Upcoming texts are Wuthering Heights, Jasper Jones, A Separation (film) and Wildcat Falling. A couple there are new for me. Should be interesting. One that students are finding particularly demanding is Foe, by Coetzee. A re-imagining of Robinson Crusoe. Have put lots of time into that one! A rewarding study finally.

Books being studied this week in my classes? Most of those in the banner above, as my students attend Eltham High, St. Helena Secondary College, Eltham College, Eltham CLC, Loyola College, Genazzano FCJ College, Montmorency Secondary College --- the list goes on.

For VCE students who are exploring the "Whose Reality" theme, a poem by Philip Larkin: Ignorance Strange to know nothing, never to be sure Of what is right, or true, or real But forced to qualify: Or so I feel Or: Well, it does seem so, Someone must know Strange to be ignorant of the way things work Their skill at finding what they need, Their sense of shape, and punctual spread of seed And willingness to change Yes, it is strange Even to wear such knowledge---for our flesh surrounds us with its own decisions--- and yet spend all our lives on imprecisions, that when we start to die have no idea why.

Timeline Photos

Story time. Nasreddin and the Smell of Soup. One day, a poor man, who had only one piece of bread to eat, was walking past a restaurant. There was a large pot of soup on the table. The poor man held his bread over the soup, so the steam from the soup went into the bread, and gave it a good smell. Then he ate the bread. The restaurant owner was very angry at this, and he asked the man for money, in exchange for the steam from the soup. The poor man had no money, so the restaurant owner took him to Nasreddin, who was a judge at that time. Nasreddin thought about the case for a little while. Then he took some money from his pocket. He held the coins next to the restaurant owner's ear, and shook them, so that they made a jingling noise. "What was that?" asked the restaurant owner. "That was payment for you," answered Nasreddin. "What do you mean? That was just the sound of coins!" protested the restaurant owner. "The sound of the coins is payment for the smell of the soup," answered Nasreddin. "Now go back to your restaurant." [Nasreddin was a philosopher of 13th century Iran renowned for his funny stories and anecdotes.]

English Tutoring by Philip Brown

English Tutoring by Philip Brown's cover photo