Reflection Writing là gì? "Tất tần tật" những thông tin cần biết

Bên cạnh PHÂN TÍCH ĐỀ THI TASK 1 VIẾT THƯ NGÀY 05/7/2020 "you are going to take a holiday and your friend agrees to stay at your house. Write a letter to him for" IELTS WRITING GENERAL MÁY TÍNH (kèm bài được sửa HS đạt 6.0 đi thi thật), IELTS TUTOR sẽ cung cấp Reflection Writing là gì? "Tất tần tật" những thông tin cần biết

IELTS TUTOR lưu ý:

• Bản thân  từ reflection có nghĩa là xem  xét lại, hồi  tưởng  lại, như  vậy  Reflection  Writing  là bài Essay/Writing có liên quan đến một số sự kiện; kinh nghiệm thực tế của bạn. 
• Người viết cần bày tỏ suy nghĩ và cảm xúc của mình về các sự việc; hiện tượng, hoặc là trải nghiệm của bản thân. 
• Viết bài luận kiểu này giúp bạn rèn luyện kỹ năng tư duy phản biện; cũng như khả năng phát triển; bày tỏ ý kiến về một chủ đề cụ thể

IELTS TUTOR lưu ý:

• Khi viết bài reflective essay, bạn phải suy nghĩ và nhớ lại một sự kiện hay trải nghiệm có ý nghĩa mà bạn đã trải qua. 
• Reflective writing yêu cầu bạn cần phải hồi tưởng và kiểm tra kinh nghiệm sống của mình. Dưới đây là những mục đích cần thiết khi viết reflective essay:
  • Chia sẻ những kinh nghiệm sống ý nghĩa nhất của bạn với người khác. 
  • Nhờ reflective writing, bạn có thể khám phá bản thân về hành vi, tính cách chính mình. 
  • Những bài học ý nghĩa bạn rút ra trong bài reflective essay thúc đẩy bạn cải thiện và phát triển bản thân. 

IELTS TUTOR lưu ý Dưới đây là một số mẫu câu hỏi mà bạn có thể sử dụng trong khi reflect:

Cái gì?

• Điều gì đã xảy ra?
• Tôi đã quan sát được những gì?
• Tôi đã gặp phải vấn đề gì?
• Tôi đã làm\học\đọc gì?

Vậy thì sao?

• Tôi có học được kĩ năng mới hay làm rõ vấn đề gì không?
• Tôi đã nghe, ngửi thấy, cảm thấy điều gì khiến tôi ngạc nhiên không?
• So với mong đợi, tôi đã đạt được những gì?
• Tôi bị ảnh hưởng như thế nào từ tình huống\kinh nghiệm đó?

Giờ thì sao?

• Nguyên nhân gốc rễ của vấn đề là gì?
• Có ai đề cập gì, lí giải gì về vấn đề này không?
• Tôi có thể ứng dụng lí thuyết này hay không? Bằng cách nào?
• Có điều gì đi ngược lại niềm tin\hiểu biết của tôi không?
• Đối với kinh nghiệm trước đó, tôi cần làm gì tiếp theo?
• Nếu được làm lại, tôi sẽ làm như thế nào?

IELTS TUTOR lưu ý:

• Đoạn đầu tiên của reflective essay là phần giới thiệu trong đó bạn xác định chủ đề và mô tả cái nhìn tổng quát về kỉ niệm sâu sắc của bạn cho người đọc.

IELTS TUTOR lưu ý Khi viết đoạn mở đầu chú ý tạo sự thu hút và tò mò của người đọc về chủ đề mà bạn muốn nhắc đến, các bước viết đoạn giới thiệu bao gồm:

• The hook: Đưa ra một câu mở đầu thu hút sự chú ý của người đọc về những gì bạn sẽ viết.
  • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: The feeling that something is wrong with me has accompanied me during all stages of my life   >> IELTS  TUTOR  hướng  dẫn  Cách dùng động từ"accompany"tiếng anh
• Paraphrase đề bài và đưa ra câu chủ đề bài (thesis statement): tuyên bố ngắn gọn về những gì bài luận của bạn sẽ phản ánh và khai thác
  • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: Being different is always difficult, and despite the general trend of acceptance, many non-straight people in the US still face discrimination.
• Viết thêm 1-2 câu bổ trợ giới thiệu và khẳng định trải nghiệm đó đã ảnh hưởng đến bạn như thế nào
  • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: 
    • It is particularly relevant among aromantic asexuals like me, who are often dismissed by straight and LGBT people alike. 
    • I could not understand why I failed to relate to my friends and enjoy dating like them, and by realizing I was asexual, I freed myself from the burden of having to meet the society’s standards. 

IELTS TUTOR lưu ý:

• Phần thân là vô cùng quan trọng cho cấu trúc Reflection Writing vì giải thích về thay đổi của người viết cũng như những trải nghiệm người viết đã học hỏi và cải thiện bản thân trong quá khư như thế nào. Nó cũng liệt kê 1 số sự kiện cũng như giải thích những yếu tố tác động khiến người viết thay đổi.

• Lưu ý trước khi viết: Hãy lập dàn bài trước cho từng đoạn nội dung và sử dụng keyword trọng tâm để tránh mắc lỗi lan man, nhảy cóc ý tưởng, xa rời chủ đề.

