The Road to Becoming a Teacher Essay Example For Students

The Road to Becoming a Teacher Essay Shayne McCormickMr. KatzSenior Project Research PaperJanuary 8, 2002The Road to Becoming a TeacherTeachers bear the heavy responsibility of molding the minds of our nations most precious resource, its children. The road to becoming a teacher is a long one, involving post-high school education, people skills, and a desire to change lives. These traits, when accompanied by experience and good techniques, form the foundation for an effective, life-altering educator. Before anything else, teachers must have a desire to impact the lives of their students (Education). Some teachers teach because they want to help children learn and grow and would like to make a contribution to society. Others have an intellectual fascination with a certain subject (such as math or history), have been inspired by one of their own teachers, or feel they have a sense of commitment to their country (Recruit). One thing is certain, teachers that go into the profession for selfish reasons will find it hard to commit to their career. The salary for a teacher is not likely to make a person rich, so their motives must be based on helping improve the minds of future generations (Kizlik). If there is a desire to be a teacher, it must also be coupled with education, training, and preparation. To serve as a public school educator, one must have obtained at least a bachelors degree, completed an approved teacher education program, and be licensed (School Teachers). These qualifi cations are universal for all fifty States and the District of Columbia. Instructors may be licensed to teach the early childhood grades (usually nursery school through grade 3); the elementary grades (grades 1 through 6 or 8); the middle grades (grades 5 through 8); a secondary education subject area (usually grades 7 through 12); or a special subject, such as reading or music (usually grades K through 12) (School Teachers). We will write a custom essay on The Road to Becoming a Teacher specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The requirements for licensing differ from state to state. However, it is a necessity to complete an approved teacher-training program with a prescribed number of subject and education credits as well as practiced teaching, supervised by an official. In addition, nearly all States demand applicants for teacher licensure to be tested for competency in basic skills such as reading, math, teaching, and subject matter proficiency (School Teachers). Most states use a standardized version of this test, known as the PRAXIS exam (Recruit). It is recommended that prospective teachers take 24 to 36 credits in an area of specialization and 18 to 24 credits in teaching courses (Princeton). Teachers also must be able to communicate, inspire trust and confidence, motivate, and understand the educational and emotional needs of their students (School Teachers). Potential educators are advised to gain skills in communications, organization, and time management (Princeton). The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education accredits more than 500 teacher education programs in the United States. In most cases, four-year colleges require students to wait until their sophomore year before applying for admission to teacher education programs. The traditional education programs for kindergarten and elementary teachers include courses in mathematics, physical science, social science, music, art, and literature, as well as prescribed professional education courses such as philosophy of education, psychology of learning, and teaching methods. Hopeful secondary school teachers have two options. They may either major in the subject they plan to teach while also taking education courses, or major in education while taking their subject courses (School Teachers). In addition to traditional licensure, some states offer what is called Emergency Licensure. These licenses bypass state licensing requirements. They are usually granted to individuals who teach in high-need subject areas, such as mathematics, science, special education, or bilingual education, or for high-need geographic areas such as urban schools (Recruit). .ub18abeba62476886c2a2362a45c231b8 , .ub18abeba62476886c2a2362a45c231b8 .postImageUrl , .ub18abeba62476886c2a2362a45c231b8 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ub18abeba62476886c2a2362a45c231b8 , .ub18abeba62476886c2a2362a45c231b8:hover , .ub18abeba62476886c2a2362a45c231b8:visited , .ub18abeba62476886c2a2362a45c231b8:active { border:0!important; } .ub18abeba62476886c2a2362a45c231b8 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ub18abeba62476886c2a2362a45c231b8 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ub18abeba62476886c2a2362a45c231b8:active , .ub18abeba62476886c2a2362a45c231b8:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ub18abeba62476886c2a2362a45c231b8 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ub18abeba62476886c2a2362a45c231b8 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ub18abeba62476886c2a2362a45c231b8 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ub18abeba62476886c2a2362a45c231b8 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ub18abeba62476886c2a2362a45c231b8:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ub18abeba62476886c2a2362a45c231b8 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ub18abeba62476886c2a2362a45c231b8 .ub18abeba62476886c2a2362a45c231b8-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ub18abeba62476886c2a2362a45c231b8:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Diversity EssayThere are several programs for future teachers who have received their bachelors degree. One of the major ones, known as a Professional Development School, is a partnership between a university and a secondary school. Students enter the program and receive the privilege of merging the theory they have learned with practice by teaching a yearlong class first-hand (School Teachers). After receiving their education and license, a potential teacher must work to get a job. Though the need for teachers has risen in the past years, finding a job as an instructor can prove to be difficult. The process of identifying and applying for teaching positions requires knowledge, research, organizational and interpersonal skills, determination, creativity, and patience (Recruit). Teachers can apply for teaching positions through their colleges placement office or directly to their chosen school district (Princeton). Some suggested ways of finding employment as a teacher include searching the Internet to find districts with job openings or looking for work in geographic areas like the South or Southwest where the population is growing rapidly. They may also use the more traditional method of answering ads in newspapers (Recruit). Before accepting any position, soon-to-be teachers should be aware of the responsibilities of their job. Teachers are expected to serve as more than just instructors. They must fill the shoes of a communicator, a disciplinarian, a conveyor of information, an evaluator, a classroom manager, a counselor, a member of many teams and groups, a decision-maker, a role-model, and a surrogate parent, to name a few (Kizlik). Teachers must be ready to deal with an array of students with different needs. Their day usually begins around 8 a.m. where they face the difficult task of waking up their tired students and getting them ready to learn. They must find interesting ways of presenting the subjects that students often find tedious (Princeton). Affective teachers use interactive discussion and hands on learning to help students understand the material (School Teachers). A teachers day does not hardly end when the school bell rings. Active teachers are usually involved in after school meetings, committees, assisting students, grading homework, assignments, and projects, and calling parents. These tasks all require a certain amount of personal sacrifice (Kizlik). There have been many changes in education. Even today, the face of education is being changed and refined. Classes are becoming more and more less structured with students working in their own groups. The idea is to prepare students to enter the workforce by teaching them the skills to interact with others, adapt to new technology, and logically think through problems (School Teachers). Even with the experience of the teacher-training programs mentioned earlier, nothing can fully prepare a person to become a teacher. According to Dr. Bob Kizlik, Each of the roles a teacher plays requires practice and skills that are often not taught in teacher preparation programs. Not all who want to be teachers should invest the time and resources in preparation programs if they do not have the appropriate temperament, skills, and personality. Teaching has a very high attrition rate. Depending on whose statistics you trust, around forty percent of new teachers leave teaching within the first five years. It is obviously not what they thought it would be. Elementary school teachers usually are responsible for teaching the same group of children in all subjects. In some cases, two or three teachers all take responsibility for the same group of students. Teachers in secondary schools, however, focus on one subject and dive more deeply into the foundation set during elementary school (School Teachers). The outlook for jobs in the field of education is very good. The number of teachers needed is growing more and more. As stated earlier, nearly forty percent of all teachers will quit within their first five years of educating (Kizlik). This year alone, experts estimate there will be 150,000 to 250,000 openings in the nations elementary and secondary schools. It is also predicted that there will be a need for 2.2 million teachers over the next ten years (Recruit). .u2d8fa2b2569a10bd79ef8f73909a136d , .u2d8fa2b2569a10bd79ef8f73909a136d .postImageUrl , .u2d8fa2b2569a10bd79ef8f73909a136d .