CORPORAL PUNISHMENT

There is evidence that punitive parents produce more aggressive children than less punitive parents. Therefore, should all parents give up punishments as a method of discipline for their children. Why?

There is evidence that punitive parents produce more aggressive children than less punitive parents.  However, that doesn’t mean parents should give up punishments as a method of discipline for their children but rather parents should look into what type of punishment or effective discipline method is needed in order to guide and teach their children.

Good guidance and discipline are not always easy for most parents. Sometimes parents don’t know what is best to do.  Discipline is a way to correct and to teach children. It needs to make sense to them. It must help them feel good about themselves. It needs to give them a chance to correct their mistakes.  Guidance is not punishment. Punishment only tells children that they are bad. For instance, spanking our children doesn’t teach them what they should do. It may teach them that it is all right to hit people. We need to have a few simple rules, making sure that our children understand them, and stick to them. We need to explain to them what will happen or what will be the consequences if they break a rule.

The purpose of punishment is to stop a child from doing what you don't want - and using a painful or unpleasant method to stop him.

There are basically four kinds of punishment: 1) physical punishment - slapping, spanking, switching, paddling, and using a belt or hair brush;  2) verbal punishment - shaming, ridiculing, using cruel words, saying "I don't love you."; 3) withholding rewards - "You can't watch TV if you don't do your homework."; and 4) penalties - "You broke the window so you will have to pay for it with money from your allowance."

The first two kinds of punishment, physical and verbal, are not considered to be effective discipline methods. The other two, withholding rewards and giving penalties, can be used either as effective discipline methods or as punishment - depending on how parents administer them.

Why Physical Punishment Doesn't Work

Physical punishment usually doesn't work for several reasons. First, it makes the child hate himself and others. Physical punishment makes the child think that there must be something awfully wrong with him to be treated so badly. If children think they are "bad," then they will act "bad." A vicious cycle is formed. The child who has been treated harshly has no reason to be good. Or he may be good just to keep from being punished and not learn to be good because he thinks it is the right thing to do.

Parents who use physical punishment are setting an example of using violence to settle problems or solve conflicts, Children imitate their parents' behavior. When parents use physical punishment, children are more likely to use violent acts to settle their conflicts with others.

Using Consequences as a Form of Discipline

Letting children experience the consequences of their decisions is an "unperturbed" way to discipline young people. Children learn from their experiences, just like adults. We call it learning the "hard way." The child learns that every act has a consequence for which he is responsible. Parents can declare that the consequence of not coming to the dinner table in time to eat is that the child does not eat his dinner that evening. Hunger is a natural consequence of not eating. If the child complains, mother can say, "I'm sorry you feel hungry now. It's too bad, but you'll have to wait for breakfast." The child who experiences the unpleasant consequences of his behavior will be less likely to act that way again.

CONCLUSION

It is therefore concluded that although there is evidence that punitive parents produce more aggressive children than less punitive parents, all parents should not give up punishments for their children but rather select the best effective discipline methods or as punishment in teaching children how they should behave.  The guidance that works best is fair, should be consistent, sensitive, and last but not the least loving.

Keeping Commitments

Of all behaviors, keeping commitments is the number 1 "Big Key". It's the quickest way to build trust in any relationship - be it with an employee, a boss, a team member, a customer, a supplier, a spouse, a child, a friend, or the public in general.  Along this line, its opposite is to break commitments or violate promises, is without question, the quickest way to destroy TRUST.

Keeping commitments involves making promises, as well as keeping them.  It is likewise said and done that when we make commitments, we build hope; when we keep it, we build trust.  So when we violate our commitments, we know the impact or considerations that attached to it.  It is then vital to be careful with the commitments/promises we make.

However, the counterfeit or sham of this behavior is to make commitments that are so vague or elusive that nobody can pin us down or even worse to be so afraid of breaking commitments that you don't even make any of it in the first place. 

Keeping commitments is based on the principles of integrity, performance, courage, and humility.  It's the perfect balance of character and competence.  Particularly, it involves integrity (character) and your ability to do what you say you're going to do (competence).

When it comes to dealing with a commitment to clients, people tend to be more rigid.  But when it comes to family commitments, they tend to be more flexible.  Simply because they're trying to provide for their families  and usually they tend to justify breaking those commitments more easily. 

