not memorize. There is a danger to memorizing responses. It is possible that the question that will be asked has variations on what you practiced or memorized, and you will be caught off-guard. It is better to come up with talking points, and work around it with your potential answers.Dress for success.The term “first impressions last” applies to interviews as well. Interviewers put a lot of stock on how you come across the moment you enter a room, and a huge factor of that is how you are dressed. Being ‘presentable’ is no longer enough; you have to dress well, and dress in a manner that any employer or organization would approve of. In a job interview, dressing for success means:#1 Dress in an appropriate and professional manner. It should be appropriate in the sense that it is matches with the job you are applying for. If you are applying for a managerial or supervisory position, you should exude the aura of a manager or a supervisor. There is a rule of thumb that says you should dress “two levels up”, or two levels higher than the position you are applying for. Of course, if you are being interviewed for a mechanic or carpentry job, it does not mean that you should show up in your interview wearing overalls, complete with tool kits.Dressing appropriately means you should also make sure your outfit is not too racy. Low and plunging necklines, sleeveless tops, and extremely short skirts for women are not good options. This may give your interviewers the wrong impression.The default job interview outfit usually consists of a suit, but you can be flexible. Fortunately, corporate or professional dressing has evolved over the years that you can dress in a manner that represents your personality while sticking to the dress code in a corporate setting.Some points that you should consider when picking out your clothes for your job interview are:The outfit should match the culture and sensibilities of the organization. Check if they have a dress code for their employees, and pick your clothes in accordance with it.Avoid loud patterns and flashy colors. They will be distracting for the interviewers. You want them to pay attention to you and your answers, not to the patterns and colors of what you are wearing. Similarly, do not over accessorize. Wearing too much jewelry will just be distracting.Clean your shoes. And your bag. Scuffed shoes and a messy bag will give your interviewer the impression that you cannot take care of your personal things, so how could you possibly expect to be trusted with company property?Make sure your clothes are dry-cleaned and pressed. Wrinkly clothes and clothes with stains won’t look good, and won’t help you make a good impression.#2 Dress comfortably.Imagine yours elf wearing something very professional to an interview then throughout the interview you keep shifting in your seat because your clothes do not fit very well. This discomfort will have a negative impact on how you present yourself during the interview. It will distract you away from answering the questions properly.In short, choose clothes that fit, and look good on your body. Clothes give a boost of confidence, and if you are confident that you are dressed well, you will be more comfortable in answering the questions during the interview.#3 Maintain good hygiene and grooming.Let us say that you are wearing your “power outfit”, one that you picked out carefully and maybe even had altered to fit your body. But you did not shower. You may be comfortable, but the interviewer may not be.Fix and do your hair. If you have to wear make-up, make sure it is interview-appropriate and would not have the possibility of shocking anyone, especially the interviewer. Brush your teeth; make sur e you do not have a foul breath. That will be an automatic turn-off when talking to your interviewer.Observe punctuality.Being on time during the interview shows how time-conscious you are, giving your interviewers the impression that you have good time management skills. Time management is a soft skill that all employers are looking for in candidates, and a great start to proving that you have this skill is to show up at the interview venue ahead of time, at least 15 minutes before the time. This is also an effective way of signifying your interest in the job. In addition, arriving early shows that you are punctual and reliable.Arriving early will also give you more time to acclimate yourself with the environment or atmosphere at the venue where the interview will be held. It is also possible that last-minute changes about the interview will be made, and if you are there early, you will have an easier time adjusting to these changes. For example, the room where the interview will b e conducted may be changed. You won’t end up going around looking for it if you still have more than enough time before the start of the interview.But do not arrive too early, either. If you arrive, say, an hour or 30 minutes early, they might think that you are too idle. This also makes you look too desperate, and you really do not want to appeal to your interviewers with pity instead of your merits and credentials, do you? INTERVIEW PRACTICES DURING THE INTERVIEWMake good first impressions.Making good first impressions is not entirely up to your choice of an interview attire or outfit. The first words that you say when you meet your interviewers, your greeting to the people you see in the venue, and even your actions and mannerisms are instrumental for interviewers to develop their first impression of you.Be polite. Have a smile ready for everyone â€" and we mean everyone, from the receptionist to the other staff members you come across on the way to the place of interview. You never know, you may be working with them in the future. The same is true if you are being interviewed with other people. You might also end up working alongside them.This definitely means that you have to pay attention to your body language. Your posture is also very important. Slouching makes you come across as someone who is lazy and sometimes maybe even sick. Standing or sitting ramrod-straight, on the other hand, may make you appear stiff and unyielding unless, of course, you are a candidate for a position in the military ranks.If you have mannerisms such as bouncing your knee, tapping your foot on the floor or your fingers on top of the table, or wringing your hands, try to correct them. These are often signs of being nervous, and you do not want your prospective employers to know that you are terrified of them, do you?There is another thing that jobseekers forget when they enter an interview room: turn off their phone. Do not just put it on silent or vibrate, because you may b e distracted when a message or a call comes in while you’re in the middle of the interview. Turn it off to avoid disturbances. You can just turn it back on when the interview is over.Be authentic.You must have often heard the advice about always being true to yourself. It is normal during an interview to show your best side, but that is the point: you show your best side, not pretend to be something or someone that you are not. If you are true to yourself and express your true personality, you will come across as natural and real during the interview. You will be able to deliver more truthful answers, and the interviewers will also be able to sense that.Try to match the communication style of the interviewer. You have to connect with them, while making sure your personality is showing. You can do this by mirroring their manner. Be business-like when they are business-like. Try to be more personable or adapt a casual tack when you see that they are going that way. Needless to say, if they ask direct questions, then you should also supply direct answers.Ask insightful questions.At some point during the interview, the interviewer or staff asking the questions, may turn the tables and let you ask questions. It is possible that you have a lot of questions running through your head about the job. Go through these questions mentally and ask only the insightful ones, or those that make sense.Interviewers tend to remember the candidates who posed challenging questions to them. Usually, interviewees would ask how much the job will pay them on a monthly or annual basis. They may even inquire on the vacation time and other benefits. This is a natural curiosity for the candidate but, depending on the execution or the way the question was asked, it may make you look like your sole interest in the job is the money or corresponding salary or pay.If you did your homework prior to the interview, then you already have an idea on the salary and other benefits of the job. Theref ore, you should refrain from asking about them during the interview. You should only ask about them when you have clearly won over the employer. If you wait long enough, they might even be the ones to volunteer the information to you. INTERVIEW PRACTICES AFTER THE INTERVIEWThank the interviewers.The job interview is an opportunity given to jobseekers to show or demonstrate their skills and other qualifications for the job. The interviewers gave you this opportunity, so you should thank them for taking the time out to interview you, and for actually conducting the interview.Have a firm handshake before and after the interview. Many interviewers also observe how you do your handshake. If you have a firm grip, it exudes confidence. Do not grip too tight, because it will make you appear tense and nervous. If it is too brief, they might think that you are uncomfortable making long contact with others. Do not be too aggressive with pumping, either, because it makes you look too eager as t o be unnatural.WHAT NOT TO DO IN JOB INTERVIEWSIf there are DOs in participating in job interviews as the interviewee, there are also DON’Ts, or things that you must avoid doing, because they are likely to ruin your chances of landing the job.Do not speak ill of past employers. Expect interviewers to ask several questions about your work history, particularly on your past employment. They might even bait you when they start asking the reasons why you quit or were separated from the company. Do not badmouth your previous employers, not even if they were the employers from hell and your complaints are completely valid. You should always talk about them positively, but do not go to the extent of making up stories just to make them look good. In the same manner, do not offer information about your previous companies, because this is a sign of disloyalty. The interviewer will conclude that, if you were able to do it with your previous employers, you may do it with them in future.Do not talk too much. Talking too much, or taking too long in providing answers for direct questions will give your interviewers the impression that you have trouble getting to the point. This could also mean that you are just bluffing because you don’t know a thing about what you are saying.Do not display impatience. Is the interview running late? Just stay calm and cool, and wait patiently. This may actually be done on purpose, to see how patient you are. Constantly looking at your watch or making your impatience show on your face will certainly not earn you any points.Interviewing for a job is one of the crucial steps in getting hired. If you consider yourself to be a poor interviewee, make an effort to change this. You can never really do away with interviews, because all job hiring and recruitment processes conduct them. Even a simple conversation with the employer may count as an interview.Observe these best interview practices, and they will help you to land that job that you hav e always wanted.

