Jan.19/2010
321 Juniper Ave.
Penticton, British Columbia
Canada V0H 1K0
Mr. Kleats
Junior Soccer Coach
123 Main Street
Sportstown, British Columbia
Canada V2A 1W3
Dear Mr. Kleats,
My name is Mikaela Peters and I am the mother of Josiah, who is currently on your junior soccer team. I am thankful for the time you have committed to coach junior soccer but I have sat in on many practices and have noted some concerns I would like to bring to your attention.
When I drop my son off to soccer, we end up sitting in the vehicle for 5-10 minutes awaiting your arrival. I realize that soccer practice begins immediately after school lets out, but I would appreciate if you could arrive on time to your soccer practices. Furthermore, I have noticed how the team focuses more intently when your practices are more organized. I understand the position you are in can be stressful and disorganized with so many children and so little time but may I suggest making practice longer or having a member from your senior team help you coach junior soccer? I would appreciate if you could spend the same amount of one-on-one time with each of your players, whether they are the 'stars' or not. By doing this, you could help the whole soccer team's skills and then there wouldn't be so many children sitting on the bench during games.
Lastly, I would appreciate if you would refrain from using foul language and aggressive behaviour with the children. In my opinion, too much emphasis is placed on winning and not enough on having fun. My son rarely admits the fun in soccer as he feels over worked and stressed when he arrives home. I hope you understand where I am coming from and will take into account my concerns. If not, I feel it will be in the best interest of my son to not attend your team in the future.
Sincerely,
Mikaela Peters
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Assignment 9: Synthesis Essay
The short story called, "The Most Powerful Question a Parent Can Ask", by Neil Millar, has a more respectful approach of parents to their children opposed to the short story, "Be-ers and Doers", by Budge Wilson. Neil Millar's story, "The Most Powerful Question a Parent Can Ask", speaks about himself, a parent, who has uncovered an important matter, through a simple question, in which he believes can, "alter the life of your children for the better and the life of their future partner". Millar asks the anticipated question, "what kind of children do you want to raise?" causing the reader to stop and ponder of what their true expectations for their children are. The narrator, Neil Millar, begins his inspiring essay by setting the scene of, "a loving parent striving to give your children the best life you can offer", by relating to most parents with children. The narrator's goal is to help parents, "raise well-rounded, confident, considerate children that show gratitude and appreciation for all that is given to them", through his essay. Millar also brings up the issue of how negative behaviour in a household can reflect into a child's life by asking the reader a simple question of, "will the current behaviour in your household make that happen?" Lastly, the narrator points out that throughout generations, expectations and values change for both parents and their children, and asks, "But are your mother's old values working for you and, just importantly, are they working for your children?" Millar ends his essay by encouraging parents to start, "directing your children to take on small tasks" and overtime, "increase the tasks", to help their children become responsible and appreciative.
The parenting in the story, "Be-ers and Doers", by Budge Wilson, is the type of parenting the author of, "The Most Powerful Question a Parent Can Ask", speaks against. This is because the author of the story,"The Most Powerful Question a Parent Can Ask", encourages parents to focus on helping their children become, "well-rounded, confident, considerate children", opposed to the mother in, "Be-ers and Doers", who only cares about her children becoming doers like her and not be-ers like her husband. The narrator of, "Be-ers and Doers", observes her family from when she was young until she, herself, is a mother. The story is set on a small farm on the South Shore of Nova Scotia where the narrator is the oldest sibling of a younger sister and brother. The mother in the story, "was a little narrow wisp of a women", who, "was fond of pointing out to them the things the father didn't do". She had extremely high expectations for her children to become doers, like herself, especially the youngest son, Albert. Throughout Wilson's story, Albert grew up hearing the nagging mother preach that, "bein' ain't good enough. You gotta do, too. Me, I'm a doer", in which is a perfect example of what the narrator of, "The Most Powerful Question a Parent Can Ask", speaks against by asking, "will the current behaviour in your house hold encourage your children to become well-rounded". In a matter of time, Albert's character begins to emerge as he grows, revealing he is a be-er and not a doer, and the, "nagging begins to accelerate in earnest". Instead of pursuing her son's character to become "well rounded", as the narrator states in Neil Millar's story, she decides that, "If it's the last thing I do, I'm gonna light a fire under his feet". Near the end of the story, Albert surprises his mother by saving the family and house from a fire, resulting in the fact that the mother becomes proud that Albert finally became a do-er like herself. Albert confesses that, "Yer jest proud o' what you want me t'be".
In conclusion, "The Most Powerful Question a Parent Can Ask", by Neil Millar, renders to have a much more respectful approach of parents to their children rather than Budge Wislon's story, "Be-ers and Doers", due to the fact that the parenting skills in Millar's story "drives right to the heart f the matter" to alter the life of their children by staying true to discipline and noticing your children's values instead of making your children's values for them, such as the mother tried to do to her son, Albert, in Wilson's story. In Wilson's story, "Be-ers and Doers", the mother, who was self-absorbed, decided that her son was going to be a smart, busy, doer, like herself, when in actuality she almost ruined him be setting impossible standards and making him work too hard. The parenting skills in Millar's essay, "The Most Powerful Question a Parent Can Ask", approaches parents in an inspiring way to help grow respectful children.
