#pre school levels of basic respect

[funeralfire]

I've legitimately been thinking a lot about trans women lately and like the women I know in my life and how complex and human and real they are. Specifically because I understand the world is not kind to trans women and likes to generalize them horribly.

I know a woman who's an artist and spending her time dreaming about stars. I know another woman who's a terrible friend and manipulative as hell. I know one who's shy and sweet and so intelligent. Trans women can be so many things 💖

I really care deeply about trans women and I hope in my friend groups I'm a good ally to them and know to stand up vocally for them. Trans women deserve so much and they're given not enough. Everyone can do something to stop transphobia by speaking up when they hear it. Don't let your friends make transphobic jokes. Don't let your dad regurgitate trump's words. Protect the trans women in your life and everywhere else, they need to be loved and respected. Mwah! 🥰

[fireheartwraith]

I feel like I should explain ENEM, aka why the brazilians have been grieving since the date of the november 4th event was announced

ENEM stands for Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio (National High School Exam). It happens once a year since 1998, and, although at first it was just to gage how the education was on a national level, it soon became a gateway to university.

The test takes place on two days (that are now two consecutive sundays), from 13:30 to 19:00, and each day the student has to answer 90 questions. The first day is always human sciences and languages (Portuguese language and literature, foreign language (English or Spanish), history, geography, sociology, and philosophy) plus an essay. Nobody knows what the essay is about until the moment of the exam, so there’s always a lot of speculation. The theme is always about a social issue: last year's, for exemple, was "the challenges for the appreciation/respect of the traditional communities and peoples of Brazil", like the quilombolas and natives. The second day tests the students' knowledge on maths and exact sciences (biology, physics, and chemistry).

ENEM is famously a very "read-y" test. Every question requires a lot of reading comprehension, interpretation, and interdisciplinarity. Maybe the internet has done americans wrong, but the SAT's look so easy in comparison. We always make fun of them by saying Harvard it's not actually hard, it's just expensive.

Which brings me to my next point: college! The grade you get on the ENEM can get you into a university using three different programs

SISU: gets you into a public (and free) university (the best university in the country is public btw, University of São Paulo - USP)

PROUNI: gets you a scholarship in a private university (it can get you a 100% scholarship but you need a VERY good grade)

FIES: student loans

And, obviously, the better your grades, the better your chances. You are graded from 0 to 1000 in every subject and also get a general grade. So if you want to study physics, you don’t need to do great in literature, but you should still try to get a decent grade. The more competitive courses, like medicine (there's no such thing was pre-med), can get down to the decimals, especially in prestigious schools.

ENEM isn't the only test you can do to get into a university, though! Some schools have their own test. USP, for exemple, has the FUVEST, so you can get in through either test, but FUVEST is always paid and you can only do it in, like, three cities in São Paulo, while the ENEM happens countrywide, which is why it's so important. The tests are called "vestibular" and the people taking them are "vestibulando".

Therefore, most 3rd year high school students take the test. It's basically a rule to do it if you want to get into a university, but if you are not on your last year of high school, you have to pay to take it (my case). Some people have to go to another city to take the test, it's a whole thing.

This year, the first day of ENEM is happening on Sunday, November 5th. And QSMP's most important event so far is happening on Saturday night, November 4th. May the Lord have mercy on our souls

You can check out the "atrasados do enem" for some giggles though. It's the "event" that happens because some people always arrive after the gates close at 13:00 and then break down crying in the middle of the street. It got so famous people started hiring actors to pose as vestibulandos just to go viral.

Now you know a bit more about brazilian culture!

Here's a link to download last year's exam if you want: first day | second day

[canary-song]

Due to what little on-screen interactions we see between Noir Peter (Pete) and Peni in ITSV, it's no surprise that a lot of people have agreed upon the popular fanon of them being a sort of father-daughter duo (or, for those who subscribe a bit more to Pete being younger due to the comics, a sibling-like relationship). It's cute so I support it, but it got me thinking about the two in comparison to eachother, specifically in terms of corrupt systems and how they're handled in their stories. I think the two have a bit more a contrast than just the surface level stuff, so let's look into it!

(Essay + comic panel evidence beneath the cut)

From the very start of Peni's (unfortunately short) comics, she's shown as very resigned to her fate - when brought in to discuss her father and her future "career" in the SP//DR program, she's upfront and blunt; My father is dead, and I'm the only one who can replace him, so I will. It's a foregone conclusion, and one she doesn't shy away from.

Furthermore, even though we see how, throughout the comics, she's basically given no life beyond her work, and even her school hours are eaten into, she's told again and again that all of this cost means something.

She has to sacrifice everything, because there's no other choice. Her own Guardians, her Uncle Ben and Aunt May, work for the very organization that her father did, and persist to remind her of the importance of the job, even if they do try to remind her that she can't handle this alone. Very telling, when faced with threats to the multiverse, she briefly asks her Uncle Ben if she should stay with him, only for him to tell her to go.

Duty calls.

This isn't the point of this, but of course she joined Spider HQ and went along with what Miguel was telling her - she's grown up surrounded by very like-minded, sacrifice-willing adults. Of course she has to do this. What other option is there?

On the other end, Pete is quite the opposite of Peni's story. Yes, 100%, like all Spiderpeople, there's the element of responsibility, that looming recognition that not doing what you can gets people hurt, but while Peni's story is set up so that she's fighting for her system of authority, Pete is unsurprisingly against his. At any point that he can, even pre-spiderbite, he's picking fights and trying to fix things. He's so set in his beliefs and outspoken that he makes his own mentor question his actions, constantly in pursuit of a better world.

It's the responsibility of the people to give a shit, and Pete cares so much that it drives him a bit mad, I think.

Where Peni is told that this is the way things work, Pete is demanding that it change, asking questions. Peni was raised to accept her responsibility, whereas Pete was raised to fight against the expected status quo.

AND DON'T GET ME STARTED ON THEIR RESPECTIVE BENS.

I'll try keeping this fragment of a thought short because we're already clocking in 6 paragraphs pre-edits and I need to feed the dogs their dinner soon, but the TLDR is that Uncle Ben is the last surviving legal Guardian of Peni, and though distant, he tries his best to support her while she's in the SP//DR program. Pete's Uncle Ben is, by no such surprise, dead, but specifically, he was a WWI veteran, decorated but guilty.

Uncle Ben is, in the Noir comics, yet another symbol of how doing what you're told can haunt you. He was very vocally against the war machine he was a part of, while Peni's Ben has known nothing else but his work.

This is how completely dead opposite they are in so many regards. They contrast eachother!! It's really interesting! Honestly, I could see Pete getting into an argument with Peni's Ben over how she's been treated, even if it probably wouldn't go well. He cares too much to keep his mouth shut, often.

[trojanteapot]

The writing blindspots in Infinity Train with respect to race

To get this out of the way, I love Infinity Train! It’s one of my favourite shows! I started writing fanfiction because of this show, and it still inspires me every day. 

I really do think that Infinity Train as a whole is a very thought provoking children’s show and I applaud it for exploring darker themes relevant to psychology and psychological well-being, which are topics often overlooked not just in children’s media but for adult media as well. However, I do want people to acknowledge some of its shortcomings, especially because it is a show that is dealing with such heavy and complex topics, and also positions its human characters as coming from a world which is pretty much a stand-in for our own.

