Louis Feuer and Mary Sherry on Education

Education is one of the most important things in the world today; in fact, it is considered a basic human right by most international organizations. In this paper, we shall look at two articles with different approaches to education and we shall compare these approaches to each other. The first article is by Louis Feuer and it discusses education among salespeople who are involved in the home care industry. It discusses the need for these salespeople to have the knowledge necessary not only to educate their customers but to also advance themselves professionally. It looks at the various ways through which salespeople can be able to achieve this education and the importance of achieving it. The second article is by Mary Sherry and it discusses how the diplomas that students receive from the education system of today are worthless and this is mainly due to the fact that teachers no longer care to find out whether their students have received the knowledge they have been taught or not. It looks at the various ways through which students can be motivated to get interested in their studies so that their education can be beneficial not only to them, but also to the society in which they will work. In this paper, we shall compare the different approaches that these two authors have suggested as a remedy for filling up the gaps in education both in the workplace and at school. We shall look at the following; an approach to education, failures in the education system, and finally, the actions to be taken to ensure that education is beneficial.

Feuer and Sherry have suggested very different approaches to ensure that people get the necessary education to be able to excel in life. Feuer states that there are so many books on sales each having its own approach that it can be confusing for those who would like to learn more about it. He suggests that it is always best to ensure that those people who are learning about sales are taught only the most important points which they may use when doing their work. There is no need to overeducate them because this will only lead to their confusion during the sales process. Sherry, on the other hand, states that teachers are no longer paying attention to their students’ educational welfare and instead tend to pass them along to the next class even though they have not learned anything in the previous class. This results in the failure of the education system because many of those who receive high school diplomas tend to be practically illiterate and this is all due to negligence by their teachers. Sherry suggests that teachers should take a more active role in ensuring that their students are interested in their education and this can be done through the giving of incentive and motivation.

The second comparison of these two articles is based on the failures of the education system to fulfill the needs of those who it is supposed to serve. Feuer states that there are very many approaches which can be used by salespeople to become successful in their field. He says that despite all these approaches being available, it is up to the salespeople themselves to be willing to learn these them so that they can work. Despite education being one of the most important tools for salespeople to have, it is hardly ever included in the agenda of any sales meetings and Feuer considers this to be a very big mistake on the part of those who organize these sales meetings. This may lead to the incompetence of salespeople while they are doing their work in the field. Sherry even though they are writing on two very different issues, Sherry also states that education is very important for all people and that it should be encouraged from a young age so that educational competence can be created. She states that this is not the case with the current education system since students are not passed on to another class due to the merit of their performance in class but just because their teachers do not want to leave them behind. Students are not encouraged to take an active interest in their education and instead, they are left to do whatever they wish so long as they show up at school.

The third comparison of these works concerns the approaches which the two authors have suggested will remedy the incredible lack of interest in education. Feuer suggests that the best approach to make sure that salespeople are educated enough to do their work efficiently is for them to view themselves as teachers or educators. This will encourage them to do research about the products which they are trying to sell to their customers and this will not only help them do their work well, it will also ensure that they have gained the knowledge necessary to facilitate their education. Sherry, similarly, has a very radical approach to ensuring that students are interested in their education. She states that teachers should not be afraid to make their students flunk their tests and exams if this will encourage them to study hard. She gives an example of her own son who had previously not been interested in his English lessons but all this changed when his teacher threatened him with flunking. This made him work very hard at this subject and he eventually got an A.

There are many remedies which can be used to fill up the gap in our education system and in the workplace. Both Sherry and Feuer stress the importance of education and each of them states that the most effective way of getting people educated is by getting them interested in the education itself. Not only will this ensure that they are interested, it will motivate them to work on their own to find out those things which are necessary for them to excel. For Sherry, the threat of failure seems to be the best approach, while for Feuer, it is the determination of one to learn which is the key.

The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner

One of the most significant aspects concerning The Flamethrowers is that it deals with the connection that exists between man and the environment around him. This is especially the case considering the manner through which Reno and Sandro interact with each other as well as with others. Reno is shown to be an adventurous sort of person who pursues what she wants and is extremely daring when it comes to attaining her goals. This is one of the reasons why, despite the dangers involved in it, she ends up racing a Valera motorcycle, and totals. Her pushing herself beyond the normal limit can be considered to be Reno’s way of defying nature to such an extent that she seems to be daring it to bring her life to an end. The crash that she has on the Valera motorcycle is a means of showing that nature is still supreme and that despite all the efforts that human beings make towards defying its laws, they are still relevant and will continue to be so for a long time to come. This incident can also be interpreted as a sign that do not have absolute control over the elements, even those that are very familiar to them as seen when Reno is driven by her impulsive nature to try something that has never been tried before by a woman. While the crash does not do any lasting damage on herself, the risk involved in trying to drive it at such a high speed is still prevalent. A single mistake from her and gravity, which is an aspect of nature, takes over and brings about the risk of Reno losing her life.