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u2d8fa2b2569a10bd79ef8f73909a136d , .u2d8fa2b2569a10bd79ef8f73909a136d:hover , .u2d8fa2b2569a10bd79ef8f73909a136d:visited , .u2d8fa2b2569a10bd79ef8f73909a136d:active { border:0!important; } .u2d8fa2b2569a10bd79ef8f73909a136d .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u2d8fa2b2569a10bd79ef8f73909a136d { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u2d8fa2b2569a10bd79ef8f73909a136d:active , .u2d8fa2b2569a10bd79ef8f73909a136d:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u2d8fa2b2569a10bd79ef8f73909a136d .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u2d8fa2b2569a10bd79ef8f73909a136d .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u2d8fa2b2569a10bd79ef8f73909a136d .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u2d8fa2b2569a10bd79ef8f73909a136d .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u2d8fa2b2569a10bd79ef8f73909a136d:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u2d8fa2b2569a10bd79ef8f73909a136d .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u2d8fa2b2569a10bd79ef8f73909a136d .u2d8fa2b2569a10bd79ef8f73909a136d-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u2d8fa2b2569a10bd79ef8f73909a136d:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Final Exam EssayThe greatest need for teachers occurs in rural and urban areas. There is also a great shortage of teachers in specific subjects, such as math, science, bilingual education, and English as a second language (Recruit). Despite this need, teaching is still considered to be one of the most underpaid professions for college-graduates. The average salary for a teacher in the United States in 1998 was $39,347.00 per year. California, however, is the eighth-highest paid state for teachers, receiving an average of $44,585.00 per year (Salary). Though the pay is not high, the rewards of being an instructor are like no other. Teaching provides a person with the opportunity to give back to their community and to impact a significant number of lives. Teachers have a great responsibility laid at their feet. But, with a desire to change lives, a likeable temperament, and the proper education there is now doubt that one can find true success in the field of education. Words/ Pages : 1,434 / 24

Employee Training Programs

Employee Training Programs Success in any organisation depends on its ability to manage and utilise its workforce. To achieve this, organisations need to train their employees regularly. In this regard, this paper analyses several articles related to employee training programs.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on Employee Training Programs specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Through this article, the author analyses training and the development processes of various organisations (Peretz 2011, p. 2). The author argues that by investing in employee training programs, firms can gain competitive advantages. To affirm on the importance of employee training, the author states that many international companies spend a large amount of their resources on training their employees. By analysing several researches, the author reveals that culture does influence firm’s investment in training. The article confirms that the connection between higher uncert ainty avoidance and investment in employee training is stronger in large companies than in smaller companies. In addition, the author reveals that large and high-tech firms tend to invest more in training to increase on productivity and maximise on profits. The author notes that it is disappointing for most firms to train their executives using enormous resources and later lose them to competitor firms. To deal with the executive’s departure, firms should come up with appropriate agreements. Through these agreements, the law will mandate executives to work for their sponsor companies reducing cases of executive departure. This article majors on employee training as a career-building approach and a means of promoting effectiveness in Saudi Arabian SMEs (Shiryan 2012, p.1). The article outlines employees’ engagements with organisations in the country. Using a conceptual framework, the article investigates the proportions of management training and development in Saudi Ar abia. In the article, the author employs hierarchical regression analysis to indicate the relationship among variables. Similarly, the nature of employees’ training is measured using Meyer’s method. On the other hand, the article measures the management motivation using the Tai’s methods. From the results collected in the research, the author notes that 38% percent of those interviewed were natives while 62% were foreigners. Similarly, the article indicates that many workers in Saudi Arabia have not had proper training for more than five years. Through this analysis, the author concludes that employee training in Saudi Arabia is a challenge to the growth of its SMEs. For instance, he asserts that many domestic firms in Saudi Arabia have managers with little management training background. To improve on the situation, managers in such firms need regular training.Advertising Looking for article on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This article analyses a literature review article on the efficacy of employee training programs from varied perspective (Vijayabanus 2012, p.2). Through the article, the author suggests that employees are vital assets to any organisation. In this regard, the author argues that for organisations to increase on their ability to cope with the current challenges, the organisations have to concentrate on enhancing their workforce’s abilities, wisdoms, and skills. Through the article, the author suggests that the pre-training process is essential for every training program. According to the author, the process consists of training need identification, selection of appropriate applicants, and proper application of training techniques. For effective pre-training process, the author insists that trainees should be motivated through behavioural modifications. As such, during the training sessions, the trainers should identify the mos t suitable programs for their trainees. Lastly, the author illustrates how several organisations have sharpened their capabilities in various functions through organisational development programs. In general, the author’s push for the adoption of modern pre-training arrangement process is illustrated through the article. This article seeks to explain the transfer of trained knowledge, skills, and attitudes in relation to a particular environment (Grossman Salas 2011, p.2). The article reveals that the acts of training workforce are major concerns to most firms. Through the article, the author affirms that many organisations are increasingly investing in employee training programs to produce powerful and efficient workforce. In this aspect, the author affirms that training should focus on developing key competencies for job performance.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on Employee Training Programs specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Despite heavy investment in training, the article reveals that some organisations have failed to utilize their acquired skills and knowledge. The author attributes these limitations to failures to maintain the trained knowledge and skills. Through research, the article illustrates how training outputs and conditions of transfer hinder the transfer of training. In general, the article suggests that individuals with high cognitive ability are better equipped to process and retain competencies provided during training. This article focuses on the job training for low-paid workers in Canada (Zeytinoglu 2008, p.1). Through this analysis, the author analyses workplace conditions and individual factors with respect to job training. For comprehensive evaluation, the author uses data from Statistics Canada’s Workplace and Employee Survey in his analysis. Through the article, it is depicted that low paid workers are employees working under regular contracts, or ful l-time workers working for less than $10 per hour. The article suggests that wage disparities among the Canadian workforce has widened despite a 22% increase in GDP per employee in the 1989 and 2004. Using the human capital theories, the author details the situation of employee training and labour economics in Canada. In accordance with the theories, the author argues that investments in human capital occur via training environment. Through this, the author suggests that paying the trainees during the training period motivates them to acquire more skills needed in the workforce. In the article, the author affirms that 14% of regular full- time Canadian workers are underpaid while 86% are overpaid. Similarly, the article verifies that most of the underpaid workers in Canada have little or no training background. Reference List Grossman, R., Salas, E. 2011. ‘The transfer of training: what really matters’, International Journal of Training and Development, vol. 2 no. 15, pp.1-19.Advertising Looking for article on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Peretz, H. 2011. ‘The role of societal cultural practices in organizational investment in training: A comparative study in 21 countries’, Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, vol. 5 no. 52, pp. 817–831. Shiryan, S. 2012. ‘Employee Training Effectiveness in Saudi Arabian SME Performance’, International Journal of Business and Social Science, vol.3 no.14, pp.1-8. Vijayabanus, C. 2012. ‘A Study on Efficacy of Employee Training: Review Of Literature’, Journal of Business Theory and Practice, vol.3 no.13, pp. 275-282. Zeytinoglu, I. 2008. ‘Low-Paid Workers and On-the-Job Training in Canada’, Journal of Economic Studies, vol.1 no 63, pp.1-26.

