jen's ideas for teaching and learning english

Teaching weak students

2008-07-17T06:29:00.000-07:00

During the short sharing with the teachers, I shared a few tips about teaching very weak students who are probably also very demoralised. I advised the teachers to dress up to show the students that they are worth the effort. Make the students feel wanted and loved through our personality and the way we carry ourselves. No sloppiness and no sandals, please.

Some of the teachers also shared their success stories. I also shared that teachers should also keep up with the latest songs and singers. Sometimes, teachers get comfortable and they become obsolete very quickly in this era. I also talk about my struggle in getting organised and asked for suggestions. I have files for everything and I try to get my papers organised.

If you are blessed with a musical talent, use it. As I can play the guitar, I bring the guitar and play some songs. I have the boys eating out of my hand in no time. They cannot comprehend that this old aunty can belt out a rock and roll tune too.

Teachers should earn the students' respect. Students have stopped listening to teachers as they find that they have become redundant and obsolete. And there are so many other 'teachers' like the internet, freinds and television vying for their attention and they are more effective and attractive. Unless teachers update themselves and appear to be more knowledgeable, we will lose them.

Teaching Weak Students

2008-03-02T21:37:00.000-08:00

Many teachers struggle to teach students who can hardly read. I am teaching a class of 24 students who cannot read and write in English. The first thing I did was to run a diagnostic test. I found out that many were able to read simple words but they do not practise punctuation and were unable to string a sentence.
Then, I revise many basic words which they needed to know such as things at home, things in school and verbs. I also do a lot of one-to-one reading and coaching. I usually prepare some worksheets to keep them occupied while I tend to those who are weak.
Teachers also complain that if we spend time teaching them the basics, how are they going to sit for the real exam. I train them to write a simple letter, teach them to string sentences from notes given. At least, six or seven will pass the exam.
I also give them a lot of incentives like chocolates and even cash for work done. They love to play simple games and look forward to my classes. They feel that they have been abandoned by the school and morale is low. They just need a lot of love, patience and attention.

How to improve your English?

2006-09-19T03:20:00.000-07:00

Writing a journal

What is a journal?
A journal is a collection of your thoughts or responses to different events or situations in your life. Some may call it a diary but whatever you call it, writing a journal is one of the best ways to improve your English. When you write a journal, you are keeping a record of things that happened in your life. The things you write can be special events that happen to you or you can write about your feelings. A journal can also be the place where you keep stories and poems that you write or collect.
To write a journal you need to have some kind of notebook (or you can keep a journal on your computer!) and a pen or pencil to write with. Some people like to write in their journal every day, and some people just like to write on special days. Whenever you write, make sure you include the date, so you'll know when the events happened!

What is a journal prompt?
They are questions, fill-in-the-blank sentences or finish-the-sentence prompts to help you get started in your journalling journey. They are open-ended motivators that do not have a right or wrong answer. In fact, everyone's answer is bound to be different.
How do I use the prompts?
Read the prompt and respond instantly with the first thing that comes to your mind and with absolute abandon. Do not worry about your grammar. Prompts work to release your flow of thought and feeling. Don't just stop at one sentence or two. Write until there is no more left to write.
The beauty of written prompts is that they never get old. The same prompt you answered yesterday can work with a completely different answer on another day. This is because you are growing daily and dynamic lives lead to changing answers!
Apart from writing, you can also add pictures, photographs, poems and drawings at the end of the page where I have left empty.. Be creative and the limit is your imagination. So, grab a pen and let�s begin.

You can print this out and paste it onto an exercise book. Choose only those that are suitable for you. Happy writing. Let me know about your progress.

Tell about your favorite pet � what kind of animal is it? When did you get him/her? Why do you like this pet?
What is your favourite thing to do during the holidays? Why?
Tell about a trip your family took that you particularly enjoyed. Where did you go? What did you see?
What is your favorite movie? Why do you like it? What�s it about?
Tell something you enjoyed doing with your Grandmother or Grandfather?
What is the best birthday present you received? What is the best one you gave?
What was your favourite toy when you were a child?
If you could have your favourite dinner for your birthday, what would it be?
Tell all about your favourite friend and why they are special to you.
If you could have any animal as a pet, what kind would you choose and why?
Write something nice about your family that they do that makes you happy.
Tell your favorite joke or about something that makes you laugh!
What is a favorite board game or computer game of yours and why do you like it?
If you could watch a video over and over, what would it be and why? What is it about?
Tell about the house you live in. Have you lived anywhere else? If so do you remember the addresses and phone numbers?
Tell about a special Birthday party you�ve had or given or been to.
How do you like being the older, middle, or youngest child? Does it have any particular advantages or disadvantages?
Who is your favorite teacher? Why? Can you remember and tell about a special teacher?
What are you frightened of?
Describe your favorite clothes?
What kind of music do you like? What is your favourite song and why?
What was your most embarrassing moment?
Do you have a bicycle? What is it like?
What instrument do you wish you could play and why?
What would you give yourself if you had all the money in the world? What would you give your family?
Where do you go to school, what grade are you in, who is your teacher?
What is your room like? Do you share it with someone? What makes it special to you?
Describe a typical day during the school year.
What is your favourite holiday? How do you celebrate it?
Have you ever been sick and what made you feel better?
What is the most adventuresome thing you have ever done?
Write a want-ad that best describes you if you were for sale!
Tell about your favorite Aunt or Uncle.
Describe your perfect spring day � what do you like to do outside?
Tell about some of the places you have been in your life?
What are your favorite hobbies?
What is your mother�s best trait? Worst? Do you share any of these traits?
What is your father�s best trait? Worst? Do you share any of these traits?
Were you ever in a drama, speech, sports, pep or glee club or activity? Tell about it.
Do you go camping? Tell about your experiences.
How do you feel about school?
Describe a childhood birthday.
What do you think you would like to do when you graduate from high school or college?
What are some of your family holiday traditions?
What is your favorite food? What is your least favorite food?
Do you have any household chores? If so, what are they? Which ones do you enjoy the most/least?
Write about some places you have been with your mother.
Write about some places you have been with your father.
Where would you like to go someday and why?
Describe the classes you are taking this year in school. Which ones do you like and which ones don�t you like?
Do you belong to a church youth group? If so what are some of your favorite activities?
Describe the best teacher you ever had.
When are you happiest?
When have you felt lonely?
When do you feel proud?
Which quality best describes your life--exciting, organized, dull--and why?
Which quality do you dislike most about yourself--laziness, selfishness, childishness--and why?
Which place would you most like to visit--Africa, China, Alaska--why?
Which is least important to you--money, power, fame--and why?
Which is most important to you--being popular, accomplishing things, being organized--and why?
Who do you talk to when you have a problem?
Who or what has had a strong influence in your life?
Where would you prefer to be right now--mountains, desert, beach--and why?
Why is it important to be honest?
Why is important to have good manners?
Why is exercise important to someone your age?
Why do you think the rules you must follow are good or bad?
Families are important because...
Would you like to be famous? Why or why not? What would you like to be famous for?
What do you like to do in your leisure time?
Do you think boys or girls have it easier?
Do you think you have too many chores? If you could choose whichever chores you want, which ones would you prefer to do?
What would you do if everyone in your family forgot your birthday?
If you could travel in a time machine and go any distance into the past or future, where would you decide to go? Why?
What makes your class special?
If you could be invisible for a day, what would you do?
If you could choose any bedtime you wanted, what time would you pick?
Pretend that you were already grown up with children. How would you treat them differently from the way your parents treat you?
Would you like to have an identical twin? What would be the best thing about it? What would be the worst thing about it?
If you were not a ...........(fill your job here), what would you probably be doing and why?
Save this question for last: How did you enjoy working on this journal? Did it help you discover some things about yourself or your past that you had forgotten?

