An Effective Teacher Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 51

An Effective Teacher - Essay Example From this paper it kis clear that students are similarly encouraged to be regularly present in class to listen and perform in a stimulating atmosphere fostered by a teacher who demonstrates skillfulness in classroom management. Along with this characteristic comes the equivalent potential of promoting interactive discussions among students who eventually yield to the confidence of developing critical way of thinking and expressing their viewpoints on various sensible matters besides the main course. It is also a notable characteristic of an effective instructor to possess a genuine concern for the formation and development of values in every student aside from the typical acquisitithe reporter   believes he would be able to determine the areas in my teaching which I ought to adjust in order that each type of student is addressed according to capacity or manner of coping and general interests. Certain course activities have been capable of teaching him to be further contemplative as he observes myself at depth in relation to others.

Reflective Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reflective Summary - Essay Example As a student, I must attest to the fact that it provided me with a platform to test some of the beliefs I have developed overtime, thereby determining assumptions that work and at the same time enabled me develop new ideas. The colleges, notably the professors view the process as an opportunity to support students by helping them tackle some of the challenges they might come across in the course of the activity. At the same time, the industry partners, which in this case was YWCA Niagara region benefited in the sense that as a team, we identified some of the HR concerns facing them, and developed strategies and action plans of successfully tackling each issue. One of the essential challenges that my team members faced in the course of working on the assignment was the fact that all of us were passionate of our ideologies, and wanted each member to buy into our perceptions. Nonetheless, we realized that it was better to share a common goal, and that made it easier for us to complete the

The Underground War in Gaza Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

The Underground War in Gaza - Essay Example In this work, the author was targeting people with plans to encourage peace at Gaza and those who love current affairs. This work creates an understanding of what is happening in Rafah. For instance, it is revealed that depart their residents for worry of being destroyed by the Israelites who destroy houses to demolish tunnels and enemy hideouts. For the lovers of the current affairs, the work informs them on how Gaza war is ongoing. For example, one understands why Israel continues with the destruction of homes. The essay organization reflects what I am doing with the purpose. For example, the essay begins with an overview of the war at Gaza. Next, a thesis is developed as to why this war has continued despite the peace efforts from different countries. In the essay quotes have been used to strengthen the essay. For example, the word Israel has been quoted to imply that it is regarded as the main enemy in the Gaza war. This is because this assumption has been developed by the civili ans of Gaza and thus it has not been proved. Also, quotes have been used in indicating expert’s opinions regarding the Gaza war. The writer’s strategy of presenting his work as comic is what interested me. This is because the strategy helped in reaching different audiences who are convinced to read this work due to its comical nature. I have also addressed the author arrangements. For example, he came up with conclusions after conducting interviews and making comparisons with news.

Deontological ethics Essay Example for Free

Deontological ethics Essay Utilitarianism ethics accentuates that the activity that should be ethically beneficial to the group. In further terms, the outcome of any moral activity ought to be valuable for all by mass offer. This is a universal fundamental theme for ethics in industrialist economies and business as well as in all governments. Virtue Theory is also known as virtue ethics focal point on the person’s character as opposed to the standards and outcomes of the particular acts. This fundamentally means that the prime focus is endured or not to the person who acting ethically is a person who upholds the high virtues and morals, in expressing the good character in people. , plan, results and conclusion are not so much immaterial; nonetheless, the significance of virtue theory is first and foremost. Dissimilar to virtue theory, deontology has a substantial accentuation on obligation in activity, in adherence to runs the show. The right activity is essential here, whereupon fruition, ought to achieve the best useful for all included. This is to some degree like utilitarianism, which does concentrate on the result of the best great. Be that as