5 Stages of Team Development †Summary Free Essays

Five Stages of Team Development December 17, 2012 Abstract This paper will evaluate the five stages of team development; Forming stage, Storming stage, Norming stage, Performing stage and Adjourning stage. â€Å"Building effective, cohesive teams has never played such a pivotal role in a company’s success as it does today†. PI Worldwide 2010 Retrieved from http://www. We will write a custom essay sample on 5 Stages of Team Development – Summary or any similar topic only for you Order Now piworldwide. com/Solutions/Leadership-Development/Team-Building. aspx on December 17, 2012. Team building is an important part of ensuring success within an organization. All the stages may not be used in every instance, however it is a guideline that, if used correctly, will ensure better communication, decision making, increased productivity and overall success. PI Worldwide 2010 Retrieved from http://www. piworldwide. com/Solutions/Leadership-Development/Team-Building. aspx on December 17, 2012. I will evaluate each stage and compare it with real-life experiences to show how effective this system can be. Forming Stage The forming stage is where a group of people come together to work on a project. In this initial stage of team development the members take a more formal approach to how they communicate with each other, â€Å"there would be no clear idea of goals or expectations†. Management Study Guide 2008-2010 Retrieved from http://www. managementstudyguide. com/team-development. htm on December 17, 2012. This stage reminds me of a project I was chosen to be part of. A group of us were chosen to develop a plan of action geared toward increasing patient satisfaction in the hospital, due to poor results from a survey taken. During this Forming stage, we took the time to get to know each other’ what our strengths were, and by doing this we were able to create a mission statement for the team and begin our creative process. Storming Stage â€Å"The storming stage of team development is a period of high emotionality and tension among group members† â€Å"Organizational Behavior† (Schermerhorn J 2012,pg. 156). Competition and resistance to the ideas offered by other team members begin to occur in this stage. Everyone wants their own ideas or that of their friend to be chosen. In my experience with team work, this stage is where member began to become more relaxed and sure of themselves, throwing ideas on the table and thinking their ideas are the best ones. Norming Stage In this stage, members start to remember the reason they are there and re-focus on the task at hand. â€Å"While enjoying a new sense of harmony, team members will strive to maintain positive balance† â€Å"Organizational Behavior† (Schermerhorn J 2012, pg 156). Members begin to feel like they have perfected the ability to work in groups at this time, developing a premature sense of accomplishment. At this stage my team started putting a plan in place to revamp how patients are treated during their hospital visits. Performing Stage In this stage of development, the team becomes more mature and organized. They know what the goals of the team are and work together to achieve success. Team members are able to do their own problem solving since they are sure of themselves and what their duties are. Team members came together and all the ideas that we shared now became a plan of action to improve patient satisfaction at our Hospital’s six facilities. Adjourning Stage At this stage team members learn to come together, get the job done quickly and go about their own business. â€Å"Their willingness to disband when the job is done and to work well together in future responsibilities, team or otherwise, is a long-term test of team success. † â€Å"Organizational Behavior† (Schermerhorn J 2012, pg 157) The five stages of team development really helped me to put the process of team work in perspective. Knowing what these stages all means and represents, gives me a better understanding of how to organize projects and what stage we are at in any given project. How to cite 5 Stages of Team Development – Summary, Essay examples