Because keeping commitments has such an impact on trust and because it is so vital to a thriving family culture, it is wise to keep in mind that commitments to family members are often the most important commitments of all.

Also, making and keeping commitments to ourselves is the key to success in making and keeping commitments to others.  That's where it all starts, and that's what gives us the power and confidence - the Self Trust - that enables us to  build trust with other.

What is Success?

In my readings, and in my own experience being an adult, I found a lot of intricacies on the article about success. But what struck me most are the ten (10) quotes that each, in my opinion, gives a key insight into what success really means.

Doing What You Love

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer

Following Your Own Path

A successful life is one that is lived through understanding and pursuing one’s own path, not chasing after the dreams of others. - Chin-Ning Chu

Living Each Moment

Life is a succession of moments. To live each one is to succeed. - Corita Kent

Overcoming Obstacles

Success is not measured by what a man accomplishes, but by the opposition he has encountered and the courage with which he has maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds. - Charles Lindbergh

Treating People Well

Never lose sight of the fact that the most important yardstick of your success will be how you treat other people — your family, friends, and co-workers, and even strangers you meet along the way. - Barbara Bush

Excelling in Multiple Areas of Your Life

I believe that being successful means having a balance of success stories across the many areas of your life. You can’t truly be considered successful in your business life if your home life is in shambles. - Zig Ziglar

Doing Your Best

The man who has done his level best, and who is conscious that he has done his best, is a success, even though the world may write him down as a failure. - B.C. Forbes

Seeking and Finding Love

The person who tries to live alone will not succeed as a human being. His heart withers if it does not answer another heart. His mind shrinks away if he hears only the echoes of his own thoughts and finds no other inspiration. - Pearl S. Buck

Leaving the World a Better Place

What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal. - Albert Pike

Success is Many Things

To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded. - Bessie Stanley

Does one of the above quotes hold a special significance to you?

In your opinion, are these the only important ingredients in attaining success?

Why God is Very Benevolent?

All Muslims all over the world believe that  God Almighty is transcendent and beyond all physical limitations of man, so through the medium of an angel, God causes His command to be revealed to His human messengers and thus to mankind. The purpose of our life on this earth is to worship God and obey His commands. Through His Grace and Benevolence, God sent prophets and messengers to every nation, in order to communicate with and guide mankind to the right path.

The prophets who were sent to mankind include (among others) Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Moses, David, Jesus, and finally, Muhammad (peace be upon all of Allah's prophets). These (and many other) chosen men all came with the same message:  Islam. That is, they taught of faith in One Almighty God, faith in the Day of Judgment, faith in the Prophets and the Books, and asked people consequently to live a life of obedience and submission to their Lord. This is how Muslims identify themselves.

Whereas classical Greek religion ascribed to the gods very human foibles, theism from Plato onward has affirmed that God is purely good and could not be the author of anything evil (Republic). In Judaism divine goodness is thought to be manifested especially in the giving of the law (Torah). In Islam it is thought to be manifested in divine revelation of truth through the prophets, especially as revealed in the Qur'an. And in Christianity it is manifested in the gracious granting of Christ as the way of salvation.

While goodness encompasses all moral perfection (e.g., truth telling, justice), benevolence is that particular aspect of goodness that wills the benefit of another. The Reformers, and Protestantism generally, stressed that God's desire for the benefit of creatures is dependent not on their merits but purely on divine love. Divine love is not only irrespective of merit but it is shown most clearly where it is entirely unmerited, as in grace shown to fallen humanity. Therefore divine forgiveness and redemption are taken as the highest expressions of benevolence. Benevolence intersects with omnipotence in providence, wherein God orders events for good ends. It also raises the possibility of a clash between the divine and human wills, as when a person spurns God's action in the world.

Divine goodness raises the question of whether God wills x because it is good, or x is good because God wills it. The former seems to weaken divine sovereignty, but the latter seems to make goodness arbitrary. The arbitrariness may be somewhat relieved if God's will is understood as bounded by his unchanging character. God would not, for example, decide to make torturing for enjoyment right since his nature forever condemns it. The issue has implications for divine command ethics, according to which acts are right or wrong because God commands or forbids them (as opposed to, for example, a competing view that acts are right or wrong according to whether they promote the greatest happiness).