POWER WRITING

2006-04-22T03:04:00.000-07:00

I have been experimenting with ways to teach writing, especially writing main ideas and supporting details. Power Writing is one technique to teach students how to write an effective paragraph. Try it with your class.

POWER WRITING

Power 1: Main idea
Power 2: Major detail to explain or support main idea
(first, second, third, lastly, finally, another, moreover, in addition,
Besides that, apart from that, next)
Power 3: Minor Detail to explain a major detail
(For example, for instance, in such cases,
in other words, because of …..)
Power 4: Concluding sentence
( In conclusion, in summary, these are the reasons)

Examples:
Basic Power Writing Paragraph (P1 – P2 – P2 – P2 – P4)

There are many benefits of reading. ( P1 ) One benefit is it improves the command of your language. ( P2 ) Besides, it also helps to widen your knowledge. ( P2 ) Another benefit of reading is you will be able to read about experiences faced by different people. Reading also can make you knowledgeable. ( P2 )Reading certainly brings a lot of benefits.(P4)

POWER 1
(MAIN IDEA) There are many benefits of reading.
POWER 2
(MAJOR
DETAIL TO EXPLAIN MAIN IDEA) One benefit is it improves the command of your
language.
POWER 3
(MINOR DETAIL TO EXPLAIN POWER 2) For example, if you read a lot of English
story books, you will definitely enrich your
vocabulary as well as improve your essay writing.

Now, you try another paragraph by using the formula (P1 – P2 – P3)

POWER 1 :
(MAIN IDEA) .
POWER 2 :
(MAJOR DETAIL TO EXPLAIN MAIN IDEA)
POWER 3:
(MINOR DETAIL TO EXPLAIN POWER 2)

Try writing another paragraph about the benefits of reading using (P2 – P3 – P3- P4).

POWER 2:
(MAJOR
DETAIL TO EXPLAIN MAIN IDEA) Another benefit of reading is …..
POWER 3:
(MINOR DETAIL TO EXPLAIN POWER 2)
POWER 3:
(another minor detail)
POWER 4:
CONCLUDING SENTENCE

Sonnet 18

2006-01-09T01:30:00.000-08:00

In the SPM ENGLISH 1119, you are required to answer a stuctured question on one poem. You will be tested on your understanding of the poem and you are also required to give your opinion to issues raised. One way to prepare for the exam for poems is to paraphrase the poem, making sure you understand all the difficult words.
I found a useful paraphrase while surfing and I would like to share it with teachers and students alike.

SONNET 18 PARAPHRASE
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Shall I compare you to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate: You are more lovely and more delightful:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, Rough winds shake the much loved buds of May
And summer's lease hath all too short a date: And summer is far too short:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, At times the sun is too hot,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd; Or often goes behind the clouds;
And every fair from fair sometime declines, And everything that is beautiful will lose its beauty,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd; By chance or by nature's
planned out course;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade But your youth shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest; Nor lose the beauty that you possess;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade, Nor will death claim you for his
own,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest: Because in my eternal verse you will
live forever:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, So long as there are people on this
earth,
So long lives this and this gives life to thee. So long will this poem live
on, giving you immortality.
ANALYSIS

[Line 9]* - The friend's 'summer' or 'prime of life' will remain eternal because the poet immortalizes him in verse. Lines 10-14 confirm this reading. For more on this theme, see sonnet 55.

[Line 12]* - Because of the poet's verse the friend will actually grow as one with time ("to time thou growest"). For similar imagery, see sonnet 15, line 14.

Sonnet 18 is perhaps the best known and most well-loved of all 154 poems. It is also one of the most straightforward in language and intent. The stability of love and its power to immortalize the poetry and the subject of that poetry is the theme. The poet starts the praise of his dear friend without ostentation, but he slowly builds the image of his friend into that of a perfect being. His friend is first compared to summer in the octave, but, at the start of the third quatrain (9), he is summer, and thus, he has metamorphosed into the standard by which true beauty can and should be judged. The poet's only answer to such profound joy and beauty is to ensure that his friend be forever in human memory, saved from the ultimate oblivion that accompanies death. He achieves this through his verse, believing that, as history writes itself, his friend will become one with time (or, more informally, keep up to time). The couplet reaffirms the poet's hope that as long as there is breath in mankind, his poetry too will live on, and ensure the immortality of his muse.
How to Cite this Article

Mabillard, Amanda. An Analysis of Shakespeare's Sonnet 18. Shakespeare Online. 2000. (day/month/year you accessed the information) < http://www.shakespeare-online.com/sonnets/18detail.html >.

The Literature Component

2005-10-17T19:58:00.000-07:00

We shall start with the short stories this week. Due to time and space constraints, I could only discuss two stories. Read the short stories again before attempting to answer these questions. I have provided the suggested answers at the end of this article.

