Tuesday 29 October 2013

Wednesday Class

Dear All,

Our Wednesday class BEGINS at 9.30 am

Sorry for all your inconveniences. 

Saturday 26 October 2013

Classes in HARTAL

This is our last working week before the November SAT exam. So, we are having classes during the Hartal days. If possible, do NOT miss these very Busy+Important+Mock days.

Hartal timing 8.30 am TO 2.00 pm.

Right now [Sunday Morning 10.21 am] only 8 of us are here working on MOCKS.

Oni [Nov SAT 2]
Daniel [Nov SAT I]
Ratul [Nov SAT 2]
Ishmum [Jan SAT I]
Sumatra [Working at home on SAT I - Vocabulary and then she starts Test from Princeton 11]
Rashif [Nov SAT 2] Working on Maths at Home
Raeesa [Nov SAT 2] Working on Maths + Literature
Tasin [Dec SAT 2] Physics

I also had a FULL Review of Financial Aid papers with Amlan's parent.

Wednesday 16 October 2013

Post-EID Assignments

Dear All,

Eid-Mubarak to you all. Please find the following GRID that gives brief descriptions of tasks assigned individually. I have also indicated [in some cases] - what I am expecting from some of you. This is done in order to maintain an overview of my own engagements regarding my students. Names are listed alphabetically.

Name
Program
Task
Amlan
App Process
Yet to finalize our Common App essay and supplementaries.
Amil
SAT
Working mostly on SAT vocabulary and Reading Items
Avijit
SAT
Working on Why Major. A bit slowed down because of previous record of multiple-distractions.
Daniel
SAT
Have been planning on Why Major. Had LONG talk on Major and what to include in his essays and what to look for while researching on colleges.
Faez
SAT + Application
Will be working on some substantial items from tomorrow.
Farheen
SAT + A Lev Lit
We have talked of School Transcripts and College selections. Keep working on A Lev texts until the exam. In the meantime should keep an eye on Applications. NO ED.
Farizma
Application Process + IB
Just finalized the preliminary work on EE based on LGBT community of Bangladesh. We will be working on Application and Essays this week. I am yet to get a full view of what you are planning for your TOK.
Ishmum
SAT
Working fine. Just that I find the speed a bit less than required. But have noticed good progress.
Khairul
SAT
Working fine. Had an impassionate discussion with – when we met last – on the questions of American Literary Renaissance. Currently working on Moby Dick.
Oni
SAT + Application
We are working on ED. Have instructed to work on Why Major. I have already started hatching on a Com App essay.
Raeesa
SAT
Had been working for a long time on BASIC documents of Common App. Really not going fast.
Rafi
SAT
Wrote a few responses on a short passage. The answers went ALL wrong. Mostly done with 430 words.
Rahul
SAT + Application
Unexpectedly, the Supplementary ED responses were very weak. Currently working on this. I am yet to plan a good ‘theme’ for the application. Will finalize by the end of week.
Raidah
App Process / SAT
Had been sending a few things which are not really important now. Have asked her to defer her working schedule with me.
Rakibul
SAT
Working fine on reading items. But need to prove current situation through a good MOCK score. Lately, been engaged in reading and ANALYSING Shakespeare’s Roman play Antony and Cleopatra.  
Ramisha
SAT
Have been taking a little hiatus. Hope to start working again from 17th October. Had been expecting a few reading reports from her – which didn’t arrive.
Rashif
SAT
Working on Why Major. And a few other things – intend to speed-up the whole work this post-EID week.
Ratul
App Process + SAT
Working on 2nd draft of Why Major. Have been working unsuccessfully on Com App essay. Working style is distracted. Have been made to read through Chandrashekher.  
Sabbir
SAT + A Lev Lit
Have been sending good quality reading item Reports. But I have requested to meet me for the review of Application Status.
Sarah
SAT
Have been working MUCH better on the words and reading items. Only a stronger footing on Math needed. Working on Math more intensively. On the 15th we worked entirely on University online forms. Expecting updates.
Shorna
App Process / SAT
Have finished some primary drafts. Currently engaged in writing a long-paper on an Indian novel. We have almost finalized the central theme of the Com App essay.
Sowmma
SAT
Waiting for his return from Nepal. Will work more vigorously on Vocabulary and Critical Reading after return.  
Sumatra
SAT
Had been assigned with independent reading of several reading items. A bit frustrated with my working style. But I plan to put things on a more stable footing once she returns on the 17th with much renewed gusto.
Tasin
SAT
Surprisingly, produced an essay, which I sent back for a second draft. We are working on a few other BASIC things related to Application.
Wrikhesh
SAT
Going fine. Gave me a moving argument of the need for going for wide-spectrum work on Reading Items.
Komol
GRE + Grad Application
Shall meet tomorrow for the next task.
Sanjida
GRE
Shall work on Vocabulary and a MOCK this week. Yet to confirm that she has a working Laptop.
Suraiya
GRE
Doing fine. Need to work on reading items a lot.
Tamanna
A Level Literature
Have finished all the required texts of AS Literature. Had a good discussion on A Passage to India. Asked her to sit through the entire Who’s Afraid of V Woolf in ONE go. Gave a few questions to work on. Farheen is collaborating with her.
Samirah
O Lev Literature
Just finished Dr. Faustus. Read through a large number of poems from different period. Has difficulty in expressing her own opinion on a text. Should be done with Pride and Prejudice by the time we meet next.