Snow Falling on Cedars Essay Example For Students

Snow Falling on Cedars Essay The Affect of RacismIn a community of five thousand damp souls (Guterson 5) as described by David Guterson in his novel, Snow Falling on Cedars. A community that concentrated a variety of ethnicity, among them was both Whites and Japanese. As a result of the racial differences, racism has came into existences and have impacted the life of both children and adult in that isolated island called San Piedro. It is responsible for the internment of Kabuo, Hatsue, and their families, the breakup of Hatsue and Ishmael, Kabuos loss of his land, and perhaps for his indictment for murder. Before the war years, Kabuos father, Zenhichi made an illegal agreement with the victims father, Carl Heine senior. It was an agreement to an eight-year lease-to-own contract. Money changed hands, land was promised and terms were set. Unfortunately, the war came and the Japanese Americans were sent away to internment camp. Nothing was quite the same at wars end. When the Miyamoto has returned to claim their land, they had found out that the victims mother, Etta, cheated them. She sold their seven acres of strawberry land to another farmer, because of lack of the last payment during their removal. This disreputable action she took, was caused by her racist thoughts that she had toward Japanese. This has been demonstrated out in her conversation with her husband, she said, Were not such paupers as to sell to Japs, are we? For new clothes? For a pouch of fancy pipe tobacco? (Guterson 119). Because of her being racist, it had cost the land of the Miyamoto and raised tension between the t wo families and created a motive for Kabuo to commit murder to Ettas son as for revenge and to release his anger. Snow Falling on Cedars opens up in the middle of Kabuo Miyamotos trail. A trail that deals with a first degree murder case, that Kabuo was being accused of murder of a white fellow fisherman by the name of Carl Heine. In this murder case, racism has played a very important role in affecting the judgement and outcome of the trail. As being Japanese, Kabuo has been placed under a very unpleasant circumstance. The evidences founded had lead the investigator, Sheriff Art Moran to believe that Kabuo was somehow suspicious. Together with the judgement made by the coroner of the wound on the victims head, which was predominantly affected by his racist thought toward Japanese. The coroner had pointed out that the wound is caused by some Japanese martial art, Kendo, merely because a narrow, flat object causes the wound. As because of the coroners inaccurate judgement, it had worsened Kabuo situation in the trail. Now that all the evidences had turned against Kabuo, it has made others to focus mainly on Kabuo, and think that he is behind of all this. Later on, abroad Kabuos ship Art Moran n the mooring rope and fishing gaff with the victims blood on it. With all those evidences it would have proven Kabuo to be the murderer, but new evidences came into existences to overturn the entire situation and twisted the case as of being an accident rather than a first degree murder case. If it wasnt for prejudice this trail would never has gone so far or would never had happened in the first place. The internment of Kabuo, Hatsue and the rest of their family are mainly because the U.S governments are being racist toward Japanese. They government did not trust the Japanese because they feared that among them were spies, even thou they swore to be loyalty to the U.S. Some of them even stand up to fight for the U.S against their home country to demonstrated their loyalty, because they believed that they are America and no longer consider as Japanese. But the U.S took no consideration on whether they are loyal or not and placed them into internment camp for safety purpose. I believed that its not necessary to have internment camps, it is basically useless and a waste of money and time, because if the Japanese were to have spies, they wouldnt be that stupid to have a Japanese to responsible for such a task. If so, they would have been caught easily. It is better off to bribe an American, so that no one would have suspected it that easily. .u2247803ed2a74636ba8dc7325ffe6a2f , .u2247803ed2a74636ba8dc7325ffe6a2f .postImageUrl , .u2247803ed2a74636ba8dc7325ffe6a2f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u2247803ed2a74636ba8dc7325ffe6a2f , .u2247803ed2a74636ba8dc7325ffe6a2f:hover , .u2247803ed2a74636ba8dc7325ffe6a2f:visited , .u2247803ed2a74636ba8dc7325ffe6a2f:active { border:0!important; } .u2247803ed2a74636ba8dc7325ffe6a2f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u2247803ed2a74636ba8dc7325ffe6a2f { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u2247803ed2a74636ba8dc7325ffe6a2f:active , .u2247803ed2a74636ba8dc7325ffe6a2f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u2247803ed2a74636ba8dc7325ffe6a2f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u2247803ed2a74636ba8dc7325ffe6a2f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u2247803ed2a74636ba8dc7325ffe6a2f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u2247803ed2a74636ba8dc7325ffe6a2f .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u2247803ed2a74636ba8dc7325ffe6a2f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u2247803ed2a74636ba8dc7325ffe6a2f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u2247803ed2a74636ba8dc7325ffe6a2f .u2247803ed2a74636ba8dc7325ffe6a2f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u2247803ed2a74636ba8dc7325ffe6a2f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: My Inaugural Address on Judgment Day EssayRacism has put an end to the relationship of Hatsue and Ishmael. Being born in that period of time was a tragic for those lovers. It was the time when World War II just breakout, tension between the Americans and the Japanese had grown stronger, because of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. U.S had declared war on Japan. The war changed everything, the life of people, the relationship between the White and the Japanese and their perspective toward each other.As because of the differences of Hatsue and Ishmaels racial background, it has created a gap in their relationship. Their parents are strongly disapproval on their son and daughter t o date or have interracial marriage. Despite the racial differences and their parents disapproval, they still carry on their relationship in behind their parents back. But as time goes, their relationship could no longer be sustained. The exposure of the secret letter that Ishmael wrote to Hatsue had led to the end of their relationship. When Fujiko, Hatsues mother discovered the letter, she told herself, She would put an end to this business. (Guterson 227). As a matter of fact, racism has played a big role in the novel. It has affected the life of Hatsue, Ishmael, Kabuo and their families, and it is responsible for the loss of Kabuos seven acres of strawberry land, and made Kabuo being accused of the murder of Carl Heine. If the people were not racist, things would not have happened as the way it has been. The murder trail of Kabuo would have never taken place. Hatsue and Ishmael would have been a happy couple together. As for Kabuo himself, he would have inherited the strawberry field and continue on to be a farmer like his father. But this is how things are in this world. Nothing is perfect. There is always a negative side to everything.