Thursday, May 21, 2020

Left to Tell by Immaculée Ilibagiza and Hotel Rwanda...

While the book â€Å"Left to Tell† by Immaculà ©e Ilibagiza and the movie â€Å"Hotel Rwanda† by Terry George shows its share of similarities, both portray the Rwandan Massacre of 1994 in diversified ways. First, while both characters share similarities portraying the perspective of the genocide, they also show some major differences in the point of view as the main character in the movie was a hotel manager while the other main character from the book was a young, Tutsi woman. Also, while they face similar conflicts and hardships, both have their own personal field of adversities to face. To start with, the movie and the book show a plethora of differences conveying the perspective of the genocide. First, while ethnic bloodlines were mixed†¦show more content†¦This was shown throughout the movie as Paul stated that â€Å"There’s always room† in the hotel, housing over a thousand refugees. As a matter of fact, he turned the Les Milles Collines ho tel into a refugee camp, paying a great price in funds for his family and the constant threat of losing the integrity of connections that he developed to save the Tutsis and his family. Although both conflicts varied, Immaculà ©es’ conflict was an epicenter of the dangers that could relate more to the audience because she lost nearly everything she had while in Pauls’ situation remained virtually unscathed because they managed to flee at the end of the movie. That isn’t to say that there were not similarities in the individual conflicts that both of them faced. First, the most basic conflict that Paul and Immaculà ©e had despite the fact that they knew nothing of what the other went through was that both of them were trying to survive the genocide in their own way possible. As Paul took in refugees, he had to remain vigilant with negotiations and maintaining connections, one of them being General Bizimungu, who served as Chief of Staff with the Interhamwe and trained soldiers that carried out the genocide. Without his support, events would’ve resulted much differently. This ensured that he, his family, and the refugees could escape. Also,

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Romeo and Juliet Gender Roles - 1251 Words