An Experience Related to Crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

An Experience Related to Crime - Essay Example It was a busy intersection on a week-end with lots of bystanders and people inadvertently crossing the busy crossroads. The actual hit and run incident was not actually observed but the man sprawled just near the middle island of two busy streets was a disturbing sight – especially when people just looked and no one dared to find out if assistance could still be provided. No police officer was on the premises. The initial reaction was to try to bring the victim to the nearest hospital, with the plan of reporting the hit and run incident leading to vehicular manslaughter in the hospital desk. The impact of the criminal incident had unexpected repercussions that could not be forgotten. A vehicular manslaughter has been defined by Hill and Hill (2005) as â€Å"the crime of causing the death of a human being due to illegal driving of an automobile, including gross negligence, drunk driving, reckless driving, or speeding† (par. 1). In this particular case, it was reported by various bystanders who witnessed the crime as due to reckless driving, in conjunction with speeding. The vehicle was identified as a cargo truck. Through the assistance of witnesses, who willingly provided their names and contact numbers, the information was likewise relayed to the hospital to be forwarded to criminal investigators and police officers, as required. T

Annotated Bibliography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Annotated Bibliography - Essay Example This study focused on how team leanring in the context of nursing is impacted if two different methods of leanring were implemented. For this survey a total of 1111 nurses became the part of the population for the research. Through their literature review they exhibit that limited research has taken place on creativity and learning for nurisng teams. The reserachers figured out that various sorts of team leanring activities are taken up by nurisng teams in order to obtain and analyse differnet sorts of information in the context of nursing. There was little impact of the composition of a nursing team on their leanring activities (Holleman, 2009, p.1256). But major impact on team learning activities was made by various contextual factors. Activities of team learning that focused on how nursing care hsould be conducted positively impacted the implemnetation phase of innovative training methods. This research study can be used to explain what kind of trainings have proven to be benefici al for nursing teams. Holleman, G., Poot, E., Mintjes-de, G. J., & van, A. T. (September 01, 2009). The relevance of team characteristics and team directed strategies in the implementation of nursing innovations: A literature review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 46, 9,

The continuing evolution of leadership theory

The continuing evolution of leadership theory The articles and the book chapters chosen identify varying leadership perspectives, dynamics, and leader follower characteristics in the educational contexts. Kellerman in what every leader needs to know about followers suggests that every leader has at least one follower and good followers make informed decisions about their leaders and what they espouse. Based on their judgments about the leaders, they take appropriate actions. This article was chosen due to its insightfulness of leader follower relationships, and how closely these can be linked with the early childhood contexts Hard (2006), in Horizontal violence in early childhood education and care (ECEC) explores the relationship between the leadership in ECEC, and the internal and external factors inhibiting leadership development of early childhood professionals. This article also provides an insight into the lack of leadership, and complexities between the management and leadership within the early childhood field. Rodd (2006) identifies the need for the early childhood profession to become more active in up skilling early childhood professionals with leadership skills. Rodd stresses the importance of leadership development by saying It is necessary to nurture and train leaders within the early childhood profession and to empower the early childhood field from grass roots up. Rodd also suggest that early childhood professionals need to see themselves as leaders and to take the challenges in facilitating high quality early childhood services for children and the families. Leadership in early childhood is an insightful book which provides a field specific knowledge and understanding of what is leadership within the early childhood context. Critical summaries and application The typology of the leader follower relationship proposed by Kellerman allows the leaders to identify, to determine, and to appreciate the differences of their followers. Kellerman (2007) uses leader follower engagement as the defining factor and identifies five types of followers: followers who are completely detached as isolates; bystanders as free riders, participants who are willing to make an impact by some level of participation, activists who are very much engaged in what is happening; and diehards who are very much engaged that they are willing to go down with the ship or throw the captain overboard. Perhaps this is very much true in early childhood contexts where identifying people who would fit into any one of these categories is easy to find. Although Kellermans emphasis on leaders having to know the followers could have positive impact on leadership success, it could be suggested that the followers too need to know their leaders and their expectation in becoming effective group members. Warren Bennis cited in Dubrin,Dalglish,Miller (2006) suggest that a key role of the followers is to collaborate with their leaders to achieve organisational goals through team work: a new kind of alliance between the leaders and the led (pp.472-473) Hard (2006), identifies the lack of understanding of what leadership is within the early childhood field, and states that until recently, leadership had not been widely researched in early childhood education and care. According to Hard(2006), , leadership involves influencing people, situations and role responsibilities and relationships specific to each context within which they operate. Leadership also requires meeting the needs of the people, and managing the resources and power in a profitable manner. Hard also suggests that: management and leadership are interrelated concepts and a clear separation is not necessarily possible or desirable. Management positions often do incorporate some leadership skills however; most often leadership in early childhood involves management duties. Hard suggest perhaps the essence of the term leadership articulates the notion of creating positive change in organisations. Rodd (2006), identifies that the development of leadership skills continues to be a vital and critical challenge for early childhood practitioners in providing culturally and socially responsive early childhood contexts for young children and their families. Rodd unpicks the leadership in early childhood contexts and encapsulates the uniqueness of each early childhood setting and how it makes it difficult to specifically define leadership broadly and exclusively. According to Rodd, developing relationships and teamwork seems to be enhancing affective leaders within the early childhood settings. Trust, sharing collaboration and empowerment are believed to be contributing factors in developing leadership in early childhood settings. Rodd also explores who the leaders are in the early childhood contexts; functions of leaders in the early childhood field and many other factors unique and significant to early childhood contexts. An important point made by Rodd includes the need for early childhood professional to have leadership dispositions as they are required to implement and ensure Regulatory and Quality Assurance expectations within the early childhood