THE NECKLACE by Guy de Maupassant

Synopsis
Mathilde is married to M. Loisel, a clerk. She is discontented with her life and yearns for a fancy life among the rich and famous. One day, her husband brings home an invitation to a ball. She is unhappy because she has nothing proper to wear. Her husband gives her money for a gown but she is still unhappy as she has no jewellery. She borrows a diamond necklace from her friend, Madame Forestier. At the ball, she is a great success. However, when she gets home, she realises she has lost the necklace. Loisel searches everywhere but cannot find it. They replace the necklace and spend the next ten years to settle their debts. Mathilde turns into a coarse, common woman. One day, she meets up with Madame Forestier and tells her the truth. To her dismay, she discovers that the necklace that she had borrowed was only an imitation.

1. Read the extracts from the short story The Necklace and answer the questions that follow.

She was one of those pretty and charming young girls who sometimes are born, as if by a slip of fate, into a family of clerks. She had no dowry, no expectations, no way of being known, understood, loved and wedded by any rich and distinguished man; so she let herself be married to a little clerk of the Ministry of Public Instruction.

a. What was Mathilde like when she was young? (1m)
b. What does the phrase ‘..so, she let herself be married to a little clerk..’ suggest about Mathilde’s marriage? (2m)
c. Do you think Mathilde made the right decision about marrying someone from the same social class? Give a reason for your answer. (2m)

2.
Mathilde suffered ceaselessly, feeling herself born to enjoy all delicacies and all luxuries. She was distressed at the poverty of her dwelling, at the bareness of the walls, at the shabby chairs, the ugliness of the curtains. All those things, of which another woman of her rank would not even have been conscious, tortured her and made her angry. The sight of the little peasant who did her humble housework aroused in her despairing regrets and bewildering dreams. She thought of silent antechambers hung with Oriental tapestry, illumined by tall bronze candelabra, and of two great footmen in knee breeches who sleep in big armchairs, made drowsy by the oppressive heat of the stove. She thought of long reception halls hung with ancient silk, of the dainty cabinets containing priceless curiosities of little coquettish perfumed reception rooms made for chatting at five o’clock with intimate friends, with men famous and sought after, whom all women envy and whose attention they all desire.

a. Why did Mathilde suffer ceaselessly? (1m)

b. Give two pieces of evidence from this extract that suggests that Mathilde was discontented and unhappy with her life? (2m)

c. Do you think Mathilde was right to feel discontented with her life? Give a reason for your answer.

3.“Yes, I have had a very hard life, since I last saw you and great poverty – and that because of you!”
“Of me! How so?”
“Do you remember that diamond necklace you lent me to wear at the ministerial ball?”
“Yes. Well?”
“Well, I lost it.”
“What do you mean? You brought it back.”
“I brought you back another exactly like it. And it has taken us ten years to pay for it. You can understand that it was not easy for us, for us who had nothing. At last, it is ended and I am very glad.”
Madame Forestier had stopped.
“You say that you bought a necklace of diamonds to replace mine?”
“Yes. You never noticed it, then! They were very similar.”

a. What happened to Mathilde to cause her great poverty?
b. What happened at the end of the story?
c. What do you think is the message of this story?

Answer:
1.a. She was pretty and charming.
b. She forced herself to marry someone from her social class.
c. Yes, because she has no dowry or any title to attract a better offer.

2.a. She felt that she was born to enjoy all the fine things in life.
b. She was distressed at the poverty of her dwellings and she longed for long reception halls hung with ancient silk, and other priceless items.
c. I think she should feel contented with her life as she has a loving husband and even a servant to do her chores.

3a. She lost a necklace which she had borrowed and she had replaced it.
b. She found out that the necklace which she had borrowed was made of paste.
c. One should be contented with one’s life./ If we focus too much on appearances, we may not see the truth of a matter.

Argumentative writing

2005-10-14T02:45:00.000-07:00

This week, let’s look at another type of essay called argumentative writing. Here, you may be required to either state your stand on a certain issue (agree or disagree) or to present your point of view.

Some typical exam questions:

1. Co-curricular activities are a waste of time. Do you agree?
2. Large families make happy families.
3. More land should be used for agriculture than for industry. Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons to support you opinion.
4. Parents do not spend enough quality time with children. Do you agree or disagree?
5. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of homework.

ANALYSING THE QUESTIONS
Question 1, 3 and 4 require you to make a stand and proceed to support your stand with a few paragraphs.
For question 2, you may present both sides of the argument and finally, state your stand.
For question 5, present both sides of the argument as you are required to discuss the issue.

THIS IS HOW WE DO IT

Let’s say you have chosen question 1 –
Co-curricular activities are a waste of time. Do you agree?

STEP 1: Analyse the question carefully to make sure you understand exactly what you have to do.

TOPIC: Co-curricular activities (The general subject)
THE FOCUS: Co-curricular activities are a waste of time. (The part you are asked to concentrate on)
THE COMMENT: Do you agree? (You have to make a stand whether you agree or disagree).

STEP TWO:
Then, apply the acronym B.A.G. which stands for B – Brainstorm, A – Add supporting details and G – Get organised. (as discussed last week in Lesson 5)
Brainstorm for ideas. Note down all the points you have about co-curricular activities. You should have at least four points. Let’s say you have made your list below. Add supporting details.
Get organised. Throw out any ideas that are not relevant.
Decide the order of the points.

CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES ARE A WASTE OF TIME

STAND: agree
Why?
Benefits:
Provide a chance for students to learn about themselves, …

Develop other skills not learnt in the classroom

Provide leadership training

Provide an outlet for students to rest and relax

STEP THREE: WRITING THE ESSAY

THE WRITING PLAN:

1. INTRODUCTION: Give some background information about the topic and state your stand.

Example: Co-curricular activities are activities that are planned for students after school through activities in clubs and societies. Students in schools are required to join at least one uniformed society and a club. In my opinion, co-curricular activities play an important role in a student’s life and it is certainly not a waste of time.

2. BODY: PRESENT YOUR ARGUMENTS TO SUPPORT YOUR STAND.

There should at least be three or four paragraphs with good topic sentences and body sentences.

Example: First and foremost, co-curricular activities provide students with a chance to develop their talents in music, sports and other living skills. Some students are unable to shine in the classroom but they are superb athletes and musicians. Co-curricular activities provide an avenue for them to become fulfilled individuals.

3. CONCLUSION: STATING YOUR STAND AGAIN

Example: Many students and parents are of the opinion that co-curricular activities are a waste of time and they should be substituted with more beneficial activities. I certainly disagree with that. As we have seen, co-curricular activities play an important role in a student’s life. They complement the activities of the classroom. A well-planned co-curricular programme helps students become wholesome individuals. Thus, co-curricular activities are definitely not a waste of time.

