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Showing posts with the label Common Entrance Preparation

Top top for success at Common Entrance: Become a teacher!

Here is a brilliant tip for anyone who is about to sit Common Entrance (or any other exam for that matter!) Reading and making notes will help your remember your information but teaching and explaining your topics will help you even more. In stages... 1: Revise one of your topics (e.g. life processes) and make your notes, 2: Try to teach the topic back to a member of your family. Plan your lesson around providing the information needed to answer typical Common Entrance questions. Refer to the marking scheme when you are thinking of how much information to include. Your aim is to teach the materials and for your student (victim?) to be able to reply to your questions. 3: As you are teaching, remember to repeat key points or share mnemonics (MRS GREN?!) Through teaching your student, you are ensuring that the topic will stick in your mind. 3: At the end of your lesson, if you have explained everything clearly, your students should be able to give you complete answers. You are

Reflections on a life: The Spoon River Anthology

The Spoon River Anthology is a fascinating collection of poems by Edgar Lee Masters. The conceit is simple; the poet moves through a graveyard and the lives and regrets of villagers are told in poetic form. Each poem has a clear voice and the interplay between the characters is fascinating. Amongst the most moving poems for me is that of George Grey. The narrator speaks of the anguish caused by his lack of engagement. Fear of failure or hurt holds us back and can prevent us from realising our potential and achieving happiness. Any enterprise we undertake will have the potential to go wrong but it is from our mistakes and experiences that we achieve actualisation. George Grey - from Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters I have studied many times   The marble which was chiseled for me—   A boat with a furled sail at rest in a harbor.   In truth it pictures not my destination   But my life.       For love was offered me and I shrank from its disillusionment;   Sorrow kn

Last minute advice for our students leaving for the UK

This time of year is bittersweet as our students leave us for their new UK schools. This year, we have students going to Eton, Harrow, Winchester, Westminster, Downe House, Wycombe Abbey, Oundle, King's Canterbury, Dragon, Tonbridge, St Mary's Calne, Charterhouse, Rugby and many other schools. A few things for our students to think about: 1: New school, new start. You may not have played as big a role as you could in your previous school. Now is the time to join in. 2: Ask questions. It is by asking questions that you can extend your knowledge of a subject or clear up areas of confusion. The more you ask, the more you learn. 3: Don't be afraid to ask for help. There are multiple sources of assistance in your new schools: senior students (mentors/"big sisters") prefects, teachers, your house tutor and your house mistress/master. Don't suffer in silence. 4: Have fun, try everything (even the cabbage!) Good luck, everyone at Brandon is very proud of y

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the most confident speaker of all?

One of the major barriers to confidence in public speaking is the uncertainty of how an audience perceives you as a speaker. Here is a five minute public speaking exercise for you that we often use at Brandon Learning Centre to develop self awareness. Arm yourself with a book or newspaper. Find a quiet spot with a full length mirror. Take a deep breath and read the text as though, behind the mirror, lies an invisible audience. Watch your face and body language as you progress through the reading. Try to match your gestures and facial expressions to the content of your literature. Throughout the exercise, identify moments when you are relaxed and engaged and remember how this feels. With practice, the objective is to be able to extend these moments and to become aware of how you can adapt your behaviour to connect with an audience When you first try this exercise, your initial reaction will be to laugh and/or be bashful. Persist and, as you drive away the demons of doubt, you will f

Common Entrance - last minute revision

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.

Revision starts after this... The fine art of prevarication

I can't revise until... I've tidied my desk, sharpened my pencils, made a cup of coffee, rearranged my notes (continue ad infinitum) As Easter revision panic looms, the excuses build up, creating a wall between you and exam success. To misquote The Art of War; know your enemy. Identify whatever you do instead of revising and build it into your revision timetable. In scheduling your prevarication, you avoid running behind time which creates additional panic. Admittedly, a twenty minute block marked "tidy desk" looks less impressive than one marked "advanced mathematics" but this is the reality so name your demons!

Kung Hei Fat Choi! Poetry for Chinese New Year

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Chinese New Year is one of the happiest times in the calendar. Rather than dwelling on misfortunes, we look forwards with hope, optimism and determination. We look around us and appreciate the blessings given to us by our families, friends and colleagues. Traditional red fai cheun (red banners with traditional good wishes) hang everywhere. The good wishes are tailored to audiences (at Brandon Learning Centre we wish our students good progress with their studies!) We also make our own, less traditional fai cheun by writing acrostic poems. Here is how you do it: Choose a blessing for your family such as "happiness" or "peace" and write it vertically on a piece of red paper. For each letter, write a few words expressing your good wishes. Roll your paper into a scroll and tie it with a gold ribbon. Once you have finished your poem, you can read aloud and present the scroll to your family. P rosperity, joy and comfort E xcellence, progress and fulfillment A

'Twas the Night Before Christmas (The Arrival of Saint Nicholas) Part Two!