The parenting in the story, "Be-ers and Doers", by Budge Wilson, is the type of parenting the author of, "The Most Powerful Question a Parent Can Ask", speaks against. This is because the author of the story,"The Most Powerful Question a Parent Can Ask", encourages parents to focus on helping their children become, "well-rounded, confident, considerate children", opposed to the mother in, "Be-ers and Doers", who only cares about her children becoming doers like her and not be-ers like her husband. The narrator of, "Be-ers and Doers", observes her family from when she was young until she, herself, is a mother. The story is set on a small farm on the South Shore of Nova Scotia where the narrator is the oldest sibling of a younger sister and brother. The mother in the story, "was a little narrow wisp of a women", who, "was fond of pointing out to them the things the father didn't do". She had extremely high expectations for her children to become doers, like herself, especially the youngest son, Albert. Throughout Wilson's story, Albert grew up hearing the nagging mother preach that, "bein' ain't good enough. You gotta do, too. Me, I'm a doer", in which is a perfect example of what the narrator of, "The Most Powerful Question a Parent Can Ask", speaks against by asking, "will the current behaviour in your house hold encourage your children to become well-rounded". In a matter of time, Albert's character begins to emerge as he grows, revealing he is a be-er and not a doer, and the, "nagging begins to accelerate in earnest". Instead of pursuing her son's character to become "well rounded", as the narrator states in Neil Millar's story, she decides that, "If it's the last thing I do, I'm gonna light a fire under his feet". Near the end of the story, Albert surprises his mother by saving the family and house from a fire, resulting in the fact that the mother becomes proud that Albert finally became a do-er like herself. Albert confesses that, "Yer jest proud o' what you want me t'be".
In conclusion, "The Most Powerful Question a Parent Can Ask", by Neil Millar, renders to have a much more respectful approach of parents to their children rather than Budge Wislon's story, "Be-ers and Doers", due to the fact that the parenting skills in Millar's story "drives right to the heart f the matter" to alter the life of their children by staying true to discipline and noticing your children's values instead of making your children's values for them, such as the mother tried to do to her son, Albert, in Wilson's story. In Wilson's story, "Be-ers and Doers", the mother, who was self-absorbed, decided that her son was going to be a smart, busy, doer, like herself, when in actuality she almost ruined him be setting impossible standards and making him work too hard. The parenting skills in Millar's essay, "The Most Powerful Question a Parent Can Ask", approaches parents in an inspiring way to help grow respectful children.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Assignment 6: Expository Essay- Certain experiences mark the beginning of maturity
Maturity- a psychological term used to indicate that a person responds to the circumstances or environment in an appropriate and adaptive manner.
Certain experiences mark the beginning of maturity in a person by growing them and helping them learn from their mistakes. Being mature isn't determined by how introverted or extroverted a person is or by how they have fun but by the knowledge they've gained throughout life to make responsible decisions. For instance, a child is not born knowing how to make life decisions and know how to be responsible but as they grow and learn, they make mistakes that every human being has made, and learns from those mistakes, turning them into important circumstances in their life, in which they will gain knowledge and the ability to forgive themselves and try again. That person has learned the road in which they should not go down and they teach others how to not make those mistakes, which is recognized as the beginning of knowledge, which will soon lead to maturity.
Responsibility, which plays another huge role in growing maturely, is known as a particular burden of obligation upon one who is responsible. To grow in being responsible will lead a person straight down the path of being mature. Responsibility is taught by one's self and will only grow if pursued eagerly by that person. For example, responsibility is required in order to graduate by being loyal to your work ethic and effort. But if a person has no motivation to handle commitment or to pursue effort then the virtue of responsibility will not grow in them and they will not be able to succeed and grow maturely. Therefore, the slack of that person will become a habit and they will have a hard time growing in responsibility and maturity later in life.
In conclusion, there are two important matters which make up maturity: knowledge and self-pursued responsibility. When both of these are accomplished a person has strong knowledge, growing mature characteristics, and a strong ability to make responsible decisions, enabling others to follow and learn in that person's foot steps.
Certain experiences mark the beginning of maturity in a person by growing them and helping them learn from their mistakes. Being mature isn't determined by how introverted or extroverted a person is or by how they have fun but by the knowledge they've gained throughout life to make responsible decisions. For instance, a child is not born knowing how to make life decisions and know how to be responsible but as they grow and learn, they make mistakes that every human being has made, and learns from those mistakes, turning them into important circumstances in their life, in which they will gain knowledge and the ability to forgive themselves and try again. That person has learned the road in which they should not go down and they teach others how to not make those mistakes, which is recognized as the beginning of knowledge, which will soon lead to maturity.
Responsibility, which plays another huge role in growing maturely, is known as a particular burden of obligation upon one who is responsible. To grow in being responsible will lead a person straight down the path of being mature. Responsibility is taught by one's self and will only grow if pursued eagerly by that person. For example, responsibility is required in order to graduate by being loyal to your work ethic and effort. But if a person has no motivation to handle commitment or to pursue effort then the virtue of responsibility will not grow in them and they will not be able to succeed and grow maturely. Therefore, the slack of that person will become a habit and they will have a hard time growing in responsibility and maturity later in life.
In conclusion, there are two important matters which make up maturity: knowledge and self-pursued responsibility. When both of these are accomplished a person has strong knowledge, growing mature characteristics, and a strong ability to make responsible decisions, enabling others to follow and learn in that person's foot steps.
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