Looking for some great fiction?
Why not click female voice to get suggestions about all sorts of fiction and non-fiction female characters and authors?
Let me know if you want to add in anything.
Take care,
Mrs Baird
Female Voice
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Monthly Archives: January 2021
Get off that screen and relax.
Too much t
ime on screen is no good for anyone – why not take even a couple of minutes to refocus and recharge – don’t worry the screens will still be there waiting for you when you are done. And you never know – you might even enjoy it – shock horror!
Of course, I would suggest get all comfy and read a book but if you only have a couple of minutes that might not be the best solution – why not try a bit of meditation?
If you have never tried it then don’t dismiss it – what have you got to lose?
Here is a 1 or 2 minute meditation prompt that you can easily incorporate into every day and not just #getoffyourscreen Thursdays.
Here we go…
Save your work and close your device, preferably put it in another room.
Get comfy – on a chair, your bed, the floor. Make sure that you are the right temperature, if not you will get too easily distracted.
Now..
Sit still with your eyes closed, and count slowly from 1 to 10. If any thought comes into your mind, immediately go back to 1. Watch for even the smallest thought. It is a matter of self trust ,even the teeny tiniest thought, even a sound, even thinking about the numbers… you need to go back to 1.
This exercise should help you regulate your thoughts and encourage a state of calm.
Dont worry about “getting it right” – there is no right. It is the process that is important.
If you found this to be of benefit then why not make this part of your daily routine. Taking care of your mental health is just as important as your physical health.
Top tip: this might be nice to try before bedtime if you have trouble falling asleep.
Take care,
Mrs Baird
Environment
Holocaust Memorial Day 2021
Modern Studies – great reads for S2 and S3
Window
Historical fiction for S3+
I do l
ove a bit of historical fiction but there is so much out there it is hard to know were to begin.
I have put together a powerpoint that you should find useful.
If there are any titles that you would like to see added to the power point or added to the library let me know.
Remember the check the catalogue first to see what we have already.
Take care,
Mrs Baird
Cornell Notes
If there was ever a word that would elicit a series of groans from any class, it’s study.
We all know that in order to do well in a subject we have to put the work in and that involves studying.
There are lots of study skills packages out there telling you that they are the “right” way to study- anyone who starts off telling you that fails to take in to account the needs of individual pupils.
Flexibility and finding your own way are essential components of studying. As you may know the library advocates the Ex-PLORE method – Plan, Locate, Organise, Represent and Evaluate. This is because Ex-PLORE is flexible and you can work within it at almost every level of study – right up to PHD.
Before you start anything you should PLAN – you probably wont but trust me it will save you time in the long run and isn’t that worth it?
One area of planning is simply how to set up your page before you start working. The more organised you are at this stage the easier everything else will be.
What does it look like? The example below is nice and basic but what you will see is that it keeps all your information on the one page – no more tabbing between sources and bibliographies and the original question – it is all on one page.
I like this system because it is flexible and it allow you to make up study pages that make sense to you and reflect the needs of the topic and or the question and its super simple.
For the example left I would have added in an extra space for sources but that’s the librarian in me.
You can make a page more specific to suit your needs. As shown below
You can see that the notes sections has been further split to include specific sections using more headings. Perhaps this reflects the original question or perhaps simply what the student needs to know for the final exam.
Think about what you need and section off your work accordingly and if you do it from the start you can even copy your sheets and cut them up to make revision notes.
https://handypdf.com/cat/cornell-notes-template
If you follow the link in the heading- it will give you more information and a simple web search will give you lots of options to choose from or you can make your own.
As the name suggests all this started with a lecturer; Walter Pauk at Cornell University so thanks to him for this simple, effective and flexibly system. ( see folks cite your sources!)
Top tips from Mrs Baird
Make the sheets colour co-ordinated either for each subject or each topic.
Make sure you number your sheets.
If you are filling in your sheets offline – take photos and upload them – just in case.
Take care and let me know how you get on.
Reading for World War 2
If you are studying World War 2 or even if you are simply interested in the time period. Why not have a look at this power point? There are lots of resources out there and it can often be hard to find good ones. I have included some of the best available from the library.
Do you have a favourite book, graphic novel or even moie that you think should be included? Let me know and I will add it in.
Historical fiction is one of my favourite genres, often dealing with very difficult issues, it can get you into the mindset of another place and time and develop empathy and understanding.
Take care,
Mrs Baird
Space race – to the library and beyond
Looking for more Space information – take a look here
Did you know?
NASA astronaut Mike Massimino missed pizza so much he ordered some on his way back to Earth.
Joke:
What is an astronauts favourite key on the keyboard?
The space bar!