Gender Roles in Romeo and Juliet In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Juliet resorts to conniving and shrewd ways in order to control her destiny and free herself from her confined existence. Contrary to the critics who view Juliet as innocent, childish and immature, Juliet’s habits of manipulating people–particularly the men in her life, expressly Romeo–through simulating maleness implies a parallel between the approaches falconers (mostly males) use to train their falcons (mostly females) (Radel). Juliet lures Romeo into taking their relationship to a deeper level, contriving him into professing love and proposing marriage. The gender role reversal becomes more apparent as Romeo slowly loses his independence and becomes†¦show more content†¦This is further proof that Juliet’s masculine mindset deviates sharply from the stereotypical, 16th century, female role in society. Juliet goes against allShow MoreRelatedGender Roles in Romeo Juliet23 41 Words   |  10 PagesThe tragedy Romeo and Juliet has been criticized by many critics throughout the years. Most critics tend to agree that Shakespearean literature has strong gender roles. This means that the men will carry themselves with honor and pride. A typical man for the time period in which Shakespeare set his play was the head of the household; anything the man or also known as the head of the family wanted would be put into motion almost as soon as he finished saying the words. The strong males in the tragedyRead MoreRomeo And Juliet Gender Roles Essay730 Words   |  3 Pages the view regarding gender roles was nothing like today’s perspective. Boys were raised to become men: violent, dominant, confident, and decisive beings. Girls were raised to become ladylike figures: subservient, obedient, diffident, and emotional individuals. Conveyed in the tragic play Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, 14th century gender roles shape and impact the female prota gonist, Juliet Capulet. Furthermore, the play reveals the development and growth of Juliet, despite her challengesRead MoreRomeo And Juliet Gender Roles1489 Words   |  6 Pagesthe primary male roles. Few female character were able to gain control over their own lives, by defying traditional values, allowing them to create their own identity. In The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare explored the social boundaries of an ancient society in Verona through Juliet, as she gains power and control over her own life by opposing her parents’ traditional ideals. Due to the ancient grudge between the Capulets and the Montagues, Juliet’s relationship with Romeo is not sociallyRead More Gender Roles in Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare Essay857 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, there is an overlaying presence of the typical roles that men and women were supposed to play. During Elizabethan times there was a major difference b etween the way men and women were supposed to act. Men typically were supposed to be masculine and powerful, and defend the honor. Women, on the other hand, were supposed to be subservient to their men in their lives and do as ever they wished. In Romeo and Juliet the typical gender roles that men andRead MoreGender Roles Throughout History : The Odyssey, Romeo And Juliet1515 Words   |  7 Pages TITLE: STUDENT: GRADE: YEAR: SUBJECTS: First Tesina Draft: Gender Roles throughout History Have you ever been told you couldn’t do something because of who you were? Have you ever felt inferior to someone else for something that was out of your control? Women have always rebelled against their traditional role in society. An illustration of this is how women have succeeded in a male dominated field such as science. We today have evolved greatly socially from the periods of ancientRead MoreGender Roles Of Romeo And Juliet By William Shakespeare1259 Words   |  6 PagesGender Roles in Romance Comics Author and civil rights activist Maya Angelou once said, â€Å"How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!†. When one thinks of comic books, it is very likely that the subjects that come to mind are Marvel’s Spiderman or DC’s Batman. Although comic books are stereotypically thought to be mainly about super heroes, there are a wide variety of subject matter they could be written about, such as romance. In the 1950s – 1960s, it was commonRead MoreEssay on Significance of Gender in Romeo and Juliet1329 Words   |  6 PagesSignificance of Gender in Romeo and Juliet In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the Montagues and the Capulets have very different relationships with their children. A major reason for this, as well as much of the conflict in the tale, comes from the gender roles that Romeo and Juliet are expected to play into. Adding to that conflict is the fact that both Romeo and Juliet push the boundaries of these roles and struggle to fit into them. Romeo plays the over emotional lover, while Juliet is clever andRead MoreEssay on Fate in William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet1096 Words   |  5 PagesFate in William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet When William Shakespeare wrote ‘Romeo Juliet’ he told a tale of â€Å"A pair of star crossed lovers†. The role of fate plays an important role in the play. The themes of conflict, love, revenge, religion destiny all tie in with the role of fate. Romeo Juliet were both born into and â€Å"ancient grudge† fuelled by two formidable families, the Capulets and Montagues. Fate plays a very important role in the play, and at the endRead MoreRomeo and Juliet826 Words   |  4 PagesRomeo and Juliet was Shakespeare’s most famous play which is about love of two teenagers of two rival families. Since Romeo’s family and Juliet’s family are rivals, their families don’t agree with the marriage of their children to each other. However, Romeo and Juliet despite the opposition of their families secretly get married at church and insist on reaching their goal of being together. The whole story is played in the theatre style of the Renaissance; audiences could see violence, young boysRead MoreGender In Romeo, Juliet And William Shakespeares Romeo And Juliet1500 Words   |  6 PagesCompare and contrast the presentation of gender in two films we have looked at on the course The concept of gender is evolutionary and difficult to define, though it can be argued that traditionally females have been predominantly defined by their desirability, and males by their masculinity. The way a director presents gender in film can either inspire social change and conversation, or alternatively it can further reproduce social norms. In the case of the film’s discussed in this essay, it is

Micrographics Management and Control Process Free Essays

Micrographics is defined as the technology of document and information microfilming. It is associated with the production, handling and use of microforms. Microforms contain microimages. We will write a custom essay sample on Micrographics Management and Control Process or any similar topic only for you Order Now Micrographics technology consists of numerous procedures and equipments to produce, store, reproduce, retrieve, preserve and use microforms. Microforms contain microimages like microfilms which are basically units of information which have to be magnified in order to be read. When records are too large to handle or have to be retained for use many years later they are microfilmed. Micrographics require that records be prepared for copying, copy the records and ensure the quality of the copies. Micrographics management involves management issues, project management issues and technical issues. Management issues involve the preliminary stage of converting the records to the required medium. Next would be to entrust the work to agents and the last one is to deal with specifications developed and to follow control guidelines. The New York State Archives recommends many guidelines that can be followed for effective management. The guidelines for micrographics management are listed below. Determining the appropriate method for converting records-microfilming/imaging Assign a vendor for conversion or perform it by self Adhere to technical requirements to produce quality images Prepare a proposal request Select the vendor thoughtfully after going through various bids Organize, arrange documents ready for imaging/microfilming Contact/communicate with vendors periodically Track progress of project Duplicate records and index Verify the images and store them after ensuring storage conditions Micrographics process control ensures that preservation norms are followed once the filming is complete. The various factors to be considered for control are density which is the degree of opacity of the area exposed to filming, the document orientation, reduction ratio, contrast, splicing, resolution, format and last of all packing and storage. Control of the various stages in micrographics ensures that quality is assured after the process is completed. Generally the micrographics control list form which records the microfilms transferred for storage is completed as a check list for quality. Random sampling is done and the microfilms are tested and inspected for quality. Micrographics control process aids in utilizing the technology for what it was intended to full extent. Some advantages of the control process include but are not limited to retrieving information quickly, saving space, protection of records, retain integrity of documents and ease information distribution. Micrographics can be justified for numerous reasons but maintaining quality through control would benefit the user immensely by achieving superior results. The control process ensures that the microfilm accurately depicts the original and can be identified clearly. References EPA Records Management Manual   Micrographic Management Available at http://www.epa.gov/records/policy/2160/2160-06.htm (accessed on Oct 31,2006) Introduction to Micrographics – Archives technical Information Available(accessed on Oct 31,2006) Basic introduction to Micrographics PDF   (accessed on Oct 31,2006) Micrographics Available at http://www.admfincs.forces.gc.ca/admfincs/subjects/cfao/036-59_e.asp (accessed on Oct 31,2006)                How to cite Micrographics Management and Control Process, Essay examples