Now I know that the storyboard artists for Infinity Train were quite diverse, but I don’t really know if it’s the same for the writer's room. The reason why is that as a POC viewer, it really does seem obvious to me from the way that the POC characters were written pre-season 4, that their race was mostly an afterthought.

Okay and to be perfectly clear, this is NOT A BAD THING. This is just a neutral thing. Obviously we don’t need every single story with POC characters to have to be about their experience as a specific racialized person. There are experiences that are shared among everybody no matter what race they are. I am not saying that you need to do super in-depth research into every single cultural nuance of every ethnic minority before writing them. It depends on if you really want to delve into how their heritage or traditions or specific life experiences inform their character arc. Not every character arc is about that. And it shouldn’t be!

With that being said, I do think that perhaps the writers should have tried to consider asking themselves very basic surface level questions on how being non-white would inform the problems and conflicts their characters would face. They don't need to know the ins and outs of each culture for each of their characters, but they could have just asked “How would I feel/react to others if people made weird assumptions about me based on my race? How differently would my parents raise me if they were afraid of prejudice or discrimination?” I think they should have reflected on that before setting in stone the backstories for their POC characters, especially with respect to Grace.

Part 1: GRACE'S PARENTS

So I am not Black myself, but I have had many conversations about Grace with one of my friends in fandom who is Black, and we both do get the sense that Grace’s race was very much just an afterthought to her characterization. To be clear, this is NOT because she has very wealthy parents. I am well aware that there are Black Americans with generational wealth. However, knowing what we know about affluent Black people in the real world, how Grace’s parents treated her makes absolutely no sense.

For example, among extremely wealthy people of any race, networking and knowing the right people is of the utmost importance. This is why so many rich people send their kids to prestigious private schools so their kids can get a heads start on knowing the progeny of other one-percenters. If you look up famous people with famous kids, chances are you’ll see a list of all of the very exclusive private academies that they all went to (looking at you, The Strokes). This is the case for wealthy people of all backgrounds, not just white people. And honestly, I imagine that the pressure is at least double for the kids of wealthy POC parents to get to know the right people as early as possible to be able to open as many doors as possible, in order to mitigate the inherent disadvantage of being a racialized person.

But what did Grace’s parents do? According to her, they never sent her to school of any kind, only having private tutors teach her, and her ballet instructor only made her join the other kids in her class once for a recital or something? This is, for lack of a better term... buck wild.

In addition, her parents are American diplomats. Diplomacy is an extremely people-oriented position. If anything, her parents would want her to not only be in the best private school, but to be the best student in school, to know the best people, to join the school clubs that all the other diplomats’ kids are in, and train her from a young age to be a social butterfly. Yes I know that diplomats will often leave their home country and be stationed somewhere else for long durations, and yes their kids could be taken out of school then, but some diplomats just enroll them in a different institution in the visiting country, or not take them out of school at all. This is what the IB Program was invented for, actually. Her parents being diplomats does not justify never enrolling Grace in school. In fact, it makes it less justifiable. 

The fact that they did the extreme opposite of that is so illogical to me that I wonder if perhaps the writers just cobbled together a whole bunch of tropes that they think apply to rich people without actually checking if any of it makes sense, doubly so for rich people who are non-white.

I think the reason why is because they wanted Grace’s parents to stifle her growth and her natural social skills, but on the Train, she can be who she truly is. I definitely agree that Grace finding herself and being able to truly blossom into the girlboss she is on the Train is a great plot point from a characterization perspective. However, I do not think that it should be because she was being stifled by her parents. The solution is staring the writers right in their face, but they can’t see it because it’s a blindspot for them.

What they should have gone with is: Grace's inability to become a social butterfly and a queen bee in her daily life is because she is a dark-skinned Black girl!!!

Her parents have extremely high expectations for her socially. They could have pushed her to make friends with kids she didn’t like just because they wanted to be on better terms with their parents for networking or diplomacy purposes – which they could have shown with that one girl from her ballet class. Missed opportunity! But no matter how hard Grace tries, she will never be seen as the perfect girl because of other people’s assumptions about her just based on her race. 

Once she’s on the Train, Grace then uses her people skills and finds that they’re a lot more effective there, because it’s no longer Earth’s society, it’s a different world, literally! Plus this even allows her to be a little bit more mean, a little bit more honest, something she wouldn’t be able to get away with in the real world without being punished for it harder than her white peers. We already see hints of this with how she interacts with Simon, a white guy who is the same age as her. 

CAVEAT: The dialogue where Grace reveals that she never went to school was something that she told Hazel in a private conversation. So it could be that she did go to school, but lied about it to seem more relatable to Hazel, who had never been around other kids before. Lying is in character for Grace because she would pretty much do anything to get on somebody’s good side. But the way that they had her voice actress deliver those lines, and the way that her expression changes when she talks about how lonely she was indicates that she was telling the truth. To be charitable, I suppose we can land on the reading that Grace told Hazel a half-truth. She did go to school, but she was frequently taken out of class or skipped semesters because of her parents’ jobs as diplomats. So her loneliness in that instant is at the very least truthful. Your mileage is going to vary on this interpretation of course.

This points to a weakness that I can sort of see in Infinity Train in general, where they push societal problems into purely the realm of personal failings. “It’s not because of society that Grace couldn’t succeed, it was solely due to her abusive parents” being just one example. 

Never forget this monologue from a Black father to his daughter in Scandal:

Part 2: JESSE'S ARC WAS PRETTY GOOD THOUGH

The thing is they actually did write a POC character having to deal with a problem that was society-oriented quite well, at least in my view. Although, I am still pretty sure it was still coming from a race-blind method of writing the characters. Otherwise I feel like Jesse’s status as an Indigenous American would have come up more than a grand total of one time. That they could do this well for Jesse makes the fact that they didn’t do the same for Grace quite disappointing. 

Jesse’s main issue that he had to overcome was he kept caving to peer pressure and had trouble saying no to others for fear of disappointment. Now, this problem is universal, and it’s not solely something that is specific to Jesse’s race or ethnicity or cultural background. In fact, I am quite certain that they wrote Jesse as a character without even considering that this problem he faces is relatable to POC experiences. But I definitely know a lot of POC in my life who do take on more responsibilities than they can manage, or feel a higher pressure to fit in with their peers. Hell, I’m that POC in many cases! It’s kind of like background radiation to us as minorities that we just have to do more emotional labour in order to be seen as equals. That’s just the reality of the situation. You can understand and relate to Jesse’s problem without being Indigenous/Native American, but at the same time it feels like a natural problem for him to have, because he is non-white!

I will admit that a personal blind spot of mine is I don't know and haven't had the chance to speak to too many Indigenous people, so there could be aspects of Jesse's arc that don't really make sense. If you are somebody who knows more than me, please feel free to correct me! I would love to hear how you felt about Jesse's characterization and arc as an Indigenous person!

Part 3: SEASON 4, THE ASIANS 

Alright now it's time to tackle stuff that I actually could have any ounce of authority talking about? Which is how they wrote Ryan and Min-Gi in Book 4. I myself am Asian-Canadian. Specifically, I am a first generation Chinese-Canadian but I've been in Canada since I was six so I find a lot of the experiences of second generation Asian-Canadians more relatable to me. In addition, my partner is fourth generation Japanese-Canadian, so his dad would be the same generation as Ryan's dad. (I also am really really into rock music, but that's besides the point.)