it may, deontology does not incline toward the result itself, yet all the more so the guideline behind submitting the right activity. The moral behind deontology is about rule and after tenets. Every one of the three of these ethical practices has substantial likenesses. The essential comparability is outcome of activity. Despite the fact that result is not generally the essential center of the activity, it is normal in every one of the three theories that the outcome ought to have a gainful come about as a conclusion of the activity. Whether the activity is focused around rule, qualities or ethics, the end sought to legitimize the methods. The most ideal approach to express the contrasts between virtue theory, utilitarianism and deontological ethics is to take a typical situation and examine from these three alternate points of ETHICS ESSAY 3 view. A person who polishes good virtual ethics would call attention to that by helping the individual, doing so would be a magnanimous demonstration and would express great character of the individual supporting the one in need. One who practices utilitarianism would say that by helping the individual, doing so would be useful for both the individual in need and the individual making a difference. A deontologist would say that by helping, it would be so in agreement to an ethical tenet, for example, karma, or what you do to others will return to you. As the illustration shows, virtue theory concentrates on an individuals ethical morals, and not on any particular conclusion or guideline. Utilitarianism has a stress on more prominent elses benefit, concentrating on an advantageous conclusion for all persons included, where the results of acting are useful to a group. At long last, deontology stresses obligation as the particular activity being carried out in fulfillment of emulating a particular good code, governor charge. In past role as a sales/inventory associate for Centennial wireless. A problem with ethical decisions came up on a daily basis on the job. On a daily basis, I had to do the daily deposits and check each associate cash drawer that always had 100. 00 dollars in them at all times. Multiple times a sales rep had over their cash drawer or short. If they were short, they had to place the cash that was short to equal 100. 00 dollars or if they were over they had to deposit the average. When I check their bags, I gave them a warning they had till business hours to replace that money or just to deposit it. I keep the record for my records, and if it happens regular basis, I get the manager involve. The reason I keep the information to myself is because a sale person can give too much change to a customer and does know till I or they count their cash drawers at the end of their shift. So I understand mistakes can happen. My decision on this issue is based on the utilitarianism theory that looks for the best outcome for everyone within a particular situation. ETHICS ESSAY 4 In conclusion, one can addition further understanding into ethical and social obligation by analyzing the similitude and contrasts between utilitarianism, virtue theory and deontological ethics. Through further understanding of these similitude and contrasts one can start to understand the criticalness social and ethics obligation plays in particular and business achievement. The previous examination portrays the contrasts in how every theory addresses morality and ethics. The dissection likewise incorporates a particular experience clarifying the relationship between temperance, qualities, and good ideas as they identify with one of the three speculations. Besides, the examination clarifies how the data on social and ethics obligation achievement or disappointment, contingent upon the execution of the learning one addition from the information and the choices one makes. References: MANIAS, N. (2013) ETHICS APPLIED 7TH EDITION. PEARSON EDUCATION INC. (2013).

Theories of Depression

Theories of Depression Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental process (Rathus 4). By looking at mood disorders in psychology we can see that major depression has affected more than 15 million American adults, about 6.7% of the U.S. population age 18 and older in the year 2016 (Anxiety and Depression Associatin of America). There are generally two types of mood disorders; depression and bipolar disorder. Depression mostly involves feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, worthlessness, guilt, and great sadness. According to the DSM-IV, an individual needs to be diagnosed with five or more of nine symptoms in order to be declared depressed. Persistent depressed mood for most of the day, loss of interest or pleasure in all, or almost all activities, significant weight loss or gain due to changes in appetite, sleeping more or less than usual, speeding up or slowing down of physical and emotional reactions, fatigue or loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness or unfolded guilt, reduced ability to concentrate or make meaningful decisions, and recurrent