The Role of WTO in the Liberalization of Trade Literature review

The Role of WTO in the Liberalization of Trade - Literature review Example International monetary affairs and trade are interlinked due to the fact that monetary and fiscal areas are also associated with exports and productivity growths. Integration of evolving economies into the international economy facilitates competition for capital and aid. It is evident from capital flow from expanding markets by commercial banks, private investors and multinational enterprises. The recent financial crisis has highlighted the risks involved in this process. Therefore, IMF and World Bank actively play their roles as financer or as a watchdog.WTO plays a critical role in drawing funds through trade and foreign investment liberalization. International trade is imperative for economic growth; therefore, it is essential for emerging economies to accelerate economic reforms (Hoogmartens, 2004, p.9). The fundamental objectives of WTO as well as its predecessor GATT, as Hoogmartens (2004) observes are to serve as a forum to negotiate trade liberalization, to monitor and develop better measures for transparency and to work for resolve issues between trade participants. In addition to that, the fundamental objective includes raising living standards, working towards providing full employment, production and trade expansion, and ultimately, optimal utilization of the world’s resources. In order to achieve these objectives, WTO/GATT work towards fixing or limiting the impact of trade barriers, for instance, quotas, customs process, tariffs, state trading and subsidies in addition to paving the way for trade liberalization(p.10). Hoogmartens (2004) further states, â€Å"Tariffs are generally believed to distort competition and to attribute monopoly rents to producers in countries that uphold them. Quotas are also believed to distort competition, but usually, do not yield more p rofit for domestic producers. Furthermore, their administration may yield corruption, just as discriminatory licensing may†. (p.10)  

Educational Paradigms Essay Example for Free

Educational Paradigms Essay Paradigms are ways of thinking or getting things done. As time passes and new concepts evolve, the way things are being done or implemented begin to undergo significant changes. Paradigms are continually shifting and this is unavoidable. For example, prior to the beginning of the information age, education could only be achieved by physically seeking admission and going through manual registration processes before one could be considered a student. The situation has changed today. Most of these processes may now be achieved online, as is the case with American Intercontinental University (AIU). A new educational paradigm has been ushered in as a result of technological advancements (Riegle, n. d. ). Which paradigm best describes your current learning organizational environment? Why? Provide an example. The ideal paradigm is the one that favours the emergence of standard practices, improved methodologies, and a range of resources that help to establish benchmarks and develop instructional strategies that give students the opportunity to learn properly and reap the benefits of education optimally. American Intercontinental University (AIU) provides an online educational system that offers increased accessibility to students from the convenience of their homes. This is accomplished through the use of up-to-date technological devices, software programs, internet connection, and computers. Since technology has turned the world into a global village, the educational paradigm is gradually shifting from the use of traditional classrooms to an online learning system. This learning platform has necessitated the need for an interactive method of learning to supplement the lecture materials, sample essays and the numerous resources that are made available to students to facilitate their learning process. For example, Instructional strategies that involve the use of chat rooms, discussion groups, emails, forums or message boards are employed to achieve learning. How does your organizational paradigm affect your assessments and measurement of student learning? AIU strives to balance learning strategies by adopting principles of various learning theories and applying them to instructional design and students’ assessment. The University presents materials to students in formats that they can easily understand, usually in the form of video, audio, presentations, and other related methods. Measurement of student learning is achieved through the evaluation of students’ participation in group activities, discussion groups, learning teams, chat rooms, and ability to use concept maps, mnemonics or organizers to reflect their knowledge of concepts. This is in support of the Cognitivism theory which states that it is important to understand how the human mind works so that we can understand how students learn (Learning Theories Knowledgebase, 2008). Assessment of learning is also done by giving students home work, assignments or group projects so that they can learn through their own activities and personal experiences. This is a very important paradigm at AIU since most of the learning activities take place online. Students are encouraged to learn through simulation, exploration and active participation in message boards and various projects assigned to them. This method of assessment is in agreement with the constructivism theory which states that knowledge is imbibed through active participation and engagement of the learner. The theory asserts that for knowledge to be retained, it is important to link new concepts with familiar concepts (Learning Theories Knowledgebase, 2008). On a personal level, which paradigm do you feel most represents your own views of education and assessment? Even though technology has its numerous benefits and offers students various opportunities of convenience and ease of