What they got right:

So first off, I could tell that they really did consult Asian people in writing this season, so good on them! The difference in how Ryan’s parents raised him in contrast to Min-Gi’s parents felt very natural and realistic to me. Ryan’s family is more westernized and has assimilated more into broader Canadian culture. 

The fact that Ryan has an English name and not a Japanese name immediately shows that. Min-Gi’s parents not choosing an English name for him is a bit of a surprise; very few Asian immigrants go without an English name back in the 20th century. Even nowadays it’s extremely common for us to go by English or Western names that we, or our parents chose, instead of names in our native language. But there are good reasons to not choose an English name. Perhaps Min-Gi’s parents wanted him to have a closer tie to his Korean roots, or perhaps if they travelled back to Korea to visit family it would be easier for them. 

Also, Min-Gi’s parents not supporting his dream of becoming a musician and want him to get a stable job in… I think it was finance? Definitely true back then as it is today. I’m not entirely sure how Ryan’s parents feel about his life choices, and we’ll get into that later.

The character arcs for Ryan and Min-Gi are excellent. This dichotomy of wanting to do the good, responsible thing that your parents want for you because they want you to have the best chance at a good life, and doing what your heart tells you to do, is an extremely relevant character arc. It’s a life decision that is not just an Asian thing, but something anybody can relate to. However, in East Asian cultures that were generally influenced by Confucianism, which includes both Korean and Japanese culture, upholding your duty as a child to not disappoint your parents in any way is something that Asian cultures are prone to emphasizing to a great degree. We see this in other media centered on the Asian immigrant experience as well, such as Kim’s Convenience, Turning Red, and Everything Everywhere All At Once.

What was a bit puzzling to me:

So I'll start off with the thing that definitely raised many many eyebrows if you were an East Asian or Southeast Asian watching the show: Why were Min-Gi's parents so friendly with Ryan's parents when they're Korean and Ryan's family is Japanese?!

So like, not to bring politics into it but… World War II happened. It affected, you know, the world and stuff. And in the Pacific Theatre (god I hate that term), the Imperial Japanese Army… invaded Korea?? Among many other countries??? And did a bunch of war crimes?????

Like, Japan was invading other countries well before WWII even started… This is common knowledge… for Asian people that is.

Yeah I know what you're gonna say. “But Ryan's family is Japanese-Canadian!! They wouldn't have done those war crimes! They would have been sent to internment camps!” Yeah dude, I know! My partner is Japanese-Canadian, remember?! And even if I didn't know him, we learned about the internment camps in history class. It's pretty common knowledge among progressives in Canada and the US. George Takei did a whole musical about it. 

But that's not how racism works. I can speak from personal experience that the scars of WWII trauma in Chinese and Korean communities run deep. Even my own parents needed a bit of convincing to be okay with me dating my partner, and my parents were born two decades after WWII ended. My partner said that one time when he and his grandmother got into an elevator with an elderly Korean woman, and at first she was friendly, but once she realized they were of Japanese descent, the elevator ride became deathly silent afterwards. 

So when you have Min-Gi’s parents, who were probably born during or slightly after WWII, immigrate to Canada, and then be like… totally okay and hunky dory pals with Ryan’s parents just because their kids were born the same day in the same hospital…? I mean sure, anything can happen. But it definitely speaks to how abnormally accepting, forgiving, and welcoming Min-Gi’s parents are. 

To be clear, this isn’t something that pulled me out of the experience, personally. Yes, it is strange, but it’s not impossible for a Korean family to be super okay and friends with a Japanese family. Maybe it’s because their small town has very few Asians and so they have to stick together due to solidarity or something. Maybe Min-Gi’s parents are the type of Christians that believe in the inherent goodness of everyone and giving everyone a chance. Maybe they are just extremely progressive and see Ryan’s family as Canadian more than Japanese (highly unlikely), or they know about the internment camps and that was enough to get over their biases toward them (also unlikely). I dunno, anything can happen.

The other thing that bugged me was that they really didn’t explore Ryan’s relationship with his family to the same depth as Min-Gi’s relationship with his family. 

They already set up the contrast of like, you have an immigrant who is more connected to their cultural background, and a third generation descendent who is less connected, and more alienated from his cultural background. That kind of stuff can really weigh on you as somebody who is a minority. You feel like you simultaneously aren’t Canadian enough because you aren’t white, and that you’re not enough of your cultural background because you had to assimilate, or were forced to assimilate. 

Yes it makes sense why Ryan would throw himself into his music, and be disconnected from his family. But they didn’t take the time to really explore why he is that way. Ryan barely talks about his family except randomly mentioning that they don’t care what he does with his life. I don’t even know if that really makes sense that they don’t care what he does? Maybe Ryan thinks they don’t care, but his assumption is wrong? Either way they don’t explore this point that much. Even if his parents were more assimilated they would still care if Ryan had a non-standard job, such as being a musician. There is a gap between Ryan and his family/parents that was alluded to, but not explored. Feeling like you come from two worlds but not neatly fitting into either is so quintessential to the immigrant experience of Canadians (and also Americans) it’s a shame they only paid lip service to it. 

I mentioned in a different post that Ryan would be monolingual while Min-Gi would be bilingual, and how this could cause tension between them. I imagine Ryan definitely feels inferior to Min-Gi in that sense of loss and disconnect with his heritage, just as Min-Gi is jealous that he feels he doesn't have the freedom to pursue his musical career in the same way that Ryan can. This is all stuff that can take a psychological toll on people, and is something which the Train as a metaphor for therapy should have been primed to tackle. But unfortunately we didn't really get that.

There is a term among the Chinese Diaspora known as “Hollow Bamboo (竹杠)” or “Rising Bamboo (竹升)” [more info]. It's an insult tossed at kids of Chinese ethnicity from judgemental adults for being unable to read/write Chinese or who cannot speak Mandarin/Cantonese/other Chinese languages fluently because they've been “too westernized”. They say we “look Chinese, but are hollow inside, like bamboo.” I don't know if there are equivalent terms for other Asian diaspora/immigrant communities but there must be. This term is controversial, and in my own opinion very unfair, because it blames the kids for this loss of cultural identity when there are so many different factors at play that makes them lose it, all of them outside of their own control. 

Again, I think this is a blindspot from the writers just not understanding how much this loss of cultural identity is such an integral part of the experience of being an immigrant, and that it's not only felt in first or second generation Asian-Canadians, but also third or fourth generation, and beyond. It's scary to go out there and redefine what your culture means to you, and how to pass it on to the next generation.

CONCLUSION

So there you have it, a summary of the strengths and the weaknesses in Infinity Train as it pertains to writing about racialized characters. Just want to restate that a lot of what I pointed out is pretty minor in the grand scheme of things and I do overall think the writing is solid. I am not going into this to say that I expected the writers to do a good job, because generally my expectations for media and pop culture to portray POCs respectfully is quite low. At least they didn’t fall back on tired stereotypes, which is a low bar to clear, but it is where the bar still is these days.

If on the off chance Infinity Train does get uncancelled and renewed for more seasons, I hope they take these lessons and craft better narratives for their POC characters. Maybe hire some more non-white writers while you’re at it!

[irregularjohnnywiggins]

So, since apparently I'm in a DC posting mood right now, you all want to hear this concept that's been baking in my mind for a while now?

Stephanie Brown is the same level of crimefighter as Bruce Wayne. Hear me out.