Saturday, April 25, 2020

Notes from Underground and Lost in the Funhouse free essay sample

A paper which analyzes and draws similarities between the novels Notes from Underground by Dostoevsky and Lost in the Funhouse by John Barth. The paper shows that both novels, Notes from Underground by Dostoevsky and Lost in the Funhouse by John Barth relate to the central theme of realism. The paper analyzes other similar central themes of both books as well as analyzes the main characters. Consider what each character truly desires. Both fundamentally want to fit in and be normal, and it is the impossibility to achieve this that alienates them so completely. Underground Man goes to dinner to impress the other men. He wants to be respected and admired and, basically, accepted the way in which other people are. At dinner, however, he can only be rude and embarrassing, thus further ensuring that every attempt he makes actually worsens his position. Ambrose imagined himself years hence, successful, married, at ease in the world, the trials of adolescence far behind him. We will write a custom essay sample on Notes from Underground and Lost in the Funhouse or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He, too, does not romanticize his seat of alienation or his marginal status. He wants what he understands to be regular; he wants to enjoy the Funhouse, but he cannot.

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Popular East Asian Cinema The WritePass Journal

Popular East Asian Cinema Introduction Popular East Asian Cinema IntroductionBackgroundTheme‘A Better Tomorrow’ and ‘As Tears Go By’‘Chungking Express’‘Happy Together’StyleThe Names of Wong Kar-Wai’s moviesMusic ‘In the Mood for Love’Fashion Music The scenesConclusionBibliography Books:Related Introduction Wong Kar-Wai breakthroughs the boundaries of genre film, the narrative style and the efficiency requirements of the market. Wong’s movies always based on Wong’s thinking and bring out the signification. Although the movie themes are the popular, but the films are full of vitality and spirited improvisation. I want to have a brief study of Wong Kar-wai’s background and focus on Wong’s theme and style study and analysis from different films such as ‘As Tears Go By’, ‘Chungking Express’, ‘In the Mood For Love’ etc. As ‘In the Mood For Love’ is my favorite movie of Wong Kar-Wai, I want to have a further study of this film and have a deeper understand about the theme, the function of music, Hong Kong people’s living during 60s. Background Wong Kar-Wai was born in Shanghai in 1958 and moved to Hong Kong when he was five years old. These five years in Shanghai had influenced Wong Kar Wai’s creativity in his films such as the scenes, lifestyle and so on. The interview by New York-based Bomb Magazine (Stephen Teo, WONG KAR-WAI P.50) described the creative subconscious of Wong ‘His father was an ex-sailor, who later worked as a nightclub manager, and his mother was a housewife. From what can be discerned in Days of Being Wild and In the Mood for Love, both films that could be described as roughly autobiographical, sense of nightclubs, gossiping housewives playing mahjong and living the life of a sailor drifting from one place to another, are the kinds of experiences of growing up that are etched in Wong’s creative subconscious.’ After the graduation in Hong Kong Polytechnic University, he started working in TVB, Hong Kong’s premier TV station as a production assistant and received the appr eciation from Kam Kwok Leong who is a famous cross-media worker of director, actor and screenwriter in Hong Kong, Wong Kar-Wai accessed a large number of creative opportunities to contributed his ideas to a script. He also worked in different kinds of genres such as comedy, cop thrillers etc. In 1987, Alan Tang Kwong-Wing (famous producer, actor and director in Hong Kong) found Wong’s Talent after he wrote the ‘Flaming Brothers’. After that, Alan Tang sponsored Wong’s first movie – ‘As Tears Go By’, it is also the starting point of Wong’s director career. Alan Tang sponsored Wong once again in 1990 for ‘Days of Being Wild’. ‘Day of Being Wild’ had spent forty million but the box office was only nine million. Although the box office was disappointed, Wong won the Best Director in Hong Kong Film Award in 1991. Theme Hong Kong cinema is very concentrate at entertaining. Scriptwriter will pay more attention to the audiences about their preferences and aesthetic views. Movie’s ornamental is the priority for the success of the commercial movies. Most of the directors are not limited by the country, nationality, history and religion. Therefore, when the directors are choosing the topic, they will mainly focus on the packaging of the movies. Hong Kong cinema can be defined as ‘art with commercial’ or ‘commercial with art’. After the development year by year, Hong Kong movie formulated a fixed narrative style for catering to the audiences. Stephen Teo (2005, P.15) mentioned about the formula of Hong Kong movies ‘The nature of Hong Kong cinema concerns the way the industry follows commercial trends and makes films according to a formula’. Most of the movies will follow the timeline to tell the story, but Wong broke the rule at that time. ‘Days of Being Wild’ is a very good example. He ignored the narrative law of the plot, so he can not only having a wider freedom for the selection of the forms and materials, but also make the film became more artificial as you can see Wong Kar Wai’s elements in the movie. He also breaks the circulation and causal chain of Hong Kong cinema’s narrative structure. In ‘Days of being wild’ is tended to show people’s daily life with uncompleted storyline and transformation. ‘Days of Being Wild’ received the spirit of the new wave of Hong Kong cinema. ‘A Better Tomorrow’ and ‘As Tears Go By’ After five years in 1980, there was a new hot wave of ‘Hero Movie’, which started from John Woo’s ‘A Better Tomorrow’. In ‘Hero Movie’, ‘Hero’ means the leader of triad instead of police. The brotherhood in ‘Hero Movie’ replaced the strangeness plot of gangster film. The scene in ‘A Better Tomorrow’ was happened in Hong Kong in 1986; it is all about a man keeps chasing personal loyalty, self-esteem, self-confidence and status. The society background usually is simple in ‘Hero Movie’; it doesn’t emphasis the contradiction between society and people. In ‘A Better Tomorrow’, it is all about the love