Brandon Learning Centre: British Education - process, preparation and practicalities

The Rain  - Anonymous (from The Folio Book of Humorous Verse) The rain it raineth every day, Upon the just and unjust fellow, But more upon the just, because The unjust hath the just's umbrella

Hong Kong is in a temporary state of suspended animation as we wait for the next onslaught from Typhoon Vicente. Rather than the traditional Typhoon pursuits of eating junk food and entering a catatonic state in front of a DVD, how about spending a few minutes looking at our world through the eyes of the Canandian Inuit? I found the following Inuktit word in John Julius Norwich's 2001 book,  A Christmas Cracker . Looking out of my window, it gives a new dimension to the outside world. Tartitartuq : The sea has dark moving patches, or shadows, playing over it; when sky and sea are story, black shadows ripple and play over the chop of the sea. Such a delicate observation; a poem in one word.

I have written three recipe booklets for Singtao newspaper (星島日報) Baking is one of my passions and I had an enormous amount of fun producing the booklets. The first two focused on cooking with children, the third on dinner party food and the next one which will be published tomorrow will have ideas for drinks parties. I can't find a link with public speaking other than one of the most important parts of giving a speech is sharing your passion. If you start from here, no matter how many mistakes you might make, your audience will be carried along by your enthusiasm and will be sympathetic and inspired.

If your child is one of the entrants in the Brandon Learning Centre poetry reading at Harbour City, here are some last minute tips for you! For anyone contemplating a speech festival or making a presentation, these ideas may be useful in the future. Before presenting: Firstly, make sure that your body is relaxed by shaking out your limbs. The voice needs to be warmed up before you present. Try to take four or five deep breaths and then start to move through the vowels to engage your vocal chords. Scan your poem/notes for the last time. Take a deep breath, throw your shoulders back, stride onto the stage as though you own it. Tomorrow, our aim is to give the children a positive experience on stage. If you are around Tsim Sha Tsui, drop by!

Amongst the many gifts my parents gave to us was the love of reading. My memories of spending time listening to them read to us are extremely precious. For anyone who isn't sure how to start reading with their children, try the following: 1: Find a quiet place where you can focus without distractions 2: Choose a book with dialogue so you can use different voices (don't be shy!) 3: With older children, take it in turns to read 4: Try to avoid turning your reading into a lesson 5: Enjoy, these are times to be cherished This weekend, my Brandon Learning Centre colleagues and I are giving a series of workshops aimed at encouraging the habit of reading to children. Anyone who is near the Harbour Centre (Tsim Sha Tsui) on Saturday or Sunday is very welcome to come! Kidxperience - Harbour City

Carl Sandburg writes powerful, energising poetry. His peon of love to Chicago explodes with the vibrancy of that wonderful city. One of my favourites is his entertaining Arithmetic in which he muses on this confusing topic. The images of numbers as flying pigeons is one which will return to you again and again. When reading this poem, pay attention to the pauses and vary the pace for additional confusion! For anyone who struggled through those hideous O level questions about walking a mile in one direction, turning 45 degrees and then walking another mile, this is for you! Arithmetic - Carl Sandburg Arithmetic is where numbers fly like pigeons in and out of your head. Arithmetic tells you how many you lose or win if you know how many you had before you lost or won. Arithmetic is seven eleven all good children go to heaven — or five six bundle of sticks. Arithmetic is numbers you squeeze from your head to your hand to your pencil to your paper till you get the answer.

This week, we have over 200 of our students taking the English Speaking Board public speaking assessments. Each students will have to make a presentation, share a favourite book and poem and interact as part of a listening group. I know that all our students are well prepared but here are some last minute ideas which apply to any presentation you make. Cue cards: If you are using cue cards, make sure that they only contain key words so you aren't tempted to read. Number your cue cards; there is nothing worse than dropping them just before your speech. Visual aids: If you are using PowerPoint, try to incorporate pictures rather than words. Use your visual aids to remind you of your main points. Choose images/graphs which add more information or insight to your points. Audience interaction: Try to scan your audience as you speak. Judge the area you have to work with and consider moving around to emphasise your key points. Relax and smile; audiences will engage

The days running up to any exam are always a mixture of excitement, anticipation and outright terror. We have the Winchester College exams next week and Common Entrance at the beginning of June. Try following these steps to avoid turning up in a state of nervous exhaustion... Leading up to the exam: Review your notes. Flick through textbooks; sometimes the images they contain can aid memory. Transfer your key notes to flashcards that you can review before the exam. If you really don't understand a topic, speak to a teacher as soon as possible. The topic may not come up on the exam but worrying about it may prevent you from focusing on what you do know. The night before the exam: Get a good night's sleep. Pack your pencilcase. Make sure that you have a couple of pens, pencil, sharpener, rubber, calculator and any mathematical instruments you might need. Put your books away; your goal is to have a relaxed mind. The morning of the exam: Double check your equipment.

When you are presenting in a foreign language, there are a few steps you need to think about: Read your speech or poem to a native speaker and get feedback. If at all possible, get a native speaker to record your piece for you. Finally, don't take yourself too seriously; you are making an effort to communicate which is invariably appreciated. As part of our French classes, students are encouraged to present in French. We always start off with poetry as the rhythm aids pronunciation. The following is a poem I particularly like by Raymond Queneau. The narrator is teaching chicks about eggs. After describing the shape and colour of the shell, the teacher realises that he can't show the chicks the interior as, if he does so, he will be removing the source of their existence! Which came first, the chicken, the egg, or the lesson about the egg? La leçon de choses Raymond Queneau Venez, poussins, Asseyez-vous Je vais vous instruire sur l’œuf Dont tous vous venez, poussins.

Spring is a time for new life, a message paralleled in the glory of the Resurrection. Even in Hong Kong, I can see signs of spring through the pollution! A.E. Housman's work A Shropshire Lad contains the following poem which is ideal for this time of the year. The beauty and simplicity of the images attracts the listener to the poem's key message of seizing opportunities to enjoy nature's beauty now. I particularly like to think of cherry trees wearing white for Easter. Read this and then go for a walk... from A Shropshire Lad II Loveliest of trees, the cherry now Is hung with bloom along the bough, And stands about the woodland ride Wearing white for Eastertide. Now, of my threescore years and ten, Twenty will not come again, And take from seventy springs a score, It only leaves me fifty more. And since to look at things in bloom Fifty springs are little room, About the woodlands I will go To see the cherry hung with snow. Ad Gloriam Dei.

Technically this is a hymn but it reads wonderfully and is perfect for a children's Easter recital. What could be more joyous and reflective of rebirth at this time of year than the voices of children? At Eastertime the lillies fair And lovely flowers bloom everywhere At Eastertime, At Eastertime, How glad the world at Eastertime Delightful and to the point. Perfect!