So now you are word-perfect and can whisk you way through the first part of this Christmas classic, shall we move on? (Steady with this line, make each word crisp so your audience can share in the excitement) More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, And he whistled, and shouted, and call'd them by name: "Now! Dasher, now! Dancer, now! Prancer, and Vixen,( indicate with the voice, you are encouraging the reindeer so try to be upbeat) "On! Comet, on! Cupid, on! Dunder and Blixem; "To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall! "Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!" ( faster ) As dry leaves before the wild hurricane fly,( don't stop here! You need to say these two lines together to make sense of them ) When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky; So up to the house-top the coursers they flew, With the sleigh full of Toys - and St. Nicholas too: And then in a twinkling, I heard on the roof The prancing and pawing of each litt

Reviving traditions; Recitals for Christmas

Reciting for an audience is a skill that, once acquired, becomes addictive. The trick is for the reader to disappear, leaving the listeners entranced. One of the classic performance poems has to be "The Account of a Visit from Saint Nicholas" which is more commonly known as the "Night Before Christmas". Wikipedia has a fascinating article about the poem's disputed origins but we can all agree that it encapsulates the excitement felt as we immerse ourselves in the Christmas dream. There are many sources of this poem online and I thought that you might find it useful for me to add some reading (reciting) notes so you can enthrall your listeners this Christmas! See my notes in bold ... start quietly but clearly which will cause your listeners to lean in and become part of the story ‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all thro’ the house, Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St. Nic

A poem about the postal service - how can that be entertaining?

As you post your Christmas cards, think about the journey they are about to embark on to reach their destination. The rather splendid 1936 documentary "The Night Mail" incorporated a poem by WH Auden set to the wondefully discordant music of Benjamin Britten celebrates the passage of the Night Train delivering letters. The poem has a strong rhythm and, if you listen to the recording of the original documentary, you will hear that it is a perfect echo of the sound of wheels on a track. If you are reading in public, pay attention to the speed of the third stanza and see if you can increase the speeed as the train zooms down the tracks. Your listeners will never look at the postal service in the same light again! Night Mail - W. H. Auden (1907 - 1973) This is the Night Mail crossing the border, Bringing the cheque and the postal order, Letters for the rich, letters for the poor, The shop at the corner and the girl next door. Pulling up Beattock, a steady climb: The

Thrill your family this Christmas - with a poem!

The nights are drawing in, Christmas decorations have been up in Hong Kong for a month now, families are gearing up for the trilogy of Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year. This year, why now kill the television and entertain your family with good old fashioned poetry recitals? What makes a poem suitable for a performance? Use the following criteria and you won't go far wrong! 1: Does the poem have a strong story or message? 2: Is there scope for your dramatic range? 3: Do you like it? Is it suitable for your audience? 4: Does it end on a strong note? Casabianca by Felicia Hemans is a stirring ballad which has been enthralling audiences since it was published in the 1820's. The poem is instantly recognisable from the first stanza: The boy stood on the burning deck Whence all but he had fled; The flame that lit the battle's wreck Shone round him o'er the dead. The poem continues for for another ten stirring verses and inspired generations. Less st

Thank you to my Hong Kong Polytechnic University Students

Whenever I become pessimistic about the future after reading the newspapers I think about my students. I have recently finished teaching a short public speaking class at Hong Kong Polytechnic University (HK PolyU) as part of their aim of broadening the academic experience. This year's class had students from Hong Kong, Thailand, Mainland China and Nigeria. Diverse backgrounds but united in their desire to contribute to society and make a difference. Coming to public speaking early is an incredible experience. Watching this class shed their fears and develop public speaking skills was terrific. They also introduced me to an optimistic world view and shared their hope about the future. Whereas the newspapers are full of doom and gloom, this group are confident that they will try their best to make our world a kinder, more equitable place. Their new found presentation skills will help them to communicate and share their vision in the future and I am incredibly proud to have played

Classic Children's Literature - Preparation for Common Entrance

As a child, I remember being terrified and thrilled in equal measure by Alan Garner's novels. Set on the edge of the Pennines, The Weirdstone of Brisingamen builds tension from the first line. Two children become enmeshed in a mysterious adventure incorporating local legends, devious residents and portents of doom. The book is rich with imagery and the language will delight. How about this for a simile: "...thin as a rasher of wind.." Fabulous! Radio 4 is currently running an excellent play based on The Weirdstone of Brisingamen and I throughly recommend it (although I have to admit that I was utterly petrified in parts.) For anyone interested in public speaking, Phillip Voss's diction is a delight to listen to. "> To listen to the BBC dramatisation Any 10+ year old will be challenged by this novel. After a diet of watery fiction, this book is a sumptuous feast. "> To see details of The Weirdstone of Brisingamen on Amazon

Two minute poetry - poignant and thought provoking

Sometimes, a poem leaps out at you and grabs you by the throat. I discovered this short piece in a wonderful anthology called "London" which is part of the Poetry of Place series and has been put together with exquisite care by Barnaby Rogerson. The imagery of The Embankment is a profoundly moving plea, particularly as the weather becomes colder and we start focusing our thoughts to celebrations and warmth. I was especially drawn to the unexpected replacement of the familiar "moth-eaten" with "star-eaten." Sometimes,we need a poem which challenges our expectations, re-orders our priorities and shakes us out of our complacency. This would make a stirring performance poem; short and emotive and guaranteed to leave your audience wanting more. The Embankment - Thomas Ernest Hulme the fantasy of a fallen gentleman on a cold, bitter night Once, in finesse of fiddles found I ecstasy, In the flash of gold heels on the hard pavement. Now see I That wa