Geological realities in this novel are especially prevalent when Sandro and Reno travel to Italy at the latter’s insistence. It is during this period that it becomes possible for the circumstances concerning Sandro and his family to be seen. One of the most fundamental aspects of this trip is that Reno comes to see firsthand the way that the Valera family made its fortune. Through the establishment of rubber plantations in Brazil and the use of labor that is not adequately compensated, in addition to its Fascist leanings, this family was able to ensure that it secured its wealth and interests in Italy (Kushner, 2013). Additionally, when Reno gets involved in a civil rebellion in Italy, as a result of her American egalitarian beliefs, she winds up in trouble, being suspected of having had a part in the kidnapping and murder of a man who she had never met before. The result is that the realities that she finds in Italy are in complete conflict from those that she experiences in her home country and she seems to come to the realization that Italy is not the place for her; ending with her escape to France and later, her return to the United States. It is as a result of these experiences that she decides to leave Sandro and take on a new life without him or his influence on her life.

In The Flamethrowers, Reno and Sandro are individuals who come from very different backgrounds, with Reno coming from an essentially working class background, while Sandro comes from a background of privilege. Despite these differences, these two individuals come together because of their love for art and motorcycles and it is through this connection that Reno gets an opportunity to see how the privileged class lives. Reno brings with her the ideals of her working class background which, despite its not having a lot of power in society, is still one that for the most part promotes its egalitarian values. Thus, she ends up essentially attempting to push Sandro towards overcoming his anger or differences with his family and being able to come to terms with them. However, in doing so, she also brings about a situation where she comes to see the Valera family for who they really are; individuals who, despite their veneer of respectability, have a very dark past. It is through the development of this perspective that she comes to the realization that their world cannot be hers. In this way, despite having been the one who pushed to go to Italy, despite Sandro’s reluctance, the realization that it was not what she bargained for points her towards joining a social uprising for the purpose of ensuring that a level of equality is achieved in Italy. This endeavor, however, nearly ends up ruining her life because as a result of the inequality between the poor and the rich in society, the latter seek to maintain the status quo by any means necessary.

In this novel, the relationship between reality and art is questioned (Lerner, 2015). This is especially the case considering that while art is considered to be a uniting factor for both Reno and Sandro; the reality is that these two individuals come from completely different worlds. Hence, their relationship is not likely to last for long without encountering a level of conflict. The story deals with issues concerning the oppressive way through which individuals are able to achieve their wealth and status at the expense of those people who work for them for little pay. It is as a result of these situations being prevalent that they bring about revolutions whose aim is to ensure that the inequalities that are prevalent in society are brought to an end and a truly egalitarian state is formed. This is a theme that recurs in the work of Rachel Kushner and this can be considered to be a means of showing that she is constantly aware of the growing inequality between the rich and the poor in society. Therefore, Reno is the voice that seeks to show that there are a diverse number of differences in society based on inequality that have to be addressed in order to bring about a situation where there is a level of social harmony. This is exemplified in the way that Reno and Sandro separate, which is a reflection of the gap that exists between, people from wealthy and poor backgrounds.

Qualities of an effective teacher

There are many qualities which make an effective teacher but these qualities are often very difficult to cultivate and it may take even years to master them. Teachers have to go through the best kind of training in order to be effective and they should understand that each and every one of their students is unique with unique capabilities. They should note that not all situations in the classroom can be handled in the same way and that they instead require the teacher’s flexibility. Teachers therefore have to do a self examination of themselves to see whether they have qualities which make them effective in class, strengthen these qualities, and finally, work on developing those qualities which they do not have. In this paper, we shall look at some of the qualities which make an effective teacher and how these qualities may affect the learning process of their students.

An effectual instructor has to be exceptionally well prepared. This ensures that the teacher’s work in preparation for class is done on time and it is done in such a way that students will be able to understand what their teacher is discussing. Furthermore, the teacher will be able to teach his students in an organized manner meaning that they will get more from him than if he had not been well organized. The teacher will be able to anticipate the questions which his students are likely to ask after the discussion, and will be able to answer these questions effectively (Helterbran, 125 – 138). It is therefore a fact that a teacher who is well organized will able to cover more with their students than those who are not.