IELTS TUTOR lưu ý:

• Phân tích theo trình tự thời gian đảm bảo phần luận điểm các đoạn của bạn có tính hệ thống và mạch lạc, tránh bỏ sót sự kiện.
• Trong phần thân bài, hãy sử dụng nhiều từ thể hiện quan điểm bản thân càng tốt và đưa ra nhiều lập luận chặt chẽ, logic để mô tả, củng cố quan điểm bạn đã nhấn mạnh. 
• Các luận điểm có thể được viết dưới dạng ví dụ thực tế, sự kiện, hiện tượng của đời sống hàng ngày, tình huống và kinh nghiệm thực tế, bằng chứng khoa học, tài liệu tham khảo đã được các nhà khoa học công bố,... 
• Reflective essay nên kết hợp đúc kết kinh nghiệm bạn học được và khám phá những tác động của trải nghiệm đó đối với cuộc sống của bạn. 

• Reflection writing examples – Một người viết Reflection Writing giỏi sẽ không chỉ chia sẻ sự thay đổi mà còn đưa ra các ví dụ đi kèm làm chi tiết hỗ trợ cho bài Writing thêm thuyết phục. Ví dụ, nếu một người viết về việc trở nên lạc quan hơn trong cuộc sống, thì nên đưa ra các ví dụ về những gì đã tạo ra sự thay đổi này, chẳng hạn như chia sẻ một sự việc trong đó, người ta có cách tiếp cận tích cực để giải quyết sự việc.

2.3. 1. Body 1 (Thân bài 1):

IELTS TUTOR lưu ý:

• Câu 1: Opening sentence related to subtopic 1: Câu mở đầu về chủ đề phụ 1
  • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: Watching how my friends build romantic as well as sexual relationships, seeing how obsessed with sex the modern world is has always made me feel like an outsider, and I realized my asexuality only years later, after meeting with the same identity.
• Câu 2: Discussion of what happened to bring in my life: Thảo luận về những gì đã xảy ra để đưa vấn đề đến trong cuộc sống của tác giả
  • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: 
    • I was always interested in reading novels of all genres, and the fact that the majority of them tended to romance, even as secondary arcs, worried me.  >> IELTS  TUTOR  hướng  dẫn  Cách dùng danh từ"interest"tiếng anh
    • Everyone talked about wanting to be with their partner, touch them, kiss them, and as I have never met someone I would feel this for, I was deeply confused. 
    • I tried dating people I found nice but it never worked. Then I met  Mai and for the first time, the words ‘asexual’ and ‘aromantic’ entered my life.
• Câu 3: Closing sentence that concludes everything discussed in this paragraph: Câu kết thúc kết luận mọi thứ được thảo luận trong đoạn văn này.
  • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: Thus, society’s intense desire to pair everyone up affected me negatively, and it began changing only after I met a person like me.

2.3.2. Body 2 (Thân bài 2):

IELTS TUTOR lưu ý:

• Câu 1: Opening sentence related to subtopic 2: Câu mở đầu về chủ đề phụ 2
  • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: Realising my sexuality has become a changing point in my life because I finally understood that nothing was wrong with me and that I did not have to force myself to live the life I was not interested in
• Câu 2: Talking what kind of powerful impact that person, situation, or place has had on you: Nói và chia sẻ về những ảnh hưởng và tác động mạnh mẽ của trải nghiệm đến cuộc sống và ký ức của bạn
  • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: 
    • Mai told me about what being asexual-aromantic meant, and when I saw that the lack of attraction was their main sign, I felt relieved. 
    • I no longer felt the need to try dating someone in the hope that my desires would change. 
    • Unfortunately, my progress in improving my life according to my wishes was marred by my relatives who kept claiming asexuality was a phase and I merely needed to find the right person.   >> IELTS  TUTOR  hướng  dẫn  Cách dùng danh từ "progress" tiếng anh
    • I did not let their narrow-mindness send me back, though.
• Câu 3: Closing sentence: Câu kết thúc kết luận mọi thứ được thảo luận trong đoạn văn.
  • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: I finally found my identity and I intended to protect it.

IELTS TUTOR lưu ý:

• Phần kết luận là phần bạn tổng hợp lại những gì bạn đã trình bày, phân tích trong bài luận.
• Lưu ý kết bài ngắn gọn, không nêu thêm ý tưởng mới

IELTS TUTOR lưu ý:

• Câu 1 : Restatement of thesis. Tóm tắt lại câu Thesis statement – luận điểm chủ đề về những trải nghiệm của bản thân trong quá khứ.
  • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: In conclusion, the lack of representation and discussions about all sexual identities made me feel deficient for many years
• Câu 2: Summarize and mention what lessons you’ve learned. : Kết luận và đề cập những bài học mà bạn đã rút ra được hoặc lời khuyên kinh nghiệm dành cho người khác cùng hoàn cảnh.
  • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: Only a chance meeting with Jane alleviated my confusion and it was the most relevant moment in my life
• Câu 3: How you’ve developed as a result of the experience?: Bạn đã phát triển từ kết quả của trải nghiệm như thế nào, hướng về kế hoạch tương lai
  • IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ: Now I am confident in who I am and I enjoy my life to its fullest, uncaring that others might disapprove of it.

