Should I get grinds for HL english?

Mysteriouschic

I'm just picking up the honours english this year. I'm repeating I got a b3 in ordinary. My last test in class on a Hamlet my first essay I got a C1 . I hadn't studied Hamlet previously although we did get to use our book. I just did a lot of research , spent a lot of time planning.

The teacher I have now I'm not sure I'm learning as he speaks for the whole class , we don't put pen to paper. The first time we did was when he gave us the essay. Even then he didn't give us the essays back , to show us how to improve and where we went wrong etc. We've been reading Hamlet for 3 months only finishing the end of this week . He speaks for the whole class which 1 hour long , I find it hard to follow what he says as he rambles on . He rarely gives out notes. He doesn't set us any work.

I want to get grinds to set me work to do , to correct it , showing me how to improve essays for both paper 1&2. I need a B1 in english for a university I want to go to. Isit worth me getting english grinds?

spurious

Is English your first language?
I ask because you have a couple of unusual constructs in your post.
If it isn't, then I would say check whether the university will accept an exam result in your mother lanuage instead.

Whether English is or isn't your first language, I think you could benefit from one to one grinds, not another large class situation.

Mysteriouschic

spurious wrote: »

Is English your first language?
I ask because you have a couple of unusual constructs in your post.
If it isn't, then I would say check whether the university will accept an exam result in your mother lanuage instead.

Whether English is or isn't your first language, I think you could benefit from one to one grinds, not another large class situation.

I was rushing as I typed this, English is my first language.

LoonyLovegood

It really depends. Considering you're repeating, is it not better that you have someone go over the play fairly well? You can always take your own notes during the class.

From a grinds point of view, I always found English hard in grinds. I had them for six weeks this year and gave up, purely because everyone was doing different things in their own classes, so everyone had to be catered to.

Mysteriouschic

CTYIgirl wrote: »

It really depends. Considering you're repeating, is it not better that you have someone go over the play fairly well? You can always take your own notes during the class.

From a grinds point of view, I always found English hard in grinds. I had them for six weeks this year and gave up, purely because everyone was doing different things in their own classes, so everyone had to be catered to.

I know Hamlet fairly , I know people who's done the play who achieved high grade in it. I'm not taking up any new comparatives I'm just using my texts from last year. I only really want the grinds for paper 1 to set me work maybe every week to do over the week then they'll correct it , then show me how I can improve. I'd like to get them for poetry. My teacher doesn't set us work all he does is talk . All the other classes have gotten set work for homework we don't get any. I can't switch classes either.

LoonyLovegood

Ah, I see where you're coming from! Just triple check that your texts from last year are on the comparative course, they've taken off some old 'favourites' this year...just not How Many Miles to Babylon...

Mysteriouschic

CTYIgirl wrote: »

Ah, I see where you're coming from! Just triple check that your texts from last year are on the comparative course, they've taken off some old 'favourites' this year...just not How Many Miles to Babylon...

Although I've only studied them in a ordinary level comparative way. I'm using How Many Miles as a comparative it was my main text last year , Il Postino isn't on this year. Then my other two The Lonesome West and The Story of Lucy Gualt are still on. It's mainly poetry , then maybe learning how to do the comparative modes , then paper 1 and Hamlet. I can't learn the way my teacher is teaching, and without giving us regular work .

spurious

I think one to one grinds would be a great idea. Remember you are employing the person, so if you only want to work on Paper One, tell them that.

implausible

Mysteriouschic wrote: »

The teacher I have now I'm not sure I'm learning as he speaks for the whole class , we don't put pen to paper. The first time we did was when he gave us the essay. Even then he didn't give us the essays back , to show us how to improve and where we went wrong etc. We've been reading Hamlet for 3 months only finishing the end of this week . He speaks for the whole class which 1 hour long , I find it hard to follow what he says as he rambles on . He rarely gives out notes. He doesn't set us any work.

When you say he speaks for the entire duration of the class and you don't put pen to paper, is that you or everybody else? I ask because if I was speaking for that length of time (not that I would), I would expect my students to be writing notes furiously, as very few people learn simply by listening.

You need to ask for your essay back, that's ridiculous.

If you need a more structured approach, with regular 'homework', then yes, grinds would be a good idea. However, you also need to use the information your teacher is giving you, even if it's delivered in a way that you're not used to i.e. lecturing.

Mysteriouschic

implausible wrote: »

When you say he speaks for the entire duration of the class and you don't put pen to paper, is that you or everybody else? I ask because if I was speaking for that length of time (not that I would), I would expect my students to be writing notes furiously, as very few people learn simply by listening.

You need to ask for your essay back, that's ridiculous.

If you need a more structured approach, with regular 'homework', then yes, grinds would be a good idea. However, you also need to use the information your teacher is giving you, even if it's delivered in a way that you're not used to i.e. lecturing.