First, a common thematic reading of the Batfamily, especially the Batkids, is that all of them are in some way better than Bruce at one specific thing. Like with the equally broad thematic reading of 'All of Batman's rogues reflect a part of his psyche' this doesn't entirely hold up to scrutiny and doesn't apply to all of the Batkids, but it applies to enough: Dick is the better leader, Babs is the better strategist, Tim is the better detective, Cass is the better fighter, you get the idea. Now, normally when considering this reading the consensus for Steph is that she is the negative archetype, similar to how the Joker is interpreted in the rogues reading - an inverse of the common rule, in this case meaning that Steph isn't particularly good at anything. Some people who take this reading end this part with 'And that's why I love her!' - most don't. But I think that's entirely wrong, and to explain why we need to examine Bruce's own past.

In most versions of the Batman origin, there's a period, usually immediately or closely after Bruce graduating from either high-school or college, where Bruce travels the world, seeking masters of specific disciplines and learning all he can from them. The amount of people he meets is extensive - seriously, I have a word doc of 40 names and that's not even all of them - and later stories, particularly the Nolan trilogy, Batman/The Shadow, and IIRC Batman: Earth One, try to par that down to a single entity - The League of Shadows, The Shadow, and Alfred, respectively - teaching him all that is necessary to become Batman. It's not a change I particularly like, for one simple reason - the trek around the globe is as much metatexual as it is backstory. Like many of the prototypical superheroes, Batman isn't just one thing, he's many influences that Bill Finger brought to the table when creating him - he's a pulp hero like the Shadow, an adventure swashbuckler like Zorro and the Scarlet Pimpernel, a detective like Sherlock Holmes, all melding together to form our concept of 'Batman'. Having him learn from all these disparate sources - from ninjas and car thieves and magicians and detectives - seems like a way of acknowledging that breadth of influence, and I can't help but feel like limiting it to only Ra's or Lamont or Alfred takes away from that.

So, what does all that have to do with Stephanie Brown? Well, think about it - almost all of the Batfamily have only one real mentor - there are exceptions, like Tim basically becoming Babs' apprentice in No Man's Land and Cass' very funny shared custody situation, but mainly all of the Batkids learn from Batman, and what they excel at they were just kind of naturally good at anyway - Babs and Cass especially, no shade. With Steph, though? It's not as impressive as Bruce's list, but she learns general Cowl skills with Bruce, hacking and cryptography with Babs, detective skills with Tim, get fighting tips from Cass and Black Canary, is taught teamwork by Kate, evasion skills with Damian (that last one may not be purposeful), plus whatever else she can learn because, unlike the rest of the Batfamily, at least Pre-Flashpoint Steph was always learning.

True, Steph started out with very few practical skills in crimefighting, but you know who else did that? Bruce - every single time a comic or adaptation has shown him attempting to fight crime before the training trek has him absolutely suck at it. At the very least Steph never decided to stop her dad by attempting to assassinate him in a courthouse full of witnesses by veeery slowly pointing a gun at him, like Nolanverse Bruce.

Bottom line? If one more person says Steph 'isn't particularly skilled at anything', I will chew glass.

[gemsofgreece]

For some weird reason there is a person going around in every relevant video and webpage saying that Greek isn’t a rich language because it has only one word for all types of teachers. So, in short that it doesn’t have words for tutor, professor and so on. I was so confused by his argument and his reasoning, let alone by his passion which drives him to write this literally everywhere, but also because… there is not only one word for all types of teachers! Lately I am also learning some basic Latin and I stumbled onto the word paedagogus (teacher of Greek in the Roman world) so I thought of making a Greek vocabulary post about all teaching types / professions.

Vocabulary of teachers in Greek

Παιδαγωγός (peðaɣoɣós): Yep, the original. While in Latin it’s the Greek teacher, the παιδαγωγός is anyone, who is responsible of shaping a child’s mind and manners. Literally meaning guide of the children.

Εκπαιδευτικός (ekpeðephtikós): Also has a broad meaning, it is anyone working in education, but the word refers more strictly to working in this field rather than generally be a guide to young people like παιδαγωγός.

Δάσκαλος (ðáskalos): teacher / teacher in primary school. Sometimes attributes wisdom.

Διδάσκαλος (ðiðáskalos): older type of δάσκαλος. Emphasises on the respect shown and the wisdom of the teacher.

Νηπιαγωγός (nipiaɣoɣós): kindergarten teacher

Καθηγητής (kathiyitís): middle and high school professor / professor of the highest levels in the university

Λέκτορας (léktoras): lower level professor in university

Ακαδημαϊκός (akaðimaikós): broader term for university professors and scholars, academic

Διευθυντής (ðiephthindís): headmaster of primary school

Γυμνασιάρχης (yimnassiárkhis): head of middle school, literally archon of gymnasium

Λυκειάρχης (likiárkhis): head of high school, literally archon of Lyceum

Κοσμήτορας (kozmítoras): dean, head professor of a major school in university, that can include several departments

Πρύτανης (prítanis): president of a university

Φιλόλογος (philóloɣos): teacher of the Modern and Ancient Greek language and all relevant subjects, often including history

Θεολόγος (theolóɣos): teacher of religious education, professor of theology

Γυμναστής (yimnastís): teacher of physical education

Φυσικός / Μαθηματικός / Χημικός / Βιολόγος (phissikós / mathimatikós / himikós / violóɣos) : physics, maths, chemistry, biology professors in middle and high school

Μουσικός (mussikós): musician / music professor

Εκπαιδευτής (ekpeðephtís): a trainer of any kind, usually for extracurricular activities

Προπονητής (proponitís): coach / sports trainer

Χοροδιδάσκαλος (horoðiðáskalos): dance teacher

Προγυμναστής (proyimnastís): tutor, a private teacher, a teacher that helps you improve your performance in school, a homeschool teacher etc

Φροντιστής (phrondistís): a teacher who helps improve performance for a group of students attending a private assisting class

Επιμορφωτής (epimorphotís): a tutor offering short additional and specialised classes to students who are already advanced in their studies/ career.

Notes:

I am not going to add titles with more than one word that are pre-existing words, for example we say “professor of Informatics” so this phrase doesn’t include a new word. Or others like academic levels i.e assisting professor in university)

This is mostly for the vocabulary, not the grammar, so I only used the masculine gender to not complicate things much.

ɣ is the voiced velar fricative, a ghhhh sound, soft g

ð is the voiced dental fricative, like th in mother.

I used kh and h interchangeably instead of ch to avoid a potential mispronunciation like ch in cherish.

I opted for ph instead of f for no other reason than that is apparently the Latin way to greekify an f.

[fallowhearth]

David Graeber and David Wengrow, The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity, 2021

This is not a review. It will probably be a bit of a ramble about my approach to reading history and thinking through why I bounced off this so many times. This is also about letting myself off the hook - I'm going to let this one remain unfinished. I don't need to finish reading it.

After I dropped out of grad school (highly recommended), it took me a good few years to be able to stomach picking up a history book again. But, I do really enjoy the discipline. There's a reason I wanted to do it as a career. I eventually found a way back in - from YouTube video essays, to a few podcasts, to reading history from outside my field. I had the most success with ancient/pre-modern histories; obligatory Tides of History plug as I've loved all the deep dives into genetic history and archaeology (and gotten quite a few great book recommendations). I don't have any particular knowledge in these fields, I don't have the language skills or context to interpret sources myself, I've never even taken an ancient history course. So reading these I have no option but to basically rely on the expertise of the historian, to see what they say about various topics and about each other. It's the opportunity to read history like a layperson, and hey, it's pretty interesting!