4. Remember to edit your work.
Read your first draft once through and check the following things:

a. Have you arranged the points well? Is the first point the most important or the least important?
b. Have you included all the points and left out all the irrelevant points?
c. Are there any phrases that are not very clear or sentences that are too long?
d. Are there are spelling mistakes?
e. Have you used punctuation correctly?
f. Are there any grammatical errors?

Open essays and errors to avoid

2005-10-13T01:31:00.000-07:00

‘OPEN’ ESSAYS
In the examination, there is a short essay subject consisting of only one or two words which is quite popular with students.
Typical exam questions:

1. Dreams
2. Friends
3. Memories
4. Teenagers
5. Water
6. Computers
7. Time management
8. Examinations
9. Holidays
10. Social Ills

NOTE THIS

These essays are open in the sense that no help or focus is given and students have to plan and concentrate only on certain aspects.

THIS IS HOW WE DO IT
There are many ways to tackle ‘open’ essays. Let’s look at some examples.

1. For the topic ‘Memories’, you could write a short story in which someone remembers certain things that happened to him. You could even write a story on a girl named ‘Memories’ and it would still be accepted.
2. The essay on ‘Teenagers’ could be planned as follows:

Introduction: Say something general about people’s impression of teenagers
Body: Discuss the problems faced (Causes and effects) and solutions
Conclusion: Close with an opinion or hopes.

The same treatment could be done for other topics such as ‘Social Ills’ and ‘Water’.

3. For the essay on ‘Examinations’ and ‘Computers’, you could discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the topics. This is by far the best way to answer a question if you ever run out of ideas.

4. One way of tackling the question on ‘Time Management’ is to discuss ways to manage your time, pitfalls to avoid and some advice.

PITFALLS TO AVOID

Be careful when you have to write about a plural subject such as ‘Dreams’, ‘Examinations’ or ‘Memories’. If you write about only a dream, you are not answering the question.

MORE ERRORS TO AVOID

1 Do not use ‘etc’ or etcetra (meaning ‘and so on’) to list something in your essays.
Example: She likes to play games such as badminton, table tennis, etc. (X)
She likes to play games such as badminton, table tennis and tennis. (/)

2 The verbs ‘happened’, ‘died’, ‘occurred’, ‘arrived’ cannot be used in the passive.

Example: Something was happened last night. (X)
Something happened last night. (/)

My grandmother was died in her sleep last night. (X)
My grandmother died in her sleep last night. (/)

3 Do not use ‘about’ with the words ‘discuss, consider, describe, study explain’.

Example: We will consider about your application tomorrow. (x)
We will consider your application tomorrow. (/)

Descriptive essay - model answer

2005-10-10T06:52:00.000-07:00

Here'a model answer for you to read.

Describe a teacher who has influenced your life

I can still remember the first time Mrs Pauline Kuah walked into my class. Clad in a modern kebaya with a matching handbag, she sashayed into the room and into our hearts. We have heard about our new English teacher but nothing prepared us for this little dynamite.

Mrs Pauline Kuah revolutionized the way I learn English. Instead of the dull chalk and talk, she took us for walks and taught us to play language games. My English classes were transformed into a big game. Everything had points and everyone had to contribute. Even the hard core among us was not spared. She just swept us off our feet with her enthusiasm.

What struck me most about this petite and slender woman is her honesty. She calls herself ‘WYSIWYG’ – what you see is what you get. She did not lie to us if she did not know something. I could still remember the time when she had to teach us Mathematics. She told us that although she was only a step or two ahead of us, she would try her very best to teach us until another teacher came along.

She is also a very outspoken woman. She is not afraid to speak her mind to her superiors or to fight for our rights. Once, we were all under a lot of stress and the school was organising a jog-a-thon just before our trial exam. We spoke to her and she immediately solved the problem by getting the jog-a-thon postponed. However, she did not spare us if we were wrong and most of us would rather die than face her ‘lectures’.

She also taught me that action speaks louder than words. While some teachers shy away from the heat during Physical Education, she jogged and played with us. During recycling campaigns, she did not hesitate to help us carry the newspapers. We were all inspired to work even harder for the project.

However, what struck me most about Mrs Pauline Kuah is her unending belief in us. She saw the potential in us to be good and by showing us a little attention and love, we were obligated to at least try to better ourselves. I was very lazy and rebellious when I met her. No one bothered to find out what was wrong. My parents were heading for a divorce. Father had been unfaithful. Mrs Pauline went after me relentlessly and I finally broke down and told her everything. I saw that she truly cared for me and all the others who were like me.

Come this December, I shall leave Mrs Pauline Kuah and the school. I want to express my deepest gratitude to her and to let her know that I shall never forget what she has taught me. I thank God that such a dedicated soul once walked in my life and left footprints in my heart.

writing a descriptive essay

2005-10-10T06:45:00.000-07:00

This week we shall discuss the descriptive essays. You may be required to describe a person, a thing, a place, or an event in the examination.

TYPICAL QUESTIONS
1 Describe a teacher who has influenced your life.
2 Describe a scene at a crowded bus station
3 My Mother
4 My favourite person
5 My dream car

HERE’S HOW WE DO IT

Let’s say you have decided to answer question 1.

TOPIC: Describe a teacher who has influenced your life

1. Brainstorm for points about the teacher.
Appearance :
Personality;
What he/she has done for you (How has the teacher changed your life? How has he/she influenced you?)

Remember that the focus here is on the teacher who has influenced your life.

2. Add details which you feel should be included; write down the vocabulary and phrases.
3. Organise your points. Decide which characteristics of the teacher you will emphasize. This is a subjective description as you will be giving your impressions of the teacher.
Introduction: Describe her physical characteristics and your first impressions.
Body: His/Her characteristics and how he/she influenced you.
Conclusion: Describe what he/she means to you.

Model answer for students

2005-10-07T00:58:00.000-07:00

Here is a model answer for students.

"....I shall never forget this day for the rest of my life."