Show, Don’t Tell Avoiding the Information Dump in Fiction

SHOW, DON’T TELL: AVOIDING THE INFORMATION DUMP IN FICTION The key to good fiction is giving your readers a reason to keep going — little mysteries and mini-conflicts that add suspense and create tension. After all, if you feel like you know everything about a character in the first few pages, is there any real reason to waste time finding out what will happen to him? Here’s what I mean: Pete works at a pharmacy. He’s in his mid-20s, and he loves Asian cuisine and professional wrestling. He lives with his mother, but he wants to move out on his own when he saves up the money. He likes a girl at work named Myrna, but he’s afraid to ask her out on a date. This is critical stuff: We have hints of a few conflicts: Pete is shy, but he’d like to go on a date with a coworker. He wants his own apartment, but he can’t afford it right now. And, we know a little about his interests and goals. But, it’s dull, dull, dull. It’s an information dump — in a rush to introduce Pete, we’ve put our readers into a coma. This one’s a little better: Pete set down his plate of teriyaki and stared at Myrna from across the break room. Even dressed in her white, polyester lab coat, she was stunning. I wonder if she likes wrestling, Pete thought. I’ve got two tickets to next week’s match. Maybe I should just ask her out. Just as friends. Oh, who am I kidding? I can’t even afford my own place  Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã‚  who wants to go out with a guy that still lives with his mother? Myrna looked up and met his gaze. Pete snatched a newspaper and opened it to a random page, trying to look casual. That’s when he saw the advertisement: â€Å"Wrestlers needed for amateur match. Saturday night. First prize $5,000.† The hints of conflict in the first version have become specific questions: Will Pete ask Myrna on a date? Will he put on tights, get in the ring, and win first prize? Focus on showing — revealing details through a character’s speech, thoughts, and actions —  rather than simply telling the reader what’s important.

