Is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Genetic

Is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Genetic OCD Causes Print Is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Genetic? By Owen Kelly, PhD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on August 05, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on July 30, 2019 Hero Images/Getty Images More in OCD Causes Symptoms and Diagnosis Treatment Types Living With OCD Related Conditions With the human genome having finally been mapped out, the search is on for those genes that cause us to develop illnesses, including obsessive-compulsive disorder  (OCD). Although it is clear that OCD has a genetic basis, it is not yet clear which genes may be important and under what circumstances. Genes and Illness Before discussing whether there is a genetic basis for OCD, let’s review some basic genetic concepts and how they relate to illness. Genes act as the body’s blueprint for making different proteins. These proteins are used to manufacture an enormous number of tissues and biochemicals. Interestingly, different people can have different versions of a given gene. These different versions are sometimes called alleles. While some diseases like cystic fibrosis are thought to be caused by one specific gene, most diseases, including mental illnesses like OCD, are thought to be caused by a combination of many different genes. In these cases, your vulnerability to a given disease depends on the different versions or alleles of the genes you inherited from your parents and in what combination. Environment Plays a Large Role in Illnesses Developing However, it is important to realize that the environment has a very strong influence on whether a particular genetic vulnerability is able to express itself in the form of an illness. For example, a person who is genetically vulnerable to lung cancer may only develop the disease if he smokes cigarettes or is exposed to heavy environmental pollution. In another instance, a person who is vulnerable to depression may never become depressed if she doesn’t ever encounter a severe enough stressor. Although we often hear about the “nature versus nurture” debate, most experts now recognize that it is the interaction between our genes and the environment that determines whether we develop an illness. Indeed, it is often said that while our genes load the gun, it is the environment that pulls the trigger. The Genetics of OCD Research using identical twins and the relatives of people with OCD suggests that the greatest factor in a person’s risk for developing OCD is genetic, with the remaining risk being determined by the environment. Given this, researchers have been searching for the specific genes that create a risk for developing OCD. While there does not appear to be a specific “OCD gene,” there is evidence that particular versions or alleles of certain genes may signal greater vulnerability. For example, there is some preliminary evidence that having particular versions or alleles of genes controlling the manufacture of serotonin (a neurochemical that may be important for OCD), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (a chemical that plays a large role in controlling development of the brain) and glutamate (another neurochemical in the brain that could be important for OCD) may reflect some sort of vulnerability to developing OCD. That said, it is far from clear how these genes influence the development of OCD, and there is plenty of research that still needs to be done. Genetic Vulnerability Means Little Without Environment In addition, it is important to keep in mind that these (and other, as of yet undiscovered) genetic vulnerabilities may only be relevant under the right environmental conditions. For example, OCD is associated with prenatal risk factors, such as gaining too much weight while pregnant and difficult labor, as well as life stressors, such as significant emotional or physical abuse. As such, someone may not develop OCD unless they possess the right genetic vulnerability under the right (or wrong, perhaps) circumstances. OCD is a very complex illness. It is very unlikely that a single gene out of the roughly 30,000 we possess could ever be responsible for generating the complex obsessions and compulsions that are characteristic of OCD. It is much more likely that OCD is the result of many different genes interacting to create an increased vulnerability. Studies of the genetics of OCD are currently focusing on genetic differences that might explain the different OCD symptom subtypes that exist. Such research could be helpful in developing treatments that are able to target specific symptoms with greater effectiveness than is currently possible.