thoughts of death or suicide. Also, the individual must have at least one of the first two symptoms with their five total symptoms to be considered depressed (Rathus 423). According to the DSM-V, there are quite a few types of depression that an individual can experience. The primary example of depression is Major Depression; this can also be known as Chronic Major depression, and or Unipolar Depression. Some symptoms may include persistent anxious, sadness or an empty mood thought the day, feelings of pessimism or hopelessness, irritability and or sudden angry outburst, persistent certain physical symptoms that may not respond to treatments, loss of interest in all or all most all activities that can include sex, decrease in energy, changes in sleeping or eating habits that can result to over or under sleeping and weight loss or gain. Dysthymia is the secondary type of depression mentioned in the DSM-V. This is an overwhelmed state of a chronic state of depression, that was again explained; feelings of a depressed mood for most of the day but must be for at least two years. When an individual experiences dysthymia; he or she may show symptoms of appet ite or weight changes, feelings of fatigue and helplessness, low self-esteem, changes in sleep, and poor ability to concentrate or make meaningful decisions. SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder has also been mentioned in the DSM-V. This is most common in the harsh winters where there is little light for the body to secrete certain hormones for the body to function properly. The best solutions to aid this problem is to have artificial sun light projected to the individual or either go to a tanning salon. The tanning salon also used artificial sunlight to tan the skin or change the pigment within the skin (American Psychiatric Association). Depression has supporting evidence in both sides of the Nature and Nurture Debate. Biologically, the thyroid gland can affect an individuals depression state. Depending of the amount of certain hormones produced in the thyroid gland, a person may show signs of the nine symptoms described by DSM-IV. Some hormones that may affect an individuals depression state are thyroid stimulating hormones, triiodothyronine and thyroxine. Have too much or too little of these hormones may result in a few conditions such as, sleep disturbances, weight loss or gain, trainability or nervousness, fatigue, forgetfulness, inability to tolerate heat or the cold, and dry skin or hair (WebMD).ÂÂ   Also, disorders such as depression and anxiety have the tendency to occur more often in close relatives of affected individuals than they do in the general population. Between 20 and 25 percent of people who is affected with mood disorders have a family member who is affected by a similar disorder. On the side of the nurture debate, the physiocratic view of depression is that same people are prone to depression because they suffered a real or imagined loss of a loved object or person in childhood. Some learning theorists believe that learned helplessness makes people prone to depression. This was demonstrated by a psychologist named Martian Seligman when he conducted an experiment on dogs. The dogs were taught that they were hopeless to escape from electric shock. First, he placed a barrier in the dogs cage to prevent them from leaving when shocks were administered. Later the barrier was removed. However, hen shocks ere again administered, the dogs made no effort to escape. They had learned there was nothing to do to stop the pain (Rathus 424, 425). In the field of psychology, there are many types of theories for different subjects. Depression has many theories which have different implications for the therapy that is used to treat it. Directly and indirectly, the social environment plays a role in depression. Three examples of depression theories are rank theory of depression, Psychodynamic theory of depression and Becks cognitive theory of depression. Theories are used to help treat depression and for an example for each, a female named Sam. The first example used in Wades example would be rank theory depression. Sam made many friends in High School and was well-known throughout school. She would have a major position in the student council and would be the captain and the star player of two major sports teams. As Sam would walk through the hallways, she would find pleasure in being greeted. Sam would be excited over the thought of going to college and having the opportunities of interacting with a new group of people. However , when in college, the idea of instantaneous social acceptance would not be a reality. Starting from the bottom of the social hierarchy, Sam could not begin to understand or accept her new social position and became frustrated and angry; later towards the end of her first semester she would feel depressed. By applying the social rank theory, phycologists may now begin to determine why Sam is depressed. According to Stevens and Price, when organisms are demoted to a lower social rank, they will become