So many jobs are available in the construction industry that are of major importance, and the contractor often must turn to recruiters or staffing companies to fill the work team. If the employers have not prepared themselves with a full crew, the potential for a work delay is a possibility. No builder wants to be burdened with delays, but sometimes they are inevitable. If your contracts were done correctly the stipulation regarding delays cover and protect the builder against delays caused by a short staff, weather or material delivery delays.Depending on the part of the country you are located; weather is often one of the most difficult factors to predict when it comes to planning. Jobs available in the construction industry often follow severe weather. These gypsies follow the hail and severe weather that is often a cause of delays to other parts of the construction industry. No part of construction industry is immune from problems that cause delays. In some parts of the nation the unions, will from time to time be responsible for delays. These delays are always part of the paper work.Every legal department in any large construction company has the protocol information in place to work through work stoppages brought on by unions. Every delay is costly but work stoppage by grievance is always a possibility that has a multiplier that in the end is the responsibility of the entity that is having the construction done. Many states are “”right to work states””; many workers choose to work in one of these states. This assures this part of the work force that labor issues won’t be a reason for delays. Jobs in the construction industry are stable if the delay factor can be marginalized to keep men working.So many times supply chain logistics go awry due to miss-manufactured or shipments that are incomplete. This delay is the responsibility of the parts provider. And as with all delays, they are penalized by contract. But the delay is still a problem that increases the time to completion. The effect on labor, if not dealt with early, can cost the employer in more ways than one. Workers won’t stay around long if the delay results in a loss on the pay check. After all, they aren’t responsible for company Y not delivering parts on time to company Z. If a delay is imminent, the work force may go else where to seek reliable work not dealt a bad hand by delays.Jobs in the construction industry are good paying jobs to be proud of. Many Americans give their all in skill and talent to build our country. Delays that involve nature are over looked or at least tolerated, but jobs in the construction industry that are dealt blows of a political or labor issue, unions, send the workers to “”right to work”” states and this delay can be more than catastrophic when it comes to the overall subject of delay.
Multicultural Education in Your Classroom
America has always been referred to as a melting pot, but ideally, it’s a place where we strive to invite everyone to celebrate exactly who they are. As the US population is becoming increasingly diverse and technology makes the world feel increasingly smaller, it is time to make every classroom a multicultural classroom.What is Multicultural Education?
Multicultural education is more than celebrating Cinco de Mayo with tacos and piñatas or reading the latest biography of Martin Luther King Jr. It is an educational movement built on basic American values such as freedom, justice, opportunity, and equality. It is a set of strategies aimed to address the diverse challenges experienced by rapidly changing U.S. demographics. And it is a beginning step to shifting the balance of power and privilege within the education system.The goals of multicultural education include:- Creating a safe, accepting and successful learning environment for all
– Increasing awareness of global issues
– Strengthening cultural consciousness
– Strengthening intercultural awareness
– Teaching students that there are multiple historical perspectives
– Encouraging critical thinking – Preventing prejudice and discriminationAdvantages of Multicultural Education
According to the National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME), multicultural education:- Helps students develop positive self-image.
– Offers students an equitable educational opportunity.
– Allows multiple perspectives and ways of thinking.
– Combats stereotypes and prejudicial behavior.
– Teaches students to critique society in the interest of social justice.Road Blocks to Implementing Multicultural Education
Contrary to popular belief, multicultural education is more than cultural awareness, but rather an initiative to encompass all under-represented groups (people of color, women, people with disabilities, etc) and to ensure curriculum and content including such groups is accurate and complete.Unfortunately, multicultural education is not as easy as a yearly heritage celebration or supplemental unit here and there. Rather, it requires schools to reform traditional curriculum.Too often, students are misinformed and misguided. Not all textbooks present historical content fully and accurately. For instance, Christopher Columbus is celebrated as the American hero who discovered America. This take on history completely ignores the pre-European history of Native Americans and the devastation that colonization had on them. Some history books are being revised, but often, it’s much easier to teach that “In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.”Most curriculums also focus more on North America and Europe than any other region. Most students have learned about genocide through stories of the Holocaust, but do they know that hundreds of thousands of people are being killed in places like Darfur and Rwanda? Despite our close proximity to Latin America, American schools typically spend little time reading Latin American literature or learning about the culture and history?Thus, multicultural education is most successful when implemented as a schoolwide approach with reconstruction of not only curriculum, but also organizational and institutional policy.Unfortunately most educational institutions are not prepared to implement multicultural education in their classrooms. Multicultural education requires a staff that is not only diverse, but also culturally competent. Educators must be aware, responsive and embracing of the diverse beliefs, perspectives and experiences. They must also be willing and ready to address issues of controversy. These issues include, but are not limited to, racism, sexism, religious intolerance, classism, ageism, etc.What You Can Do in Your Classroom
Just because we’re facing an uphill battle doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take those first steps. To integrate multicultural education in your classroom and your school, you can:- Integrate a diverse reading list that demonstrates the universal human experience across cultures
– Encourage community participation and social activism
– Go beyond the textbook
– By supplementing your curriculum with current events and news stories outside the textbook, you can draw parallels between the distant experiences of the past and the world today.