As to our knowledge of divine goodness, Aquinas separates the order of being from the order of knowing: all goodness derives from God but we understand divine goodness by extrapolating from the goodness of creatures. For Aquinas, this requires an analogical (as opposed to an equivocal) relationship between divine and human goodness. For Kant, divine goodness is known as a postulate of pure practical reason: God must be there to reward virtue and punish evil.

The greatest challenge to belief in divine goodness has been the fact that evil exists, or more recently, the amount and type of evil rather than the mere fact of it. The problem is lessened if it is acknowledged that divine goodness does not require that each creature always be made to experience as much happiness as it is capable of experiencing. Reasons may include, for example, that: it is impossible that all creatures collectively experience maximal happiness (e.g., because the maximal happiness of one precludes the maximal happiness of another), or that there is some higher good than the happiness of all creatures (e.g., John Hick's view that maturity is that higher good, and acquiring it may entail some displeasure), or that some forms of good are manifested only when certain types of evil exist  or because God's favor is undeserved and not given in response to merit, it cannot be owed and God cannot be faulted for not giving it.

Benevolent:  kind, caring, compassionate, generous, giving, benign, munificent

 Thomas Aquinas(1225–7 March 1274) was an Italian Catholic priest in the Dominican Order, and an immensely influential philosopher and theologian in the scholastic tradition, known as Doctor Angelicus, Doctor Universalis and Doctor Communis.  He was the foremost classical proponent of natural theology, and the father of the Thomistic school of philosophy and theology. His influence on Western thought is considerable, and much of modern philosophy was conceived as a reaction against, or as an agreement with, his ideas, particularly in the areas of ethics, natural law and political theory.

What is Friendship?

I begin my blog by getting into the deeper meaning of what is friendship?  Whenever the word friendship comes to mind, I always think of the song entitled: "You've Got a Friend."  From such song we can decipher or make sense of what it is all about... When you're down and troubled and you need a helping hand....

Yes, life is one long journey full of challenges, tribulations and celebrations.  To share this beautiful journey, every human needs a friend and companion.  Moreover, as we all know, man is a social being that needs an active social life to survive.  It is not necessary to have a lot of friends, even one good friend is good enough to enjoy life.  In fact, lucky are the ones who are fortunate enough to have several good friends.   To have a friend to share your smiles and tears is a blessing.

As we move through life, we form new friendships with so many different people from all walks of life.  Each of these friendships serves a different purpose in our lives.  Some of these friendships may be lifelong or may just short live.  Some friendships are merely for convenience, such as a friendship formed over a period of a couple of days when your attendance is required somewhere where  you know no one.  These type of friendships are never intended to be lasting.  But that is not to say you did not form some type of special bond with that person over that short span of time.

It can be said that the base or foundation of any friendship should be on mutual respect, trust, genuine liking, caring, and concern and of course, mental compatibility.  In order to connect, you need to be on the same wave length as the other person.  You need to understand each other and share a common interest.  That works towards forging a lifelong bond.  There is just no give and take between friends.  Friends are like your good lucky charms, your strength, your support system.  In a good friendship, the best thing is you can take each other   for granted.  There is no rivalry, petty jealousies or distrust but a healthy mutual respect and liking for each other.

Different people define friendship in different ways  Some people call everyone they know, even in passing, a friend, others are more sparing with the word.  I think as you get older, you become more discerning in who you can call your friends, but at the same time more forgiving of the foibles of those friends.

There is nothing in this world more valuable than having someone who cares about you.  Beyond your family, the special people you choose to become close to are your friends.  They laugh with you for their goal is to brighten your day especially when your day is gloomy.

Communication is an integral component of friendship.  It requires reciprocity.  In a mutually satisfying relationship, both friends talk and both friends listen.  They don't monopolize every conversation, leaving the other very little room to talk.  In the same token, always the listener is a counselor, not a friend.  Conversation between friends is never boring.