between father and son, brotherhood, friendship, relationship, injustice and revenge. It created a fairy story of a real ‘Hero’. Wong’s ‘As Tears Go By’ is the variation of ‘Hero Movie’. The plot of ‘As Tears Go By’ is build-up on the brotherhood of Wah and Fly under the contradiction between police and triad. Merely, Wong moved the spirit of the brotherhood between Mark ‘Gor’ Lee and Sung Tse-Ho to Wah and Fly in ‘As Tears Go By’ who shot by his brother at the end. Wah is not only accomplished the brotherhood but also shows that even ‘Hero’ can’t accomplish great things gloriously. In these two films, ‘A Better Tomorrow’ is full of idealism of justice and ethics. Under the packaging with violence, the world in ‘Hero Movie’ is having a clear definition of good and evil and the desire of justice, such as Mark ‘Gor’ Lee and Sung Tse-Ho are killing the enemies together and died eventually with brotherhood, friendship and relationship. Scriptwriter arranged them died with glory. It tur ns Mark ‘Gor’ Lee becomes the hero in the legend. Merely, the Hero’ in ‘As Tears Go By’ can’t. The dead of Wah and Fly not only breaks the rule of ‘Hero Movie’ and reached the dim of the persist of life but also shows sentiment of anti-heroism. The position of the female role in ‘A Better Tomorrow’ and ‘As Tears Go By’ are having an obvious different. In ‘Hero Movie’, the function of the female is to set off the masculinity and brotherhood. However, the female in ‘As Tears Go By’ doesn’t help a lot to the destiny of the male, but they acted an important role between the developments of the relationships. If ‘Hero Movie’ praised the brotherhood, ‘As Tears Go By’ shows Wong’s persistent of love theme. When the male died, he just laid on the street without glory. Surprisingly, the last thing he was thinking was the kiss scene with his love on the street. It shows a rare but typical romantic scene in ‘Hero Movie’. Under the treatment of romantic style, it is sensitive and imaginative. From ‘As Tears Go By’, we can see Wong’s combined genre and the ambition of the theme vision. ‘Chungking Express’ Chungking Express’ is the third movie of Wong Kar Wai. The conservative atmosphere surrounded the movie market in Hong Kong at that time, but Wong dared to restructure the genre of gangster movie and romantic movie. Generally in gangster films, police are always upright and gangsters are always bad. The dramatic elements are from the justice and interest between police and gangsters. The first part in ‘Chungking Express’ breaks the narrative rule about police chasing the gangster. It is about the relationship of the strangers, Cop 223 and the unnamed female drug dealer; their relationship seems getting start but also will be end soon. In part 2, Wong even cut the part of gangster and make it as a complete romantic story between Cop 633 and Faye. Wong had his own rationale for the emotional relationships in the film (Stephen Teo, Wong Kar-Wai 2005, P.20) ‘It’s very difficult to describe why a man likes a woman, and the deep feelings between two brothers, and so on. They are all very subtle. But I wanted to put forward the proposition that time is the biggest factor. ‘Chungking Express’ proved that Wong is not only live in his own narcissistic, but also the creativity in the movie that Hong Kong people can feel and understand about. It is valuable that Wong’s being loyal to his personal feeling about Hong Kong and the p eople who are living in Hong Kong. The modernity in ‘Chungking Express’ is very strong, it makes people believe that Wong can catch the thought of the adult and teenagers more than other directors. Wong Kar Wai expressed the loneliness and the unstable status of the relationships about the people who live in this city. Wong Kar-Wai said (David Bordwell, Planet Hong Kong Popular Cinema and the Art of Entertainment, 2000, p.283) ‘the two stories are quiet independent. What puts them together is that they are both love stories. I think a lot of city people have a lot of emotions but sometimes they can’t find the people to express them to’. It is the main reason of the success of ‘Chungking Express’. ‘Happy Together’ In 1994, Peter Chan who is a famous director and producer in Hong Kong and Tsui Hark filmed ‘He’s a woman, She’s a man’ and ‘The Lovers’. It started to involve the gay elements in a film, but they didn’t have an in-depth description of homosexual relationship. Following Peter Chan and Tsui Hark, other directors started filming the similar theme. Homosexual movie became a semi-major movie theme in 90s. Comparing with Wong’s ‘Happy Together’, he breakthroughs the bias and negative render in the common homosexual film in Hong Kong. ‘Happy Together’ is about two Hong Kong people living in Argentina and describe their romantic and emotional expression. There are many daily life dialogues and plot design. ‘Happy Together’ ignored the consideration of social dimension by using the location (Argentina) to point out the axis of the relationship between the characters. Comparing with the conservative atmosphere in Hong Kong cinema, Wong Kar Wai keeping his experimental development to the popular Hong Kong movie genre and the vision of the theme. The genre of movies he had breakthrough are ‘Hero Movie’, gangster movie and semi-popular and controversial movie such as homosexual theme. In fact, Wong infused his personal theme – ‘the communication between people and people’ into different movie genres, which are having market value and gimmick. Genre movie is a commercial package, which included the theme, artistic pursuit, modern culture and western culture. Under the commercial package, Wong put his persistent theme of human motion and created his own theme and style in Hong Kong Movie. Style The Names of Wong Kar-Wai’s movies Every Wong’s movies have a clear name to the audiences even his first film (‘As Tears Go By’) doesn’t have a very strong style of Wong compare with the others. Merely, the hidden meaning behind the movie names are hard to understand, it is like we already lost our way when we first look at the movie name. Wong is well known, as he doesn’t prepare a script until the day of shooting. Therefore, it becomes very hard to capture his movies. For example, ‘Chungking Express’ (literal: Chungking Forrest) but you can’t find the trace of forest. ‘2046’ is an enigmatic figure. Wong is not only like start shooting films without complete script but