– Creating multicultural projects that require students to choose a background outside of their own – Suggest that your school host an in-service professional development on multi-cultural education in the classroomFavorite Lessons in Multicultural Education
Analyze issues of racism through pop culture.
Example: Study the affects of WWII for Japanese Americans through political cartoons, movies, photography, etc.Analyze issues of socioeconomic class through planning and development.
Example: Design a development project with solutions to the needs of those living in poverty stricken communities.Analyze issues of sexism through media.
Example: Make a scrapbook of stereotypical portrayals of both men and women. Compare both positive and negative stereotypes and determine the struggles they face as a result of these stereotypes.Recommended Resources
Books:
Becoming Multicultural Educators by Geneva Gay
Beyond Heros and Holidays by Enid Lee
Lies My Teachers Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James Loewen
The Greatest Challenge For Weight-Loss is Teaching Holistic Health Principles
Weight-loss is a challenge which requires knowledge about proper health, fitness, and nutrition. However, it is also required that the focus is holistic–embodying principles which include the body, mind and spirit in order to lose weight successfully and permanently. With this in mind, those who truly want accountability for weight-loss will find it by teaching holistic health principles in fields such as wellness coaching, holistic life coaching, and fitness nutrition coaching.In these fields, the accountability lies in the reality that you have the secrets to weight loss, longevity and optimal health; therefore, as a practitioner or master coach, you have the knowledge you need to be successful at losing weight. Furthermore, as one who teaches holistic health principles, you will have a group of people who are counting on your success to inspire their own.To some, it may seem like the ultimate challenge; however, the inspiration to stay healthy, fit, and well will stem from your dedication to your students and clients. In addition, most people fail at weight-loss because they lose the vision they had for living a holistic and healthful lifestyle. The beauty of teaching holistic health principles is that you will always be focused on wellness because it will be your daily work.You can easily see how effective teaching holistic health principles would be for maintaining weight-loss when you think about the subconscious ride you take to work everyday. Because you know the route so well, you actually do not remember the ride at all. You do not remember because your actions are in an automaton state. You have taken the route so many times it has become second nature.The same will happen as you continue to focus on health, healing, wellness, fitness, and nutrition. As you grow in this field of study, you will know what foods to eat and you will automatically gravitate towards the healthful choices. You will find that your day just doesn’t feel right unless you exercise and eat fresh foods. As such, health, fitness, wellness, and holistic practices will become second nature. The right choice will eventually become the first choice.While it is difficult for some to believe they could ever live a healthful and holistic lifestyle and break bad eating happens, the desire to live in optimal health is in all of us. Our well-being and longevity depends on us making the right choices for our bodies. When we study and teach holistic health principles, we not only have the knowledge but the tools as well. The by-products of committing to studying, teaching, and practicing these principles are weight-loss, weight management, longevity, reversing the visible signs of aging, restoring our youthful vigor, and having more energy to live our lives.The truth is you will attract where you focus your attention. If you focus your attention daily on helping people live a healthful and holistic lifestyle, then you will find that you are manifesting health and wholeness in your life. Ultimately, the goal is not just to lose weight or drop the pounds. The goal is to live a healthy holistic lifestyle which allows you to have the energy to create the life you truly desire. You can take on the biggest weight-loss challenge of a lifetime and help others up the path to optimal health by teaching holistic health principles.