A Lesson And Meaning Of A Toy - 1558 Words

As an individual growing up does one remember that round â€Å"toy† almost resembling a ball, half of it was blue and the other half red and all around it were various shapes cut out of the hard plastic with pieces inside? One could pull apart this â€Å"toy† and dump out all of the solid pieces that matched the shapes of the cut outs, and one by one put them back in by matching the shape of the cut out and the solids together. It is possible that as a child one is learning about shapes and the differences between squares, circles, triangles, stars, etc., but is it also possible that this â€Å"toy† could have a deeper lesson and meaning as one grows older? Thinking about this â€Å"toy† it could be suggested that it could also be teaching the lesson that one size doesn’t fit all. Although all of parts had essentially a similarity in that they were all shapes and all had to fit somewhere, each one was still different. Just like this â€Å"toy† has similarities and differences, so do individuals. Individuals are different in â€Å"shape† by various characteristics specifically culturally. Sometimes individuals embrace those similarities and differences and create intercultural relationships, there are also times that individuals might be potentially apprehensive to them however, there are things that can be done that will lead to a positive relationships. For starters, it should be known that culture is essentially made up of learned or passed down values, beliefs, standards, religions, rituals, ethics,Show MoreRelatedSelf-discovery in Toni Bambora ´s The Lesson and Liliana Heker ´s The Stolen Party679 Words   |  3 Pagescharacters and the overall theme of a story. Two literary stories in particular, â€Å"The Lesson† by Toni Bambara and â€Å"The Stolen Party† by Liliana Heker, have used socioeconomic status to create a second theme of self-discovery. The main characters in each of these two stories are young girls who discover their adult selves by the end. A low socioeconomic status was a part of each character’s character development in â€Å"The Lesson† and â€Å"The Stolen Party†, which ultimately forced them down a path of self-discoveryRead MoreTheme Of The Lesson By Toni Cade Bambara827 Words   |  4 PagesSettings in Toni Cade Bambara’s â€Å"The Lesson† â€Å"The Lesson† by Toni Cade Bambara is a short story set in the part of New York City. In this story, the plot takes a journey from the place like a ghetto to F.A.O. Schwartz, an expensive upscale toy store. The children live in an African-American neighborhood, in Harlem, NY. They travel to upscale stores, on Fifth Avenue in midtown, which is a much more expensive part of New York City. The story is narrated by a young girl named Sylvia, as she explainsRead MoreAnalysis Of The Lesson By Toni Cade Bambara1284 Words   |  6 PagesI chose to write about the Lesson by Toni Cade Bambara. This short story caught my attention because Bambara focuses on the economic injustices of African Americans. The Lesson by Toni Cade Bambara should have been included in ENC 1102 because her work was influenced by the Civil Rights Movement and Black Nationalist movements in the 1960s. It detailed the struggles and injustices African Americans had to endure during that time. Toni Cade Bambara was a writer and social activist most renownedRead MoreThe Lesson By Toni Cade Bambara850 Words   |  4 Pagesreaders’ minds. Readers often begin reading a work with a biased opinion of the contents of the story. The superficial theme of a story is obvious, but the less obvious theme can have the most powerful message. In Toni Cade Bambara’s short story, â€Å"The Lesson,† the apparent theme is poverty and wealth, but the true theme is the misapprehension of everything not being as it seems. The first physical description of Miss Moore gives the reader the impression that she is a woman of little wealth, but itRead MoreAnalysis Of The Lesson By Toni Cade Bambara1011 Words   |  5 Pages Has there been a time where you pick up a book and read the little description on the back of the book, then start implying what are the possible themes of the story. Which in this case, â€Å"The Lesson†, written by Toni Cade Bambara an African American writer exposes many types of themes in her article. Not only she is a writer, Bambara’s inspiration to write this story is due to her being a Black Nationalist who fought for racial rights. Possible themes include such as materialism, poverty versusRead MoreThe Lesson By Toni Cade Bambara1429 Words   |  6 Pagesreading The Lesson, by Toni Cade Bambara, the reader cannot help but feel empathy towards the narrator Sylvia and her friends, as they are introduced to the realization of unfairness distribution of wealth in so ciety, the diverse democracy. The lesson is taught by a lady named, Miss Moore, who moves into Sylvia’s neighborhood block. Miss Moore is a college educated women who shows the reality of the economic inequality to Sylvia and her friends by taking them on a field trip to a fancy toy store calledRead MoreThe Lesson By Toni Cade Bambara1552 Words   |  7 PagesThroughout the years knowledge and culture has been passed down within generations. Elders within the community often teach life lessons to the young adults growing up in the neighborhood. This idea still holds true today, especially in low-income communities. People from different socioeconomic backgrounds live different lifestyles they also have different opportunities made available