Symbolic Interactionism Essays

Symbolic Interactionism Essays Symbolic Interactionism Paper Symbolic Interactionism Paper Symbolic Interactionism is and American branch of Sociology and its founder is George Herbert Mead. Symbolic interactionsim explains social actions in terms of the meanings that individuals give to them. They tend to focus on small-scale interactions rather than large-scale. Mead divided his studies into three core elements of symbolic interactionsim; the symbol, the self and the interaction. Symbols In Meads view, anything which humans do is essentially social and this owes to the fact that humans interact through a number of symbols, most of which are contained in a language. A symbol can define objects and events in a particular way and indicates a response to them. Symbols impose specific meanings to objects/events to avoid confusion. For example the chair can be of metal or wood, it can be used to sit or assault someone but its name it will still be chair even though it is different in each case. Symbols provide a way through which humans can interact with their natural and social environment. They are human-made and they refer to the ways in which people perceive them. Symbols are necessary to guide human interactions and behaviours. Therefore people classify the world around them so as to define both the stimuli and their response to them. Role-Taking Symbols are only useful when they are shared amongst many members of a society otherwise communication is impossible. In order to accomplish human interaction, the people must interpret the meanings and intentions of others. This is possible through common symbols and what Mead called role-taking. This process involves one person imaginatively placing themselves in the position of the person with whom they are interacting so as to understand that persons intentions. On the basis of this interpretation they will make response to the action of the other. For example when a person waves his hand, the second person interprets this gesture as a greeting or a goodbye wave so he/she waves back. Therefore human interaction can be seen as a continuous process of interpretation, with each person taking the role of the other. The Self Mead argued that through the process of role-taking individuals develop a concept of self. By placing themselves in the position of others they are able to look back upon themselves. Symbolic Interactionism How Social Order, Is Possible According To George Herbert Mead’s Symbolic Interactionism Perspective To achieve social order in society, individuals assume that they understand the modes of interactions made by other people so they conduct themselves in a calm way. People assume that they know how other people expect to be treated for instance. This in turn provides a kind of regulation of how people should behave. On a large scale, this translates to order in the society since possible conflicts are now avoided due to that mutual understanding that the other person expects me to treat him or her in a certain way for me to get the same type of treatment from them. There are certain symbols that everyone in the society relates to that connect us to other people. Language as one of these symbols enhances communication among people. Communication is a vital element of conflict resolution and in turn contributes to social order. According to Mead’s theory of Symbolic Interactionism, there are several ascribed meanings that human beings relate to irrespective of their background. There are concepts and objects that have some ascribed meanings connecting all people. An example of these is liberty. Liberty is an ideal that advocates for the freedom of people across all origins. When people from different backgrounds meet for example, they could relate to this concept as a way of identifying the similarity in their culture. This in turn contributes to social order. A merger of individual interpretations of distinct concepts and ideals also contributes to social harmony. When people gather and share their views of certain things, their minds are opened to new things that they had not thought of before. People also share their experiences of how they learnt of something the hard way and use this to advise others against doing some things. These kinds of interactions lead to understanding between people lead ing to peace and order in the society (Ridener, 2007). The Concepts of â€Å"The Self, Self-Interaction, the Development of the Self, And Symbolic Meaning Mead says that there is a special connection between the ‘self’ and the mind of any individual. During our interactions with others, we are socially developed and we give others the first impression of who we really are. Similarly, we also make first impressions of the people we talk to everyday. It is through our interactions with others that we get to understand ourselves and create an impression of ourselves. While creating an impression of ourselves, we also get to know how other people perceive us. These two perceptions of ourselves make us behave in an expected way that in turn enhances our interactions with others. Enhanced interaction leads to peace and harmony in the society (Ridener, 2007). Self-interaction refers to the way we connect what we perceive of ourselves to what other people perceive of us. We should be in a position to reconcile the two in cases where they differ from what we expect. Once an individual is at ease with what others perceive of him and what he perceives of himself, he is in a better position to be at peace with others since there is no point of conflict between him and the others. The symbolic meaning refers to the perceptions of particular concepts or objects that are shared by many people. These meanings bind people together towards a common course for example peace and cooperation. This collective nature of understanding contributes to harmony in the society. References Ridener, L. R. (2007). George Hebert Mead. In Pfeiffer.edu. Retrieved from http://media.pfeiffer.edu/lridener/dss/Mead/MINDSELF.HTML