depressed in order to accept this fact and reduce their desire to get back on top (Stevens A.). This is an evolutionary function and is designed to avoid conflict between the new and old leaders (Stevens A.). Her treatment should be focused on Rational Emotive Therapy which teaches her that being a leader can be irrational (Wade). The next theory, presented by Sigmoid Freud; is psychodynamic theory of depression which states that depression is a result from anger from imbalanced cognitions and behavior in childhood. To present this theory say for example Sam grew up in a strictly Catholic household that prided on being perfect. Sam has a loving and overprotective mother and a father who overbearing and abusive. However, Sam only displaces positive emotions to her parents and becomes confused on the child. She cannot be angry at her parents because they are essential for survival and she wants to please her parents, but is unable to do so. So instead of being angry at her parents she directs the anger inwards towards herself, this happens unconsciously according to Freud. The treatment based off of the psychodynamic theory would need the Sam to decrease her self-punishment and allow her to understand that it is okay to not be perfect (Wade). Instead of feeling disappointed that she is not perfect, she should ha ve the mind set to work towards perfection; perfection is non-existent. Setting small goals may also help her but only if she allows herself to feel accomplished. Lastly, Becks cognitive theory of depression states that the primary cause of depression is through negative thoughts (Rashmi Nemade). First off, what is cognitive psychology? It is the study of mental processes such as, memory, language, perception, creativity, thinking, attention and problem solving (Wikipedia). Going back to Sam, she thinks that she would never be able to please her parents and that she would be stuck in her social position for the rest of her college career. No matter how much effort Sam put into her activities she would never succeed. Sam is also homosexual and her parents do not accept her because of it. She feels that her future would compromise of either being untrue to herself or defying her parents. There are three thoughts that result in her depression: belief that all efforts are futile, no hope for the future and feeling inadequate. During her therapy sessions, she would be taught to view failures as challenges that are possible to overcome and she needs to know that she is in control of her lifes course (Wade). Sam would have adopted an enchasing attribution to her problems that would enable her to feel hopeful about her efforts and the future (Schneider). References American Psychiatric Association. Diangnostic and statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. DSM-5. 2013. Anxiety and Depression Associatin of America. Anxiety and Depression. August 2016. . Rashmi Nemade, Natalie Staats Reiss, and Mark Dombeck. Cognitive Theories Of Major Depression Aaron Beck. 19 September 2007. . Rathus, Spencer A. Psychology Principles in Practice. Auston: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2003. 4. Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., Coutts, L. M. Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2005. Stevens A., Price J. Evolutionary Psychiatry: A New Beginning. London: Routledge, 2000. Wade, Rebecca Michelle. Theories of Depression. 5 October 2011. . WebMD. Depression, the Thyroid, and Hormones. 2016. . Wikipedia. Cognitive Psychology. 2016. .

Graduation Speech -- Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

A boy once approached Socrates with the desire to obtain wisdom. Without saying a word, Socrates led the boy down to the edge of the sea and walked in, beckoning him to follow. When they were standing waist deep in the water, Socrates pushed the boy down, completely submerging his head. He held him thus for a couple of minutes, until the boy was almost to the point of death, before letting him up. Sputtering and angry, the boy demanded to know why Socrates had held him underwater for so long. In response, Socrates asked, "when you were under the water, what did you want more than anything in the world?" After a moment's reflection, the boy answered, "I wanted to breathe." "Ah," Socrates replied. "When you desire wisdom and knowledge as much as you desired to breathe, it is then that you shall have it." Learning is a talent. It is something that is born from an intense desire to gain knowledge and it is something that can be practiced and improved upon. During our high school career, we have not only been learning how to conjugate verbs or how to integrate polynomials, but w...

The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 11