to them. Because of this idea, people with a higher social standing have an advantage over those in lower classRead MoreEssay on A Comparison of Beauty and the Beast with Toy Story1236 Words   |  5 PagesA Comparison of Beauty and the Beast with Toy Story INTRODUCTION Disney is an excellent example of a Media corporation as it is known worldwide, go any where in the world and ask someone about Mickey Mouse or Daffy Duck and they will know that you are talking about Disney. They have a huge range of advertising and merchandise ranging from childrens books and films to holiday resorts and theme parks. The Disney brand appeals to all, children and adults alike. Read MoreThe Creation Of Teddy Bears Built A Sense Of Self1728 Words   |  7 Pagescreated between toys and children helps them obtain power to transition from one frightful life situation to another. Likewise, Elena O. Smirnova, the writer of Character toys as psychological tools, explains that a child s self-reflects on their persona by communicating with a toy; thus, these toys are called character toys. Both writers agreed that toys play a major role in the construction of children’s sense of self. Additionally, these authors also implied that there are special toys that childrenRead More`` Araby `` And Bambara s `` Lesson ``1541 Words   |  7 PagesJoyce’s â€Å"Araby† and Bambara’s â€Å"Lesson† pose surprising similarities to each other. Despite the narrators’ strikingly clear differences, such as time period, ethnicity, social class, and gender the characters have important similarities. Both narrators are at crucial developmenta l stages in their lives, are faced with severe adversities, and have a point of clarity that affects their future. The narrators of â€Å"Araby† and â€Å"The Lesson† live in a cloud of youthful naivety. Despite being faced with very

3 Tricks to Figure out the Authors Tone

Authors tone is simply an authors expressed attitude toward a particular written subject. It may not be his or her actual attitude as authors can certainly express an attitude other than their own. Its very different from the  authors purpose! The tone of the article, essay, story, poem, novel, screenplay, or any other written work can be described in many ways. The authors tone can be witty, dreary, warm, playful, outraged, neutral, polished, wistful, reserved, and on and on. Basically, if theres an attitude out there, an author can write with it. To better understand tone, you should practice. So, now that you know what it is, how can you determine the authors tone when you get to a reading comprehension test? Here are a few tricks to help you nail it every time. Read the Introductory Info On most major reading comprehension tests, the test makers will give you a little snippet of information along with the authors name prior to the text itself. Take these two examples from the ACT Reading test: Passage 1: This passage is adapted from the chapter â€Å"Personality Disorders† in  Introduction to Psychology, edited by Rita L. Atkinson and Richard C. Atkinson ( ©1981 by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc.). Passage 2: This passage is adapted from the novel The Men of Brewster Place  by Gloria Naylor ( ©1998 by Gloria Naylor). Without reading any portion of the text itself, you can already determine that the first text will have a more serious tone. The author writes in a scientific journal, so the tone will have to be more reserved. The second text could be anything at all, so when youre reading, youll need to use another trick to determine the authors tone. Watch Word Choice Word choice plays a major part in the tone of a piece. If you look at the examples given in the What is Authors Tone article, youll see how very different an identical situation can be by just the words an author chooses to use. Look at the following words and see how they reflect a different feeling, even though the words are similar in meaning. Sit in the sunshine and smile. Bask in the brilliant rays. Discover your giggle.Sit in the hot sun and smirk. Recline in the glaring rays. Hunt for that snicker.  Sit in the warm sun and grin. Relax in the warm rays. Look for a chuckle. Even though all three sentences are written almost identically, the tones are very different. One is more relaxing—you can picture a lazy afternoon by the pool. The other is more joyful—maybe playing in the park on a sunny day. The other is definitely more sarcastic and negative, even though its written about sitting in the sun. Go With Your Gut Often, a tone is tough to describe, but you know what it is. You get a particular feeling from the text—an urgency or a certain amount of sadness. You feel angry after reading it and can sense the author is angry, too. Or you find yourself chuckling throughout the text even though nothing comes right out and screams funny! So, on these kinds of texts, and the corresponding authors tone questions, trust your gut. And on the authors tone questions, hide the answers and make yourself come up with a guess before looking. Take this question for example: The author of the article would most likely describe ballet as... Before you get to the answer choices, try to finish the sentence. Put an adjective in there based on what youve read. Amusing? Essential? Cut-throat? Joyous? Then, when youve answered the question with a gut reaction, read the answer choices to see if your choice, or something similar, is there. More often than not, your brain knows the answer even if you doubt it!