contexts. This requires all early childhood educators to possess an understanding of essentials of leadership skills specific to the early childhood field. Another important point Rodd makes is that leadership skills are to be necessary and equally important as the curriculum knowledge pursued by the early childhood practitioners. Reviewing leadership theories and literature provides an understanding that earlier leadership theories lack the significance and the applicability to the early childhood contexts. Early childhood contexts are mainly occupied and managed by women and often the management and leadership involves joint and shared leadership approaches and characteristics uniquely preferred by women. Women often feel the need for intimacy, flexibility, individualised organisational strategies and processes, and the ethos of collaboration and collective success for all within the environment (Rodd, 2006, Dubrin,Dalglish,Miller2006). Early childhood leadership focuses on influencing people rather than using power and authority. These characteristics are seen as more suited, and perhaps unique to the early childhood field (Rodd, 2006) Looking from Kellers (2007) point of view, it is important for leaders to know who they are leading and their aspirations, in becoming better leaders. The relationship between leaders and the people they are leading is not single sided and not all followers are the same. Followers like leaders too, act upon individual self interests, and therefore, should not be treated as one. Although the followers may lack authority like their leaders, they possess power and influence to make change happen. Perhaps it would be beneficial to look at educational leadership from a different perspective. Looking from Senge (1990) and Argris and Schon (1996) and other learning organisation perspectives, educational leadership requires leaders to create an environment where the individuals have the opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogues to reflect, expose and to test and improve mental models in achieving better organisational outcomes for all involved. Leading educational contexts therefore requires leaders to be able to manage and to lead the most valuable asset of the organisation which is its people. Peoples skills and knowledge: the knowledge economy, is the value of the organisation. People are not just the cogwheels of machines anymore, and they are seen as active participants who contribute to the organisational goals and outcomes through participative and distributive leadership. The implication of this knowledge economy seems to be that it requires the managers and the leaders to take the leadership stance where they are to define and provide the purpose and value for the tasks assigned. Managers need to focus on nurturing and in developing skills of the work force and inspire positive outcomes for the individuals, the organisation, and the community within which they operate (Dubrin,Dalglish,Miller 2006). Peter Drucker states: The most valuable assets of a 20th-century company were its production equipment. The most valua ble asset of a 21st-century institution, whether business or non-business, will be its knowledgeable workers and their productivity. (Drucker 1999) [URL]. As mentioned above, the purpose of an early childhood service is to provide quality care and education for young children. Developing leadership for reflective practice and change is a key role for the early childhood professionals. Change is constant and is one of the few uncertainties in everyones life (Ebbeck Waniganayake, 2003). In early childhood contexts, reflective practice allows individuals: to adapt; respond to problems and difficulties; to be flexible; to question traditional or established practices; to question individual practices; and to question ideas or methods in order to develop new understandings, and then to apply them. it is important for the leaders to remember that the actions and styles of a leader, interactions, values and beliefs influence the people they lead and determine how they respond to the leader. Leadership in early childhood also involves transforming the mind sets and responding to change required by both internal and external constraints.(Rodd, 2006). Effective change is the ability to adapt to the changing circumstances. The planning for and implementation of the change is one of the major challenges that face the early childhood leaders (Saracho,1992). The four frameworks: Structural, Symbolic, Human Resources and Political Frames, as described by Bowman and Deal (2008) encourage leaders to look at situations differently and to effectively manage change. Traditional leadership theories have provided with multiple lenses to view varying aspects of management and leadership characteristics people use in different situations and institutions. It has contributed to the understanding of management and leadership perspectives, the roles and the responsibilities of leaders, and to be able to apply theoretical knowledge appropriately in achieving better outcomes in educational contexts. Theoretical understanding enables the leaders to use it wisely as a guiding factor in approaches to management and leadership within the educational contexts.

Adverse Impacts of Landscape Fragmentation on Biodiversity :: Environmental Ecosystems Essays

Adverse Impacts of Landscape Fragmentation on Biodiversity Landscape fragmentation can impose devastating and irreversible consequences on the biodiversity of ecosystems. Because of the conflicting interests between ecology and human economic benefit, it has become increasingly important to find solutions for a harmonic balance. It is imperative for people to recognize the impacts of biodiversity loss and increased extinction of many species. These impacts must be understood in order to protect landscapes and the immense biodiversity they contain. Raising environmental consciousness through education and public cooperative efforts, as well as promoting resource conservation and changing consumptive patterns, are just a few ways that we can begin to protect biodiversity. What is landscape fragmentation? Landscape fragmentation can be characterized as a break up of a continuous landscape into more smaller, less-connected patches by roads, clearing for agriculture, commercial and residential development, and timber harvesting. Clear-cutting can break up mature, contiguous forest until the clear-cut area has regenerated to a point that it does not act as an ecological barrier to interior species or species that rely on continuous, mature forests. Much of the work that has sought to measure landscape pattern and habitat fragmentation comes out of the disciplines of conservation biology and landscape ecology (Theobald 1998). These disciplines are founded on the premise that landscape patterns strongly influence and are influenced by ecological processes (Forman and Godron 1986). How does landscape fragmentation affect species diversity? Landscape fragmentation contributes to loss of migratory corridors, loss of connectivity and natural communities, which all lead to a loss of biodiversity for a region. Conservation of biodiversity must include all levels of diversity: genetic, species, community, and landscape (CNHP 1995). Each complex level is dependent upon and linked to the other levels. In addition, humans are linked to all levels of this hierarchy. A healthy natural and human environment go hand in hand (CNHP 1995). An important step in conservation planning, in order to guarantee both a healthy natural environment as well as a healthy human environment, is recognizing the most endangered elements. Biodiversity is influenced by landscape fragmentation at various scales of space and time. The extinction of ecosystem types and component species may cause an increased patchiness of the landscape, resulting in lower population sizes and decreased connectivity. As a result, inhabitants may experience decreased dispersal abilities and lowered gene flows between populations.