It was a cool September morning. Early rain had cleared the skies to a golden hue. I drifted into a dream to the tune of the occasional pit pat of the falling rain on the gutters of my rooftop. Soon, I would have to get up as I had to attend a club meeting.
My kind brother, Alex had promised to give me a lift before he went to his office. As usual, we dropped by Permai Restaurant for breakfast. The town was just beginning to stir from its sleep as Alex swerved into one of the many empty parking lots. While he slotted some coins into the parking machine, I grabbed my handbag and sauntered to the restaurant, the aroma of teh tarik beckoning me.
Suddenly, I felt a tug from behind and before I realized it, my handbag was gone. I looked up and saw two men on a motorcycle. Then it hit me! Snatch thieves! I screamed at Alex but the sound was a mere whimper. I ran towards him, arms flailing. He jumped into his car and gave chase.
By this time, some workers from the restaurant who had realised what had happened took me into the restaurant and gave me a hot teh tarik. Curious eyes followed my footsteps. I could not swallow. Why me? The thought of losing my handphone made me nauseous. I was vaguely aware that my arm was throbbing and I saw that it was swollen.
Twenty minutes later and what seemed like an eternity to me, Alex came back empty-handed. I was relieved that he was alright. He advised me to eat something. The thosai tasted like paper and I pushed the plate away after a few minutes. We headed for the police station nearby and this time, I kept close to Alex.
When we entered the police station, a kind elderly policeman took me into a room. I tried to narrate the incident but I could not describe the thieves. We saw several women complaining loudly to an officer. Alex told me they were also victims of snatch thefts. Somehow the thought that I was not the only victim comforted me.
Alex sent me to school with some money when I insisted on going. I sat bravely through the meeting without uttering a word. I waited nervously for Alex to pick me up but he was late. Mei, my friend, offered to walk me home. Each time we crossed a road, I clutched her hand. Each motorist that came by looked suspicious to me.
That night, after a prayer with my mother, I finally broke down and cried. I could not sleep as images of those two men lurked in my mind but I was thankful that I was not hurt. I resolved to be more alert the next time. I struggled for a few hours before exhaustion knocked me out. I shall never forget this day for the rest of my life.
(494 words)

NOTE THIS!
Presentation of situation
What day was it?
Where was the writer?
What was she doing?

Events/complication
What happened first?
How did it happen?
What happened then?

The writer uses short sentences here to emphasise the event that took place quickly.
Notice the sensory details used here (in bold) to make the story come alive.

Each paragraph introduces a gap in time and the next event.
Resolution
What happened as a result of that event?
What effect did this have on the writer?
What is the result of the action taking place?

Writing a narrative essay

2005-10-05T02:45:00.001-07:00

THE NARRATIVE COMPOSITION
A narrative is a story with a sequence of connected events. It could be about a personal experience or an imagined event or events.

Let’s look at some typical exam questions:
1. Write a story of a man who returns to his home after many years.
2. The day I lost my temper.
3. Write a story ending with, “I shall never forget this day for the rest of my life.”
4. Write about an occasion when you got into trouble.
5. Write a story beginning with, “I could not believe my eyes….”

How do I write a narrative essay for the exam?

ACTION PLAN: (1 hour)
A. Planning = 15 minutes
B. Writing = 35 minutes
C. Checking = 10 minutes
This plan is for those who are quite weak in English. For those who are proficient, you may only need 10 minutes for planning.

This is how we do it.

A. PLANNING
Let’s say you have chosen question 3, - Write a story ending with, “I shall never forget this day for the rest of my life.”

1. Read the question carefully and underline important phrases. Pay particular attention to the ending.
2. Brainstorm for ideas and jot down notes. For exam purposes, the simplest way is to divide it into three parts:
i. ii. iii.

B. WRITING THE ESSAY

Now that you have got the skeleton of your story, it is time to begin writing. Use linkers and phrases which link the events to move your story in a chronological order. (Refer to last week’s article for more transitional phrases). Some phrases that are suitable are:
It was very dark….
I will never forget …..
A few minutes later….
Suddenly,…
When the disaster happened, …..

Use sensory details to reveal the events and to get the reader involved. Do not merely tell but show the events through words and phrases.

Example:
a. I went into the restaurant.
b. I walked into the restaurant.
c. I sauntered into the restaurant.

Sentence a. merely states that I went into the restaurant and sentence b. gives a little more information as to how I went into the restaurant. Sentence c. uses a more specific word to show clearly the idea of how I went into the restaurant. Sentence c. allows the reader to see what I am doing. The word ‘sauntered’ means ‘to stroll’. It gives the image of a person walking slowly into the restaurant. Thus, sentence c. is more effective in narrative and descriptive writing.

C. Checking
Read your essay once through and check for the following things:
• Is the spelling accurate?
• Is the punctuation appropriate? Did you use too many commas in a sentence?
• Did you vary the sentence structure? Are your sentences too long?
• Does one thought follow the next in a logical order?
• Did you stick to the topic? Did you use words so that your reader could experience the incident?
• Did you use the appropriate tense of the verb throughout?
Make any corrections neatly.

Writing a narrative essay

2005-10-05T02:45:00.000-07:00

The Nuts and Bolts of Essay Writing 2

2005-10-05T02:24:00.000-07:00

WRITING BETTER PARAGRAPHS

What is a paragraph?
A paragraph can be divided into three different sections. The first section is the topic sentence which is usually at the beginning of the paragraph, the body and the closing.

The Topic Sentence
This topic sentence tells you what the paragraph is going to be about, and how it relates to the subject of the essay and the previous paragraph.

Body Sentences
Body sentences support the topic of the paragraph. There are supporting details and elaboration in these sentences.

Closing Sentence
This sentence completes the idea expressed in the paragraph. It should also set up a connection to the next paragraph.

1. A good paragraph has only one main idea and one or two supporting details.
Example:
First and foremost, I would buy a house for my parents, preferably a bungalow, in a quiet town. I would equip the house with the latest technology so that it would be a smart home. My mother would have a state-of-the-art kitchen as she loves cooking. There would also be a robot to clean and vacuum the house. I will certainly make sure that my family is comfortably settled in this house.

The main idea of the sentence is ‘buying a house for my parents’ and I go on to describe in detail what the house would be like.

2. How to elaborate or add supporting details?
To support a topic sentence, consider some of these possible ways:
• Add examples
• Supply further details or explanation
• Tell a story that illustrates the point you're making
• Discuss a process
• Compare and contrast
Example:
Most word processing software gives you several options for printing. You can print a copy or several copies of the same document with different fonts. Besides that, you can also print a range of pages. What is more, you can even preview a document before printing it out. You can finally say goodbye to the good old typewriter.