A teacher has to be in every way supportive of their students. This leads to the development of trust between the teacher and the student meaning that the latter will be more receptive when in class (Rinaldo, 42 – 52). As stated above, every student has unique abilities and it is up to the teacher to encourage the development of their students’ abilities to ensure that there is more diversity in class. In this way, students with different abilities will be able to share their knowledge with each other and this will bring about richer learning environment.

A teacher has to be persistent with his students. There are certain students who require a teacher’s persistence in order to develop an interest in learning (Çakmak, 74). It is therefore important that the teacher maintains their persistence in encouraging such students to take an active interest in their education even though such students may be stubborn. If such students need special help, then the teacher should be patient enough to provide such help where he can and where he cannot, then he should ask a person more suited for the task to do so. A teacher’s persistence ensures that none of their students are left behind the others in class.

In conclusion, it can be said that a class or students cannot do well without having and effective teacher. Such a teacher has to be well organized, supportive and persistent in order to get through to their students. A teacher who does not display the above qualities has to work very hard to develop them; otherwise, he will be failing in his duties towards their students. This will ensure that they produce students who are well equipped to confidently face the fast changing world within which we live today.

Heimat (Homeland)

There are many bonds which tie people to the places which they live, the community in which they were raised, or to the people to who they are related. These bonds are a fundamental part of who the human being is and it is very difficult to destroy that bond because to do so would be almost equal to destroying ones’ humanity. According to Flusser (3), it is often the fear of losing these bonds that keeps human beings in places where they feel most comfortable, even if in such places, they have very little freedom. There are times, however, when people are forced to cut these bonds mostly due to circumstances which are beyond their control and these are instead forced to go with the flow, having to come to terms with their lost ties and attempting to form new ones with their places of adoption. It is often in the midst of an environment that is foreign to them that people tend to have a feeling of nostalgia for their previous lives, which was their comfort zone, and actually regret the cutting of those bonds which tied them to their previous lives. It can be said that severing old ties or bonds is a necessary part of an attempt to gain one’s freedom from cultures which have only a one dimensional view of the world, and learning about other cultures. In this way, people end up being more cosmopolitan and by being cosmopolitan, it encourages them to have a more focused view of the world, free of the prejudices which often make people very narrow minded. The question that one should ask himself is whether they made the right choice in severing their old bonds or whether they should have kept these ties.

One of the most important bonds that human beings have is the bond to family. This is the type of bond that one does not choose to have and is instead born into and it is the closest bond an individual can have. Family is very important thing to the human being and it is the first society that he experiences. Not only is it the first socializing factor in one’s life, but it is also the most influential considering the fact that the parents often raise their children to be responsible and successful people in society and to do this, they instill in them the virtues which are considered desirable by the rest of the society. The bonds which tie one to one’s family are often very strong and even though one does not choose which families they belong to, these bonds are permanent. The only way through which one can break the family bonds is perhaps through the death of all of one’s family, and this is a very rare thing. However, there are times when even the bonds of family can be broken. A good example of this is in Adichie’s Headstrong Historian where Anikwenwa rejects everything concerning his mother once he is converted to Christianity. Not only does the bond which tied him to his mother get broken, but Anikwenwa ends up losing the virtues which his mother had taught him since childhood and instead, he adopts those from another culture. This severance of bonds is permanent, and mother and son do not look eye to eye on matters again until the former’s death (Adiche, 212).

Another bond which is also very hard to break is the bond of origins. A person’s origins are very important to him and many people often display a sense of pride in it. When people immigrate to a new country, for example, they often take with them fond memories of their countries of origin and tend to compare their progress in their new home to that of their old one. Many carry the customs and practices of their old country to their new one and they continue practicing them due to their belief that the culture in which they were born is better than the one they have come to live within. Not only do they continue to practice this culture, but they also have great pride in it. However, there is often a great bitterness among the first generation immigrants to a new culture when their children and grandchildren adopt the culture of their adopted country instead of continuing with the culture of the old country. The younger generation does not often pay much attention to the traditions of their elders and because of this, their bond to their origins is mostly very weak and only a few links tie them to it. As time goes by, only a vague knowledge of their origins remains and eventually, it disappears altogether. This is true of Anikwenwa’s son Nnamdi who was born to a father who had started out practicing the traditional African religion but had later converted to Christianity. Nnamdi completely follows in the footsteps of his father’s later ways and does not put much value in the religion of his ancestors nor does he care about or is not close to his grandmother, Nwamgba (Adiche, 215).