Drug Education and Public Awareness Free Essays

Throughout history, America has been fighting against drug and alcohol abuse in teens and adults. Many ways companies and anti-drug groups try to prevent drug and alcohol abuse is through education in school systems and out of school systems. They teach young students about drugs and alcohol before they risk being around them, and they teach older students about drugs while they are around in their daily lives. We will write a custom essay sample on Drug Education and Public Awareness or any similar topic only for you Order Now Are these education programs really necessary? That†s the question many people ask, and also the question I†m going to attempt to answer. The government is usually the group that attempts to educate people about the causes and effects of drugs and alcohol through programs such as D.A.R.E (drug abuse resistance education) or S.M.A.R.T. (Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Time-Specified objectives). D.A.R.E. tries to educate kids about drugs and alcohol while S.M.A.R.T. conducts studies to see how effective these programs really are. There have been several studies done that failed to find any value in the DARE program. About 26 million American school children are taught to resist the lure of drugs and alcohol by the DARE program, a studied showed that most of the students who took the 17 week DARE program ended up using drugs and alcohol at the same rate as children who learned about them in a normal health class. Many people think that DARE is the magic bullet to solve the drug and alcohol problems in the nation. Another study conducted in Illinois on about 1800 students, showed that DARE students used th! e same amount of drugs who did not take the program, and another study concluded that DARE students were more likely to use drugs than students without the education. Many tax payers demand to see what impact their money is having on substance abuse. The SMART program conducts many tests to show how effective or ineffective the use of drug and alcohol prevention or education programs really are. SMART has come to a conclusion that there is a â€Å"Null Hypothesis†, which means that X education programs has no significant effect in bringing substance abusers into long term abstinence. In 1995 SMART studied nearly 1000 people, from these they were able to find 99 who were discharged with the notation of â€Å"treatment complete.† Of these 99 they selected 50 people at random and were able to find only 18 of those 50 people, and of those 18 people, only 11 people said they had remained clean and sober since leaving the treatment and being educated about drugs. These studies are proof that the null hypothesis is true and most education programs do not have any effect on the people who are being educated about drugs and alcohol. Although the government is trying to help with the problem, they aren†t doing a very good job. It is a common observation that there is a hug lag time in the government†s response to a social problem such as drugs and alcohol. A problem will affect a society for quite some time and cause damage before the government will support any funds or a means to stop the problem. After they fund education programs to teach children about drugs and alcohol, they keep funding unnecessarily increasing taxes, which send money nowhere. The government needs to spend more money on realizing what they are doing wrong in educating students who only go off to use drugs anyway.There is a general theme of a Cultural Revolution of Drug Treatment programs seen in America. The revolution beings with the heroic phase where the problem begins and spreads rapidly and the use of drugs and alcohol increases. Next is the classical phase where the social problem reaches its peak and the use of drugs is the highest. During the Classical phase, education programs are being used to try to stop and prevent drug and alcohol use. Then there is an Imperial stage where the problem begins to decline and comes to an end after people have learned about drugs and alcohol. The final stage is the Decadent phase when the previous users who quit, being to use drugs and alcohol again the process continues. This shows that drug and alcohol education programs don†t really do much in the way of preventing drugs, except a short term of no drug use. There are also many education programs in older groups of people such as college students. Alcohol abuse prevention programming on college campuses presents special challenges. Although many people think of college students as young, they legally are adults. Since 1972, when the legal age of majority was lowered to 18, college students have all of the same rights and privileges as older adults, except they cannot drink legally until they reach the age of 21. Despite all the education that occurred when they were younger, they are now drinking under-age and buying alcohol underage. Many college students are killed due to alcohol poisoning. What did all that education about alcohol do? Absolutely nothing if they ended