Introduction:

The aim of this essay is to discuss how a 16 year old girl, Debby, lost her weight and appetite and how a Driscoll model of reflection will be used. This essay will demonstrate the nursing process and how it was applied. A system of planning in nursing process is to deliver the nursing care such as implementation, evaluation, planning and assessment (Barnard and LIoyd, 2012). The essay is to reflect on my role as Member of Multi Disciplinary Team (MDT) during a role play case conference. I will also discuss the obstacles that healthcare professionals may face during collaboration. I will look into the involvement of patients and their families with members of the MDT in making decisions concerning their care plan. I plan to show an understanding of loss, depression and health issues. The role play was about 16 year’s old girl that has type1 diabetes but the mother is worried because she is losing weight and lost appetite. Type 1 diabetes patients need life-long insulin treatment to survive and dangerously have high levels of glucose in their blood.

To maintain confidentiality I have provided my patient with a fictitious name (NMC 2008):

My essay is based on Debby, who is 16 years old and suffers with type 1, diabetes which is a chronic Non-Communicable Disease (NCD). She had lost her weight and appetite and was called in MDT conference. After a short stay on Medical Assessment she was transferred to the department where she believed that her health condition should be managed in the community.

Multi-disciplinary team was arranged to identify what she needs concerning about her care.

There is a great deal of input from a large team as well as Accident and Emergency nurse,

Diabetic nurse, Community nurse, Adult nurse, mental health nurse, Dietician, General

Practitioner (GP) and Social worker. Additionally, an assessment is made through Intermediate Care Assessment Team (ICAT) with the intention of finding the criteria which are accepted by the patient on this particular unit. The unit uses Driscoll model of reflection which consist of major stages to analyse practice on a basis to assess and identify needs. The stages include what happened, what did you learn or gain from the experience and what I will do if it happens again or how the experience will impact on future practice. It was about my role as a member of MultiDisciplinary Team (MDT) in a case conference. >> IELTS TUTOR hướng dẫn Cách dùng danh từ "encounter" tiếng anh

Assessment:

NICE (2011) stated that children and young adults that have diabetes should be providing continued integrated package of care by the MDT diabetes care team. Each team member has specific insights and skills. The purpose of this assessment is essentially undertaken in order to recognize the risk and highlight issue areas to give a platform for possible future intervention.

After the decision was made by MDT conference and Debby came to the ward, I decided to participate in her admission procedure. I decided to play the role of a General Practitioner (GP) to provide me a chance to learn about a profession. I also decided to play the role of a General practitioner that include timely decisions about referral and provide guidance on how to manage it in the community. I referred the case notes to Debby which consists of investigations, medical history and doctors notes etc. I outlined the problems that affected her understanding of the issue, management, engaged with diverse specialist and other professionals according to the family and patient needs. When Debby came to the health centre to see me as her GP, I checked her blood sugar level that was above the normal range. She informed me that her diabetes was not properly managed and I told her that if her blood glucose level stays high for a long period of time then it can lead to the development of more complications like diabetic ketoacidosis. I referred her for proper monitoring and treatment of hyperglycaemia in order to stabilize her situation before continuing her treatment in the community. DoH (2002) stated that single assessment gives better and more efficient access to cares services. The needs identified were particularly related to pain and mobility.

The understanding I learnt from the incident is the next stage of the Driscoll model of reflection. Reflecting upon my strength and weaknesses at some stage in the role play of the MDT case conference I felt that I gained understanding of nurses’ roles in patient care but my understanding of other health care professional roles was limited (Jasper et .al, 2013).

Care planning:

This stage of nursing planning is to help identify issues and determine what approach should be used. During the role play of ‘GP’, the decision-making and problem solving skill applied by a nurse. This phase can be made by writing goals, setting priorities and planning nursing actions. On reflection, I felt this was a good thought, specifically for me as a student. According to Archibald (2000), nursing models used to provide systematic care delivery stemming from a need to sort out care logically, in order to enable the plan of care to continued and used by others. Nursing care plans played a vital role in promoting individualized approach to care delivery. Debby, aims were set to enhance mobility, to reduce pain and increase confidence in mobilizing by osteoarthritis. Newton (1996) stated that aims of nursing care must be achievable and realistic that reflects the patients aim for surviving so that they should set in close relationship with the patient and relied on assessment of the individuals on the understanding incorporated with them. The MDT case conference gave me the opportunity to have a better understanding of the roles of other professionals through learning from one another (Jani, 2011). On the other hand_, I learnt so much about the dietician and the diabetes nurses, who are key members of the multi-disciplinary team case conference and their roles are very important for the continuity of care in the community. The dietician gives advice on eating a healthy diet, eating diet low in fat, sugar and salt. She encouraged her to eat a diet high in fibre and much of vegetables and fruits. She also explained how to balance the amount of food intake with the right amount of insulin (Taylor and Batey, 2012). This is to ensure Debby autonomy but also give her a clear picture of what will be expected of her during the rehabilitation period. It was invented that the aim set was highly prioritized and reviewed by a doctor. This also ensured that I would proceed concentrating on cantered results.