Most often than not, we choose friends with the qualities we admire in ourselves.  Personally, its strength, compassion, spirituality and determination.  I choose to surround myself with people that can challenge my thoughts and ideas.  I like to be challenged in this way, and it's wonderful to have a relationship which allows you both to grow in this way over a glass of tea or coffee. It really is food for the soul when you choose your friends well.

Studies show that people with close friends have healthier immune systems, stronger hearts, less depression and anxiety.  They also have more joy in their lives.  We encounter friendships in many different areas of our lives.

Everyone experiences friendship at different levels.  No matter what level you encounter, friendship is a necessary  component of surviving as a social being.  These levels are classified by the purpose and emotional value of the friendship which include: means to an end, acquaintance, personal interaction, significant other, and soul mate.

The above levels will be discussed later but hopefully our friends out there can share with us their thoughts and ideas.

Truly, friendship is like a priceless diamond, shining, beautiful, and enduring.  It is something which lasts our whole life long and it is often what makes life worthwhile.  True friends are rare to come by, so treasure those you have.  They truly are considered divine gift.

Overall, a friendship is a bond that forms between two people that provides us with support sometimes, or fun at other times.  It is a relationship that allows you to be a certain part of yourself, and it allows you to become a different person within each separate friendship.  A friendship helps shape us and it gives us greater meaning in our individual lives.  A friendship teaches us to empathize and show kindness to others.  It teaches us love and attachment.  It allows us to grow through someone else eyes and most of all, it helps complete us.  So friends are undoubtedly our  angles that follow us through thick and thin.

In conclusion, i would like to say that friends are like the rainbows in our lives.  They add color, beauty, and make our days truly great and amazing.  They also bring so much pleasure, joy and contentment to our lives.  Thus, i sincerely hope that everybody is blessed with at least one good friend to share his life's ups and downs.

Surviving the Lesson Called Life

Life is a long trudge to strive for the three most cherished assets one could possibly attain during one's lifetime - success, happiness and love.

It is a struggle which all of us have to endure and also a challenge that everyone faces one way or another.  

Life is certainly not a bed of roses. It has its ups and downs. Hence very often we falter and during distressful times, very often we just feel like saying "I give up.....".  

But to give up would be foolish, for winners never quit and quitters never win. So never ever give up when you are weary but just stop for a while, take a break, regain your composure and try once more. In life one has to ascertain one's motive and ultimate goal. Survival in life means to have the will to surmount mountain-high obstructions, ocean-deep afflictions and to expect difficulties and yet force your way through them. 

Remember that success lies within us, in our brains and to look upon our duties and work as opportunity to be seized with joy and to be made the most of. Be like the powerful eagle who does not fear heights but soars above all the smaller birds, gracefully gliding through the blue skies.

In a world of fantasy, the human mind is full of thoughts and imagination. More often than not, we yearn for things beyond our means to enhance existing conditions. These secret desires and dreams that fill our minds sometimes do not materialize.  

The greatest crime one can commit against one's self and humanity is the unwillingness to pay the price of hard labor in honest effort to achieve one's goal. But for those who are willing to make sacrifices and lay down their comforts and pleasures, the day will come when success will be entirely theirs - when all the struggle is no more than just miles and miles of happiness, much longer than the initial struggle.

To reach the pinnacle of one's life brings a personal sense of satisfaction and inner fulfillment.

Life, in short, is striving for excellence, a desire which is synonymous in every human-being; irrespective of color or creed. However, only those of strong willpower, determination and courage undoubtedly stand a better chance of realizing their purpose for living. 

But for those of weaker character, life is only a losing battle no matter what. So live and learn. Living is an experience and till the end of our days, life is a lesson imperfectly learned.

My Philosophy in Life

In General, my philosophy in  life comprises of, in great part, the following ideals as goals: 

1. To believe in God with all humility. To worship Him is the very purpose of my life existence.
2. To bring joy and happiness as a symbol of love and kindness– that love begets love and kindness begets kindness.
3. To live life with integrity and do things that has positive effects on others.
4. To start each day with freshness and love in my heart and to have the energy to spread that enthusiasm.
5. To each day improve my ethic of character to be more tolerant, cooperative, compassionate, obliging, amiable, loyal, decisive, responsible, punctual, honest, valiant, generous, and just.
6. To persevere in living my ideals.
7. To aid the needy people and improve a declining environment.
8. To share my knowledge without prejudice to anyone by giving them the best of my capacities and aptitudes and give more than what people expect.