also he has more different style. Wong always creates the name for the movie first, but he doesn’t base on the name to consider the plot. The name of ‘Chungking Express’ is come from the famous building ‘Chungking Mansions’ in Hong Kong. It is because Wong was told by his parent when he was young about Chungking Mansions is a horrible building, people and everything are very complicated. Chungking Mansions become a mysterious symbol in Wong’s heart. ‘Happy Together’ is from the traditional Chinese translation of a novel ‘The Buenos Aires’ Affair’, which is written by Wong’s favorite Argentine writer Manuel Puig. The first appear of ‘2046’ is when Chau Mo-Wan is closing the door, and the number badge on the door is ‘2046’ in   ‘In the Mood of Love’. In 1997, the transfer of sovereignty from United Kingdom to the PRC occurred. Hong Kong under ‘one country, two systems’ will be ended afte r 50years. The year after 50 years is 2046. Wong had given 2046 different significations. In the movie ‘2046’, it represents a fantasy world. Music Wong has a strong and sensitive artistic sense. He is also very good at choosing different genre of music and applying them perfectly to the movie. The background music is just right into the film and staying at audience’s mind. In ‘Days of Being Wild’ and ‘In the Mood of Love’, Wong selected the music with the style of the 60s and 70s such as the song called ‘In the Mood for Love’ from Zhou Xuan was played by the phonograph player machine, the Jazz music ‘Quizas Quizas Quizas’. For matching the theme of martial arts in ‘Ashes of Time’, the music is majestic. Start from the prelude ‘A lonely heart’, it shows the dignified atmosphere and revealed the feeling from the heart of the agent and the other. ‘Chungking Express’, Faye keeps playing the song ‘California Dreaming’ to insinuate her love of California. Wong used ‘California Dreaming’ to tell the desire and the dream of Faye. The theme song ‘Yumeji’s Theme’ is a classic song in ‘In the Mood of Love’. No matter where the melody started, it can spur audience’s emotions. This song appeared seven times by following the slight changes between Chau Mo-Wan and Su Li-zhen. Scenes For a film, the most instant feeling that audience will receive is from the scene. Wong understand that and keeping up trying different kind of scenes. Wong Kar-Wai has a special preference of the small house in Hong Kong which is a special feature of this city. People are staying in a narrow space in most of Wong’s movie; it is the portrait of the crowded community in Hong Kong and the reflection of the world in Hong Kong people’s heart. The characters appeared in Wong’s film, they all had a closed heart such as Chau Mo-wan in ‘In The Mood of Love’, Yuddy in ‘Days of Being Wild’, Ouyang Feng in ‘Ashes of Time’, Lai Yiu-Fai in ‘Happy Together’ and Chau Mo-wan in ‘In the Mood of Love’. Wong Kar-Wai needs to write the script during the daytime, therefore most of the movie scenes occurs at the nighttime. There were also many rain scenes appeared in Wong’s movies.   In ‘Days of Being Wild’, when Lulu knows that Yuddy going to Philippine alone, she walks under the heavy rain. In ‘Chungking Express’, when cop663 is waiting for Faye inside the pub, the rain was pouring. In ‘In the Mood of Love’, Chau Mo-wan and Su-Li-zhen were waiting together when it was raining. ‘In the Mood for Love’ The beginning of ‘In the Mood for Love’, Chau Mo-Wan couple and Su Li-Zhen couple live very closed to each other, they will visit landlord sometimes. Inside the narrow space, people suppose to be closer, such as Mrs Chau and Mr Chan became more intimate (betrayal). However, Chau Mo-Wan and Ms Su started having the alienation to their partners. At the same time, the alienation makes Chau and Ms Su become closer. Wong Kar-Wai deliberately put two families together and then use the feelings between people to people to re-organize and arrange their relationships. Fashion Su Li-Zhen is a typical Chinese woman. She doesn’t have any target in her life that she wants to achieve. Living and her husband are everything. When her husband cheated on her, she didn’t know what she should do. After, she started to put her mind to another man Chau Mo-Wan who also attracted by this enchanting woman. Ms Su in the movie is always wearing colorful Cheongsam, which is not only a traditional Chinese characteristic, but also the performance of Asian womens body beauty. Cheongsam is a specific dress for woman who loves beautyin Hong Kong and China. However, there are other clothing options in 60s, but William Chang and Wong Kar-wai did not choose other costumes for her. Ms Su with Cheongsam is the woman that Chau Mo-Wan loves to see a high class and unique woman. This is the natural development of the movie, which shows that Ms Su is a tradition of oriental, and tempting deviant woman. Cheongsam also leading the path of the film. When we look at Ms Su†™s move, we can see the rhythm of the film. We are not only can hear Nat King Cole’s singing but also we can ‘listen’ Ms Su’s steps. Her pace is a proper way of jazz which is created by her high heels, omega hair style and knee-length cheongsam. We cant see the rhythm if she is wearing a shirt and a throuser. Cheongsam is a representative dress in 60s and Nat King Cole is the popular Jazz singer at that time as well and gather all scenes, props and music, we know this film is exactly about 60s. Moreover, ‘Wonton’ (a traditional dishes in Hong Kong and Shanghai) and Cheongsam are the most representative icons of Shanghai. The sewing in Shanghai is the best all over China. In 60s, most of the trailors are from Shanghai. It is a small build of Shanghai in this Hong Kong movie when Ms Su is wearing a cheongsam and buying some Wonton for her dinner. When we look at Ms Su’s cheongsam, we realised that time is changing: working, buying food, hanging out etc. The timeline in the movie is not by order. These are the fragments of her life, we realised that there is something building up between Chau Mo-Wan and Ms Su. Music The structure of the soundtrack is starts from Chau Mo-Wan’s dialogue and ended by Ms Su’s dialogue which are exactly the same script. Secondly, following by Shigeru Umebayashi’s ‘Yumeji’s Theme’ and the music at the middle of the movie plays by order and prefectly match the film. When you listening the soundtrack, it is like you are watching the movie as well. Mentioned earlier of the ‘Yumeji’s Theme’ which is the spirit of the whole film. It played everytime when the main characters appear, over and over throughout the film. The scene of Chau Mo-Wan was having dinner with Ms Su; the restaurant was playing Nat King Cole’s song. When Ms So told the secret which Chau Mo-Wan already known, the shot moves from right to back sliently and directed to Chau’s face. At the same time, it plays the song ‘Te Quiero Dijiste’. The fast rhythm of the beginning of the song is like telling the Chau’s psych ological reaction. Afterward, Nat King Cole’s music played again and the scene changed to the cigarette on Chau’s hand. There are many detail plot like that in the film including when two main characters were ordering the food in the restaurant. When the camera pan quickly between Chau and Ms So, Nat King Cole’s song still played slowly and brought out the ambiguous between two main characters. Nat King Cole is Wong’s mother’s favourate Jazz singer. Those three songs which used in the movie were the most popular songs at that time. Additionally, ‘In the Mood for Love’ also contained a lot of traditional opera such as Cantonese opera, Shaoxing opera. They are historic and precious. In 50s, there is a statement called ‘Radio Play’. It is not diffcult to see the effection of ‘Radio Play’ in the movie. The sounds were from the past and played through the radio to present. It makes the song become more attractive a nd effective. Galasso Michale, the music director in ‘Chungking Express’ also involved to the production of the soundtrack. He created two songs for ‘In the Mood For Love’ and there are 3 or 4 versions of each song. Matching with Nat King Cole’s Jazz, it achieves an excellent affection. The scenes There is an excellent and significant scene. The scene is about Chau-Mo Wan is pretending he is leaving Ms Su, and Ms Su cried because she is not willing to lost Chau. The scene appeared a set of straight lines, which are the bars, because the camera is reflected through the bars to Chau and Ms Su and it is like they are trapped in a cage, and lost their freedom. It is exactly the same with them situation – a married man and a married woman. Under the conservative society in 60s, they are living with invisible shackles. They lost the freedom to love publicly and they can only live under the pain. On the other hand, Wong used mirrors several times to express the relationship between entity and virtual body. This relationship reflected the other sides of Chau and Ms Su perfectly. When Chau and Ms So were writing the martial art novel in the hotel, the mirror reflected the virtual body of Chau and Ms So. They were have a short-term good time with self-indulgence. However in 60s, people cant be who they want to be or do what they want. Chau and Ms Su can only suppress their emotions. Conclusion Wong Kar-Wai made a great contribution to the Hong Kong movie industry. He changed the traditional narrative approach of Hong Kong movies, adding more personal elements and more in-depth to the local culture and life circumstances. The breakthrough of the ‘Hero Movie’ genre is an important starting point in Wong’s career. He also added the elements of female into the movies. Brotherhood in Wong’s approach, ‘Hero’ can die without glory, but they also have the feeling of love such as the last scene in ‘As Tears Go By’. Afterward, Wong had tried different kind of genre, such as ‘Chungking Express’ and ‘Happy Together’. His work is consistently about a theme: between people and communication. Wong is very well at using the music to express the emotions of the main characters. The music in the movies is not only the background music; it is also an important tool for bringing audiences into the movie and affecting their emotions.   ‘California Dreaming’ in ‘Chungking Express’, the song ‘In the Mood for Love’ which is sing by Zhou Xuan was played by the phonograph player machine and the jazz music ‘Quizas Quizas Quizas’ in ‘In the Mood for Love’ etc. ‘In the Mood for Love’ is the most representative film of Wong Kar-Wai. It presented different areas in 60s including living conditions, thoughts, fashion and daily lifestyle. Cause by the living space in Hong Kong is narrow; it increased the intimacy between the neighbors. They will play mahjong, having dinner together and helping each other. It is a very good reflection of the special living style in Hong Kong. For the fashion, Cheoungsam is fully expressed the beauty of Oriental women and also the best representation of traditional Chinese culture. Under the conservative ideology in 60s, people can’t love the one they want to love; they can only enjoy the time secretly like the scene when Chau Mo-Wan and Su-Li Zhen were writing the martial art novel together. Today, many Hong Kong’s independent art films and you can see Wong’s style even in some commercial movies, but most of them are the simple copy, which are lack of creativities. Wong Kar-Wai’s film may not represent the whole film industry but he did point out the future of the Hong Kong cinema. Bibliography Books: David Bordwell, (2000) PLANT HONG KONG . POPULAR CINEMA AND THE ART OF ENTERTAINMENT. HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS. Stephen Teo, (2005) WONG KAR-WAI. United Kingdom: The Cromwell Press. Stephen Teo, (1997) Hong Kong cinema : the extra dimensions. London: BFI Publishing. Peter Brunette, (2005) CONTEMPORARY FILM DIRECTORS: WONG KAR WAI. United State of America: Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data. Cheuk, P.T. (2009) Hong Kong New Wave Cinema: 1978 – 2000. Bristol: Intellect. Stokes, Lisa Odham; Hoover, Michael (1999) City on fire: Hong Kong cinema. London: Verso. Poshek Fu, David Desser, (2000) Cinema of Hong Kong: History, Arts, Identity. Cambridge: The Cambridge University Press. Laikwan Pang, Day Wong, (2005) Masculinities and Hong Kong cinema. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press. Wimal Dissanayake, Dorothy Wong, (2003) Wong Kar-Wai’s Ashes of time. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press. Web page: Esolution. ‘In the Mood for Love’ Available at: wkw-inthemoodforlove.com/eng/homepg/homepg.asp (Accessed: 14 April 2011) Robert M. Payne. (2001) Jump Cut Website. Available at: ejumpcut.org/archive/jc44.2001/payne%20for%20site/wongkarwai1.html (Accessed: 14 April 2011) ‘Michael Galasso Music’ Available at: michaelgalasso.com/#home (Accessed: 14 April 2011)