Evaluation:

In the nursing process, the final stage occurs continuously which provides care. The aims refer to the evaluation were set related to particular goals. In Debby’s case, this was her care plan. Thus the asked questions would be: Is Debby in pain? How well does the Debby mobilize? Is she confident in mobilizing alone? The intervention of therapy staff and their role was a key factor in Debby’s succession. This would be proved to the MDT about her succession in hospital reflected on her own living environment, thus an expected discharge date and which equipment’s were needed to ensure that the discharge is safe (Dunning, 2012). The evaluation of Debby’s care plan was fully understood by me and the MDT agreed that aims had been met.

Conclusion

As an observer and care giver, I found that the care given matched the care planned. Outcomes achieved by collaborating among the Multidisciplinary Team and working closely with Debby and her mother. This experience has taught me the significance of diabetes care in relation to the nursing process and how an effective relationship between patient and healthcare professionals allows information to be recovered. The improvement of assessment and Debby’s involvement in care is emphasized in the care document. In actuality, MDT were depending in the same unit that allow benefit for both patient and staff and permit utmost communication to all concerned in relation to care planning.

Debby’s has commented how she enjoyed the meeting with the MDT and GP. Debby was encouraged by the MDT and maintained such independence feasible during her stay. As an outcome of this placement, I have benefited with it because it has taught me the significance of the nursing process. I have become well-organized in handling patients and utilizing it suitably with the intention of caring the patient in a holistic way.

Nội dung: Bài viết khai thác về vấn đề áp lực đồng trang lứa, một vấn đề mà không chỉ chúng ta mà rất nhiều người khác cũng gặp phải, chia sẻ những khó khăn và cách để vượt qua chúng.

Bài mẫu:

Being a teenager in today’s society is hard. The pressure surrounding the upcoming exams – from both parents and teachers – is stressful to say the least. People close to you change – and not necessarily for the better. Peer pressure gradually becomes a bigger deal. We are supposed to be young adults, yet get treated like children. I feel that some people have the mental age of a five year old, yet others act far older than their years. Society often labels us depending on what we wear or what we like. We have the pressure to look a certain way, and the expectation to dress like the people in magazines. Relationships come to the fore too. The joys of being a teenager – or so I’m told.

Exams. If you ask anyone in education right now what on their mind, the answer will be exams. With only a couple of months till they begin everything is starting to get slightly hectic. We’re all panicking because we don’t understand anything, and the occasional outburst from your teacher telling you that “you are going to fail if you don’t buck up your ideas”, isn’t really that helpful to be honest. The new exams being made up on the spot, or so it feels, isn’t exactly reassuring either. Over the past few years I have discovered that I’m someone who needs structure. I need a specific road that will lead me to the end goal, or a plan that has been meticulously planned. And with very few teachers giving me a straight answer when asked about the exams, you could say I’m starting to get a bit panicky. I also feel that some teachers forget you do other subjects *cough* maths *cough*. As important as that subject is, I do have other homework slightly more important than a page of a worksheet!

As you can probably tell I have some strong feelings about these changes, in addition to everything else that goes on inside my head. I’m not normally an emotional person, but this year I have discovered emotions I’ve never felt before. I discovered over the past couple of months that people around me are changing. Someone that used to be a very close friend is drifting from my group. It’s been building up over the past few weeks and months, with the occasional snap at someone, or getting up and storming off. With eight girls in a group that tends to happen now and again. But now I feel that this happening too regularly and I don’t like it. I spoke to my mum, as we are quite close and she told me to keep fighting for the friendship that we used to have. But, I don’t actually think I want to fight for it anymore. I’m tired and fed up of the nights I spent worrying about this individual, thinking I’ve done something wrong and apologising, only to have it thrown back in my face. Normally I would be the one to stop and say sorry, even if I haven’t done anything wrong. I was a bit of a pushover when it came to this person. My other friends noticed it too. So this time I waited for her to say something first…and I’m still waiting.

Peer pressure is also becoming more noticeable as I’ve got older. I’m one of the good girls in the year; I don’t go out drinking every weekend. I don’t kiss every boy with a pulse. I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything though. I just feel that sometimes people laugh at you because you’re not doing what ‘everyone else’ is doing. There is also the pressure to look like the girls from magazines, size 0 with no fat whatsoever. I know people that have been affected by this kind of pressure and it’s horrible to see someone you care about putting themselves through that level of self-criticism. The media feed us with images of ‘perfect people’ and the latest diet craze. When they manage to get hold of a picture of a celebrity with no make-up on, they slag them off because they don’t look their best. Is it wrong not to be perfect?

Society often labels teenagers based on what they look like. For example, if you’re a boy and are out in the streets at night wearing a hoodie, you’re out to cause trouble. If you’re a girl and aren’t wearing a lot, then you’re asking for trouble. But society doesn’t know what these people’s lives are like and automatically judges them at a first glance. Society labels people because of how they look or what music they like. And here I thought we, as a society, were taught not to judge a book by its cover and to treat everyone equally. At school, we are forced into the appropriate uniform, forced to all look the same. But outside of school, people have the opportunity to dress the way they want to, and act the way they want to without having those rules to stick to. They are themselves. Yet society penalises what they look like, putting them into categories, taunting them all because they don’t look like they just stepped off the cover of a magazine.>> IELTS TUTOR hướng dẫn PHÂN TÍCH ĐỀ THI 30/5/2020 IELTS WRITING TASK 2 (kèm bài sửa HS đạt 6.5)

Peer pressure, exam pressure, people changing, weight worries and labels are all things that we, as teenagers, are forced to deal with. Its cliché but it is hard at times to hold everything together, to just smile and get on with it. Yet I have realised over the past few years that as long as you have your family and true friends around you, everything will fall into place sooner or later.