up drinking themselves to death. College administrators can no longer treat college undergraduates as children and have no authority to act the place of parents, since the parents of an 18 year old themselves have no legal authority over the student. The extent of a college’s control over its students is a matter of contract. Colleges can enforce conduct codes only through contract rights. At Indiana University-Bloomington, alcohol is prohibited in all on-campus undergraduate residences supervised by the University, and in all other areas open to the public. While that is the rule, enforcement is difficult. Using a strong enforcement hand is very difficult, and not well accepted by students and many parents. These students were educated about the rules of alcohol at their college and also about the causes and effects of alcohol to the body and brain, but they still do not listen and studies show that they still drink regardless of what prevention program they underwent when they were teens. As you can see, and as the results from all the studies done show drug and alcohol education programs have little and sometimes absolutely no effect on the use of drugs and alcohol among students any age. Teens in high school, or adults in college, they all abuse drugs and alcohol no matter what drug education program they went through. Many people are even killed through the use of drugs and alcohol. The government needs to realize that educating people about drugs only makes them aware that the drugs are out there and available to them. How to cite Drug Education and Public Awareness, Papers

Pollution Caused by Urbanization and Its Solutions Essay Example

Pollution Caused by Urbanization and Its Solutions Paper It is evident that modern cities are featured by environmental degradation, worsening of water quality and shortages of sousing. This essay will focus on the air pollution and water pollution caused by arbitration. These harmful pollutants have serious negative effects on peoples health such as damage to peoples respiratory system. Following this, it will put forward some feasible solutions to deal with these problems. The air quality in cities has become worse and worse along with the process of arbitration and people have been suffering from serious respiratory problems. A typical example of this is the smoking phenomenon in Beijing where people need to wear a gauze mask to go outside. It is true that the irking offices or central business districts are located in the downtown area of the city and a large number of people crowded into the center of the city for work or for entertainment. As a result, there is a huge population who take public transportation to travel to workplace and some wealthier five-to- nine workers choose to go for work by private cars. Therefore, the exhausted gas produced by these transportation tools is immeasurable, especially on the workdays. We will write a custom essay sample on Pollution Caused by Urbanization and Its Solutions specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Pollution Caused by Urbanization and Its Solutions specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Pollution Caused by Urbanization and Its Solutions specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This also causes a huge pollution difference between workday and weekend and this effect that less pollution is caused in the holiday period s called Holiday Effect. Tan et al (2013) argues that pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, volatile organic compounds or non- methane hydrocarbon, sulfur dioxide, and PM 10 are measured to be higher on weekdays than on weekends. According to PhD Bert B and MD Stephen HTH (2002), the effect on shortening life expectancy has been evaluated at 1?2 years for realistic exposure contrasts. In addition, there are an increase number of factories which have found their footprints in the rural areas because the air situation in cities has exceeded its bearing capacities. This is also due to the rapid pace of arbitration as factories in cities can no longer meet people?s needs. Consequently, the natural environment in rural areas is damaged and people can no longer enjoy the fresh air as they breathed two decades ago. Those pollutants made during arbitration has damaged peoples health and resulted in serious diseases (Forerunner ; Halted, 2002). There are 32 more case-control studies that have shown an obvious relationship between air pollution, especially from traffic, and lung cancer. Another serious consequence caused by arbitration is water pollution. Some people who live in cities even have no access to drinkable water. It is calculated that three-fourths of US citizens live in cities. With the population in cities increasing at a faster face, it becomes more and more difficult to deal with the waste generated in cities. Most of the waste is discharged or simply dumped into rives or lakes or even on the streets. The water pollutes has worsened the water quality greatly and made it unfit for people to use as daily water directly. As a result, it