The lesson is a hour long. He just expects us to listen. We've been reading Hamlet for 3 months, we only just finished it. The other classes all finished weeks ago. He'd read the text extremely slowly maybe takes 20mins to read a page sometimes. He's spent the whole class talking only reading one paragraph or even a page in Hamlet. I'd understand if it took us 3 months to read if he was giving us notes , he didn't just simply speaking. Many people skip his classes . He's probably lost the essay at this rate it was 3 weeks ago. Some of the information he mentions I couldn't even use hes brought Coldplay , movies and everything into it. Basically he goes off the point half the time . Nearly the whole class has their heads on the table by the end. I need structure especially when it comes to English . I'd like to have work or should I maybe just start doing exam papers and get someone I know to check it? It's just the comparative modes on honours that I'm worried about mainly. For Hamlet I can just research for my essays.

wealthyman

Mysteriouschic wrote: »

The lesson is a hour long. He just expects us to listen. We've been reading Hamlet for 3 months, we only just finished it. The other classes all finished weeks ago. He'd read the text extremely slowly maybe takes 20mins to read a page sometimes. He's spent the whole class talking only reading one paragraph or even a page in Hamlet. I'd understand if it took us 3 months to read if he was giving us notes , he didn't just simply speaking. Many people skip his classes . He's probably lost the essay at this rate it was 3 weeks ago. Some of the information he mentions I couldn't even use hes brought Coldplay , movies and everything into it. Basically he goes off the point half the time . Nearly the whole class has their heads on the table by the end. I need structure especially when it comes to English . I'd like to have work or should I maybe just start doing exam papers and get someone I know to check it? It's just the comparative modes on honours that I'm worried about mainly. For Hamlet I can just research for my essays.

You need to make a complaint about your teacher to the Director/Principal. His conduct is not acceptable.

Mysteriouschic

wealthyman wrote: »

You need to make a complaint about your teacher to the Director/Principal. His conduct is not acceptable.

I've told my tutor so's a few other people my year head said I should tell the principle I don't want to though. He might be different with poetry , maybe he's just like that with Hamlet. Although I have him for French hes pretty much the same. I find poetry hard at times to understand I think I'll be okay as I have Poetry notes and the Poetry now. I usually understand the poem once I know the meaning behind it. I can pick out the similies, aliteration, personification etc.. He's not looked at paper 1 or even mentioned it yet.

implausible

Mysteriouschic wrote: »

I'd understand if it took us 3 months to read if he was giving us notes , he didn't just simply speaking. Many people skip his classes . He's probably lost the essay at this rate it was 3 weeks ago. Some of the information he mentions I couldn't even use hes brought Coldplay , movies and everything into it. Basically he goes off the point half the time . Nearly the whole class has their heads on the table by the end. I need structure especially when it comes to English . I'd like to have work or should I maybe just start doing exam papers and get someone I know to check it? It's just the comparative modes on honours that I'm worried about mainly. For Hamlet I can just research for my essays.

Mysteriouschic wrote: »

I find poetry hard at times to understand I think I'll be okay as I have Poetry notes and the Poetry now. I usually understand the poem once I know the meaning behind it. I can pick out the similes, alliteration, personification etc.. He's not looked at paper 1 or even mentioned it yet.

Surely, if he's going painstakingly through each page, explaining and giving modern-day examples, he is giving notes, albeit far too slowly.

Research alone won't do it. You need guidance on how to put an essay together, you need some decent examples to go by and to learn some exam technique. Likewise, for the poetry, being able to pick out images is only one small mechanical task in putting a poetry essay together. I think grinds would be a good idea, instead of relying solely on books of notes, which give far too much detail and very often don't show you adequately how to prepare for the exam.

Ah Here!

I think you definitely should. I have an absolutely awful english teacher right now (last week all we did was watch a movie for 2 classes, she let us study for another and we read through one poem) and I started grinds this year. My grinds teacher is amazing and I now realise that I would have been going into the LC thinking I could achieve an A when at most I might have gotten a B. If you are truly unhappy with your teacher I can't recommend it enough.

Mysteriouschic

implausible wrote: »

Surely, if he's going painstakingly through each page, explaining and giving modern-day examples, he is giving notes, albeit far too slowly.

Research alone won't do it. You need guidance on how to put an essay together, you need some decent examples to go by and to learn some exam technique. Likewise, for the poetry, being able to pick out images is only one small mechanical task in putting a poetry essay together. I think grinds would be a good idea, instead of relying solely on books of notes, which give far too much detail and very often don't show you adequately how to prepare for the exam.

He doesn't give notes at all as he doesn't believe in them he just likes to talk.
The class started off as 40 it's now at maybe 10/15 . Seriously he keeps saying how he wants to read through poetry fast and then he spends basically the whole class talking not actually reading the poem. He also goes off the point the majority of the time. We've not done a single written exercise. I'd get through the poem a lot faster if I just read the poem alone and answered questions , it's not as easy as it's english . I think I will get grinds.

Sabscababs

You should have a look in the grinds section on this site, if you choose to get private help, as there are a lot of teachers (myself included) offering them, but be warned that they can be dear! Unfortunately, there are often complaints about English teachers; I heard them myself from my grinds student earlier this year, regarding his teacher. If you choose to get them, make sure you ask clearly for help in your weakest areas. I tell my students that no matter which essay they're writing (poetry, comparative, single text, personal writing), there are transferable skills that apply to each. Your grinds tutor will be able to help you with these. Good luck!