Nội dung: Bài viết nhắc đến một kỉ niệm đáng nhớ trong cuộc đời tác giả khi em trai nhỏ tuổi nhất của cậu ấy được sinh ra, dù ban đầu có sự không thích nhưng sự xuất hiện của em bé trong gia đình đã thành trải nghiệm mới – làm anh trai.

Bài mẫu:

In my short life, there are many experiences that could qualify as life-changing. Every new experience was, at one time or another, the first experience. For good or bad, each instance changed the course that my life has taken. But, the most transformative experience was the birth of my youngest brother.

Dol is someone my parents often call a happy accident. At the time that my mother became pregnant, I was 13, and my other brother, Jake, was 10. We were what you would call a well-rounded, perfect family of four. We neatly fit into the perfect classification in nearly every way. We didn’t realize what we were missing until the moment that my youngest brother first opened his striking blue eyes.

In truth, I resented the fact that I would be having another sibling. Nothing needed to be added to our family, and my mother, already 38 at the time, was considered high risk because of her age. The pregnancy itself was full of complications that sent the straight course of my life into rollercoaster-like loops that my 13-year-old mind had a hard time comprehending. But now, I can see how forging through those loops helped me to roll with the punches that life inevitably brings

The day Dol was born, my mother took me with her to the hospital rather than my father. It wasn’t a planned move, but Jake and my father were both feverish; I was the next best alternative. Sitting with her through every contraction, I gained a new respect for just how powerful and strong a woman could be in what might be considered their weakest moment. Holding her hand and feeding her ice chips, I gained a connection with my mother that I didn’t realize we were lacking.

The moment my new baby brother came into this world, I realized two things nearly simultaneously. First, you don’t realize how much you need something until it’s sitting in your lap. Second, my life after this moment would never be the same. The moment he curled his chubby little finger around mine, I understood the words “happy accident” completely.

There are many different experiences in life that have changed a part of me as a person. But, nothing so profoundly changed my views and outlook on life like the birth of my youngest brother. Dol’s arrival was a life-altering event that caused me to see the world through new eyes.

Before watching to talk, I thought mobile learning simply means using a dictionary app to look up meanings and examples of new words. There is much more than that.

Ms. Hockly reminded me that mobile learning should not limit itself to the two obvious facts that devices used are mobile and learners are mobile, however, the more important concern is how to create activities that cater to the real learning experience of mobility. In other words, we should create activities that engage students as if they were living their own life, for example, taking photos, locating a marked spot, and using QR code.

Of course apps are indispensible but what makes mobile learning more rewarding is the implementation plan. Lessons should be structured and planned as well as any other traditional blackboard-and-chalk classrooms. Take, for instance, the “Themed Photo” activity involves at least four key stages, namely, selecting the course book theme, setting up time limit and giving instructions, justifying choices and ending with a class discussion. All of these steps would ensure that the activity would grant students’ ownership, making them be more responsible for their learning.

In conclusion, although the talk would be more complete if Ms. Hockly elaborated more on the assessment integration which would provide me with testing choices to truly understand the usefulness and reliability of a mobile device-based activity, it does widen my perspectives on mobile learning and how it should be carried out in the classroom.

As I have several years of experience teaching grammar-based syllabus to teenagers, the talk does shed different lights on my current practice of delivering a grammatical lesson in the classroom.

To begin with, I tended to overuse “Good”, “Perfect”, “Excellent” when giving feedback, and sadly, according to Jim, I accidentally stopped other rooms for learners’ improvement. Instead, I should indicate what can be upgraded e.g. rhythm or intonation; I could ask a question; I could model language myself so that students could notice the problems. Most importantly, each upgrade taken should be achievable.

The most interesting part is how Jim maximizes the use of exercise in course books with the adoption of 3XP, which stands for THREE TIMES PRACTICE. The first time is my usual routine: students do it and then we check it. Again, I will normally end my lesson here. I shouldn’t have! There should be follow-up practice: in step 2, they will cover the words and say the sentences to their partner while in step 3 another student has to practice saying the sentences more naturally.

“Upgrade Feedback” and “3XP” techniques will appear in my coming lessons. What I learn the most is there is always something that teachers can do to break their habits and bring new lives to old, boring lessons.

I have always expected my students to embrace critical thinking skills. Russel Mayne’s talk on aspects of English Language Teaching that have little or no scientific basis reveals my own lack of critical thinking skills since I naively follow those “juicy trends”

When Mr. Mayne opposed pseudoscience by quoting Gardner, the father of Multiple Intelligences Theory: “In one video after another I saw youngsters crawling across the floor, with the superimposed legend ‘Bodily-Kinaesthetic Intelligence’. I said, ‘That is not bodily-kinaesthetic intelligence that is kids crawling across the floor. And I feel like crawling up the wall.’ I thought Gardner was watching a video of my own class. Yes, there were times when I assumed I was doing a great job of applying the Multiple Intelligences; now I realize it was entertaining, not teaching.

At the second part of the talk, Russel introduces a“Detection Kit” – a list of questions – to help teachers identify the falsehood of new trends, which will be very useful not just for my classroom practice but also for the way I conduct action research in the future.