On the one hand, Dawn is engagingly written - I'd call it kind of magazine style? - and tells a compelling story. But, the whole time I'm wondering, but is any of it true?

My impulse when reading something from within my area of academic expertise is to go and take a look at some of the sources myself. It's always a useful sense-check; it's due diligence. History is by its nature kind of subjective. Historians don't just deal in lonely facts (to paraphrase someone whose name escapes me), but in interpretation and argumentation. Everything has been passed through several human filters before a historian even looks at it. So, in a room full of historians you respect, you can have a lively, contentious discussion where no two people have quite the same reading of the source. There's a skill you pick up after a while - you get a sense for the range of defensible interpretations of a particular piece of evidence. You'll feel more affinity for part of that range, based on the things you believe about how the world works, your particular axe to grind, other things you've read, niche academic beef, etc.

I'm confident I've read at least a few of the sources Dawn uses, and I've definitely read within adjacent bodies of sources. So, I have an incredibly strong need to go and take a look at the specific things they're basing their argument on. I trust my own judgement; I want to establish that range of defensible interpretations, I want to see what readings I'd pull out first, I want to see what the distance is between Dawn's point on that range and mine. The problem is that I can't. Even if I wanted to dive back into the archive, I literally don't have any of the institutional accesses that would allow me to. Also I really don't want to. So I'm constantly feeling this itch I can't scratch at the back of my mind while reading Graeber and Wengrow's work.

The broad version of Dawn's thesis is something like: 'humans have experimented with diverse ways to live and organise their societies across space and time, in ways that are not accommodated by the teleological models developed within the colonial context'. I'd say, yeah, I pretty much agree with that! (In fact it's a thesis I'd love to nail to the doors of many popular history writers.) But I get the same sense reading Dawn as I did reading various provocative works of global history (many of which I really like): the broad thesis is generally defensible, but it falls apart on the page-to-page level. Of course I can't actually confirm this since, well, I haven't done my due diligence!

[birchbow]

Hi I’ve got a few questions regarding schoolfeeding. How does the purple blood schooling work, is it similar to earth where they have to complete a curriculum to move on to the next grade/level? What grades/levels do purple bloods have in the fleet? Lastly if a troll wants to become a school feeder how can they achieve that?

I'm about to say some shit in an authoritative tone but I don't have time to go double-check myself so if I contradict any of the things I've said in the fic somebody please let me know haha.

EDIT: this is also going under a readmore, y'all are asking very fun questions but boy are the answers long lol

RE: structure, I don't think it's age-based, partially because as a class purplebloods live so long--you get some basic husktop courses when you're on-planet, overall education and basic prep courses, then when you get to the fleet you get sorted out to different ships and split into smaller classes where the schoolfeeders can fast-track the overachievers, scold and hound the underachievers, and if necessary cull the dropouts and the ones who don't improve fast enough.

I definitely made mention of exams, which is would say are just like, all-around reviews of the skills you were taught, every few perigees/half a sweep. Pass and you get to move up to missions and more advanced classes, and officially get counted as an acrobatterer, laughsassin, what have you. Fail and you are definitely harshly judged and have to do it all over again--and if you fail enough times and you don't show enough improvement, you get culled or turfed out into unimportant non-church missions until you shape up in the field or die.

It is definitely textually in the fic that there aren't really ranks, but there are probably very general social strata, beyond that point. A nebulous and heavily reputation-dependent mess that vaguely goes: pre-pupation newbies -> pupated+graduated young soldier -> established, respected Clown Senpai -> titled champion/schoolfeeder -> ship captain/Fleet Cardinal (Scarredinal?? Eh, I'll work on it lol) -> Grand Highblood.

Actually becoming a schoolfeeder, like a lot of the processes as I write them, is kind of an informal matter of reputation and social pressures. If someone is very notable in a field, enough to become known for their expertise, they (or more likely their peers) could bring it up to their captain, who would real quick check with Kurloz and then could go "yeah sure teach those little motherfuckers some shit" and let them at it. If they're notable in a field that already has a schoolfeeder, they could move to another ship and set up there, or they could presumably challenge the incumbent schoolfeeder to prove they know their shit better and the loser has to sulk off somewhere else.

Karkat very much did it a new and unusual way, which is to say he was so intrusive and fearlessly aggressive and was seen directly talking to the Grand Highblood on church business so often that the new little 9-sweep clowns decided probably he was an authority/schoolfeeder, and then multiple high-ranking people in the church were like "oh fuck that's hilarious, uh, YEAH, sure, Feeder Vantas, you got it lololol >:oD"

Unfortunately for them when Karkat was faced with baby clowns asking him for lessons, he whipped out a romance novel and started Educating and it is rapidly becoming much too late to stop him lmao. But that's very much not the normal way, and he's definitely much much younger and uhhh less purple than all the other schoolfeeders on the fleet.

[dhampiravidi]

polyamory on Suits (USA) - it's canon if I say it is. go watch it on Netflix!

ok so Suits is about a kinda dumb guy named Mike who uses his photographic memory to memorize law books & pass the LSAT for people (for $). he ends up working for a law firm, no spoilers.

ANYWAY, this show has a lot of parallels. like, Harvey (smug hot lawyer who commonly fucks) will say something about "don't call your flings back, because it'll show weakness" & then talk about how he doesn't wanna acknowledge something Mike said. as if Mike is some girl he just fucked--

basically, Harvey dates a bunch of women but Donna (his secretary who has more common sense than anyone on the show) is one of the only women he respects (who would maybe fuck him).

Harvey also shows way too many signs of falling for Mike, but it's 2011ish so no gay allowed here (except for the occasional "haha you act like a girl" teasing done to certain male characters). & then there's the badass scheming-yet-"she honestly deserves her business" Jessica, played by The Excellent Gina Torres (famous Afro-Latina actress extraordinaire). she's so tired of everyone's shit (aka her firm's lawyers acting like squabbling kids). but she also paid for Harvey's law school & they have complete mutual respect for each other, on a level that I've rarely seen between a man and a woman on a live-action show from pre-2013 America.

yeah, so uh, Donna-Harvey-Mike-Jessica poly where everyone fucks Harvey & that's it, because Donna sees Mike as a younger brother (who's kinda stupid) & Jessica would NEVER deign to even be roommates with Mike (lol). also unless Harvey's with Mike (or me *cough*) he won't be in control because tbh he needs someone who won't always put up with him being cocky.

polyamory. awesome powerful women. bisexual pride.

& no, I don't care about what's canon as far as love interests are concerned.

[gisellelx]

Twilight Advent 22, Day 13

Masterpost/prompts

Dec. 13- What college major did each one of Bella's human friends choose?

Okay so. So time for some realism. One of the things I hate most about the movies, and then how fandom has taken and run with what was in the movies, is the idea that somehow Forks is like a suburb of Seattle--the school is super multi-cultural and chic; everybody has college dreams, prom is at a gorgeous golf course, everybody has a car, etc.