A Dirty Job Chapter 25

25 THE RHYTHM OF LOST AND FOUND The Emperor was camped in some bushes near an open culvert that drained into Lobos Creek in the Presidio, the land point on the San Francisco side of the Golden Gate where forts had stood from the time of the Spanish, but had recently been turned into a park. The Emperor had wandered the city for days, calling into storm drains, following the sound of his lost soldier's barking. The faithful retriever Lazarus had led him here, one of the few drains in the city where the Boston terrier might be able to exit without being washed into the Bay. They camped under a camouflage poncho and waited. Mercifully, it hadn't rained since Bummer had chased the squirrel into the storm sewer, but dark clouds had been bubbling over the City for two days now, and whether or not they were bringing rain, they made the Emperor fear for his city. â€Å"Ah, Lazarus,† said the Emperor, scratching his charge behind the ears, â€Å"if we had even half the courage of our small comrade, we would go into that drain and find him. But what are we without him, our courage, our valor? Steady and righteous we may be, my friend, but without courage to risk ourselves for our brother, we are but politicians – blustering whores to rhetoric.† Lazarus growled low and hunkered back under the poncho. The sun had just set, but the Emperor could see movement back in the culvert. As he climbed to his feet, the six-foot pipe was filled with a creature that crawled out and virtually unfolded in the creekbed – a huge, bullheaded thing, with eyes that glowed green and wings that unfurled like leathery umbrellas. As they watched the creature took three steps and leapt into the twilight sky, his wings beating like the sails of a death ship. The Emperor shuddered, and considered for a moment moving their camp into the City proper, perhaps passing the night on Market Street, with people and policemen streaming by, but then he heard the faintest barking coming from deep in the culvert. Audrey was showing them around the Buddhist center, which, except for the office in the front, and a living room that had been turned into a meditation room, looked very much like any other sprawling Victorian home. Austere and Oriental in its decor, yes, and perhaps the smell of incense permeating it, but still, just a big old house. â€Å"It's just a big old house, really,† she said, leading them into the kitchen. Minty Fresh was making Audrey feel a little uncomfortable. He kept picking at bits of duct-tape adhesive that had stuck to the sleeve of his green jacket, and giving Audrey a look like he was saying, This better come out when it's dry-cleaned or it's your ass. His size alone was intimidating, but now a series of large knots were rising on his forehead where he'd smacked the doorway, and he looked vaguely like a Klingon warrior, except for the pastel-green suit, of course. Maybe the agent for a Klingon warrior. â€Å"So,† he said, â€Å"if the squirrel people thought I was a bad guy, why did they save me from the sewer harpy in the train last week? They attacked her and gave me time to get away.† Audrey shrugged. â€Å"I don't know. They were supposed to just watch you and report back. They must have seen that what was after you was much worse than you. They are human, at heart, you know.† She paused in front of the pantry door and turned to them. She hadn't seen the debacle in the street, but Esther had been watching through the window and had told her what had happened – about the womanlike creatures that had been coming after Charlie. Evidently these strange men were allies of a sort, practicing what she had taken on as her holy work: helping souls to move to their next existence. But the method? Could she trust them? â€Å"So, from what you guys are saying, there are thousands of humans walking around without souls?† â€Å"Millions, probably,† Charlie said. â€Å"Maybe that explains the last election,† she said, trying to buy time. â€Å"You said you could see if people had one,† said Minty Fresh. He was right, but she'd seen the soulless and never thought about their sheer numbers, and what happened when the dead didn't match with the born. She shook her head. â€Å"So the transfer of souls depends on material acquisition? That's just so – I don't know – sleazy.† â€Å"Audrey, believe me,† Charlie said, â€Å"we're both as baffled by the mechanics of it as you are, and we're instruments of it.† She looked at Charlie, really looked at him. He was telling the truth. He had come here to do the right thing. She threw open the pantry door and the red light spilled out on them. The pantry was nearly as big as a modern bedroom, and every shelf from floor to ceiling and most of the floor space was covered with glowing soul vessels. â€Å"Jeez,† Charlie said. â€Å"I got as many as I could – or, the squirrel people did.† Minty Fresh ducked into the pantry and stood in front of a shelf full of CDs and records. He grabbed a handful and started shuffling through them, then turned to her, holding up a half-dozen CD cases fanned out. â€Å"These are from my store.† â€Å"Yes. We got all of them,† Audrey said. â€Å"You broke into my store.† â€Å"She kept them from the bad guys, Minty,† Charlie said, stepping in the pantry. â€Å"She probably saved them, maybe saved us.† â€Å"No way, man, none of this would be happening if it wasn't for her.† â€Å"No, it was always going to happen. I saw it in the other Great Big Book, in Arizona.† â€Å"I was just trying to help them,† Audrey said. Charlie was staring at the CDs in Minty's hand. He seemed to have fallen into some sort of trance, and reached out and took the CDs as if he were moving through some thick liquid – then shuffled away all but one, which he just stared at, then flipped over to look at the back. He sat down hard in the pantry and Audrey caught his head to keep him from bumping it on the shelf behind him. â€Å"Charlie,† she said. â€Å"Are you okay?† Minty Fresh squatted down next to Charlie and looked at the CD – reached for it, but Charlie pulled it away. Minty looked at Audrey. â€Å"It's his wife,† he said. Audrey could see the name Rachel Asher scratched into the back of the CD case and she felt her heart breaking for poor Charlie. She put her arms around him. â€Å"I'm so sorry, Charlie. I'm so sorry.† Tears splattered on the CD case and Charlie wouldn't look up. Minty Fresh stood and cleared his throat, his face clear of any rage or accusation. He seemed almost ashamed. â€Å"Audrey, I've been driving around the City for days, I could sure use a place to lie down if you have it.† She nodded, her face against Charlie's back. â€Å"Ask Esther, she'll show you.