Elena hung up the phone. She and Bonnie had discussed everything that was going on, from the mysterious appearance of Celia's and Meredith's names to Margaret's upcoming dance recital. But she hadn't been able to bring up what she had real y cal ed to talk about. She sighed. After a moment, she felt under her mattress and pul ed out her velvet-covered journal. Dear Diary, This afternoon, I talked with Caleb Smallwood on the front lawn of my house. I barely know him, yet I feel this visceral connection with him. I love Bonnie and Meredith more than life itself, but they have no idea what it's like to lose your parents, and that puts a space between us. I see myself in Caleb. He's so handsome and seems so carefree. I'm sure most people think his life is perfect. I know what it's like to pretend to have it together, even when you're coming apart. It can be the loneliest thing in the world. I hope he has a Bonnie or a Meredith of his own, a friend he can lean on. The strangest thing happened while we were talking. A crow flew straight at us. It was a big crow, one of the biggest I've ever seen, with iridescent black feathers that shone in the sun and a huge hooked beak and claws. It might have been the same one that appeared on my windowsill yesterday morning, but I wasn't sure. Who can tell crows apart? And, of course, both the crows reminded me of Damon, who watched me as a crow before we even met. What's strange – ridiculous, really – is this dawning feeling of hope I have deep inside me. What if, I keep thinking, what if somehow Damon's not dead after all? And then the hope collapses, because he is dead, and I need to face that. If I want to stay strong I can't lie to myself. I can't make up pretty fairy tales where the noble vampire doesn't die, where the rules get changed because it's someone I care about. But that hope comes sneaking up on me again: What if? It would be too cruel to say anything about the crow to Stefan. His grief has changed him. Sometimes, when he's quiet, I catch a strange look in his leaf green eyes, like there's someone I don't know in there. And I know he's thinking of Damon, thoughts that take him somewhere I can't follow anymore. I thought I could tell Bonnie about the crow. She cared about Damon, and she wouldn't laugh at me for wondering whether there were some way he might still, in some form, be alive. Not after she suggested the very same thing earlier today. At the last minute, though, I couldn't talk to her about it. I know why, and it's a lousy, selfish, stupid reason: I'm jealous of Bonnie. Because Damon saved her life. Awful, right? Here's the thing: For a long time, out of millions, there was one human Damon cared about. Only one. And that one person was me. Everyone else could go to hell as far as he was concerned. He could barely remember my friends' names. But something changed between Damon and Bonnie, maybe when they were alone in the Dark Dimension together, maybe earlier. She's always had a little crush on him, when he wasn't being cruel, but then he started to take notice of his little redbird. He watched her. He was tender with her. And when she was in danger, he moved to save her without a second thought as to what it might cost him. So I'm jealous. Because Damon saved Bonnie's life. I'm a terrible person. But, because I am so terrible, I don't want to share any more of Damon with Bonnie, not even my thoughts about the crow. I want to keep part of him just for me. Elena reread what she had written, her lips pressed tightly together. She wasn't proud of her feelings, but she couldn't deny they existed. She leaned back on her pil ow. It had been a long, exhausting day, and now it was one o'clock in the morning. She'd said good night to Aunt Judith and Robert a couple of hours ago, but she didn't seem to be able to make it into bed. She'd just puttered around after changing into her nightdress: brushing her hair, rearranging some of her possessions, flipping through a magazine, looking with satisfaction at the fashionable wardrobe she hadn't had access to in months. Cal ing Bonnie. Bonnie had sounded odd. Distracted, maybe. Or perhaps just tired. It was late, after al . Elena was tired, too, but she didn't want to go to sleep. She final y admitted it to herself: She was a little afraid to go to sleep. Damon had been so real in her dream the other night. His body had felt firm and solid as she held him; his silky black hair had been soft against her cheek. His smooth voice had sounded sarcastic, seductive, and commanding by turns, just like the living Damon's. When she had remembered, with a sickening horror, that he was gone, it had been as if he had died al over again. But she couldn't stay awake forever. She was so tired. Elena switched off the light and closed her eyes. She was sitting on the creaky old bleachers in the school gym. The air smel ed of sweaty athletic shoes and the polish they used on the wooden floor. â€Å"This is where we met,† said Damon, who she now realized was sitting beside her, so close the sleeve of his leather jacket brushed her arm. â€Å"Romantic,† Elena replied, raising one eyebrow and looking around the big empty room, the basketbal hoops hanging at each end. â€Å"I try,† Damon said, a tinge of a laugh coloring his dry voice. â€Å"But you chose where we are. It's your dream.† â€Å"Is it a dream?