Forks is nothing like that. I had the privilege, if you can call it that, of traveling there before Twilight took off (who woulda thunk, given how enduring the series wound up being in my life!). There's really fantastic, worth-driving-six-hours-from-Oregon hiking and mountaineering to be done there. But as a tourist, you use Forks as a basecamp and you don't stay long.

Without Twilight, there is nothing in Forks, y'all. There is a diner, and a TruValue, and a bank, and like, a laundromat? The hotel we stayed in was an apartment complex that couldn't make it because there were too few people living there and they finally turned it into a motel because that at least kept people from squatting in the vacant units. It is an economically depressed town and the kids who grow up there don't have many prospects unless they work hard at making them.

So. There basically are no college majors. Few of the kids from Forks go to college. Of those who do, even fewer stay there. Most of them can't hack it. This is actually one thing the books ironically got right (though it was no doubt due to SM not knowing the standard US high school curriculum; she did not do this on purpose). They were teaching Bio I to 11th graders and Romeo and Juliet to seniors, where both would be part of the 9th grade curriculum at a high school with a high rate of college matriculation. So that means there were two levels of science below introductory bio, and three levels of English below what is typically taught as English 9, and so the first two years at that high school are basically a middle school curriculum. Ergo, you have a whole lot of kids who are not going to college.

I think Tyler, Lauren, Mike, Eric and Jessica did not go. Jessica probably attempted to go to Peninsula Community College in pre-nursing but the science was too hard and there was no English there. Eric also went briefly--as the class valedictorian, he got into U-dub and went down to Seattle for most of a year. But it was too far and too hard and after having felt like the king of the hill at his high school, he got depressed and zoned out on the hot new game, Call of Duty, eventually developing a pattern of absences, failing or withdrawing from most of his classes, and having his registration privileges revoked. So he moved back home. They stay in Forks or Port Angeles and have perfectly respectable, pay-the-bills jobs as adults—Mike probably joins the police force, Eric and Tyler take up the trades, Lauren eventually works her way up in one of the in-home daycares in town; Jessica trains as a CNA and works at Forks Community Hospital.

Angela and Ben go on. Angela gets in to Evergreen State (Go Geoducks!) and goes there because it's not too far and Ben goes to Peninsula and completes the Bachelor's in Business Management there. Angela gets a degree in early childhood ed, and moves to Seattle to take a job at a montessori school. She eventually gets her master's and becomes an elementary principal many years later. She and Ben don't stay together, but they remain good friends and he eventually also gets hired as an account manager at Microsoft and every now and then, they get a drink together.

[reasoningdaily]

Yahoo News: Civil rights groups warn tourists about Florida in wake of 'hostile' laws

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The NAACP over the weekend issued a travel advisory for Florida, joining two other civil rights groups in warning potential tourists that recent laws and policies championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida lawmakers are “openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals.”

The NAACP, long an advocate for Black Americans, joined the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), a Latino civil rights organization, and Equality Florida, a gay rights advocacy group, in issuing travel advisories for the Sunshine State, where tourism is one of the state's largest job sectors.

The warning approved Saturday by the NAACP's board of directors tells tourists that, before traveling to Florida, they should understand the state of Florida "devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color.”

An email was sent Sunday morning to DeSantis' office seeking comment. The Republican governor is expected to announce a run for the GOP presidential nomination this week.

Florida is one of the most popular states in the U.S. for tourists, and tourism is one of its biggest industries. More than 137.5 million tourists visited Florida last year, marking a return to pre-pandemic levels, according to Visit Florida, the state's tourism promotion agency. Tourism supports 1.6 million full-time and part-time jobs, and visitors spent $98.8 billion in Florida in 2019, the last year figures are available.

Several of Florida's Democratic mayors were quick to say Sunday that their cities welcomed diversity and inclusion.

“EVERYONE is always welcome and will be treated with dignity and respect,” tweeted Mayor Ken Welch of St. Petersburg in a message echoed by the mayor across the bay in Tampa.

“That will never change, regardless of what happens in Tallahassee,” tweeted Mayor Jane Castor of Tampa.

The NAACP's decision comes after the DeSantis' administration in January rejected the College Board’s Advanced Placement African American Studies course. DeSantis and Republican lawmakers also have pressed forward with measures that ban state colleges from having programs on diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as critical race theory, and also passed the Stop WOKE Act that restricts certain race-based conversations and analysis in schools and businesses.

In its warning for Hispanic travelers considering a visit to Florida, LULAC cited a new law that prohibits local governments from providing money to organizations that issue identification cards to people illegally in the country and invalidates out-of-state driver’s licenses held by undocumented immigrants, among other things. The law also requires hospitals that accept Medicaid to include a citizenship question on intake forms, which critics have said is intended to dissuade immigrants living in the U.S. illegally from seeking medical care.

“The actions taken by Governor DeSantis have created a shadow of fear within communities across the state,” said Lydia Medrano, a LULAC vice president for the Southeast region.

Recent efforts to limit discussion on LGBTQ topics in schools, the removal of books with gay characters from school libraries, a recent ban on gender-affirming care for minors, new restrictions on abortion access and a law allowing Floridians to carry concealed guns without a permit contributed to Equality Florida's warning.

“Taken in their totality, Florida’s slate of laws and policies targeting basic freedoms and rights pose a serious risk to the health and safety of those traveling to the state,” Equality Florida's advisory said.

[blainesebastian]

Hi! I'm the 'Luci being born' anon from earlier. I totally respect you not wanting to write that type of fic; I'm adjacent to the medical field so I am basically immune to squick, and I sometimes forget that not everyone is! You mentioned you enjoy writing CCG's pregnancy - would you ever consider writing another little one-shot of her being pregnant? I promise I'm not weird, I just have pregnancy and birth on the brain because I'm doing a pre-and-postnatal unit in school. 😂 Thank you for responding to my ask and for being so sweet; CCG-verse has become one of my favorite little escapes from my super-busy work and school life. I adore any and all new content, and I'm excited to read about this sweet little family for as long as you want to keep writing about them!

fkjsdf this is so sweet on so many levels. for starters, i super appreciate your understanding! sometimes it's so hard for me to tell requesters that i'm just not vibing with their ask. it's not so much that it squicks me out (maybe a little lmao) but i'm just not sure how to describe it out in a way that's compelling? i feel like i'd end up glossing over / just not doing it justice! and that's totally not weird at all, i actually have another anon request in my askbox that i'm going to do with ccg being pregnant (it's just not on my request page yet because i only move prompts there when i begin writing it!). i really enjoy writing austin's little family more than i expected! when i first began writing the ccg series, i never thought people would be so interested / asking for requests or wanting more :) so it's really nice to be pleasantly surprised.

thank you again for the asks and for being so lovely! good luck with school and such! and feel free to leave other requests 🥰

[sagarargroup]

Your Guide to Pursuing an MBBS in Nepal: Everything You Need to Know

Pursuing MBBS in Nepal is a popular choice for students seeking quality medical education at affordable costs. Nepal, known for its scenic beauty and cultural diversity, also offers a strong academic environment for medical studies, making it an appealing option for international students, especially those from neighboring countries like India. Here’s a complete guide to help you understand why MBBS in Nepal could be the right step for your medical career.

Why Choose Nepal for MBBS?

Nepal offers a combination of affordable education, globally recognized medical programs, and an inclusive academic environment, making it ideal for students. Let’s explore what sets MBBS in Nepal apart:

Affordable Tuition and Living Costs Medical education in Nepal is more affordable compared to many other countries. Students get a high standard of education at lower fees, along with affordable living expenses, which makes MBBS in Nepal accessible to many students from India and other countries.