How to Write a Concept Paper on Infection

How to Write a Concept Paper on Infection Concept Paper on Infection Purpose of a concept paper on infection How to start the paper How to write the thesis statement How to write the introduction Tips on how to write the introduction and thesis How to write body paragraphs Tips on body writing How to finish the essay Tips on conclusion writing Tips on revision Outline sample Concept paper on Infection (Sample) Purpose of writing a concept paper on infection Concept papers, alternatively known as proposals, are summaries of issues or projects that mirror the interests, expertise, and experience of the writer or organization. Concept papers are written with the purpose of providing a detailed discussion of a subject that the writer firmly believes in, usually with the intention of acquiring funding for that specific project. The phrases â€Å"proposal† and â€Å"concept paper† are often utilized interchangeably because they serve the same purpose. Concept papers can further be utilized as instructional tools that have developed from extensive research, outcomes of a current project, or a committee input. Added to offering guidance for the execution of a program, such papers can also discuss philosophies, best practices, and other related matters that the writer strongly believes in. How to start the paper As you start composing your concept paper on Infection, make sure your chosen topic adheres to the assignment requirements. Carefully go over your topic and ask your instructor for feedback whenever you feel uncertain. Choose a topic that genuinely interests you. It might seem rather obvious, but choosing a topic that you are truly interested in makes the research process more engaging and fun. Upon the selection of your desired topic, conduct extensive research; this is advantageous as it helps you build your chosen topic or alter it in ways that are more fitting. Even though conducting extensive research seems like additional work, it is an advantageous and a time-saving step. Upon the completion of the steps mentioned above, you can now start off your essay by composing an introduction (your paper’s first section which identifies where and how your mission and the funder’s mission align or intersect). After composing your introduction, you will then compose your pape r’s body-paragraphs, which are your paper’s building blocks as they represent distinct logical steps within your whole argument. Lastly, once you have successfully composed your body-paragraphs, you will compose your conclusion which summarizes your paper and states its significance. How to write the thesis statement After choosing your topic and sorting your ideas into relevant categories, you must then create your thesis. Your thesis statement is written in aims of telling your reader what your paper’s main point is. Your thesis statement will be separated into two sections. The first section will state your topic whereas the second section will state your paper’s main point. A perfect, standard place to assert your thesis is at the end of your introductory paragraph. Readers normally find theses there; therefore, they pay special attention when reading your introduction’s last sentence. How to write the introduction The introduction, your paper’s first section should incorporate some information concerning the funding agency. Here, you must reveal that you have conducted extensive research and you now fully understand the funding agency’s mission and the kinds of projects supported by them. You then need to identify the agency represented by you and how its mission and the funding agency’s mission mesh. Tips on how to write the introduction and thesis Start off broad then narrow down: Concisely describe your concept paper then narrow down to your particular focus. State the importance and aims: Show your paper’s importance and say what you desire to attain. Keep your introduction short: Try and avoid long introductions. Ensure your thesis is focused and specific. How to write body paragraphs The body paragraphs of your perfect paper will explain your topic. Each body paragraph contains the same structure. As your introductory sentence, begin by writing one of your key ideas. Next, in sentence form, write your supporting ideas but leave four to five lines which you will fill with detailed examples to support your position. Fill these spaces with reasonable information which will link your ideas together. Tips on body writing Begin with a clear topic sentence. Incorporate supporting detail and specific evidence. Cohesion and unity. Transitions between your sentences and your paragraphs must be seamless. A concluding sentence that successfully ties everything together and closes the paragraph. How to finish the essay Your conclusion summarizes and wraps up your overall ideas, all the while giving a final standpoint on your topic. Your conclusion is composed of three to five sentences. Compose your conclusion by reviewing your main points and providing reinforcements of your thesis. Tips on conclusion writing Make it brief. Use your introduction as your guide. Do not add any new information here. Summarize your paper. Make any necessary or beneficial disclaimers. Tips on revision Check En Dashes, Hyphens, and Em Dashes. Mixing up En dashes (–), Hyphens (-), and Em dashes (- ) is easy as they all look alike. Thoroughly check your document for every instance of dash usage and pay attention to hyphenated phrases. Check spelling: Check your word processor’s language setting and ensure the language is consistent throughout. Check headings and formatting: Ensure they are formatted consistently. Check for grammar and syntax errors. Ensure spelling and capitalizations are consistent. Outline sample I. Introduction Sentence capturing your reader’s interest One-Two sentence declaration (thesis statement) II. Body Paragraphs Objectives and Goals/Research Questions Timelines and Methodology Anticipated Outcomes/Benefits III. Conclusion Costs and support needed Concept Paper on Infection (Sample) I. Introduction Nairobi took a major hit when the main clinic went on strike due to a cholera outbreak. As an individual who regularly visits the clinic for my dialysis, I was disgusted by the clinic’s unkempt state, sewage flowing into the facility, and the overall untidiness of our main clinical facility, which I believe contributed to the cholera outbreak. II. Body paragraphs 1st body-paragraph Truth be told, nobody takes a town that cannot handle its waste disposal and waste management seriously. If one wants his/her local authority to remain strong, he/she cannot issue mandates from a flood of overflowing sewage and empty medicine boxes. I believe I can be of great assistance in helping Nairobi’s main clinic regain its authority. With assistance from my crew, we will jointly weather the insults, break strike lines, and ensure our clinical facility is spotless. 2nd body paragraph First, my crew and I will hit the commonly utilized areas – the consultation room, the hallways and elevators, the wards, and the kitchen area – and then shift to the lesser-utilized areas like the pharmacy and storerooms. Our licensed cleaners and trash haulers will clear out the sewage and move the trash to a landfill in neighboring Mombasa, where it will be properly disposed. 3rd body paragraph Upon the completion of the cleaning process, we will ensure the facility remains spotless during the strike. We will even go further and collect the remnants left by daily protestors. Nobody feels comfortable walking through empty Styrofoam cups and dropped picket signs. Once the hospital strike ends, we will stop our interim services and allow the hospital sanitation to resume its duties. III. Conclusion For this beneficial and timely service, we are only asking for a nominal $3000 fee weekly. This is less compared to what the clinic spends on its sanitation services. In return, my crew and I will provide the tidiest, cleanest facility seen by the city since the strike began. As a regular patient at the clinic for my weekly scheduled dialysis and a local business owner, the cholera outbreak has greatly affected me along with other patients. I would be highly honored to make our main clinical facility clean again.