The bonds of marriage and love are some of the most basic and important human ties. It is these bonds which are the sources of all the others because they often lead to the family, which is the basic unit of a society. The bonds of marriage and love are as ancient as the human race itself and they are very important in any society. Strong bonds of marriage ensure that a strong family develops from it and the bonds of love ensure the unity of this family. A strong marriage has to have love; otherwise, it is more likely than not to fall apart due to the distance between the couple in it. A good example of a bond of marriage and love is the marriage between Obierika and Nwamgba. One will notice that despite the fact that he was a fairly wealthy man and that he could have had any woman of his choice, Obierika remained faithfully beside his first and only wife, Nwamgba, despite her history of having miscarriages. His bond of love and marriage to his wife was finally rewarded when they eventually had a son (Adiche, 202). The patience which Obierika showed to his wife despite the pressure from the community and his own wife to take another wife is a display of a true bond of marriage and love. It is the kind of example which can be emulated by married couples today who seem to have very little patience and understanding for each other and instead tend to look towards divorce as a solution to their marital problems.

Religion was for thousands of years a necessary part of man’s existence and it still remains so today. Therefore, the bonds of religion and belief are very important for human beings because it brings them together due to their shared feeling of having a supreme being determining their destiny. However, these bonds can easily be broken due to the influence of new and more appealing religions and beliefs. This can be said to be true of many Africans who chose to abandon their own traditional religions in favor of joining in the various Christian denominations. This not only broke the bonds of religion and belief in African societies, it tore the fabric of these societies up. The normal relationships within families were destroyed due to the fact that some members practiced Christianity while others continued to follow the traditional ways. An example of this was the distant relationship Anikwenwa developed towards his mother after his conversion to Christianity and his adoption of the prejudices which the missionaries showed towards people who followed the old ways (Adiche, 212).

The decision of whether to sever old bonds or not to is entirely personal because for some people it provides them with freedom, while for others, it brings about a sense of loss. It really depends on how the individual feels about these bonds and how they affect his life. For some, it would be great to gain the freedom of movement unrestrained by old bonds because then, they would be able to imbibe in the cultures of other people without getting attached to them. Others prefer to remain within their own zones of comfort, not bothering to experience life outside of it. All these are part of the human nature.

The Lady or the Tiger?

The story of The Lady or the Tiger? clearly illustrates that the human being, despite his actions on the contrary, is still very civilized in his behavior and beliefs, and is the most advanced creature in the world. Like the king of the ancient land and his daughter, the human beings of today tend to enjoy living a life of gambling, and are very capable of great savagery if the occasion calls for it. It is also a very notable human characteristic that they have a great love for violence despite the fact that one is said to be ‘inhuman’ if he were to display any kind of violence towards another human being. Many world leaders today tend to preach peace but they are also the first, when they feel that their personal or country’s economic interests are threatened, to declare war on weaker nations which are often powerless to defend themselves. This just serves to show the human capacity to settle conflicts in such an orderly way that wars are no longer made out of the whims of human leaders, as would happen in primitive societies, but for very specific strategic reasons.

Human beings have a tendency of doing everything in their power to first secure their personal interests before they secure those of the communities within which they live. For example, it is very rare for any human being to take in a homeless child who has no food and lives out in the cold despite the fact they have more in their homes than they actually need. The claim that human beings are communal creatures is greatly exaggerated because even within the communities in which they live, they often compete with each other either to have more wealth or to have power over each other. This clearly shows that although the human being has moved away from the jungles and that he has build great cities for himself and created what can be considered to be advanced technology, for many, the law of the jungle still applies in their minds.

The civilized nature of the human being is also revealed through his jealousy of the success of his fellows and it is normal for such to do everything in their power to ensure the downfall of those who seem to be more successful than them. A good example of this is in the story of The Lady or the Tiger? where the kings daughter has the option of saving her lover or allowing him to get married to a maid who she suspects to have been a rival for the attentions of her lover. It is more likely than not that since she would lose her lover anyway even if she saved him from the tiger, she would choose to direct him to its cage. As a consequence, even if she lost him, she would not be able to see the satisfaction on her rival’s face when she claimed her lover as her husband. One would say that the human being has become more civilized than primitive because of our belief that if we cannot have something, then neither can our rivals, and to this end, the human beings endeavors to destroy it. It is therefore true to say that although there are claims that human beings today are still primitive, they are actually not the same primitive creatures that lived thousands of years ago.