becomes much more difficult for city dwellers to obtain clean and drinkable water. It is true that many cities in undeveloped areas, especially in Africa, are unable to provide sufficient water supply for their citizens because most of water is lost in the pipe leakages. It is a fact that most people who live in cities, especially in developing countries are forced to boil their water or buy expensive bottled water to drink simply because of the worsening water quality caused by arbitration. It is believed that people in developing countries suffer from poor water sanitation much more than those in developed countries because the speed of arbitration in developing countries moves faster than that of developed countries. Chicanes (2005) pointed out that about 300 million people in China have no access to drink water, and it is a typical example that some people in villages are suffering from serious diseases due to unsafe drinking water. Moreover, urban areas are generally located in places where water sources are available. It is impossible to move forward the pace of arbitration without adequate access to fresh and dependable water; otherwise it cannot meet domestic and industrial needs. The arbitration development in early periods relied on coastal waters to get food and foster transportation. This arbitration development patterns continue as more and more people who prefer to live in places adjacent to freshwater streams. As a consequence, it has negative impacts on local lakes, groundwater and coaster waters as well. The air pollution and water degradation caused by arbitration have posed severe threats to humans health, so it is necessary to carry out some feasible measures to deal with these problems. It is the governments top priority to deal with these serious pollution problems. The government should take the responsibility to introduce some advanced technologies to address the increasingly worsening situation. As for the air pollution, some government- funded projects, such as the electric-transportation scheme, can be implemented to reduce the dependence on fossil fuel. The government can also impose taxes on private car using because cars can produce more pollutes than public transportation, such as bus or subway. In this sense, the government can also invest more capital to improve the subway system and carry out some campaigns to encourage citizens to take public transportation rather than private cars or taxies- The government can also devote more funds to the factories in rural areas to improve the Infrastructure and acclivities so as to reduce emission of waste. J. M. Barraging Memorials et al (2005) argue that urban air pollution is indeed stratified, and that an appropriate way to study this stratification is by means of a categorization method. This method aims to classify the street of the town based on their use as transportation routes. Their study utilized an easy and low-cost way to classify the street functions. For example, trucks that produce pollution can incredibly only be allowed to use on the streets outside of the central area. This way could reduce the pollution in the main area of cities immediately and effectively. On addressing the problems of water deteriorating, the government can invest more money to explore the renewable natural resources, such as solar energy and wind, to take place of the electricity to produce drinkable water. More government-funded scientific researches should be reinforced to develop state-of-the-art technology to process exhausted water and underground water (Booth, 1991). Sewage water needs to be treated in a proper way and it should not be allowed to enter into water system. It is true that storm water, sewage and drinking water are mixed up, o it is significant to divert the used water apart from the clean drinking water or reuse them after properly processing. The local communities should also spare no efforts to deal with air pollution and water pollution because of arbitration. These efforts might include clean-up or recycling campaigns to promote the citizens awareness to save water and take action to protect the air. Farmers need to be encouraged to build small farm ponds in the field as a way to store rainwater which can be used efficiently for agriculture. Knowledge on biodiversity and water-saving know-how should be spread to very citizen. There should be effective system when people report smoking vehicles to the local authority. As a result, citizens can take practical measures to relieve the serious situation of water and air contamination. As the United Nations Environment Program states that one person alone cannot make any big change to the planets damaging biodiversity, each individuals effort to promote the natures wealth and build a livable environment. For every individuals part, they can organize the car-pooling or van-pooling projects to get to work instead of taking taxi to the workplace alone. They can choose owe-polluting models of vehicles to go for work. Each citizen can also strive to change their eating and consumption habits.