Sunday, March 1, 2020

Examining School Personnel Roles and Responsibilities

Examining School Personnel Roles and Responsibilities It truly does take an army to raise and educate a child. The most recognizable employees within a school district are the teachers. However, they represent only a portion of the personnel that works within the school. School personnel can be divided into three distinct categories including school leaders, faculty, and support staff. Here we examine the essential roles and responsibilities of key school personnel. School Leaders Board of Education – The board of education is ultimately responsible for most decision making in a school. The board of education is made up of elected community members most usually consisting of 5 members. The eligibility requirement for a board member varies by state. The board of education generally meets once per month. They are responsible for hiring the district superintendent. They also generally take into account the recommendations of the superintendent in the decision-making process. Superintendent – The superintendent  oversees the daily operations of the school district as a whole. They are generally responsible for providing recommendations to the school board in a variety of areas. The superintendent’s primary responsibility is handling the financial matters of the school district. They also lobby on behalf of their district with the State government. Assistant Superintendent – A smaller district may not have any assistant superintendents, but a larger district may have several. The assistant superintendent oversees a specific part or parts of a school district’s daily operations. For example, there may be an assistant superintendent for curriculum and another assistant superintendent for transportation. The assistant superintendent is overseen by the district superintendent. Principal – The principal oversees the daily operations of an individual school building within a district. The principal is primarily in charge of overseeing the students and faculty/staff in that building. They are also responsible for building community relationships within their area. The principal is often responsible for interviewing prospective candidates for job openings within their building as well as making recommendations to the superintendent for hiring a new teacher. Assistant Principal – A smaller district may not have any assistant principals, but a large district may have several. The assistant principal may oversee a specific part or parts of a school’s daily operations. For example, there may be an assistant principal who oversees all student discipline either for the entire school or for a particular grade depending on the size of the school. The assistant principal is overseen by the building principal. Athletic Director – The athletic director oversees all of the athletic programs in the district. The athletic director is often the person in charge of all the athletic scheduling. They also often have their hand in the hiring process of new coaches and/or the removal of a coach from their coaching duties. The athletic director also oversees the spending of the athletic department. School Faculty Teacher – Teachers are responsible for providing the students they serve with direct instruction in the area of content in which they specialize. The teacher is expected to use the district-approved curriculum to meet state objectives within that content area. The teacher is responsible for building relationships with parents of children which they serve. Counselor – A counselor’s job is often multifaceted. A counselor provides counseling services for students who may struggle academically, have a rough home life, may have gone through a difficult situation, etc. A counselor also provides academic counseling setting student schedules, getting students scholarships, preparing them for life after high school, etc. In some cases, a counselor may also serve as the testing coordinator for their school. Special Education – A special education teacher is responsible for providing the students they serve with direct instruction in the area of content with which the student has an identified learning disability. The special education teacher is responsible for writing, reviewing, and implementing all Individual Education Plans (IEP) for students served. They also are responsible for scheduling meetings for IEP’s. Speech Therapist – A speech therapist is responsible for identifying students who need speech related services. They are also responsible for providing the specific services needed to those students identified. Finally, they are responsible for writing, reviewing, and implementing all speech related IEPs. Occupational Therapist – An occupational therapist is responsible for identifying students who need occupational therapy related services. They are also responsible for providing the specific services needed to those students identified. Physical Therapist - A physical therapist is responsible for identifying students who need physical therapy related services. They are also responsible for providing the specific services needed to those students identified. Alternative Education – An alternative education teacher is responsible for providing the students they serve with direct instruction. The students they serve often cannot function in a regular classroom often because of discipline related issues, so the alternative education teacher has to be extremely structured and a strong disciplinarian. Library/Media Specialist – A library media specialist oversees the operation of the library including the organization, ordering of books, checking out of books, the return of books, and re-shelving of books. The library media specialist also works directly with the classroom teachers to provide assistance in anything associated with the library. They also are responsible for teaching students library related skills and creating programs that develop lifelong readers. Reading Specialist – A reading specialist works with students who have been identified as struggling readers in a one-on-one or small group setting. A reading specialist assists the teacher in identifying students who are struggling readers as well as finding the specific area of reading which they struggle. A reading specialist’s goal is to get each student they work with on grade level for reading. Intervention Specialist – An intervention specialist is much like a reading specialist. However, they are not just limited to reading and may assist students who struggle in many areas including reading, math, science, social studies, and other subjects. They often fall under the direct supervision of the classroom teacher. Coach – A coach oversees the day to day operations of a specific sports program. Their duties can include organizing practice, scheduling, ordering equipment, and coaching games. They are also in charge of specific game planning including scouting, game strategy, substitution patterns, player discipline, etc. Assistant Coach – An assistant coach helps the head coach in whatever capacity the head coach directs them. They often suggest game strategy, assist in organizing practice, and helps with scouting as needed. School Support Staff Administrative Assistant – An administrative assistant is one of the most important positions in the entire school. A school administrative assistant often knows the day-to-day operations of a school as well as anyone. They are also the person who communicates most often with parents. Their job includes answering phones, mailing letters, organizing files, and a host of other duties. A good administrative assistant screens for the school administrator and makes their job easier. Encumbrance Clerk – The encumbrance clerk has one of the most difficult jobs in the entire school. The encumbrance clerk is not only in charge of school payroll and billing, but a host of other financial responsibilities. The encumbrance clerk has to be able to account for every cent a school has spent and received. An encumbrance clerk must be organized and must stay current with all laws dealing with school finance. School Nutritionist  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ A school nutritionist is responsible for creating a menu that meets state nutrition standards for all meals served at school. They are also responsible for ordering the food that will be served. They also collect and keep up with all monies taken in and spent by the nutrition program. A school nutritionist is also responsible for keeping track of which students are eating and for which students qualify for free/reduced lunches. Teacher‘s Aide – A teacher’s aide assist a classroom teacher in a variety of areas that can include making copies, grading papers, working with small groups of students, contacting parents, and a variety of other tasks. Paraprofessional – A paraprofessional is a trained individual who assists a special education teacher with their day-to-day operations. A paraprofessional may be assigned to one particular student or may help with a class a whole. A paraprofessional works in support of the teacher and does not provide direct instruction. Nurse – A school nurse provides general first aid for students in the school. The nurse may also administer medication to students who need it or are required medication. A school nurse keeps pertinent records on when they see students, what they saw, and how they treated it. A school nurse may also teach students about health and health-related issues. Cook – A cook is responsible for the preparation and serving of food to the entire school. A cook is also responsible for the process of cleaning up the kitchen and the cafeteria. Custodian – A custodian is responsible for the day-to-day cleaning of the school building as a whole. Their duties include vacuuming, sweeping, mopping, cleaning bathrooms, emptying trash, etc. They may also assist in other areas such as mowing, moving heavy items, etc. Maintenance – Maintenance is responsible for keeping all the physical operations of a school running. If something is broke, then maintenance is responsible for repairing it. These may including electrical and lighting, air and heating, and mechanical issues. Computer Technician – A computer technician is responsible for assisting school personnel with any computer issue or question that may arise. Those may include issues with email, the internet, viruses, etc. A computer technician should provide service and maintenance to all school computers to keep them running so that they may be used as needed. They are also responsible for server maintenance and the installation of filter programs and features. Bus Driver – A bus driver provides safe transportation for students to and from school.