Regarding Family

My family has absolute priority in my life. Being an OFW and far away from them, I should instill in their hearts that my sacrifices signify love, comfort, and happiness. 

Regarding Relationships / Marriage

I should keep my family intact by being faithful and trustworthy to them.

Regarding Time 

Time is of the essence.  I need to value time as if it is the last day of my life.  I don't want to waste time hoping for better times in an undefined future, but instead enjoy the everyday journey of living.

Regarding Health  

Health is wealth.  By being healthy I can surpass any trials and tribulations without difficulty.  With good health, my physical state of mind  would carry me to a positive way of life.

What is Safety?

“Safety” is our goal. Safety comes in different course of actions.  Safety is YOU. It shows your strength and power. It identifies your role and responsibilities. It equips, educates, and empowers. Ultimately, it explains the philosophy towards providing a safe and secure work space. These and many more are the reasons why “Safety” is our goal.

Goal setting is primarily aimed at task performance in the workplace, and is based on the central idea that goals are the immediate cause of human action. By their very nature, goals motivate people to focus their attention and action, to try harder and to persist until a desired future state has been reached.

The number one priority of safety is inevitably YOU that you should be prepared for the job and look out for yourself first.  How can you possibly look out for others sake if you can’t look out for yourself?   Foremost, we need to consider that any job, no matter where it is or what it is, has an element of risk.  You are at risk of getting injured.Workplace accidents are real and the consequences can be staggering.But that’s beside the point.Being ever ready and energetic as a worker, you must always think on how you can be safe.

Safety displays your strength and power to: prevent workplace accidents; protect yourself and others; be alert and identify the hazards; ask questions; control your own safety; influence others; and report all injuries.At the same time you have the responsibility to: follow the safety rules and regulations; if necessary ask for any training regarding safety; the need to report all injuries and unsafe working conditions; wear the proper protective equipment; and do all the job in a safe manner for safety is everyone’s responsibility.

Safety equips, educates, and empowers.  To equip is to provide tools that will keep people safe. Equipping people with practical tools encourages a positive attitude and stresses the necessary and importance of safety.  To educate is to transfer knowledge and skills that will develop abilities and attitudes that result in positive and proactive behavior. A well-rounded education about hazards, procedures, and practices for safe work, through a variety of tools, resources and processes, ensures appropriate behavior and effective implementation. To empower is to convey commitment, share leadership and show confidence and trust.People empowered are well equipped to communicate the importance of safety to others and are respected as leaders in the workplace and community at large.

Ultimately, striving towards providing a safe and secure work space is the philosophy of SABIC.The safety of its employees, environment and company assets is one of the most important goals at SABIC R&T.  Accordingly, SABIC strive its utmost for the elimination of all unsafe acts and conditions.At this juncture, management endeavors to provide a safe and secure work space, thus maintaining “Safety” as its final goal.

*This was my entry during  a contest for Best Essay of R&T Safey Slogan entitled: " Safety is our Goal" which i won the most coveted prize "Best Essay" in English category.

The Importance of Philosophy to a Person

It can be said that while we study Philosophy as a body of knowledge, is aimed to make a person/man a full man-cultured, refined and well-rounded.  It provides him the ability to synthesize, criticize, systematize, assimilate, and evaluate a variety and huge mass of knowledge.  So it is an important aspect of his total development that will provide opportunities to lead a life worthy of man’s dignity as an individual and as a member of society.

The study of philosophies of various thinkers by any person can be exposed to different philosophical thoughts and can develop his own personal philosophy, which in return would give him the necessary direction of life.  These philosophies on hand would give him a strong foundation in meeting the demands of his profession and in coping with the problems brought about by his diverse activities.  These learned philosophies will also guide him in choosing the right option/direction from a wider perspective for philosophy offers the person a holistic view that will undoubtedly be an integral part of his human development. It is therefore concluded that the importance of philosophy to any person is: it serves as a bulwark against mental servitude and thus provides a framework within which he can think and act intelligently.