High-Quality Education with Experienced Faculty Medical colleges in Nepal are equipped with experienced faculty and modern facilities. The curriculum is on par with international standards, ensuring students get a comprehensive education in medical science. This focus on quality education adds to the credibility of MBBS in Nepal.

Globally Recognized Degrees The MBBS degree offered by medical colleges in Nepal is recognized globally. Most institutions in Nepal are recognized by the Medical Council of India (MCI) and listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools. This means students can pursue further studies or practice in other countries after completing their MBBS in Nepal.

Easy Admission Process for Indian Students Admission processes in Nepal are straightforward, making it easy for international students to enroll. Many medical colleges in Nepal follow a system similar to the Indian NEET exam, making it simple for Indian students to apply and get accepted.

Top Medical Colleges for MBBS in Nepal

If you’re considering MBBS in Nepal, here are some of the top medical colleges to consider:

Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences: Known for its experienced faculty and modern curriculum, Kathmandu University is a popular choice among international students.

Tribhuvan University Institute of Medicine: Tribhuvan University offers one of the most respected MBBS programs in Nepal, with rigorous academics and hands-on training.

B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences: Located in Dharan, this institute provides quality medical education and exposure to students through its teaching hospital.

Each of these institutions offers strong academic support, well-equipped labs, and the necessary infrastructure to provide a complete education for students pursuing MBBS in Nepal.

Admission Requirements and Process

The admission process for MBBS in Nepal is simplified for international students, but there are still requirements to keep in mind:

Eligibility Criteria: Students need a minimum of 50% in their 12th-grade exams, particularly in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.

Entrance Exam: Some colleges require students to clear the NEET exam or similar entrance exams. This ensures that students entering the medical programs have a basic level of competency.

Application Process: The application process typically involves submitting academic records, identification documents, and entrance exam results. Once accepted, students are invited to attend orientation programs to help them settle into their new academic environment.

Curriculum and Structure of MBBS in Nepal

The MBBS curriculum in Nepal is designed to provide students with a deep understanding of medical sciences, along with practical experience. Here’s what to expect:

Foundation Years: The initial years focus on pre-clinical studies, covering subjects such as Anatomy, Physiology, and Biochemistry. These foundational years build essential medical knowledge.

Clinical Years: During these years, students transition to clinical studies, gaining hands-on experience in hospitals. Practical exposure is a crucial part of the MBBS in Nepal program, allowing students to interact with patients and medical professionals.

Internship: After completing academic studies, students must complete a one-year internship. This internship provides practical experience in hospitals, preparing students for real-world medical scenarios.

Benefits of Studying MBBS in Nepal for Indian Students

For Indian students, MBBS in Nepal offers several unique benefits:

Cultural Similarities: Nepal shares cultural similarities with India, making it easy for students to adjust. Many Nepalese colleges even have Indian food options, reducing homesickness.

No Language Barrier: English is widely used in Nepal’s education system, and most medical colleges use English as the medium of instruction.

Proximity to India: Nepal’s close proximity to India makes it easy for students to travel back home during holidays or emergencies. This convenience is a huge plus for Indian students.

Career Opportunities After MBBS in Nepal

Completing an MBBS in Nepal opens up various career paths:

Postgraduate Studies: After earning an MBBS degree, students can pursue MD or MS programs in Nepal, India, or other countries, thanks to the global recognition of the degree.

Medical Practice in India: With an MCI-recognized MBBS degree, students can return to India and appear for the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination (FMGE) to practice.

Global Career Opportunities: An MBBS degree from Nepal is accepted in various countries, allowing students to pursue further studies or careers abroad.

Things to Consider Before Choosing MBBS in Nepal

While MBBS in Nepal has many advantages, it’s essential to consider a few factors before making your decision:

Licensing Exams: To practice in India after completing MBBS in Nepal, students need to clear the FMGE or similar exams. This licensing process is essential for Indian students aiming to return and work in India.

Different Teaching Approaches: Although similar to Indian systems, the teaching methods may vary slightly. Being open to a different approach to medical education can help students adapt better.

Living Conditions: Although Nepal offers affordable living, students should be prepared for a different lifestyle. Adjusting to the local environment will make the experience enriching and enjoyable.

Final Thoughts

Choosing to pursue MBBS in Nepal can be a rewarding experience that opens doors to a successful medical career. With globally recognized degrees, affordable tuition fees, and quality education, Nepal provides an excellent environment for aspiring doctors. However, it's essential to thoroughly research, understand the admission process, and be prepared for both academic and lifestyle adjustments.

For students passionate about medicine and seeking an affordable yet high-quality education, MBBS in Nepal is a promising choice. Whether your goal is to practice in India or explore opportunities abroad, a medical degree from Nepal can set the foundation for a successful and fulfilling medical career.

[pooma-education]

NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS (NPST)

Public statement of what constitutes teacher quality

The NPST is a public statement of what constitutes teaching quality and what is required to improve the educational outcomes of students in India. These standards are a set of guiding statements that define the expectation of the role of a teacher at different levels of expertise at different stages of a career. The standards also defines effective teaching and the competencies required to practice as a teacher in 21st century schools at each stage of teaching career.

The NPST will also inform the design of pre-service teacher education programmes. This could be then adopted by States and determine all aspects of teacher career management, including tenure, professional development efforts, salary increases, promotions, and other recognitions. Promotions and salary increases will not occur based on the length of tenure or seniority, but only on the basis of such appraisal. The professional standards will be reviewed and revised in 2030, and thereafter every ten years, on the basis of rigorous empirical analysis of the efficacy of the system.

Further, these standards provide a common understanding of what is valued in the profession and expectations from teachers across the country.

This understanding will inform the following:

▪️Defining the nature of teacher’s work

▪️Creating working and service conditions

▪️Reinventing teacher education programmes

▪️Enabling certification and registration of teachers

▪️Promoting life-long learning and career development

▪️Establishing uniformity of teacher qualification and enabling mobility

▪️Evaluating teacher quality

▪️Supporting teacher motivation

▪️Teacher accountability/duties

Thus, a common set of standards will ensure that there is coherence across policies in the varied matters pertaining to teachers and teaching as a profession.

1.NPST in NEP, 2020

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 places the teacher at the center of the fundamental reforms proposed in the education system. The Policy indicates that teachers truly shape the future of our children - and, therefore, all students at all levels of school education must be taught by passionate, motivated, highly qualified, professionally trained, and well-equipped teachers.

To enable this, teachers must be re-established as the most respected and essential members of our society. Everything must be done to empower teachers and help them to do their job as effectively as possible. The very best and brightest must enter the teaching profession at all levels, by ensuring livelihood, respect, dignity, and autonomy, while also instilling in the system basic methods of quality control and accountability.

This will be made possible through the National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST), an essential policy action as stated in Para 5.20 of the NEP 2020, as indicated below.