In my short life, there are many experiences that could qualify as life-changing. Every new experience was, at one time or another, the first experience. For good or bad, each instance changed the course that my life has taken. But, the most transformative experience was the birth of my youngest brother.

Joel is someone my parents often call a happy accident. At the time that my mother became pregnant, I was 13, and my other brother, Jake, was 10. We were what you would call a well-rounded, perfect family of four. We neatly fit into the perfect classification in nearly every way. We didn’t realize what we were missing until the moment that my youngest brother first opened his striking blue eyes.>> IELTS TUTOR hướng dẫn Sửa bài IELTS SPEAKING PART 1-2-3 topic Work/Study(Sửa & Làm lại 4 lần - HS đạt 7.5)

In truth, I resented the fact that I would be having another sibling. Nothing needed to be added to our family, and my mother, already 38 at the time, was considered high risk because of her age. The pregnancy itself was full of complications that sent the straight course of my life into rollercoaster-like loops that my 13-year-old mind had a hard time comprehending. But now, I can see how forging through those loops helped me to roll with the punches that life inevitably brings.

The day Joel was born, my mother took me with her to the hospital rather than my father. It wasn’t a planned move, but Jake and my father were both feverish; I

was the next best alternative. Sitting with her through every contraction, I gained a new respect for just how powerful and strong a woman could be in what might be considered their weakest moment. Holding her hand and feeding her ice chips, I gained a connection with my mother that I didn’t realize we were lacking.

The moment my new baby brother came into this world, I realized two things nearly simultaneously. First, you don’t realize how much you need something until it’s sitting in your lap. Second, my life after this moment would never be the same. The moment he curled his chubby little finger around mine, I understood the words “happy accident” completely.

There are many different experiences in life that have changed a part of me as a person. But, nothing so profoundly changed my views and outlook on life like the birth of my youngest brother. Joel’s arrival was a life-altering event that caused me to see the world through new eyes.

When it comes to books, I didn’t understand the appeal. I’d read one after another for each assignment not understanding what all the fuss was about. However, the moment I read Pride and Prejudice, it was like my literary eyes opened for the first time. It stirred love within me for classics I didn’t realize could exist.

When I was first given the assignment of reading Pride and Prejudice, like many of my friends, I scoffed. With an eye roll, I internally calculated how much time I would have to read the book and write a report. I sighed at the loss of time with my friends for a stupid classic.

Cracking open the cover, I was determined to hate it before even reading the first words. By the time I reached page 3, I nearly called it quits. But there was something about Elizabeth Bennet that quietly piqued my interest. I can’t say where, but somewhere along the way, my eyes devoured the pages instead of trudging along.

The moment I reached the end, I was ecstatic and disappointed at the same time. Their ending had been perfect, but I realized I would miss them. Not only them, but I would also miss being part of their world.

It was the first time characters of a story had affected me this way, so I tried to shake it off. However, after several days, that sadness carried me to the classics section of the school library. The moment I cracked open my next classic, my soul instantly felt more at ease, and I’ve never looked back.

I never thought I’d say a book changed me, but in this case, it’s true. The love I found in Pride and Prejudice introduced me to a beautiful world of classic literature I can’t imagine living without. Despite not reading Pride and Prejudice for a while, it will always be my favorite book.

I’ve always felt I excel in written communication. The skill of effectively communicating my thoughts and feelings through words and expressions seemed to come easily to me. However, I didn’t realize how much my writing was lacking until my thoughts and feelings on writing were pushed nearly to their breaking point through my creative writing course.

Learning the best way to manage time was a huge hurdle for me. I’ve always been a procrastinator. However, after the first day of class, I realized I would need to modify my thinking and approach to homework. I wasn’t able to completely kill the procrastination habit I developed in high school, but I did learn some much- needed time management skills. I also learned how writing without the looming cloud of a deadline could open a creative door.

A natural thinker and writer at heart, I thought I understood creative expression and wordplay... until my professor handed me my first grade. Upon looking at that striking “D” on the paper, I realized I would have to push myself harder and explore the depths my writing could reach. Not only did I learn to sharpen my technical writing chops, but I have found out how to dig into my creative soul to view my emotions and experiences in a whole new way.

Going beyond the five-paragraph essay and fully exploring my feelings about a situation or action was challenging. This creative writing class pushed me to

realize there isn’t a limit on words when it comes to expressing something. I can convey a simple action a million different ways, and I mastered how to explore each one to find perfection in my written words. I also picked up new flexibility in my writing by opening my mind to different scopes of expression.

Expressing all the changes that this class wrought in my writing is truly difficult. But, over the course of the eight weeks we spent together, I became a more competent writer. Not only do my words contain more depth and soul, but my writing itself has entered a whole new arena I didn’t realize was possible. By studying new techniques and researching other approaches, I now have a sturdy foundation and a robust writing arsenal for future endeavors.

A family at first glance can be simple to define, but if one truly delves into what constitutes a family, it gets muddier. Though we are supposedly born into a family, we can also acquire a family, or a group people closer to you than your blood relatives. This is what happened to me: I found a collective of people that are now more dear to me than my natural-born family.