† Minty Fresh ducked out of the pantry. Audrey held Charlie and rocked him for a long time, and even though he was lost in the world of that CD that held the love of his life, and she was outside, crouched in a pantry that glowed red with cosmic bric-a-brac, she cried with him. After an hour passed, or maybe it was three, because that's the way time is in grief and love, Charlie turned to her and said, â€Å"Do I have a soul?† â€Å"What?† she said. â€Å"You said you could see people's souls glowing in them – do I have a soul?† â€Å"Yes, Charlie. Yes, you have a soul.† He nodded, turning away from her again, but pushing back against her. â€Å"You want it?† he said. â€Å"Nah, I'm good,† she said. But she wasn't. She took the CD out of his hand, pried his hands off of it, really, and put it with the others. â€Å"Let's let Rachel rest and go in the other room.† â€Å"Okay,† Charlie said. He let her help him up. Upstairs, in a little room with cushions all over the floor and pictures of the Buddha reclining amid lotuses, they sat and talked by candlelight. They'd shared their histories, of how they had come to be where they were, what they were, and with that out of the way, they talked about their losses. â€Å"I've seen it again and again,† Charlie said. â€Å"More with men than with women, but definitely with both – a wife or husband dies, and it's like the survivor is roped to him like a mountain climber who's fallen into a crevasse. If the survivor can't let go – cut them loose, I guess – the dead will drag them right into the grave. I think that would have happened to me, if it wasn't for Sophie, and maybe even becoming a Death Merchant. There was something bigger than me going on, something bigger than my pain. That's the only reason I made it this far.† â€Å"Faith,† Audrey said. â€Å"Whatever that is. It's funny, when Esther came to me, she was angry. Dying and angry – she said that she'd believed in Jesus all her life, now she was dying and He said she was going to live forever.† â€Å"So you told her, ‘Sucks to be you, Esther.'† Audrey threw a cushion at him. She liked the way that he could find the silliness in such dark territory. â€Å"No, I told her that He told her that she'd live forever, but He didn't say how. Her faith hadn't been betrayed at all, she just needed to open to a broader understanding.† â€Å"Which was total bullshit,† Charlie said. Another cushion bounced off his forehead. â€Å"No, it wasn't moo-poo. If anyone should understand the significance of the book not covering everything in detail, it should be you – us.† â€Å"You can't say ‘bullshit,' can you?† Audrey felt herself blush and was glad they were in the dim orange candlelight. â€Å"I'm talking faith, over here, you want to give me a break?† â€Å"Sorry. I know – or, I think I know what you mean. I mean, I know that there's some sort of order to all this, but I don't know how someone can reconcile, say, a Catholic upbringing with a Tibetan Book of the Dead, with a Great Big Book of Death, secondhand dealers selling objects with human souls, and vicious raven women in the sewers. The more I know, the less I understand. I'm just doing.† â€Å"Well, the Bardo Thodrol talks about hundreds of monsters you will encounter as your consciousness makes its journey into death and rebirth, but you're instructed to ignore them, as they are illusions, your own fears trying to keep your consciousness from moving on. They can't really harm you.† â€Å"I think this may be something they left out of the book, Audrey, because I've seen them, I've fought with them, wrenched souls out of their grasp, watched them take bullets and get hit by cars and keep going – they are definitely not illusions and they definitely can hurt you. The Great Big Book isn't clear about the specifics, but it definitely talks about the Forces of Darkness trying to take over our world, and how the Luminatus will rise and do battle with them.† â€Å"Luminatus?† Audrey said. â€Å"Something to do with light?† â€Å"The big Death,† Charlie said. â€Å"Death with a capital D. Sort of the Kahuna, the Big Cheese, the Boss Death. Like Minty and the other Death Merchants would be Santa's helpers, the Luminatus would be Santa.† â€Å"Santa Claus is the big Death?!† Audrey said, wide-eyed. â€Å"No, that's just an example – † Charlie saw she was trying not to laugh. â€Å"Hey, I've been bruised and electrocuted and tied up and traumatized tonight.† â€Å"So my seduction strategy is working?† Audrey grinned. Charlie was flustered. â€Å"I didn't – I wasn't – was I staring at your breasts? Because if I was, it was totally by accident, because, you know – there they were, and – â€Å" â€Å"Shh.† She reached over and put her finger on his lips to shush him. â€Å"Charlie, I feel very close to you right now, and very connected to you right now, and I want to keep that connection going, but I'm exhausted, and I don't think I can talk anymore. I think I'd like you to come to bed with me.† â€Å"Really? Are you sure?† â€Å"Am I sure? I haven't had sex in fourteen years – and if you'd asked me yesterday, I'd have told you that I'd rather face one of your raven monsters than go to bed with a man, but now I'm here, with you, and I'm as sure as I've ever been of anything.† She smiled, then looked away. â€Å"I mean, if you are.† Charlie took her hand. â€Å"Yeah,† he said. â€Å"But I was going to tell you something important.† â€Å"Can't it wait till morning?† â€Å"Sure.† They spent the night in each other's arms, and whatever fears or insecurities they had been feeling turned out to be illusions. Loneliness evaporated off of them like the steam off dry ice, and by morning it was just a cloud on the ceiling of the room, then gone with the light. During the night someone had picked up the dining-room table and cleaned up the mess Minty Fresh had made when he crashed through the kitchen door. He was sitting at the table when Charlie came down. â€Å"They towed my car,† said Minty Fresh. â€Å"There's coffee.† â€Å"Thanks.† Charlie skipped across the dining room to the kitchen. He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down with Minty. â€Å"How's your head?† The big man touched the purple bruise on his forehead. â€Å"Better. How're you doing?† â€Å"I accidentally shagged a monk last night.† â€Å"Sometimes, in times of crisis, that shit cannot be avoided. How are you doing besides that?† â€Å"I feel wonderful.† â€Å"Yeah, imagine the rest of us all bummed about the end of the world, not being cheerful.† â€Å"Not the end of the world, just darkness over everything,† Charlie cheerfully said. â€Å"It gets dark – turn on a light.† â€Å"Good for you, Charlie. Now ‘scuse me, I got to go get my car out of impound before you start with the whole ‘if life gives you lemons you make lemonade' speech and I have to beat you senseless.† (It's true, there is little more obnoxious than a Beta Male in love. So conditioned is he to the idea that he will never find love, that when he does, he feels as if the entire world has fallen into step with his desires – and thus deluded, he may act accordingly. It's a time of great joy and danger for him.) â€Å"Wait, we can share a cab. I have to go home and get my date book.