It can be added that philosophy can be used to help convince people that you are right, and (sometimes, when it’s done correctly, and depending on your opponent’s view) that they are wrong.  For example, if you want a raise from your boss, if you know what these good reasons are, such as increasing the sales of the company, the quality of the product, the efficiency of the company, etc., and how to show the way in which these elements are vital to the company’s well-being, you would stand a better chance of getting a raise than if you were to argue with your boss using bad reasons, such as:  “My poor family cannot live on my salary alone, and I really need to have more money” or “If you don’t give me a raise, I’m going to quit and take my friends with me.”  The reason for the first appeal (about your poor family) is a bad one, for it is an appeal to pity on emotion, and if you haven’t benefited the company lately, then it doesn’t really matter if your family is going hungry – it is not the company’s responsibility to feed your family (it’s yours).  The second appeal (“I’m quitting”) is an appeal to force.  The company should not give you a raise out of fear because you’re threatening them; the company should give you a raise because of your work merits..  In short, if you have a job (and this is about 98% of us) or even if you do not, philosophy can help you argue well for your position.  And in order to be able to argue well for your position, you need to think.

As just one of its many specializations, philosophy contains the study of ethics, which is the study of happiness and how best to attain it (or indeed if and how that is possible).  The main questions of ethics are “What is happiness?” and “How should I live?”  There are, as you might guess, many and varied answers to these questions.  I would guess that every single person is, and should be, interested in whether we can be happy, what happiness is, and how we can act so as to obtain happiness (assuming it exists).  Everyone should be interested to know what the philosophers of the West and East have said about happiness and how best to attain them.  The answers range from “true happiness is not attainable in this lifetime” to “happiness is a state of mind” or “happiness is an activity” and so on.  You may not think that any or all of these views of happiness are correct, but you might be able to put another theory together using your favorite parts of some of the extant ones.  It is worth finding out if someone has already articulated the right theory, or whether you can improve on an existing theory, since nothing less than your current and future happiness may be riding on your view of happiness.

I will close with two quotations, the first of which comes from the American Philosophical Association’s 1992 publication entitled, “The Philosophy Major:”

The study of philosophy serves to develop intellectual abilities important for life as a whole, beyond the knowledge and skills required for any particular profession.  Properly pursued, it enhances analytical, critical, and interpretive capacities that are applicable to any subject-matter, and in any human context.  It cultivates the capacities and appetite for self-expression and reflection, for exchange and debate of ideas, for life-long learning, and for dealing with problems for which there are no easy answers.  It also helps to prepare one for the tasks of citizenship.  Participation in political and community affairs today is all too often insufficiently informed, manipulable and vulnerable to demagoguery.  A good philosophical education enhances the capacity to participate responsibly and intelligently in public life.

Second, Dr. George James, from the University of North Texas, warns that philosophy is not for everyone:

It’s not for persons who have no interest in asking deeper questions.  At the end of a lifetime of philosophizing one great philosopher made the claim that the unexamined life is not worth living.  Many people don’t believe that.  Some people don’t even care to raise the question.  Philosophy very simply is not for them.  Philosophy is not for followers.  If all you want is to get a job and a paycheck, if all you want is to spend as little time and effort at that job as you can and still get paid for it, then philosophy is not for you.  Philosophy is not training.  It’s education!  It’s for persons who want to understand, who want not just to live, but to live well.  It is for persons who simply could never be happy without asking why. (Adapted from Dr. George James’ text)

On Professionalism

I was requested by a business partner and a friend to include in my blog the importance of professionalism. I was astonished with such request by the mere fact that all the partners are professionals – degree holders. For sure anybody would attest that when you are a professional, you carry with you the professionalism that your job dictates. But what about if he does not fulfill his obligations nor his responsibilities, can he be qualified to be considered as professional? The answer would be a big NO, for he is a professional only in words but not in deeds, for he does not carry with him the professionalism that carries with it. To justify such answer, hereunder are some concrete explanations and justifications:

A lot of questions come to mind when we talk about professionalism. But before we can delve on the topic, we need to know the meaning of what is profession and who is a professional. American College Dictionary (ACD) defines profession as "a vocation requiring knowledge of some department of learning or science" i.e., medicine, law, nursing, accounting, engineering, etc., whereas a professional is one who follows "an occupation as a means of livelihood or gain," or one who is "engaged in one of the learned professions."