use, traditional learning methods should also be sustained because each style of learning has its own benefits. It’s important to maximize the advantages of each learning style so that optimal results may be achieved. In consonance with the theory of behaviorism, good performance should always be rewarded with praise, awards or any other form of recognition to encourage the students, while the undesired behavior (bad performance) may be rewarded by holding back such rewards (Learning Theories Knowledgebase, 2008). This ensures that individual performances in learning are immediately observed and weak points are focused on for possible improvement. By balancing the learning theories and employing the use of best practices in administering lectures to students, learning can indeed become an enhanced and exciting experience. References Learning Theories Knowledgebase. (2008). Index of Learning Theories and Models. Retrieved September 25, 2008 from http://www. learning-theories. com Riegle, R. P. (n. d. ). Educational Paradigms. Visionary Leadership for the Information Age. Retrieved September 26 from http://people. coe. ilstu. edu/rpriegle/wwwdocs/paradigm/welcome. htm

Edgar Allen Poe :: essays research papers

Edgar Allen Poe   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many a great author have come to inhibit to the world distinguished literary merit, some to be considered masterpieces of novelty, others to be frowned upon for not meeting the requirements of civilized society. Edgar Allen Poe was one of the authors frowned upon because his talent of writing was based on bringing out the fears and deep suspense of which a single person can barely hold on to.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Quoth the raven, ‘Nevermore’† take into account the essence of this single phrase used in Poe’s writing, so simple; and yet so strategically placed as to pull the reader deeper and farther into Poe’s own imagination; as to for just a moment cause the reader to be Poe, see as Poe, think as Poe, and for even shorter a moment experience the fear and enthrallment that Poe faces while writing his novels. Edgar Allen Poe had a way to manipulate the mind, to cause what people feared and loathed to come to life; but at the same time keep a distinctive grasp on any who read his literature, once a story or poem was began it was a trap that pulled you in and held on, the only way out was to finish the whole way through. Somehow, Poe initiated a method of incorporating suspense and trickery into his novels and poems, a reader may be anxious to get to the end and find out what was the final occurrence was; while at the same time the read er knew that paying attention to the story carefully, was of vital importance to understand why, what happened at the end happened.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Edgar Allen Poe was quite good at using guilt as a side effect; he would cause the antagonist of his stories to think of themselves as the better people when they would commit deeds of revenge and or trickery. But what normally began as pride or reason for the deed would quickly be reversed within time to guilt and pain. Poe had a way of describing the pain of others, especially guilt he would find distinctive phrases and or words that would describe pain as unending and inescapable, to a point of anxiety where you don’t think you can take much more and just at that exact moment; at the apex of the climactic sequence Poe would deliver an astonishing blow that would cause you to slow back down and relax at the stories end. Edgar Allen Poe :: essays research papers Edgar Allen Poe   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many a great author have come to inhibit to the world distinguished literary merit, some to be considered masterpieces of novelty, others to be frowned upon for not meeting the requirements of civilized society. Edgar Allen Poe was one of the authors frowned upon because his talent of writing was based on bringing out the fears and deep suspense of which a single person can barely hold on to.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Quoth the raven, ‘Nevermore’† take into account the essence of this single phrase used in Poe’s writing, so simple; and yet so strategically placed as to pull the reader deeper and farther into Poe’s own imagination; as to for just a moment cause the reader to be Poe, see as Poe, think as Poe, and for even shorter a moment experience the fear and enthrallment that Poe faces while writing his novels. Edgar Allen Poe had a way to manipulate the mind, to cause what people feared and loathed to come to life; but at the same time keep a distinctive grasp on any who read his literature, once a story or poem was began it was a trap that pulled you in and held on, the only way out was to finish the whole way through. Somehow, Poe initiated a method of incorporating suspense and trickery into his novels and poems, a reader may be anxious to get to the end and find out what was the final occurrence was; while at the same time the read er knew that paying attention to the story carefully, was of vital importance to understand why, what happened at the end happened.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Edgar Allen Poe was quite good at using guilt as a side effect; he would cause the antagonist of his stories to think of themselves as the better people when they would commit deeds of revenge and or trickery. But what normally began as pride or reason for the deed would quickly be reversed within time to guilt and pain. Poe had a way of describing the pain of others, especially guilt he would find distinctive phrases and or words that would describe pain as unending and inescapable, to a point of anxiety where you don’t think you can take much more and just at that exact moment; at the apex of the climactic sequence Poe would deliver an astonishing blow that would cause you to slow back down and relax at the stories end.