† â€Å"Me, too. I left mine on the front seat of the car. You know those two clients I missed – they're here. Alive.† â€Å"Audrey told me,† Charlie said. â€Å"There's six of them altogether. She did that p'howa of undying thing on them. Obviously that's what's been causing the cosmic shit storm, but what can we do? We can't kill them.† â€Å"No, I think it's what you said. The battle is going to happen here in San Francisco and it's going to happen now. And since you're the Luminatus, I guess this whole thing is riding on your shoulders. So I'd say we're doomed.† â€Å"Maybe not. I mean, every time they've almost gotten me, something or someone has intervened to pull out a victory. I think destiny is on our side. I feel very optimistic about this.† â€Å"That's just because you just shagged the monk,† said Minty. â€Å"I'm not a monk,† said Audrey, bounding into the room with a sheaf of papers in hand. â€Å"Oh, shit,† said the Death Merchants in unison. â€Å"No, it's okay,† Audrey said. â€Å"He did shag me, or, I think more appropriately – we shagged – but I'm not a monk anymore. Not because of the shagging, you know, it was a preshag decision.† She threw her papers on the table and climbed into Charlie's lap. â€Å"Hey, good-looking, how's your morning going?† She gave him a backbreaking kiss and entwined him like a starfish trying to open an oyster until Minty Fresh cleared his throat and she turned to him. â€Å"And good morning to you, Mr. Fresh.† â€Å"Yes. Thank you.† Minty leaned to the side so he could see Charlie. â€Å"Whether they were here for you, or for our clients who didn't die, they'll be back, you know that?† â€Å"The Morrigan?† said Audrey. â€Å"Huh,† said the Death Merchants, again in chorus. â€Å"You guys are so cute,† Audrey gushed. â€Å"They're called the Morrigan. Raven women – personifications of death in the form of beautiful warrior women who can change into birds. There are three of them, all part of the same collective queen of the Underworld known as the Morrigan.† Charlie leaned back from her so he could look her in the eye. â€Å"How do you know that?† â€Å"I just looked it up on the Internet.† Audrey climbed out of Charlie's lap, picked up the papers on the table, and began to read. â€Å"‘The Morrigan consists of three distinct entities: Macha, who haunts the battlefield, and takes heads of warriors as tribute in battle – she is said to be able to heal a warrior from mortal wounds in the field, if his men have offered enough heads to her. The Celtic warriors called the severed heads Macha's acorns. She is considered the mother goddess of the three. Babd is rage, the passion of battle and killing – she was said to collect the seed of fallen warriors, and use its power to inspire a sexual frenzy for battle, a literal bloodlust. And Nemain, who is frenzy, was said to drive soldiers into battle with a howl so fierce that it could cause enemy soldiers to die of fright – her claws were venomous and the mere prick of one would kill a soldier, but she would fling the venom into the eyes of enemy soldie rs to blind them.'† â€Å"That's them,† said Minty Fresh. â€Å"I saw venom come from the claws of the one on the BART.† â€Å"Yeah,† Charlie said, â€Å"and I think I remember Babd – the bloodlust one. That's them. I have to talk to Lily. I sent her to Berkeley to find out about them, but she came back with nothing. She must have not even looked.† â€Å"Yeah, ask her if she's seeing anybody,† Minty Fresh said. To Audrey: â€Å"Did it say how you kill them? What their weaknesses are?† Audrey shook her head. â€Å"Just that warriors took dogs into battle to protect against the Morrigan.† â€Å"Dogs,† Charlie echoed. â€Å"That explains why my daughter got the hellhounds to protect her. I'm telling you, Fresh, we're going to be okay. Destiny is on our side.† â€Å"Yeah, you said that. Call us a cab.† â€Å"I wonder why of all the different gods and demons in the Underworld, the Celtic ones are here.† â€Å"Maybe they're all here,† Minty said. â€Å"I had a crazy Indian tell me once that I was the son of Anubis, the Egyptian jackal-headed god of the dead.† â€Å"That's great!† Charlie said. â€Å"A jackal – that's a type of dog. You have natural abilities to battle the Morrigan, see.† Minty looked at Audrey. â€Å"If you don't do something to disappoint him and mellow his ass out, I'm going to shoot him.† â€Å"Oh yeah,† Charlie said. â€Å"Can I still borrow one of your big guns?† Minty unfolded to his feet. â€Å"I'm going outside to call a cab and wait, Charlie. If you're coming, you better start saying good-bye now, because I'm leaving when it gets here.† â€Å"Swell,† Charlie said, looking adoringly at Audrey. â€Å"I think we're safe in the daylight anyway.† â€Å"Monk shagger,† Minty growled as he ducked under the doorway. Auntie Cassie let Charlie into their small home in the Marina district and Sophie called off the greeting hump of devil dogs almost as soon as it started. â€Å"Daddy!† Charlie swept Sophie up in his arms and squeezed her until she started to change color; then, when Jane came out of the kitchen, he grabbed her in his other arm and hugged her as well. â€Å"Uh, let go,† Jane said, pushing him away. â€Å"You smell like incense.† â€Å"Oh, Jane, I can't believe it, she's so wonderful.† â€Å"He got laid,† Cassandra said. â€Å"You got laid?† Jane said, kissing her brother on the cheek. â€Å"I'm so happy for you. Now let me go.† â€Å"Daddy got laid,† Sophie said to the hellhounds, who seemed very happy at hearing the news. â€Å"No, not laid,† Charlie said, and there was a collective sigh of disappointment. â€Å"Well, yes, laid,† and there was a collective sigh of relief, â€Å"but that's not the thing. The thing is she's wonderful. She's gorgeous, and kind, and sweet, and – â€Å" â€Å"Charlie,† Jane interrupted, â€Å"you called us and told us that there was some great danger and we had to go get Sophie and protect her, and you were going on a date?† â€Å"No, no, there was – is danger, at least in the dark, and I did need you to get Sophie, but I met someone.† â€Å"Daddy got laid!† Sophie cheered again. â€Å"Honey, we don't say that, okay,† Charlie said. â€Å"Auntie Jane and Auntie Cassie shouldn't say that either. It's not nice.† â€Å"Like ‘kitty' and ‘not in the butt'?† â€Å"Exactly, honey.† â€Å"Okay, Daddy. So it wasn't nice?† â€Å"Daddy has to go to our house and get his date book, pumpkin, we'll talk about this later. Give me a kiss.† Sophie gave him a huge hug and a kiss and Charlie thought that he might cry. For so long she had been his only future, his only joy, and now he had this other joy, and he wanted to share it with her. â€Å"I'll come right back, okay?† â€Å"Okay. Let me down.† Charlie let her slide to the floor and she ran off to another part of the house. â€Å"So it wasn't nice?