How to become a special education teacher

How to become a special education teacher Anyone who takes on the role of teacher is already pretty special- educating students of all ages is not for everyone, and it can be one of the most challenging and rewarding careers out there. And if you’re thinking of becoming a special education teacher, working with students with an even greater range of learning styles, academic needs, and levels of ability, the ups and downs of teaching can be even more intense. If you think this might be the teaching career for you, we have the info you need to get started on that path. What do special education teachers do?Special education teachers are educators who work specifically with students who have physical, academic, or emotional differences. Many special ed teachers focus on a particular age group (like elementary school or high school), but the range of student ages can vary, depending on how the school’s special education programs are set up. Special education teachers may work with students who have a variety of sp ecial needs conditions, including:Learning disabilitiesBehavior disordersAutism spectrum disordersPhysical disabilities (blindness, deafness, etc.)Students may range from having mild learning disabilities to severe mental and physical challenges. Special education teachers may choose to specialize in one of these areas and focus their master’s degree studies accordingly. As school employees, special education teachers typically have the same full-time work day and school year as other kinds of teachers, with summers off (unless a particular school or district offers summer courses as part of its special education curriculum). Although the school week typically involves a standard number of working hours, there may be additional time spent in the mornings, evenings, and off-hours to prepare for school and help students in extracurricular programs or other activities.These teachers have many of the same job responsibilities as other types of teachers, including:Lesson and curri culum planningManaging classroom lessons and activitiesTracking student progressMeeting with parentsAssisting students with everyday living tasksTeaching a variety of subjects (like reading, math, or science)Teaching communication skillsSpecial education teachers can be found in most types of schools: public, private, elementary, secondary, or magnet.What skills do special education teachers have?Special education teachers often need to have an extra dose of people skills, given that they’re dealing with students who may have a variety of physical, emotional, and educational needs.Teaching Skills:  This is the most important skill for any teacher, really, but special education teachers have to be especially good at teaching basic concepts to students who have different abilities to learn and understand the material.Flexibility:  Classrooms are unpredictable, and this can be even more true when a class has students with a variety of needs and abilities. The teacher should bring a certain amount of flexibility to lessons and classroom activities to help account for different students who learn in different ways. The special education classroom is rarely a one-size-fits-all educational experience, so a little flexibility in teaching can be very helpful.Patience:  This is a very important skill for a special education teacher to have. Many special needs students may require extra time or resources to learn the skills and concepts that other students may â€Å"get† faster. For the teacher, it’s crucial to understand that extra help or patience may be the best way to reach those students and help them learn.Creativity:  Again, because of the learning differences that special education students may have, standard lessons may not be the way to go. Finding ways to teach material in ways that students can relate to and understand, even if it’s a little unorthodox, can really help special education teachers in their day-to-day classroo ms.Organizational Skills:  Like in any classroom, organization can mean all the difference between chaos and success. Organization is extra important for a special needs classroom, where students have additional challenges and may need even more structure throughout the school day. There may be students with wildly different needs as well, so keeping the classroom and the students organized is essential to making sure everyone’s staying on track.What do you need to become a special education teacher?Becoming a special education teacher requires a four-year degree in education, ideally with a focus on special education. Many teachers also go on to complete a master’s degree in special education as well. Certification is typically required for special education teachers, particularly ones in public schools. Each state has its own certification requirements, so be sure to check with your state to see what’s expected.How much do special education teachers get paid ?According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for kindergarten teachers is $57,910. This can vary depending on the teacher’s experience and the type of school, as well as the types of students the teacher is working with.  What is the outlook for special education teachers?The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects that this field will grow about 8% by 2026, which is about as fast as average for all careers. Education is a rather perennial field (especially as the population continues to grow), and the demand for teachers who have the skills to work with special needs students will likely be one of the education specialties that sees the most growth within the industry.If you have the patience and skills to work with special students who have needs that go beyond many other students’, this can be an incredibly rewarding and satisfying career path. You’ll be helping students overcome their issues and learn and grow their potential . Good luck!