Topic sentence: word processing software – several options for printing.
Body sentences (Supporting details): print a copy, several copies, different fonts, a range of pages, preview.
Note that I have given examples and explanation to support my main idea.
Closing sentence: I end the paragraph by implying that now that you have the software, you can say goodbye to the typewriter.

3. Choice of words

i. Do not use tired words like ‘beautiful’ or ‘nice’. Use: magnificent, breathtaking, inspiring, fantastic, and so on.
i. Do not pepper your essay with words that are superfluous. If a sentence means the same thing with a word taken out, take it out. Using extra words and phrases which do not add anything to what you are saying will imply to the examiner that you are running out of things to say.
Example:
Do not write:
Ever since Mr Tan came into my class, he transformed it, changing it so that it was altogether different from what it has been like before.
Write:
Mr Tan transformed my class. (Here, give examples of how he did it.)

ii. Do not use words or phrases that are either unheard of or too bombastic.
Chin Yit, a student from Pahang wrote to ask whether using ‘beatiful words’ will gain her more marks. She had taken these words from a thesaurus. Her teacher is right. She will not gain more marks as she is testing the examiner and boring her readers.

Example: propitious (favourable), ebullient(cheerful),affray(scuffle,fight), edacious.

The Nuts and Bolts of Essay Writing 1

2005-10-04T04:16:00.000-07:00

Let’s say we are going to write a reflective composition titled “What would you do if you had a lot of money?” Use the acronym B.A.G. to help you plan your essay.
B – Brainstorm for main ideas
A – Add supporting details
G – Get Organised.

STEP 1 BRAINSTORM for main ideas
Write any idea that you may have concerning the topic above in the box below.

STEP TWO: Add supporting details
From the main ideas, add more facts or ideas that support each main idea.

STEP 3 GET ORGANISED

Look at all the points and determine which paragraph is stronger and should have top priority. Rearrange the points and make them into a list. Think of an interesting introduction and a suitable conclusion. Your basic structure should roughly look like this.

TOPIC:
INTRODUCTION:
BODY
Main Idea 1.
Supporting details
Main Idea 2
Supporting details
Main Idea 3
Supporting details ……..

CONCLUSION

There are many ways to organise your essay depending on the types of essays.
i. Chronological order – according to the order of how the events occurred
ii. Cause and effect – discuss the causes (reasons) first, then give the effect.
iii. Problem to solution – discuss the problems, then give the solutions
iv. Spatial order – describe from one spot to the next . This is suitable for descriptive writing.
v. Climactic order – starts with the least important to the most important.
Reverse climactic order – starts with the most important to the least important

WRITING THE ESSAY

1. IDEAS FOR INTRODUCTIONS
The introduction should be designed to attract the reader's attention and give her an idea of the essay's focus.

Introduce your essay with an attention grabber.
Here are some ideas:
• Use some startling information or facts
A recent survey on teenagers who smoked revealed that 20% picked up smoking before they were 13.
• Use an anecdote.
An anecdote is a short story that illustrates a point.
Be sure your anecdote is short and relevant to your topic.
Raj and his friends do not go home after school. They hang out daily at shopping complexes after school. They are just the tip of the iceberg of the loafing syndrome.

• Use a question
Do you know that Malaysians throw away 1.2 million tonnes worth of newspapers daily? For every ten newspapers bought, only four are recovered for recycling.
• Use a general statement and lead to your topic
Use a few sentences to explain your topic in general terms. Then, lead the reader gently to your main point or thesis of the essay. Each sentence should become gradually more specific, until you reach your thesis.

Example:
Of late, there has been increasing concern about the impact of pollution on the environment and our society. How do we reduce pollution?

AVOID THESE INTRODUCTIONS:
1. Nowadays, we hear of many snatch theft cases…..
2. Everyone in this world needs a friend …….
3. The dictionary defines a computer as …………….

These are overused introductions and teachers are tired of reading these introductions.

Conclusion
The conclusion (in three or four sentences) sums up your points or provides a final perspective on your essay.
IDEAS FOR CONCLUSION
• Express your hopes about the topic
Finally, it is hoped that as people become more aware of the need to recycle, more will come forward and get involved in environmental issues.
• Call for action
Shall we just sit back and wait till all our landfills overflow? Let’s get involved and do something to save our environment.

Other ideas:
• include a brief summary of the essay's main points.
• ask a provocative question.
• compare with other situations

Writing effective essays for exams

2005-10-04T04:05:00.000-07:00

HOW TO GET MORE MARKS FOR STUDENTS' ESSAYS?

To get more marks for descriptive essays, try out this lesson plan.

1. Give students a short descriptive paragraph. Ask them to replace the words 'nice' and 'beautiful' with other words. Some of them will struggle to find other descriptive phrases.

2. Introduce a list of descriptive phrases or elicit from the more proficient students.

Example:
exciting, breathtaking, marvellous, wonderful, amazing, fantastic....

Make sure students know how to use the words correctly. Provide students with the sentences if possible. Drill them. Repeat in the next lesson. Give them spelling tests.

For UPSR students, they need to know a few adjectives for their essay, especially for the information transfer and essay questions.
Teach them:
cheap, expensive, reasonable, affordable, etc

Teach them how to use linkers in their essays,

Besides that, Furthermore, Apart from that.....Moreover

Examiners look for these words to give merit. I drill my Form 3 students to use these words and by the time they reach Form 5, we only need to correct their grammar, but that is another warfare.

Preparing students for the spm english 1119 exam

2005-09-28T02:44:00.000-07:00

Directed Writing

TIPS FOR ANSWERING THE QUESTION
1. You have only 45 minutes for this question, so budget your time carefully.
10 minutes – planning
30 minutes - writing
5 minutes – checking for mistakes
2. Read the question carefully and determine the task required. Are you required to write a speech, an article or a letter? What is the purpose of the task?
Who is the target audience? Ask yourself continuously as you plan and write your answer, checking that you are answering the question correctly.
3. Plan your answer quickly, deciding which points would go into which paragraphs or which points could be combined. Remember to use all the points given.
4. If there are more than ten points given, you do not need to elaborate on each. Many of my proficient students tend to elaborate too much on each point and end up having less than an hour for their continuous writing. Remember that only one mark is awarded for each point, no matter how long the elaboration is.
5. Write out your answer as neatly as possible as there is no time for re-writing. Do not use liquid eraser to wipe out whole sentences and re-write over these sentences. The errors might resurface after a month or so and the examiner would not be able to read your answer.
6. Write your essay with an appropriate introduction and conclusion. Make sure your paragraphs are well-organised.
7. Check for grammatical mistakes, punctuation and spelling errors.