† Elena asked suddenly, turning to study his face. â€Å"It doesn't feel like one.† â€Å"Wel ,† he said, â€Å"let me put it this way. We're not actual y here.† His face was serious and intent as he gazed back at her, but then he flashed one of his sudden, bril iant smiles and his eyes slid away. â€Å"I'm glad we didn't have gymnasiums like this when I did my studies,† he said casual y, stretching out his legs in front of him. â€Å"It seems so undignified, with the shorts and the rubber bal s.† â€Å"Stefan said that you played sports then, though,† Elena said, distracted despite herself. Damon frowned at Stefan's name. â€Å"Never mind,† she said hastily. â€Å"We might not have much time. Please, Damon, please, you said you're not here, but are you anywhere? Are you al right? Even if you're dead†¦ I mean real y dead, dead for good, are you somewhere?† He looked at her sharply. His mouth twisted a little as he said, â€Å"Does it matter that much to you, princess?† â€Å"Of course it does,† Elena said, shocked. Her eyes were fil ing with tears. His tone was light, but his eyes, so black she couldn't tel where the iris ended and the pupil began, were watchful. â€Å"Everyone else – al your friends – this town – they're al okay, though, aren't they? You have your world back. There are such things as col ateral damages you have to expect if you're going to get what you want.† Elena could tel from Damon's expression that what she said next would matter dreadful y. And, in her heart of hearts, hadn't she admitted to herself the other day that, as much as she loved Damon, things were better now, that everything could be good again with the town saved and her returned to her old life? And that she wanted it that way, even if it meant Damon was dead? That Damon was what he said: collateral damage? â€Å"Oh, Damon,† she said at last, helplessly. â€Å"I just miss you so much.† Damon's face softened and he reached for her. â€Å"Elena – â€Å" â€Å"Yes?† Elena murmured. â€Å"Elena?† A hand was gently shaking her. â€Å"Elena?† Someone stroked her hair, and Elena nuzzled sleepily into the touch. â€Å"Damon?† she said, stil half dreaming. The hand paused in its stroking and then withdrew. She opened her eyes. â€Å"Just me, I'm afraid,† said Stefan. He was sitting next to her on her bed, his mouth a straight, tight line, his eyes averted. â€Å"Oh, Stefan,† said Elena, sitting up and throwing her arms around him. â€Å"I didn't mean – â€Å" â€Å"It's al right,† Stefan said flatly, turning away from her. â€Å"I know what he meant to you.† Elena pul ed him toward her and looked up into his face. â€Å"Stefan. Stefan.† His green eyes had a distant expression. â€Å"I'm sorry,† she said pleadingly. â€Å"You have nothing to apologize for, Elena,† he said. â€Å"Stefan, I was dreaming about Damon,† she confessed. â€Å"You're right, Damon was important to me, and I†¦ miss him.† A muscle twitched at the side of Stefan's face, and she stroked his jaw. â€Å"I wil never love anyone more than I love you, Stefan. It would be impossible. Stefan,† she said, feeling like she might cry, â€Å"you're my true love, you know that.† If only she could reach out and show him with her mind, make him understand what she felt for him. She'd never ful y explored her other Powers, never ful y claimed them, but losing their telepathic connection felt like it might kil her. Stefan's expression softened. â€Å"Oh, Elena,† he said slowly, and wrapped his arms around her. â€Å"I miss Damon, too.† He buried his face in her hair and his next words were muffled. â€Å"I've spent hundreds of years fighting with my only brother, with us hating each other. We killed each other when we were human, and I don't think either of us ever got over the guilt and the shock, the horror of that moment.† She felt a long shudder go through his body. He sighed, a soft, sad sound. â€Å"And when we final y started to find our way back to being brothers again, it was al because of you.† His forehead stil resting on her shoulder, Stefan took Elena's hand and held it between both of his, turning it over and stroking it as he thought. â€Å"He died so suddenly. I guess I never expected†¦ I never expected Damon to die before I did. He was always the strong one, the one who truly loved life. I feel†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He smiled a little, just a sad twist of his lips. â€Å"I feel†¦ surprisingly lonely without him.