Organic Food Industry in India Essay

India today is on the threshold of an organic revolution and Indian Organic Food industry though at a nascent stage, has experienced steadfast growth in past few years. The country’s budding organic food market is transforming into world’s fastest growing organic food market backed by a shift in consumer behavior and spending patterns. Trends in the Industry Organic Food Stores New Varieties on offer Rising Investments Marketing Techniques Organic Food Industry has been blossoming in India. The industry to which overseas demand/exports was oxygen to breathe will be experiencing a colossal change in the consumption pattern in times to come. With growing health awareness among the people coupled with rising disposable incomes and support from Indian government, organic food will surely secure a permanent place in Indian households. Evolving perception of organic food from being a luxury only for elite to a necessity will drive the domestic consumption. Also, overseas demand for Indian organic food will remain robust and continue to drive the industry to rare heights. Indian Organic Food industry currently pegged at USD 189 million in 2011 is stated to grow at a CAGR of ~45%, to reach USD 1733 million by 2017. SCOPE OF THE REPORT Indian Organic Food Industry at a glance Emerging trends in the industry like organic food stores, Rising investments, Marketing techniques etc Demand Supply scenario encompassing production, demand & export numbers and projections Factors driving growth, Issues & Challenges Government Regulations & Initiatives in Indian market Major players Forecasts REASONS TO BUY To understand the various factors which are fuelling the growth and those which are/will be critical for the industry performance in the near term Comprehensive report covering all the aspects required to understand the industry performance and future prospects. The report elucidates the current market scenario of the industry and forecasts key parameters which helps to anticipate the industry performance A burgeoning organic market beckons to India’s rural farmers Indian farmers have started to reap dividends from their budding interest in organic farming. It wasn’t long back, around seven years ago, when Indian farmers started to go organic. In 2006-07, around 4. 32 lakh ha reported organic produce — a large portion came from wild and non-agricultural land — which has now reached around 11 lakh ha, as per the recent report ‘The World of Organic Agriculture, 2013’ by FiBL and IFOAM (Research Institute of Organic Agriculture and International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements). â€Å"The growth rate has reached around 20% per year, much higher than early expectations,† says Krishan Chandra, director, National Centre of Organic Farming. The current market for organic foods in India is pegged at Rs. 2,500 crore, which according to ASSOCHAM, is expected to reach Rs. 6,000 crore by 2015. It’ll still leave us at 1% of the global market. Thus, a huge potential is seen in the nascent Indian organic sector. â€Å"Apart from states like Sikkim or MP, we’re seeing a rising interest in Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, UP and Bihar,† says Chandra. India outnumbers every other country in terms of organic producers — with an estimated 5,47,591. Organic products, which until now were mainly being exported, are now finding consumers in the domestic market. â€Å"Even Tier II cities like Nagpur, Allahabad, Gorakhpur and Bhatinda show an increase in organic consumption,† says Sunil Kumar, AGM at Morarka Rural Research Foundation. According to a survey of 1,000 consumers in ten cities done by Morarka Organic Foods, around 30% of Indian consumers preferred organic products and were even prepared to pay 10 to 20% more for them. â€Å"Soil abused by chemical fertiliser excesses takes more time to produce comparable yields. Although, the cost of organic cultivation is much less, reducing cost incurred in purchasing costly inputs,† says Rohitashwa Ghakar, Project Head, International Competence Centre for Organic Agriculture. * Regions reap their rewards North Growth: In UP, organic certification has gone up 36 fold in the last six years. The area under organic cultivation rose from 3,034 to 111,644 ha. However, most of the organic farming is under a corporate-farmer contract. In Haryana, with hardly any takers till 2008, organic crops today are produced in more than 10,000 ha. However, Punjab farmers have shown little interest. Of the total 4046 lakh ha of land under cultivation, only a minuscule portion 2104 ha is under organic farming. Popular organic crops: Nearly 40,000 farmers in UP are growing organic wheat, rice, pulses, maize, and numerous herbs like Tulsi, Ashwagandh, Aloe Vera. Haryana grows mostly vegetables like tomato, beans, or fruits like summer-squash, melons and mangoes. â€Å"Although I sell the produce in Delhi, most of it goes to retail chains†, says Kanwal Chauhan, a farmer in Sonepat. Challenges: Punjab State Farmers’ Commission consultant Dr PS Rangi feels that organic farming cannot feed the entire country. â€Å"One can grow vegetables or some wheat for personal use, but it can’t be grown on a large scale. † (By Pankaj Jaiswal, Rajesh Moudgil and Gurpreet Nibber) South Growth: In Kerala, at least 40 % of the farming is organic and the state is set to become the second fully organic state after Sikkim in 2016. From 7,000 ha in 2007, the state has spread organic cultivation to 16,000 ha. In Andhra Pradesh another 11,500 ha would be added to the current 4273. 