Teacher's Guide to the journaling project

2005-09-27T04:16:00.000-07:00

TEACHER’S GUIDE

JOURNAL WRITING FOR STUDENTS

1.0 INTRODUCTION

“You never know what you will learn till you start writing. Then you discover truths you never knew existed.”

Anita Bayer

A journal is a continued series of writings made by a person in response to their life experiences and events. Diaries contain a description or a record of daily events. A journal may include those descriptions, but it also contains reflections on what took place and expresses emotions and understandings about them. A journal helps you to keep in touch with your inner self and helps you to grow as a person.

1.1 Journal Writing – a flexible tool for teaching writing

Journal writing is not a new concept. It has been used by teachers all over the world to teach and improve writing. One of the best benefits of using a journal is that it is very flexible. Teachers can use journal writing to meet specific goals such as checking on students’ work and polishing their writing skills. We can also provide journal prompts to help weak students to begin their writing. Students of high proficiency can be left on their own to go in any direction. Students can also keep a journal on anything they like such as a journal of famous quotes and their response, a journal of ideas and thoughts.

1.2 More Benefits

i. Less pressure on students

Teachers find that journal writing takes the pressure off students. It gives students who have great difficulty with written language an opportunity when spelling, punctuation, and grammar don't count. This let them express themselves in writing without the pressure they typically have when doing assignments. It ensures they have one positive writing experience each day."

ii. Improves writing skills

Some teachers discovered that students write more fluently with less ‘think’ time as the journaling progresses. When they write on a regular basis, their writing tends to flow and they improve.

iii. Provides a safe structure for weak writers

Students may begin with lots of illustrations and minimal writing as in my Remedial Module but as they progresses, illustrations are replaced by words and eventually, they would be able to write a page.

iv. Journals help develop relationship with students

Journals help teachers to understand students better and begin to develop a relationship with them. As these journals are strictly between teacher and student, students feel free to write about their problems and situations they face. This helps teachers to understand what is going on in that student’s life. Students will reveal many things as long as they know the teacher can be trusted.

Journal Prompts

2005-09-27T03:14:00.000-07:00

Here are some prompts to help you set up your journal for your students. Just pick and choose the ones that your students can handle.

Tell about your favorite pet – what kind of animal is it? When did you get him/her? Why do you like this pet?

What is your favorite thing to do in the summertime? Why?

Tell about a trip your family took that you particularly enjoyed. Where did you go? What did you see?

What is your favorite movie? Why do you like it? What’s it about?

Tell something you enjoyed doing with your Grandmother or Grandfather?

What is the best Christmas present you received? What is the best one you gave?

What is your favorite thing to play at the park?

If you could have your favorite dinner for your birthday, what would it be?

Tell all about your favorite friend and why they are special to you.

If you could have any animal as a pet, what kind would you choose and why?

Write something nice about your family that they do that makes you happy.

Tell your favorite joke or about something that makes you laugh!

What is a favorite board game or computer game of yours and why do you like it?

If you could watch a video over and over, what would it be and why? What is it about?

Tell about the house you live in. Have you lived anywhere else? If so do you remember the addresses and phone numbers?

Tell about a special Birthday party you’ve had or given or been to.

How do you like being the older, middle, or youngest child? Does it have any particular advantages or disadvantages?

Who is your favorite teacher? Why? Can you remember and tell about a special teacher?

What are you frightened of?

Describe your favorite clothes?

What kind of music do you like? What is your favorite song and why?

What was your most embarrassing moment?

Do you have a bicycle? What is it like?

What instrument do you wish you could play and why?

What would you give yourself if you had all the money in the world? What would you give your family?

Where do you go to school, what grade are you in, who is your teacher?

What is your room like? Do you share it with someone? What makes it special to you?

Describe a typical day during the school year.

What is your favorite holiday? How do you celebrate it?

Have you ever been sick and what made you feel better?

What is the most adventuresome thing you have ever done?

Write a want-ad that best describes you if you were for sale!

Tell about your favorite Aunt or Uncle.

Describe your perfect spring day – what do you like to do outside?

Tell about some of the places you have been in your life?

What are your favorite hobbies?

What is your mother’s best trait? Worst? Do you share any of these traits?

What is your father’s best trait? Worst? Do you share any of these traits?

Were you ever in a drama, speech, sports, pep or glee club or activity? Tell about it.

Do you go camping? Tell about your experiences.

How do you feel about school?

Describe a childhood birthday.

What do you think you would like to do when you graduate from high school or college?

What are some of your family holiday traditions?

What is your favorite food? What is your least favorite food?

Do you have any household chores? If so, what are they? Which ones do you enjoy the most/least?

Write about some places you have been with your mother.

Write about some places you have been with your father.

Where would you like to go someday and why?

Describe the classes you are taking this year in school. Which ones do you like and which ones don’t you like?

Do you belong to a church youth group? If so what are some of your favorite activities?

Describe the best teacher you ever had.

When are you happiest?

When have you felt lonely?

When do you feel proud?

Which quality best describes your life--exciting, organized, dull--and why?

Which quality do you dislike most about yourself--laziness, selfishness, childishness--and why?

Which place would you most like to visit--Africa, China, Alaska--why?

Which is least important to you--money, power, fame--and why?

Which is most important to you--being popular, accomplishing things, being organized--and why?

Who do you talk to when you have a problem?

Who or what has had a strong influence in your life?

Where would you prefer to be right now--mountains, desert, beach--and why?

Why is it important to be honest?

Why is important to have good manners?

Why is exercise important to someone your age?

Why do you think the rules you must follow are good or bad?

Families are important because...

Would you like to be famous? Why or why not? What would you like to be famous for?

What do you like to do at recess?

Do you think boys or girls have it easier?

Do you think you have too many chores? If you could choose whichever chores you want, which ones would you prefer to do?

What would you do if everyone in your family forgot your birthday?

If you could travel in a time machine and go any distance into the past or future, where would you decide to go? Why?

What makes your class special?

If you could be invisible for a day, what would you do?

If you could choose any bedtime you wanted, what time would you pick?

Pretend that you were already grown up with children. How would you treat them differently from the way your parents treat you?

Would you like to have an identical twin? What would be the best thing about it? What would be the worst thing about it?