Theater and Improv Games for the Classroom and Beyond

Theater and Improv Games for the Classroom and Beyond Improv games are a great way to loosen up during drama practice or to break the ice at a party. Improvisational acting teaches you to think quickly and to read other people as you perform. Youll also sharpen your wit as you learn how to react to your audience. Best of all, you dont need any special props or equipment, just your imagination and the courage to step outside yourself.   Captains Coming Improv games like this one are terrific warmups that promote  teamwork and good humor. In this game, which is similar to Simon Says, one person plays the role of a ships captain. The rest of the group are sailors who must quickly follow the captains orders or be dismissed from the game. Orders can be simple or elaborate: Captains coming: Sailors line up in a row and salute the captain.Starboard: Everyone runs to the right side of the stage or room.Port:  Everyone runs to the left side of the stage or room.Man overboard: Sailors team up and pose as though theyre searching for the lost man.Mermaid: Stand on one foot, wave one hand, and say, Hi, sailor!Seasick: Run to port or starboard and pretend to be ill.  Swab the deck: Sailors pretend to mop and clean the floor.Walk the plank: Sailors stand single-file, their right arms extended and hands resting on the shoulder of the person in front. The great thing about Captains Coming is that theres no limit to the orders a captain can give. For added challenges, think of poses that require two or more people or divide the sailors into two groups and have them compete against one another. Yoo-hoo! Yoo-hoo! is another effective game for learning how to take cues and focus movement. It works best with groups that have room to move around. As with Captains Coming, this game requires a leader to call the cues and a group to follow whatever command the leader dreams up. As an added challenge, the group must repeat the action word six times in a whisper as they perform. After the sixth time, everyone calls out freeze! and holds still. Leader:  Yoo-hoo!  Group:  Yoo-hoo who?Leader:  You who  jump with ropes.Group:  Ropes, ropes, ropes, ropes, ropes, ropes, freeze! The leader then cues the next movement and the process repeats itself. If a person loses composure or breaks the freeze before the leader calls Yoo-Hoo again, that person is out. The last person remaining is the winner. Location, Location, Location The Location game can be done with as few or as many people as you like. Use it as a way to exercise your imagination as a solo performer and for learning how to act with others. Begin by having one or more actors develop a scene in a place that anyone can relate to, such as a bus stop, the mall, or Disneyland- without mentioning the name of the location. Have other players try to guess the place. Then move on to less familiar situations. Here are some to get you started: An atticA Ferris wheelA karaoke barAn orchestra pitUndergroundA high school yearbook clubA zeppelin The true challenge of this game is to think past clichà ©s and to avoid using language that gives away the action being performed. This improv exercise can also be played like charades, where teams must guess the activity. More Improv Games Once youve tried simple theater games, your troupe will be ready for more challenges. Here are a few more improv exercises: Tongue twisters:  It doesnt do students any good to be creatively warmed up if the audience has no idea what they are saying. Enunciation exercises  like tongue twisters provide a fun way to alleviate the dreaded mumbling, mush-mouth syndrome.Guess whos coming to dinner: This team exercise gives everyone a role to play. One person plays host, and the others are dinner guests. The only catch? The host doesnt know he or she is having company!The Harold: Developed  by theater director/teacher Del Close, this long-form improvisational activity allows more time to develop believable characters and organic storylines. Students riff off a suggested word, phrase, or idea through a mix of exercises. One improv piece can last from 10 to 45 minutes or more.Be an animal:  One of the best ways to develop out-of-the-box thinking is to have actors imagine themselves not just as other people but as an animal or even as an inanimate object. These drama activities offer proven ways to help participants get to know one another in a friendly, low-key fashion. They can also be used regularly as warm-ups  for your actors before you have them delve into more difficult improvisation exercises. Break a leg!