54 ha this year. In Karnataka, under the organic programmes of the state, an area of 1,18,676 ha has seen organic farming benefiting around one lakh farmers, said R Anuradha, agriculture department. Popular organic crops: More than grains and pulses in Kerala organic farming is prevalent in cash crops, rice and vegetables. In Andhra’s smaller towns and villages, people are slowly shifting to organically grown rice, ragi and other millets. In Karnataka, crops like pepper, vanilla, coffee, nutmeg — which are not available in other parts of India — are a popular choice. Challenges: In large tracts of the state’s tribal belt like Karnataka and AP, the farmers have engaged in slash/burn farming for generations and do not use any pesticide or fertilizer. There have been no efforts to take this into account. (By Ramesh Babu, Ashok Das and Naveen Ammembala) North East Growth: 30. 92 lakh ha out of the net cultivated area of 43 lakh ha in the region have never seen the use of chemical fertilisers. Almost 89% of farmland is categorised as organic in Mizoram, which passed an Organic Act in 2004. Whereas Meghalaya, a major strawberry producer, eyes a turnout of 500 MT from the current 250 MT a year. Popular organic crops: Much of the area in the region is taken up by paddy, vegetables and fruits such as grapes. The more prosperous farmers are into cultivation of medicinal plants, rose and anthurium, primarily for export. â€Å"Mizoram has become the largest anthurium flower producer in India, owing to almost 98% of women anthurium growers,† said Samuel Rosanglura of Mizoram’s horticulture department. Challenges: Most state governments promote vermi-compost and manure in the region since bio-fertilisers and bio-pesticides are difficult to access. (By Rahul Karmakar) West Growth: Gujarat has seen substantial growth in organic farming. It currently utilises around 42,000 ha under organic farming. Maharashtra has been a front runner in organic farming with around 6. 5 lakh ha under it, a huge rise from 18,786 ha in 2005-06. In Rajasthan, there has been a ten-fold increase. From around 22,000 ha in 2005-06, the state has taken a leap to 2,17,712 ha. Popular organic crops: Gujarat grows organic wheat, pulses and fruits like mango, chikoo and papaya. While cotton, turmeric, ginger are some crops grown in Rajasthan. In Maharashtra, cotton, cereals, fruits dominate the organic farming scene. The state has initiated a pilot project to grow grapes that will produce organic wine. Challenges: â€Å"Tribals who hardly use chemical fertilisers are left out of organic benefits,† says Kapil Shah of Jatan Trust that promotes organic farming. (By Mahesh Langa) Yoav Lev was a 22-year-old backpacker when he first came to India in 1987. A graduate from an agricultural boarding school in Israel, he came seeking inner peace from his ‘spiritual guru’, the late H. W. L. Poonja of Lucknow, better known as Papaji. â€Å"The quest was to find my true purpose and true self,† he says. He eventually stayed on in India, taking on a new name, Bharat Mitra, and is currently the Founder and President of Organic India, one of India’s leading organic foods companies. It ended 2012 with Rs 60 crore revenues and hopes to reach Rs 90 crore this year, with about half of its sales in India. Five years ago, 75 per cent of our revenue came from exports and the rest from the domestic market. Now both markets have equal share:Raj Seelam Photo: A Prabhakar Rao Organic foods are those made from agricultural products grown without the use of pesticides or chemical fertilisers. It was from Papaji that Lev learnt the healing power of tulsi (basil plant). By 1997, he had begun cultivating three types of tulsi organically in Azamgarh in eastern Uttar Pradesh. In 2006 he launched Organic India with tulsi tea as its flagship product. Today, the company makes 18 different flavours of tulsi tea and 33 different herbal formulations or supplements, which are said to have medicinal value. He is gearing up to launch a complete range of organic food items, including rice and pulses. â€Å"We are in the final stages of a very promising joint venture to launch a comprehensive range of products both for the Indian market and for exports,† says Lev. He prefers not to reveal the name of the well known Indian company he is negotiating with. Lev is not alone. A clutch of entrepreneurs in India is betting big on the domestic organic food market . Consider