Are you excited to grow up? What does it mean to be "grown-up" and what do you think will be the best thing about it? What about the worst thing?

Save this question for last: How did you enjoy working on this journal this year? Did it help you discover some things about yourself or your past that you had forgotten?

Using journals to teach writing

2005-08-26T06:25:00.000-07:00

One of my award-winning idea was to incorporate journalling into my classroom. Most Tesl teachers know about journals and may have also kept one before they got too busy. My students keep a lot of journals throughout the year. I shall share with you one by one.

The Class journal
The class monitor buys a thick notebook and paste the name list of the class on the first page. Each students gets a chance to take the notebook home and write whatever they want. The weaker ones end up copying a poem or a song. Some students can draw very well while others are good at decorating the page. The important thing is each student participates. All the classes take part in this programme. At the end of the year, I would collect and choose the best for a prize. I have collected quite a lot of good journals and they are placed in the Self Access Centre as they are good reading materials, very creative and colourful.
Of course, some of my teachers would forget to keep a tab and some classes lose their journals. Whatever, I consider it a success as long as I can collect at least 10 journals. For the young ones, each student is required to do two pages at home and these pages are collected and bound. Really great to see their work.

Try this in the coming year. More journals on the way.

More ideas

2005-08-25T08:06:00.000-07:00

2. Tiger and Lion
This is a good ice-breaker for younger kids but my big fellas enjoyed it too. Divide the class into two groups. Play this game in a hall or on the field cos there's some running involved. Name one group as lion and the other as tiger. Ask each group to face each other in the centre of the hall. Use the netball field if you have one and start at the centre line. When you shout lion, the lion group has to run while the tiger group chases the lion group and catches anyone who is left behind. The lion group has to run till the end of the netball field. The fun part is they do not know which one you are going to shout. If you shout tiger, the tiger group has to run instead of chase. Fun to watch.

Another alternative is to use Odd and Even. Give a sum and they have to figure out if the answer is odd or even. If it is odd, the odd group members have to run while the even group will chase.

Happy ice-breaking.

Ideas for ice-breaking

2005-08-25T07:50:00.000-07:00

Here I would like to share some ice-breaking ideas for your classroom use. I like to start off a session with a short ice-breaker.

1. Doodling exercise - this is good for secondary school students
Ask the class to draw a mountain, a sun, a house, a coconut tree, a river, some rocks and a snake. Do not entertain any questions about their drawings. Just allow them to draw before moving on to a new item.
You are going to interpret their doodling. For example, if the mountains are of the same peak, they know where they are heading. If the sun is bright and shiny, they are very outgoing. If the sun hides behind the mountain, they are very shy. If the house has many windows and details, then they are kind of complicated. If the coconut tree is near the house, then they are quite contented. If the rocks are in the river, they have many problems. If the snake is near the house, then they are not afraid to have close relationships with the opposite sex. The list goes on depending on how you want to interpret it.

Try this and let me know the response of your students.

7 habits of organised people

2005-08-24T06:57:00.000-07:00

Read this and found it useful for teachers who are struggling like me.
Cut this and paste it somewhere.

The 7 Habits of Very Organized People

Have you ever wondered how some people could be so very
organized, when you're struggling on a daily basis just to
get your home looking halfway presentable and to get at
least a few items checked off of your To Do list?

Most organized people follow a few simple rules. Here are
the 7 habits of very organized people.

1. They have a place for everything. Every item they have
has a consistent, assigned home. The home for books is on
the book shelf. The home for toys is in the toy room on
the toy shelves. The home for blank greeting cards is in
the greeting card organizer in the office.

2. They put things back. Whenever an item has been removed
from its assigned home, it is used for whatever reason and
then immediately returned to its home when no longer in
use. There are no temporary holding places. It's just put
back where it belongs, right away.

3. They write things down. Organized people make lists and
notes, and keep these in one consistent place such as a
planner, notebook or calendar. They don't try to remember
things in their heads. They let the pen and paper (or the
computer) work for them. They reference their lists and
notes on a daily basis. Many use the Get Organized Now!
Easy Organizer as a tool:
http://www.getorganizednow.com/ezorganizer.html

4. They don't allow papers to pile up. Papers to file are
filed each day, not left to grow into mountains. Mail is
opened over the recycle container so papers not needed
don't even have a chance to multiply. Kids permission slips
are signed right away and sent back to school with the
kids. Bills are tucked into a bill paying system until bill
paying day, and then paid bill statements are filed away
that day. Magazines are read within a week or two and then
recycled or donated.

5. They don't procrastinate. When something has to be done,
organized people schedule time to do it and then they keep
that scheduled appointment. They know that the more they
delay, the more likely deadlines will be missed or
opportunities will pass.

6. They set goals and assign deadlines. They know if they
want to get things done, they need to know exactly what
they want the end result to be, and by what date. They
review these goals often, and set aside time each day to
work on achieving them. They review what they've
accomplished and never forget to reap the rewards.

7. They only keep what they use and/or they enjoy. They
can't stand anything taking up space that doesn't have a
useful or pleasurable purpose in their lives. They're big
believers in simplicity. They breathe easier knowing
they've lightened their loads and can move easily without
having to climb over boxes and piles of clutter.

P.S. If you enjoyed these tips, get over 1,300 more quick
and simple ways to get organized! Visit:

http://www.getorganizednow.com/newbook.html

getting organised

2005-08-23T07:18:00.000-07:00

Before we get down to the actual teaching, a lot of organising needs to be done. Teachers deal with a lot of documents. Sometimes, when i am so busy, i misplace documents and i miss datelines and this is very embarrassing and frustrating.

To continue my quest to get organised, i bought a three-tier drawer of A4 size (costs about RM19.90 from a supermarket) and i name each drawer - to file, to do and to read respectively. It sits on a corner of my desk. Each time i receive a document, it goes into one of these drawers. I sought out all the papers on my desks, in my diaries into these categories and whatever that do not fall into these three categories goes into the recycling bin. It took me a whole afternoon but there's more to go. I promise to get rid of at least 5 pieces of papers on the desk.
The goal is at least once a week or a fortnight, I will clear the 'to file' category by filing whatever documents in that drawer. Then, I should refer to the 'to do' drawer daily to ensure that i do not miss any datelines. I find that this has helped me clear a lot papers from my desk. At least, i have space to do my work or hear myself think.
Next, we shall tackle the filing part.

So, i hope this is of help to some of you who are struggling to keep your desk paper-free.