Statistics and Data Interpretation Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

And Data Interpretation - Statistics Project Example It will show: systolic BP and diastolic BP taken from the same set of subjects either while supine or standing. 2). Using Excel, calculate three new columns, giving for each subject their MABP supine and standing and their increase in MABP when standing rather than lying supine. From the new columns, again using Excel, calculate, for the whole class, and for males and females separately, the mean, SD and SEM for MABP for supine and standing positions and for the increase in MABP. You do not need to print your columns of raw data. Present all these summaries, including the numbers of subjects and units of measurement, in a single table. It should also include a title and a legend which states briefly how the experimental data were obtained (i.e. summarises what was done in the practical). Round the values up to an appropriate number of decimal places. 3). Complement the numerical statistics with a graphical display: From the MABP increase values, construct a grouped frequency table for the whole class, showing the frequency and percentage frequency at 5 mmHg intervals. Remember that % values should add up to 100. Draw by hand the histogram. It is normal in biosciences for these to be plotted as percentage frequency, NOT % freq density. Remember to label the axes and intervals and include a title or legend so that the graph is readily understandable. [4 marks] 4). Perform a t-test to compare the two positions for the whole class with respect to mean arterial blood pressure. Are the differences significant? Marks will be deducted for not explaining your choice of test or your conclusions, for not showing your working or for serious errors in calculation. The data will be provided separately as an Excel spreadsheet entitled ‘renal data’ on the 4BBY1060 module website ‘Coursework’ tab. It will show: average urine flow rate over 120 min, and average urine osmolality over

How useful is the Concept of Self Esteem For Supporting Students With Essay

How useful is the Concept of Self Esteem For Supporting Students With Special education Needs - Essay Example This assignment will firstly, begin by my stating my approach to learning about this topic before I joined the course, followed by what I learned about this topic during the course. These two section will be generally based upon personal self-reflection. The next section is academic, as I survey the literature surrounding the topic of self-esteem with regards to special needs students. This is followed by my observations about personal development, and how this impacts self-esteem. The last section is the conclusion, in which all these concepts are drawn together What do Albert Einstein, Alexander Graham Bell, Walt Disney, Whoopi Goldberg and Tom Cruise have in common? Of course, they are all famous people. However, only a few people know that they all suffered from dyslexia, a disability associated with difficulty in reading and spelling words. Albert Einstein was known to suffer from dyslexia mainly because of his bad memory and his constant failure to memorize the simplest of things. Alexander Graham Bell had poor grades. Walt Disney suffered from reading difficulties. Whoopi Goldberg had a lot of difficulty in school and Tom Cruise suffered from abuse as a child, and was also a victim of bullying in school, both of which were partially because he suffered from dyslexia. (Disabled World, 2008). However, they all overcame their disabilities to play a major role in the area of knowledge and entertainment. They refused to let their disabilities define them. They are all examples of individuals who overcame disabilities, partially because of their reliance upon their own self-esteem. When we have a positive self-esteem, we are capable of doing more things and can serve as an inspiration to others. Though there is a feeling sadness and being down, it is just but normal, yet, we must not allow it to define ourselves. We should learn to maximize our level of confidence, because if we feel good