Raj Seelam, an Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad alumnus. When Lev first took up tulsi cultivation, some 1,200 km down south in Hyderabad, Seelam was still selling pesticides and fertilisers. From 1988 to 2000, he worked in the farm inputs division of E. I. D Parry, a Murugappa Group company, one of the largest industrial groups in India. â€Å"It gave me a chance to interact closely with farmers and see the havoc that indiscriminate use of pesticides can create,† he says. This spurred him to consider organic farming, even though he was aware agribusinesses rarely succeed in India, because of low margins and excessive government control. Today, his company, Sresta Natural Bioproducts, sells a range of 200 organic products in India and overseas from rice, pulses, sugar, and juices to breakfast cereals and jams. â€Å"Five years ago, 75 per cent of our revenue came from exports and the balance from the domestic market. Now both markets have equal share,† he says. Indeed, the demand for organic foods in India has seen a sharp growth in recent years. While earlier, organic food producers primarily aimed at exports to Europe and the United States, there is now a gradual shift. â€Å"The demand for organic foods has been growing and today we stock a range of around 38 different organic foods in 40 stores as against just about half a dozen stores three years ago,† says S. Jagdish Krishnan, Chief Operating Officer of the retail and bakery divisions of Heritage Foods, an organic food company with a big presence in Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad. Most of the big retail chains now stock organic products, including Godrej Nature’s Basket, Hyper City, Food Bazaar, More, Nilgiris, Spencers and Tesco – Starbazar. While no of-ficial figures are available, industry estimates put the organic food market within India at close to Rs 100 crore, having grown five-fold in the last six years. When Seelam began organic cultivation in 2004, not a single domestic retailer was willing to stock his products. They feared stocks would not move, since organic foods are significantly more expensive than conventional foods. That is partly due to higher processing costs, since they choose to eschew chemical additives, as well as higher packaging costs, to ensure a reasonably long shelf life. A kilo of Sona Masuri rice, a well known brand, for instance, sells at Rs 40 per kg while organic rice of the same variety costs Rs 60 per kg. Again, tur dal (a commonly used variety of pulses in India) is available at Rs 90 per kg while its organic version costs Rs 140 per kg. This is despite the doubling of prices of these commodities in the past three years, while the organic variants have stayed at almost the same price levels. Seelam was forced to focus on exports. But unwilling to give up on the local market, he set up his own retail stores in four cities – Hyderabad, Bangalore, Pune and Chennai – to promote organic products. Today, almost every major retail outlet is willing to stock his products. He has a presence in close to 40 cities and towns, ranging from Patiala in the north to Guntur in the south, and broke even last year. So, why have domestic consumers taken to organic foods despite their cost? Mukesh Gupta, Director of Morarka Organic, which mainly focuses on the domestic market, attributes it to rising disposable incomes and improved awareness about the health benefits of organic foods. â€Å"From 2007 to 2012, the average middle class income in India has shot up. The consumer is willing to pay more for good quality food,† he says. Between 2007 and 2012, the average middle class income in India has shot up. The consumer is willing to pay more for goodquality food: Mukesh Gupta Photo: Vivan Mehra/www. indiatodayimages. com The demand for organic foods will only grow in India, organic food producers claim, with the implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act from February this year. The new law sets more stringent standards of food safety – raising the bar on the quality of food manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import. The stress on quality under the new Act will push up prices of foodstuff made using conventional techniques, reducing the price differential with organic food, and boosting sales, asserts Gupta. However, consumers would do well to ensure that they only buy certified organic products, say producers. Organic food products manufactured in and exported from India are marked with the ‘India Organic’ certification mark issued by certification agencies accredited under the the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) and monitored by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA). Most of the ing organic food companies in India voluntarily opt for this certification, though it is not mandatory for domestic sales. â€Å"The demand for certified organic foods has been growing since 2001. These are produced by about 570,000 small farmers in India with 500,000 hectares