I was recently challenged to give a twelve minute talk at the African International Schools’ Conference in Nairobi, Kenya on the topic of ‘The lesson I want my students to learn.’ There were so many options I simply had to pluralise my offering. What follows is a summary of my talk. “It’s not fair!” “She […]

With a few weeks before exams this is an important time to focus and minimise distractions to ensure you get the results you desire. Here are some key tips for the weeks leading up until your exams. Plan your time Take time each week and each day to plan your calendar. First add all the […]

Recently I was privileged to visit Khan Lab School in San Francisco*. The school is the brainchild of Salman (Sal) Khan who started Khan Academy – a non-profit educational organisation with a goal of creating a set of online tools that help educate students. The school is innovative, learner centred, is pioneering new models and questions […]

Starting your year off with a positive mindset and some proven study techniques can make all the difference. Here are 4 to get you started this year… Be ready to learn Start the year with curiosity and wonderment of what you might learn this year. It is often helpful to look over the text book […]

“I don’t learn anything at school!” shouted my daughter (Miss 14) as she left the house. Not a new revelation from her – but today she seemed more intent on ensuring I knew I was wasting my time sending her each day. So I decided to ask the BIG question. “How do you know when […]

As the year rolls by and exams get closer, there are a few important tips to consider and implement to ensure you can boost your efficiency when studying, which will lead to better exam results. 1. Treat your Practice/Mock exams seriously In fact your practice exams maybe the most important exams you sit all year. […]

School holidays are upon us yet again and as a parent you may either dread or love the thought of having your children at home for 2 weeks. Holidays are a chance for children to relax, kick back, families to connect and make memories. Over the years I have created a special family tradition in the […]

The 11 of September will always be a date that is remembered world wide, perhaps as the day the world changed. To me, however, it has another meaning – the day I started my business, Spectrum Education, 21 years ago in 1994. As I sit and reflect on this incredible journey and the mission I am on, […]

If your exams are coming up soon, now is a great time to pause, look forward and ensure you have planned the next few weeks for exam success. Here are eleven reminders to assist you … 1. Maintain a Positive Attitude: Now you are at the business end of the year, it is important to […]

Summarising involves taking the main ideas from a piece of text and rewriting them in your own words. A summary is significantly shorter than the original text and tends to give an overview of a topic area. A good summary shows that you have understood the text. Below are 7 quick tips to create effective […]