I have had a strong familial bond with my parents and extended family thus far, but that did not stop me from building a stronger connection with a different group of individuals. I believe I found my true family in the spiritual collective of Sahaja Yoga Meditation. Within my own family, people’s egos assert themselves and try to guide each other to go a certain way. All my relatives have beliefs about what is right and what is wrong, and judge my life on these precepts. However, within the collective of Sahaja Yoga Meditation, we believe each person is their own master, and interprets wisdom and knowledge based on his or her own experience.

Also, within my natural-born family, there is the drinking of alcohol, smoking, and other activities that I do not enjoy to engage in or watch. Sometimes I feel like an outsider when I am at family parties or gatherings. I do not drink alcohol, smoke, or chase after women, and some of my family members partake in these practices. While my family is in a strange state from the drugs, and I sit and witness their behaviour, I get confirmation once again that I do not want to be in that state. In Sahaja Yoga Meditation, there is not much talk about avoiding these activities; however, through the practice of meditation, we arrive at the conclusion that these acts are detrimental to our being. The practitioners of Sahaja Yoga Meditation commonly do not drink alcohol, smoke, or try to be a serial dater. In this way, I connect better with people from this group than my own family.

I have been a spiritual person most of my life, even in my childhood. I have been rarely interested in money or monetary gain. For the majority of my life, my attention has been on creativity: writing, playing music, art, and more. The thought of money only comes when I have to deal with it in an official capacity. This outlook varies greatly from most of my family members’ perspectives, whose focus is on material gain and worldly reputation. They buy many books on how to get rich, how to gain prominence, how to be a leader, and such. When conversations draw into this arena, I feel left out, as I am not interested in such ideas. I believe, and most practitioners of Sahaja Yoga Meditation believe, that real gain is spiritual. This spiritual richness manifests in one’s character, being connected to the flow of life, and having a joyful life.

And I believe that this is the key: a family is where you feel joy with others. It is not based on blood and attachment, but connection. In that connection, we can experience a state of true joy. Without this joy being present, even if you claim that a family is a family for you, what will you garner from such a group of people?

Each one of us, enjoy going for an outing with our family and friends. It might be a movie, an amusements park or a zoo. Picnic doesn’t only bring us close but we all get to know each other in a better way.

My first picnic

I was 12 when I went for my first picnic with my friends, organized by our school. I still remember it was an early Sunday morning and my father dropped me to the school for the trip. We were supposed to be taken to a zoo and a dairy factory, where we enjoyed ourselves very much.

Just a day before my picnic I bought so many eatables and food items to enjoy during my picnic. We reached the school and I bid a bye to my dad and then he left.

We entered the bus, as it was my first journey by bus so, I was a little nervous but since my friends were with me so I regained my confidence and the journey began.>> IELTS TUTOR có hướng dẫn kĩ PHÂN TÍCH ĐỀ THI THẬT TASK 1 (Complaint letter) NGÀY 04/8/2020 IELTS WRITING GENERAL MÁY TÍNH (kèm bài được sửa hs đi thi)

The destination was quite far from our school. So to make the journey entertaining we played games in the bus, we sang songs, laughing, chatting, singing and had some snacks. I saw so many beautiful scenes during the journey, outside of the pacing bus.

When we reached the destination

It was a bright morning and the birds were chirping in joy. When we entered inside the zoo, there was a small beautiful lake at the entrance. The water was quite cool.

When I went close, I saw so many different breeds of fishes, and turtles. Next to the lake we saw the peacock cage where the bird had spread its mesmerizing feathers and was dancing in joy. The whole scene was like a beautiful dream.

We took photographs and then we moved ahead to explore more about that place.

Picnic essayThe land ahead was covered with complete greenery, gigantic trees and beautiful plants. There were various cages where the animals were residing.

At first I saw my favourite animal ‘tiger’ and it looked so fierce and dangerous that I just got afraid and ran away from its cage. We heard the lion roaring shut in the cage.

Then I saw the cage of deer, they all were playing with each other and it was a pleasant scene. Then we enjoyed boating. We saw many different faunas like crocodile, snakes frogs and did some fishing.

We then further explored the different creatures of the zoo. I took so many photographs with my teachers and friends. We were in high spirits; we just ran around and climbed the trees, shouting in joy.

After exploring the zoo we all were just starving from hunger so we all gathered at a place and had our tasty lunch that we all carried from our home.

I remember after finishing my own lunch, I ate one of my friend’s lunches too and then we started playing games.

My friend carried badminton rackets with him and both of us played a match and I remember losing the match to him and we played hide and seek too. After a short game we all were taken to a toy train in the zoo.

We all sat on the train and we explored all the parts of the zoo that we were not able to see earlier. We really enjoyed ourselves and gathered so many sweet memories. Then, we packed our stuffs and we were ready to go to the other part of our picnic that was the dairy. I was not very much excited to visit the dairy, as I thought it would be a boring place and there would be nothing to do like any fun sort of thing.

When we reached our next Destination

When we reached the dairy we all stood up at the entrance in a queue. Then we moved in together silently.

When we entered we saw a big ice cream and milk parlour and a factory where the products were manufactured. As we were the visitors so we got an ice cream and a milkshake for free and we really enjoyed it. Then we moved inside where the processing of products was being done.

The purpose of this visit was to help the students to gain some external knowledge that may help them in future. As we moved inside, the manager greeted us and took us for a short factory tour.