Saturday 12 October 2013

Daily Independent Article - on Anglophiles

Tanima wrote the article, published yesterday, for the Daily Independent. The article is based on her experience of being a part of ANGLOPHILES. Tanima is currently touring the US and intends to return soon to subject me to further humiliation.

D'accord!

So, here is the LINK.

The Daily Independent - My Journey Through English

Thursday 3 October 2013

Before the EXAM

Here is a very IMPORTANT Blog-post. You are advised to read it in FULL and send me your responses over the mail.

http://modern-bengali-literature.blogspot.com/2011/09/preludes-to-day-on-saturday.html



Dear Sir, 


The regimen proposed in the blog will not significantly improve one's performance on the test day but will definitely save him or her from losing points due to tension, malnutrition and disorganized approach.


Ratul

Wednesday 2 October 2013

Thursday Class - SAT

Well, this would be our LAST Class before the October 5th exam at the IS, Dhaka. I intend to do go through the following plan:

1. Essay - 1 item
2. Discussion of Writing Passage
3. Discussion of Critical Reading
4. A few words!

Everyone is encouraged to attend. 

Tuesday 1 October 2013

Reports on 5 NOVELS/reading Items

The following reports, prepared by Rahul, are moderately OK. But the sentences are good-looking, with good command over multiple CLAUSES putting together. 


LORD OF THE FLIES
The story of the novel depicts the problems of the society and the shortcomings of any political system and how they are mere reflections of the problems of the human nature. The series of the events in the story progress in the form of an allegory, portraying a group of boys and their conflicts in the establishment of power, which they regard as necessary to the sustenance of law in the island they are present. Ralph, and his friend, Piggy comes to the island due to a shipwreck. They meet Jack and the Choirboys. At first they co exist in harmony as Ralph as their leader. However, Jack starts to envy Ralph and desires to be the leader. Thus, Jack and his group independently hunts for food. Boys from Ralph's group starts to move to Jack's group due to greater facilities of food and entertainment. At one point of conflict, Piggy, being the symbol of insight fullness, is killed by Jack. Then the group starts to chase Ralph, for he has no strong defense anymore. However, in his run, Ralph falls over and is rescued by a naval officer.

ANIMAL FARM
The story too depicts the problems of society and the effect human nature, or in this case, animal nature, has in corrupting the essence of hierarchy and power.It too is an allegory. At first the animals chase off  Farmer Jones, due to his neglect and tyranny. The animals then decide to create an order among themselves and exist in harmony. However, the establishment of hierarchy leads to a group of privileged and a group of deprived among the animals, whereby the pigs, who are supposed to do the thinking for the community, are the ones indulging in breaking the constitutional laws while the laborers among the animals continues to work hard and run the community without basic rights.
 
THE MISANTHROPE
The story portrays the picture of people in a socially high class and their tendencies and behavior  and the loathing attitude of the protagonist, Alceste, towards such social phenomenon. Despite his hatred of such communities in a society, Alceste is in love with a person belonging to that same very class, Celiniene. However, the relationship ends bitterly at the end of the play, whereby Alceste realizes that marriage is not for him and he must renounce everything to escape from the tyranny of the evil human nature, for he loses a lawsuit; a dilemma caused by his own candid behavior. He feels that the truth has no place in the existence of such injustice of human rule and thus decides to run away from the people.

DEATH OF A SALESMAN
Willy Loman, the protagonist, is an ordinary american salesman, with an extra ordinary expectation from life, accompanied by a misguided conception of success.Married and the father of two boys, Willy Loman spends much of his time day dreaming about things that he desired; a world, he created, where he could see all things turning out fine, in accordance to his perception of success and happiness. Thus, reality comes to strike him greatly, causing him depression and frustration, where he feels deprived and lost in the midst of a competitive american society. He fails to recognize his true identity. Thus, at the end he kills himself in a car accident, after a conversation with his family.

CATCHER IN THE RYE

Expelled from school, again, Holden Caulifield, finds himself in a turmoil, whereby he has to face the dilemma of informing his parents of his current problem. However, he chooses not to tell them, for this will buy him some time to be at peace. Thus, he immediately sets off to New York and stays in a hotel, to rest. After contacting and meeting a few people he knew, he went to his home to secretly see his sister. With his parents away from home, Holden peacefully talks with his sister. In the midst of the conversation his sister gets to know about his expulsion and warns him of the consequences and reactions of their parents. However, Holden expresses his view that he will not return home and find some work elsewhere. Later, on a different day, Holden asks her sister to see him before he sets off. However, when they meet his sister insists on going with him. At that time, Holden then decides to tell his sister that he is not going anywhere. Thus, they then return home and Holden stays there for some days, before being sent off to another boarding school.