2.Para 5.20. NEP, 2020

“A common guiding set of National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST) will be developed by 2022, by the National Council for Teacher Education in its restructured new form as a Professional Standard Setting Body (PSSB) under the General Education Council (GEC), in consultation with NCERT, SCERTs, teachers from across levels and regions, expert organizations in teacher preparation and development, expert bodies in vocational education, and higher education institutions. The standards would cover expectations of the role of the teacher at different levels of expertise/stage, and the competencies required for that stage. It will also comprise standards for performance appraisal, for each stage, that would be carried out on a periodic basis. The NPST will also inform the design of pre-service teacher education programmes. This could be then adopted by States and determine all aspects of teacher career management, including tenure, professional development efforts, salary increases, promotions, and other recognitions. Promotions and salary increases will not occur based on the length of tenure or seniority, but only on the basis of such appraisal. The professional standards will be reviewed and revised in 2030, and thereafter every ten years, on the basis of rigorous empirical analysis of the efficacy of the system”

© 2024 NCTE | Website is developed & maintained by IT & e-Governance wing, NCTE, New Delhi Last Updated on 19-07-2024

[schooluae]

Understanding the Key Stages of the CBSE Curriculum in Schools in the UAE

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is a widely recognized and respected educational board in India, with a strong presence in many international locations, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Known for its comprehensive curriculum, the CBSE aims to provide a robust and holistic education that prepares students for higher education and competitive exams. This blog will guide you through the key stages of the CBSE curriculum as implemented in schools in the UAE, shedding light on what students and parents can expect at each level.

1. Primary Stage (Grades 1-5)

The primary stage focuses on building a strong foundation in core subjects such as Mathematics, Science, Social Science, and Languages (English and Hindi). At this stage, the emphasis is on developing basic literacy and numeracy skills, as well as encouraging creativity and critical thinking through various activities and projects.

Key Features:

Emphasis on conceptual understanding

Introduction to basic concepts in science and mathematics

Development of language skills

Use of interactive and engaging teaching methods

2. Middle Stage (Grades 6-8)

In the middle stage, students delve deeper into the subjects introduced in the primary stage. This phase marks the transition from basic education to more specialized learning, with an increased focus on analytical and application-based skills.

Key Features:

Broadening of subject knowledge

Introduction of subjects like Environmental Science and Computer Science

Emphasis on project work and practical learning

Development of problem-solving and analytical skills

3. Secondary Stage (Grades 9-10)

The secondary stage is crucial as it prepares students for the first major board examination in Grade 10. This stage involves a more rigorous and detailed study of subjects, with an emphasis on preparing students for future academic and career pursuits.

Key Features:

Comprehensive and in-depth study of core subjects

Introduction of elective subjects like Information Technology and Physical Education

Preparation for the All India Secondary School Examination (AISSE)

Emphasis on both theoretical and practical aspects of subjects

4. Senior Secondary Stage (Grades 11-12)

The senior secondary stage, also known as the pre-university stage, is where students specialize in specific streams – Science, Commerce, or Humanities. This stage is pivotal for students as it sets the foundation for their higher education and career paths.

Key Features:

Choice of specialized streams based on interests and career goals

Intensive preparation for competitive exams like JEE, NEET, and other entrance tests

Emphasis on research, experiments, and practical knowledge

Development of critical thinking, analytical skills, and subject mastery

CBSE Curriculum: A Holistic Approach

The CBSE curriculum in the UAE, like its counterpart in India, focuses on the all-round development of students. It emphasizes not only academic excellence but also co-curricular and extracurricular activities to ensure a well-balanced education.

Key Advantages:

Well-structured and standardized curriculum

Focus on moral values and life skills

Use of modern teaching aids and technology

Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) system for regular assessment

Conclusion

The CBSE curriculum in UAE schools is designed to provide students with a comprehensive education that equips them with the knowledge, skills, and values needed to succeed in the global arena. By understanding the key stages of the CBSE curriculum, parents and students can better appreciate the structured approach and the broad spectrum of opportunities it offers. Whether you are considering enrolling your child in a CBSE school or are already part of the system, understanding these stages can help you navigate the academic journey more effectively.

[joeyscottagecom]

How preschool helps kids in their overall growth

Preschool is not limited to just an everyday play place for the children; it is a crucial learning environment that has an immense impact on whole-child growth and maturity. From scholastic and personal social-emotional skills to preparing students for future success of every kind, preschool offers some of the greatest benefits that last students lifelong. Here's how preschool helps kids in their overall growth:Here's how preschool helps kids in their overall growth:

Cognitive Development:

Child care centres are the sites where kids can play, touch, explore, and learn through observing experiments and practices that are mind-stimulating. Engaging children in drama, enactment, reading, and helping them explore the world helps them to build skills such as problem-solving, thinking critically and language communication. The preschool introduces the children to the early literacy and numeracy concepts, thus pushing them to achieve in academics in future. preschool moorebank

Socialisation and Emotional Development:

Along with all other advantages that preschool has, this one is probably the most meaningful to preschoolers - social-emotional development. At preschool, kids are trained on how to interact socially, creating friendships, and functioning well as team players. Empathy and cooperation are developed. Team-building, group activities, and conflict solving strategies are the world-based social skills that are the foundation for successful relationships and emotional health.

Independence and Self-Regulation:

Preschool gives a vital platform for the children to become learned individuals with their innovative and organised brains by letting the children make decisions, solve problems and control their own emotions. This is what most kids get used to through a set time or routine, structured activities, and predictable rules. At the end of this they learn to control their bodies and to bear responsibility for what they do in different moments. Preschools create a confidence and independence in little one which ultimately assist them to create their own successful fate in both school and life.

Physical Development:

The actual part that has physical activity as its constituent, is, in fact, a critical issue in preschool curriculum. It provides opportunities for the development of gross, and fine, motor skills. Preschool is a perfect platform for children coming together to play actively, indulge in outdoor plays, and have a sensory experience. This enhances their physical coordination, builds strength, and improves their spatial awareness. Physical development and growth are essential to the overall health and well-being of the children, and therefore preschool is holistic and tries to create environments that will support a child's physical development and health.

Creativity and Imagination:

Preschools develop children’s ability to come up with various forms of creativity and imagination via activities that need not have answers, creation of art, and dramatic play. In pre-school, creative expression is welcomed and seen as a virtue, supporting children to do what they love, try different materials and forms of shows and also to express themselves freely in their own terms. Preschools sizzle the passion for knowledge and curiosity in young minds, which last forever in the form of creativity and innovation respect.

Preparation for School Readiness:

Preschool serves the purpose of an introduction to the routines and principles behind formal schooling and teaching children about basic academics. Such age-related activities and ph levels bring about a basic education going on to a very sound start in kindergarten and beyond. Kindergarten breeds the children’s love of learning, curiosity, a positive attitude to academic activities that is a key for longterm academic success.

Family Engagement and Support:

Preschool is ever a partner since it takes families into consideration as a vital component for their young one's learning and development. Parent engagement is necessary through the means of parent-teacher communication, family events, and parent workshops, which are created to nurture parents and fill them up with the resources they need. Collaboratively, families and preschools strive to shape an environment that is conducive for enhancing children's growth and prosperity, not only at homes , but also at school.

preschool brings a change in the life of a child which makes them fit within the society. Cognitive and social-emotional abilities are the main pillars for further academic progress. This is why preschools offer comprehensive learning experience which defines cooperation, functioning in a team, pencil holding, speaking up and learning big numbers – all this can be achieved just in kindergarten. It is very significant for successful school perspectives in the future. The preschools through inculcating unhindered inquisitiveness, innovation, and confidence among the children help them to reach their maximum capacity and to become lifelong learners and active members of the society.

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