Robin Downie (1990), a Professor of Moral Philosophy who has written extensively on the subject has developed six characteristics of professionals summarized as follows:

1. The professional has skills or expertise proceeding from a broad knowledge base.
2. The professional provides a service based on a special relationship with those whom he or she serves. This relationship involves a special attitude of beneficence tempered with integrity. This includes fairness, honesty and a bond based on legal and ethical rights and duties authorized by the professional institution and legalized by public esteem.
3. To the extent that the public recognizes the authority of the professional, he or she has the social function of speaking out on broad matters of public policy and justice, going beyond duties to specific clients.
4. In order to discharge these functions, professionals must be independent of the influence of the State or commerce.
5. The professional should be educated rather than trained. This means having a wide cognitive perspective, seeing the place of his or her skills within that perspective and continuing to develop this knowledge and skills within a frame work of values.
6. A professional should have legitimized authority. If a profession is to have credibility in the eyes of the general public, it must be widely recognized as independent, disciplined by its professional association, actively expanding its knowledge base and concerned with the education of its members. If it is widely recognized as satisfying these conditions, then it will possess moral as well as legal legitimacy, and its pronouncements will be listened to with respect.

Downie, R.S. Professions and Professionalism. Journal of Philosophy of Education. 24.2. (1990)

From the above definitions of profession and professional, what then is professionalism? ACD characterizes professionalism as being exhibited by one of the "professional character, spirit or methods" or the "standing, practice, or methods of a professional as distinguished from an amateur."

To identify succinctly who are the professionals distinguished from an amateur, we need to differentiate or compare one from the other:

A Professional	An Amateur
Learns every aspect of the job.	Skips the learning process whenever possible.
Carefully discovers what is needed and wanted.	Assumes what others need and want.
Looks, speaks and dresses like a professional.	Sloppy in appearance and speech
Keeps his or her work area clean and orderly.	Has a messy, confused or dirty work area.
Focused and clear-headed.	Confused and distracted.
Does not let mistakes slide by.	Ignores or hides mistakes.
Jumps into difficult assignments.	Tries to get out of difficult work.
Completes projects as soon as possible.	Surrounded by unfinished work piled on top of unfinished work.
Remains level-headed and optimistic.	Gets upset and assumes the worst
Handles money and accounts very carefully.	Sloppy with money or accounts.
Faces up to other people’s upsets and problems.	Avoids others’ problems
Uses higher emotional tones: Enthusiasm, cheerfulness, interest, contentment.	Uses lower emotional tones: anger, hostility, resentment, fear, victim.
Persists until the objective is achieved.	Gives up at the first opportunity.
Produces more than expected	Produces just enough to get by.
Produces a high-quality product or service.	Produces a medium-to-low quality product or service.
Earns high pay.	Earns low pay and feels it’s unfair.
Has a promising future.	Has an uncertain future.

The first step to making yourself a professional is to decide that you ARE a professional. Ask yourself, are you a professional?

On the other side of the coin, professionalism can be associated also when one is looking for a job through one’s common courtesy, professional appearance and speech habits.

In today's world, if you use common courtesy when dealing with prospective employers, you'll more than likely give yourself an edge over the many other candidates who fail to do so.  I realize this seemingly obvious concept is somewhat hard to believe, but it's true.  So as you deal with prospective employers, do the right thing and make yourself stand out from the crowd by demonstrating your class by thanking employers for their interest, being respectful to everyone you meet, in respect to people’s time, and being flexible. Most employers know that the people who succeed in business are the ones who are flexible and can deal with the daily curve balls life tends to throw.

Often job seekers are unsure about what appropriate professional appearance is, yet many of our employers listed it as an important factor in getting hired.  In an interview situation, you're marketing yourself as a product, and so you want and need to have the best image possible.  Keep in mind that projecting a professional appearance doesn't just mean on the interview.  You never know when you could be offered a job on the spot. So present yourself in a professional manner during your entire job search and even after you get hired.