† Jane asked. â€Å"I'm sorry, Jane. This is really crazy. I hate that I put you guys in the middle of it. I didn't mean to scare you.† Jane thumped him in the arm. â€Å"So it was nice?† â€Å"It was really nice,† Charlie said, breaking into a grin. â€Å"She's really nice. She's so nice I miss Mom.† â€Å"Lost me,† Cassandra said. â€Å"Because I'd like Mom to see that I'm doing okay. That I met someone who's good for me. Who's going to be good for Sophie.† â€Å"Whoa, don't jump the gun, there, tiger,† Jane said. â€Å"You just met this woman, you need to slow down – and remember, this comes from someone whose typical second date is moving a woman in.† â€Å"Slut,† Cassie murmured. â€Å"I mean it, Jane. She's amazing.† Cassie looked at Jane. â€Å"You were right, he really did need to get laid.† â€Å"That's not it!† Charlie's cell rang. â€Å"Excuse me, guys.† He flipped it open. â€Å"Asher, what the hell have you done?† It was Lily. She was crying. â€Å"What the hell have you let loose?† â€Å"What, Lily? What?† â€Å"It was just here. The front window of the shop is gone. Gone! It just came in, ripped through the shop, and took all of your soul thingies. Loaded them into a bag and flew away. Fuck, Asher. I mean FUCK! This thing was huge, and fucking hideous.† â€Å"Yeah, Lily, are you okay? Is Ray okay?† â€Å"Yeah, I'm okay. Ray didn't come in. I ran into the back when it came through the window. It wasn't interested in anything but that shelf. Asher, it was as big as a bull and it fucking flew!† She sounded like she was on the edge of hysteria. â€Å"Hold on, Lily. Stay there and I'll come to you. Go in the back room and don't open the door until you hear me, okay.† â€Å"Asher, what the fuck was that thing?† â€Å"I don't know, Lily.† The bullheaded Death flew into the culvert and immediately fell to all fours to move through the pipe, dragging the bag of souls behind him. Not for much longer – he would not crawl much longer. The time had come, Orcus could feel it. He could feel them converging on the City – the City where he had staked his territory so many years ago – his city. Still, they would come, and they would try to take what was rightfully his. All of the old gods of death: Yama and Anubis and Mors, Thanatos and Charon and Mahakala, Azrael and Emma-O and Ahkoh, Balor, Erebos, and Nyx – dozens of them, gods born of the energy of Man's greatest fear, the fear of death – all of them coming to rise as the leader of darkness and the dead, as the Luminatus. But he had come here first, and with Morrigan, he would become the one. But first he had to marshal his forces, heal the Morrigan, and take down the wretched human soul stealers of the City. The satchel of souls would go a long way toward healing his brides. He marched into the grotto where the great ship was moored and leapt into the air, the beat of his great leathery wings like a war drum, echoing off the grotto walls and sending bats to the wing, swirling around the ship's masts in great clouds. The Morrigan, torn and broken, were waiting for him on the deck. â€Å"What did I tell you?† Babd said. â€Å"It's really not that great Above, huh? I, for one, could do without cars altogether.† Jane drove while Charlie fired out phone calls on his cell, first to Rivera, then to Minty Fresh. Within a half an hour they were all standing in Charlie's store, or the wreckage that had been Charlie's store, and uniformed policemen had taped off the sidewalk until someone could get the glass swept up. â€Å"The tourists have to love this,† Nick Cavuto said, gnawing an unlit cigar. â€Å"Right on the cable-car line. Perfect.† Rivera was sitting in the back room interviewing Lily while Charlie, Jane, and Cassandra tried to sort through the mess and put things back on their shelves. Minty Fresh stood by the front door, wearing shades, looking entirely too cool for the destruction that lay strewn around him. Sophie was content to sit in the corner and feed shoes to Alvin and Mohammed. â€Å"So,† Cavuto said to Charlie, â€Å"some kind of flying monster came through your window and you thought this would be a good place to bring your kid?† Charlie turned to the big cop and leaned on the counter. â€Å"Tell me, Detective, in your professional opinion, what procedure should I use in dealing with robbery by a flying monster? What the fuck is the SFPD giant-fucking-flying-monster protocol, Detective?† Cavuto stood staring at Charlie as if he'd had water thrown in his face, not really angry, just very surprised. Finally, he grinned around his cigar, and said, â€Å"Mr. Asher, I am going to go outside and smoke, call in to the dispatcher, and have her look that particular protocol up. You have stumped me. Would you tell my partner where I've gone?† â€Å"I'll do that,† Charlie said. He went into the office with Lily and Rivera and said, â€Å"Rivera, can I get some police protection here at my apartment – officers with shotguns?† Rivera nodded, patting Lily on the hand as he looked away. â€Å"I can give you two, Charlie, but not for longer than twenty-four hours. You sure you don't want to get out of town?† â€Å"Upstairs we have the security bars and steel doors, we have the hellhounds and Minty Fresh's weapons, and besides, they've already been here. I have a feeling they got what they came for, but the cops would make me feel better.† Lily looked at Charlie. She was in total mascara meltdown and had smudged her lipstick halfway across her face. â€Å"I'm sorry, I thought I would handle it better than this. It was so scary. It wasn't mysterious and cool, it was horrible. The eyes and the teeth – I peed, Asher. I'm sorry.† â€Å"Don't be sorry, kid. You did fine. I'm glad you had the sense to get out of its way.† â€Å"Asher, if you're the Luminatus, that thing must be your competition.† â€Å"What? What is that?† Rivera said. â€Å"It's her weird Gothy stuff, Inspector. Don't worry about it,† Charlie said. He looked through to the door and saw Minty Fresh standing at the front of the shop, looking at him, shrugging, as if saying, Well? So Charlie asked: â€Å"Hey, Lily, are you seeing anyone?† Lily wiped her nose on the sleeve of her chef ‘s coat. â€Å"Look, Asher – I, uh – I'm going to have to withdraw that offer I made you. I mean, after Ray, I'm not sure I really ever want to do that again. Ever.† â€Å"I wasn't asking for me, Lily.† Charlie nodded toward the towering Fresh. â€Å"Oh,† Lily said, following his gaze, now wiping her eyes with her sleeves. â€Å"Oh. Fuck. Cover for me, I've got to regroup.† She dashed into the employee washroom and slammed the door. Rivera looked at Charlie. â€Å"What the hell is going on here?† Charlie was going to try to come up with some kind of answer when his cell phone rang and he held up his finger to pause time. â€Å"Charlie Asher,† he said. â€Å"Charlie, it's Audrey,† came the whispered voice. â€Å"They're here, right now. The Morrigan are here.†