under cultivation,† says National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) Organic products are grown under a system of agriculture without the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides with an environmentally and socially responsible approach. This is a method of farming that works at grass root level preserving the reproductive and regenerative capacity of the soil, good plant nutrition, and sound soil management, produces nutritious food rich in vitality which has resistance to diseases. India is bestowed with lot of potential to produce all varieties of organic products due to its various agro climatic regions. In several parts of the country, the inherited tradition of organic farming is an added advantage. This holds promise for the organic producers to tap the market which is growing steadily in the domestic market related to the export market. Currently, India ranks 33rd in terms of total land under organic cultivation and 88th position for agriculture land under organic crops to total farming area. The cultivated land under certification is around 4. 43 million Ha ( 2010-11). The Government of India has implemented the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP). The national programme involves the accreditation programme for certification bodies, norms for organic production, promotion of organic farming etc. The NPOP standards for production and accreditation system have been recognized by European Commission and Switzerland as equivalent to their country standards. Similarly, USDA has recognized NPOP conformity assessment procedures of accreditation as equivalent to that of US. With these recognitions, Indian organic products duly certified by the accredited certification bodies of India are accepted by the importing countries. PRODUCTION India produced around 3. 88 million MT of certified organic products which includes all varieties of food products namely Basmati rice, Pulses, Honey, Tea, Spices, Coffee, Oil Seeds, Fruits, Processed food, Cereals, Herbal medicines and there value added products. The production is not limited to the edible sector but also produces organic cotton fiber, garments, cosmetics, functional food products, body care products, etc. EXPORTS India exported 86 items last year (2010-11) with the total volume of 69837 MT. The export realization was around 157. 22 million US $ registering a 33% growth over the previous year. Organic products are mainly exported to EU, US, Australia, Canada, Japan, Switzerland, South Africa and Middle East. Oil Crops (except Sesame) leads among the products exported (17966 MT).

The Story of My Life in 400 Words

Let me start off by saying that writing essays isn’t really my cup of tea. I find it really difficult to begin as there are so many different ways to do it. I can start with, â€Å"One day†¦Ã¢â‚¬  but then it would be too common. Finding the right way to start a composition, for me, is the most taxing thing in the world to do. Then, there’s also the problem of choosing which items to include and disregard. If the limit of words is four hundred then I must choose the words carefully. Otherwise, I might go over without getting my message across. Do you understand my dilemma? You might find this weird coming from someone who makes students write their stories. If they would only find out then that would make me the laughing-stock of the whole school. I won’t waste your time anymore with this senseless talk and start with what I’m supposed to write about. Everything started one Monday morning in November of 1975. This was when I made my entry to this world. I believe I made my parents really happy just by being here. Then there was elementary. It’s where I learned about social interaction. I discovered that if I’m nice to people then I’ll make more friends but if I’m not, then life will be lonely and miserable. From high school I learned that spending some time in making myself look presentable is important if I want to attract the attention of people from the opposite sex. Oh, yes! There’s also college. In the university, I learned that we really live in a dog eat dog world. Competition is stiff and you must learn to cope otherwise you won’t survive. Despite of this, I learned to really fall in love for the first time. I won’t really go into too much details as I would have to write another 400-word composition for this topic alone. After college, I tried my hand on a lot of different things. Off the top of my head, I remember working as a project assistant, administrative assistant, senior clerk and customer service representative to name just a few. It wasn’t until I tried my hand on teaching that I found my calling. Teaching is not for the weak of heart. You must be able to endure several heartaches and some disappointments before you can reap its rewards. But mind you, the rewards are tremendous. Being able to make a difference in the lives of your students is what it really is about. I can’t think of any other way to live my life.