You may look good on paper or in your suit, but if you're looking to nail your big interview, looks aren't everything.  How you sound is often more important.  But many job seekers let careless speech habits sink their chances of landing that great job.  The bottom line, you don't have to study elocution to speak well.  Simply slow down, take time to pronounce all the syllables and leave slang at home.  Companies want job candidates who are well spoken and articulate, and recruiters won't represent a job candidate if they don't match the client's profile.

As I look at it, before and after having a job, professionalism should be acquired by anyone whether he is a professional or non-professional. For the professionals, there lies heavier responsibilities for they need to act in accordance with what they have learned and achieved or else without doubt they will be questioned for they have pledge with dignity to abide with the existing ethics, methods, and procedures of their selected professions.

So believe passionately in what you do, and never knowingly compromise your standards and values. Act like a true professionals, aiming for true excellence, and true success will follow.

Good Teaching

Students and faculty "know" good teaching when they experience it, but often find it difficult to articulate the specifics of what they experience as good teaching. The many approaches to understanding teaching have been addressed in broad reviews of the research literature on post secondary teaching.

One such review synthesized thirty-one (31) studies in which students and faculty members specified characteristics important to good teaching (Feldman, 1988). The analysis revealed extensive similarities across studies and between the two groups. In these studies, students and faculty members at the same institutions (universities, four-year colleges, and 2-year colleges) were asked to describe attitudes or practices important to good teaching; some students asked respondents to characterize "best" or "ideal" teachers. Both students and faculty members gave high rankings to the following seven categories (although students placed somewhat more emphasis than faculty on instructor's stimulation of interest and their elocutionary skills). The following phrases from survey questions used by researchers serve to define the seven categories.

Faculty and Students Agree - Good Teaching Involves:

Sensitivity to, and Concern with, Class Level and Progress:

·         instructor communicates effectively at a level appropriate to students'

understanding

·         textbook is of appropriate difficulty for the student

·         instructor seems to be concerned with whether students learn the material

·         instructor determines if one student's problem is common to others

·         instructor realizes when students are bored or confused

Preparation; Organization of the Course:

·         instructor is well prepared for class

·         instructor organizes the course in a logical manner

·         the course organization assists students in developing basic concepts

·         new information is presented logically, and is related to ideas already introduced

·         students perceive the instructor as well-organized

·         lectures are easy to outline

Knowledge of the Subject:

·         instructor demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of his/her subject

·         instructor knows the current research and literature in his/her field

·         instructor knows his/her field of specialization very well

Enthusiasm (for Subject or for Teaching):

·         instructor seems interested in teaching the course

·         instructor's ability to convey interest and enthusiasm for subject matter

·         instructor is dynamic and energetic

Clarity and Understandableness:

·         instructor explains clearly and attempts to answer all questions

·         students are able to follow and understand class lectures/presentations

·         instructor relates concepts in a systematic manner that helps understanding

·         instructor uses well chosen examples to clarify points

·         instructor summarizes major points

·         instructor interprets abstract ideas and theories clearly

Availability and Helpfulness:

·         instructor encourages students to see him/her if in difficulty

·         instructor is readily available to students outside class for consultation

·         instructor has rapport with students

·         special 'group help' sessions are provided for students who need it

·         instructor is conscientious in keeping appointments with students

·         instructor is willing to give personal assistance

Impartial Evaluation of Students; Quality of Examinations:

·         concepts emphasized in class are those emphasized in exams

·         exams cover material on which students expect to be tested

·         exams require student to do more than recall factual information

·         exams allow student to adequately demonstrate what was learned in the course

·         exams require synthesis of various parts of the course

·         the instructor tells students how they will be evaluated in the course

·         grades are based on a fair balance of course requirements and content

·         students are satisfied with the way they have been evaluated

·         students are quizzed frequently

·         instructor announces tests and quizzes in advance

·         instructor uses more than one type of evaluation device

These phrases could be useful in putting together a mid-term course evaluation while there's still time to make improvements. Collecting feedback at the end of the course is useful as feedback and for evaluation, but mid-term evaluations often are more useful in improving instruction.

Reference:

Feldman, K.A. (1988) "Effective College Teaching from the Students' and Faculties’' View: matched or mismatched priorities?" Research in Higher Education . 28 (4). 291-344.