THE BLOG

(If you know how to read it)

Exam questions aren’t mysterious. They’re instructions — just written in academic code.

Step 1: Identify the command word

Words like analyse, explain, discuss, ev...

Many capable students lose marks not because they don’t understand — but because they rush.

What rushing looks like in writing

• Guessing instead of checking
  
  
• Filling silence with vague language
  
  
...

(Learning through comparison)

One of the fastest ways to improve critical thinking is to compare two responses.

Let’s look at a simplified example.

Response A

The author uses language to ...

(Decoding confusing classroom feedback)

Teachers often give feedback that makes sense to other teachers — but not always to students or parents.

Here’s how common phrases are usually misunders...

(Why “polished” writing doesn’t always earn high marks)

Parents are often confused when they read their teen’s work and think, “That sounds great — why didn’t it score higher?”
The answer usually ...

The Problem Every Teen (and Parent) Knows Too Well

If you’ve ever watched your teen sit in front of a blinking cursor — sighing, frowning, and insisting they “don’t know what to write” — you already ...

When Passion Turns into Pressure

There was a year I almost quit teaching.

I was exhausted — and not in the good, “that was a fulfilling day” kind of way.
It was the bone-deep tired that comes from g...

They start with a spark.

A brilliant idea.
An opening line.
A burst of energy as their fingers fly across the keyboard—or at least hover enthusiastically over a notebook.

And then?

It fizzles.

The...

As a parent, you know your teen has stories to tell. You’ve seen the sparks—the vivid imagination, the love of reading, the way they light up when they talk about an idea. So why do they get stuck the...

This story might sound familiar…

“Every English assignment was a battle. My daughter would shut down, I’d get frustrated, and nothing we tried seemed to work… until we found something different.”

...

English Isn’t the Problem. It’s the Pressure.

If your teen groans at the mention of essays, slouches in their chair during English class, or says, "I’m just not good at this" — you’re not alone.

Man...

Your teen might know what to say in an essay…

But if they don’t know how to say it, the marks just won’t follow.

It’s not about how smart your teen is.
It’s about giving them a system for expressing ...