† Elena entwined her fingers with Stefan's and held his hand tightly. He turned his face toward hers, meeting her eyes, and she pul ed back a little so she could see him more clearly. There was pain in his eyes, and grief, but there was also a hardness she had never seen there before. She kissed him, trying to erase that hard edge. He resisted her for half a second, and then he kissed her back. â€Å"Oh, Elena,† he said thickly, and kissed her again. As the kiss deepened, Elena felt a sweet, satisfying sense of rightness sweep through her. It was always like this: If she felt distanced from Stefan, the touch of their lips could unite them. She felt a wave of love and wonder from him, and held on to it, feeding the emotion back to him, the tenderness between them growing. With her Powers gone, she needed this more than ever. She reached out with her mind and emotions, past the tenderness, past the rock-solid love that was always waiting for her in Stefan's kiss, and delved deeper into his mind. There was a fierce passion there, and she returned it, their emotions twining together, as their hands held each other harder. Beneath the passion, there was grief, a terrible, endless grief, and farther stil , buried in the depths of Stefan's emotions, was an aching loneliness, the loneliness of a man who had lived for centuries without companionship. And in that loneliness was the taste of something unfamiliar. Something†¦ unyielding and cold and faintly metal ic, as if she had bitten into foil. There was something Stefan was holding back from her. Elena was sure of it, and she reached deeper into his mind as their kisses intensified. She needed al of him†¦ She started to pul back her hair, to offer him her blood. That always brought them as close as they could possibly be. But before he could accept her offer, there was a sudden knock on the door. Almost immediately it opened and Aunt Judith peeked in. Elena, blinking, found herself alone, her palms stinging from the speed with which Stefan had pul ed away from her. She looked around hastily, but he'd vanished. â€Å"Breakfast is on the table, Elena,† Aunt Judith said cheerful y. â€Å"Uh-huh,† Elena said, distracted, peering at the closet, wondering where Stefan had hidden himself. â€Å"Are you al right, dear?† her aunt said, her forehead creased with concern. Elena had a sudden picture of how she must look: wide-eyed, flushed, and disheveled, sitting in her rumpled bed and looking wildly around the room. It had been a long time since Stefan had needed to use his vampiric speed for anything as mundane as not getting caught in her bedroom! She gave Aunt Judith a reassuring smile. â€Å"Sorry, I'm stil half-asleep. I'l be right down,† she said. â€Å"I'd better hurry. Stefan wil be here to pick me up soon.† As Aunt Judith left the room, Elena final y caught sight of Stefan, waving from the lawn below her open window, and she waved back, laughing, the strange emotions at the bottom of Stefan's mind put aside for the moment. He gestured that he was going around to the front of the house and that he would see her in a minute. She laughed again and jumped up to get ready for the picnic at Hot Springs. It was nice to be the kind of girl who worried about getting grounded. It felt†¦ pleasurably normal. A few minutes later, as Elena, now dressed in shorts and a light blue T-shirt, her hair pul ed back in a ponytail, headed down the stairs, the doorbel rang. â€Å"That'l be Stefan,† she cal ed as Aunt Judith appeared in the kitchen doorway. Elena grabbed her beach bag and picnic cooler from the bench in the hal . â€Å"Elena!† Aunt Judith scolded. â€Å"You have to eat something before you go!† â€Å"No time,† Elena said, smiling at the familiarity of the argument. â€Å"I'l grab a muffin or something on the way.† She and Aunt Judith had exchanged these words, or similar ones, most mornings of Elena's years in high school. â€Å"Oh, Elena,† Aunt Judith said, rol ing her eyes. â€Å"Don't move, young lady. I'l be right back.† Elena opened the door and smiled up into Stefan's eyes. â€Å"Why, hel o there, stranger,† she said softly. He kissed her, a sweet touch of his lips on hers. Aunt Judith hurried back into the hal way and pressed a granola bar into Elena's hand. â€Å"There,† she said. â€Å"At least you'l have something in your stomach.† Elena gave her a quick hug. â€Å"Thank you, Aunt Judith,† she said. â€Å"I'l see you later.† â€Å"Have fun, but please don't forget Margaret's dance recital tonight,† Aunt Judith said. â€Å"She's so excited about it.† Aunt Judith waved good-bye from the doorway as Elena and Stefan strol ed toward the car. â€Å"We're meeting the others at the boardinghouse and caravanning to Hot Springs,† Stefan said. â€Å"Matt and Meredith are both bringing their cars.† â€Å"Oh, good, we won't be as crowded as we were yesterday. Not that I minded sitting on your lap, but I thought I might squish Celia in the middle,† Elena said. She turned her face up and stretched like a cat in the sunshine. A breeze tossed her ponytail, and she closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation. â€Å"It's a gorgeous day for a picnic,† she said. The world was alive with birdsong and with the rustle of trees. A faint tracery of white clouds underscored the bright blue of the sky. â€Å"Would it be jinxing ourselves to say it feels like the kind of day where nothing could go wrong?† she asked. â€Å"Yes, it absolutely would be jinxing ourselves to say that,† Stefan said, straight-faced, unlocking the passenger-side door for her. â€Å"Then I won't say it,† Elena said. â€Å"I won't even think it. But I feel good. I haven't been to Hot Springs for ages.† She grinned with pure pleasure, and Stefan smiled back at her, but Elena was struck once again by that certain something new – something troubling – in his eyes.