We got ideas of how the processing was done of the raw products, how the packaging was done and what all were the requirements to successfully deliver the product to the market. Then we visited the garden area of the factory where the cattle and its feed were kept.

It was an eye’s dropping moment as everything was so well organized right from the entrance to the factory and obviously the cattle’s as well.

The manager explained to us that how he managed the entire factory and this trip proved to be really beneficial for us.

For as long as I’ve known A, one of my closest friends and a diving enthusiast, I’ve been privy to breathtaking videos and countless stories about the mysteries and magic of the underwater world. It was a matter of time before I experienced scuba-diving myself, but first I had to learn how to swim!

What held me back was my fear of deep water, a phobia I’ve carried since I (marginally) drowned as a kid.

Last year, while on a sabbatical from work, I decided it was time to overcome my fear. I enrolled myself in swimming lessons and over the course of a month, I went from being terrified of the deep side of the pool to loving how weightless I felt in the water, particularly when my feet didn’t touch the ground!

Now that the main hurdle was out of the way, I enrolled for the PADI Open Water Diver course with a dive shop in Goa. I was excited to see fishes, sea turtles, sea urchins, sharks, octopuses, and all the other water babies we associate with underwater life.

Little did I know what I was in for…

My First Scuba Diving Experience

My first scuba diving experience turned out to be the most terrifying experience of my life!!!

I was overwhelmed by the theory modules even before I reached Goa. Just reading ‘buoyancy’ and ‘air pressure’ took me back to my maths and physics exams in school and made me nauseous.

Further, I wasn’t expecting to be tested on skills like mask and regulator clearing, wearing and removing one’s Buoyancy Control Device underwater, emergency actions in case of no oxygen, etc. — in the deep sea! All I had imagined was playing with fishes…

It didn’t help that the underwater visibility in Goa was very poor (between 2-5 meters), leaving me overwhelmed, scared, and wondering how I got myself there! (Needless to say, I was mad at my dear friend for misrepresenting the experience to me.)

After four grueling days of theory sessions, confined water dives in the pool, open water dives in the sea, and very supportive peers, I miraculously cleared all the skill tests and theory exams (even scored the highest in them!). However, my Instructor refused to submit my papers for certification.

Despite clearing all the tests, I was visibly terrified and under-confident underwater. He asked me to come back before the diving season ends and do a few more dives with him to build my confidence before he submits my papers to PADI for certification.

To be honest, by this point I couldn’t care less about being certified. I’d taken the theory a bit too seriously, and with my anxiety kicking in (leading to a lot of unnecessary overthinking), I’d spent the last few days (and nights) constantly visualizing myself shooting up like a balloon and bursting my lungs — an example given in the modules for what might happen if you don’t adapt to pressure changes underwater on time!

I could see what a huge expectation mismatch there was between what I thought I’d be doing and what the course actually entailed, and all I craved by the end of it (the last day of the course also happened to be my birthday!) was solitude, a drink, and some sleep. Screw the certification. I was just glad to be alive!

Over the course of the next few weeks, I looked back at the experience and pondered over what I could have done differently to have had a more pleasant experience. While I was overjoyed (and equal part amused) at the amount of physics I now knew (sparking a newfound interest in the subject), I recognized the role that my fear and anxiety played in offsetting my experience. I understood that at the end of the day, it was a mind game, and if I could train my mind to overcome my fear and anxiety, I would be able to sail through this.

Fast Forward

This week (three months later), I came back to Goa to complete two dives with my Instructor. I knew that if I didn’t give it another shot (sooner than later), I would always carry the fear with me, and it would only get worse with time.

As I revised the fundamentals and assembled my kit, I thought to myself- this is it. I took a deep breath, put on my gear, sat on the edge of the boat, held my mask in place with my fingers, and did a back roll into the sea. Splash!

Three hours later- I am a certified PADI Open Water Diver

While I had quite a topsy-turvy experience, the feeling of weightlessness in water is unparalleled, and apart from scuba divers, it is only experienced by astronauts in space. It’s also fascinating to see a whole different world underwater, oblivious to the happenings of the world on land.

Life Lessons from Diving

Going through any challenging experience that is far outside one’s comfort zone invariably brings with it numerous life lessons. Needless to say, this experience taught me a lot about myself and my fears, and I write this post to share a part of this with you, in case it benefits anyone else out there.

Additionally, understanding the curriculum of the PADI Open Water Diver course and being fully aware of what you’re signing up for can go a long way in ensuring you have a great experience from the onset. So, I’m also including some practical information and tips towards the latter part of the post for those considering pursuing the course.

Lesson 1: There’s no other way to face your fear except to FACE IT.

As they say, the fear of X is often scarier than X itself. And once fear takes over, all rationality goes for a toss.

So what does it mean to face your fear?

As I see it, it’s a four-step process:

1. Accept
   The first step is to accept and acknowledge your fear, not with anger or resentment, but with peace and equanimity. Everyone has fears, the object and degree might vary, but we have all felt it in some form and at some point in time in our lives. 
2. Observe
   The next step is to observe it, not just at the superficial level, but as deeply as you possibly can. Where is the fear stemming from? What is the root cause? How do you feel? How do you respond to it? What are its triggers? Are your concerns rational? 
3. Visualize
   Once you understand your fear, try to visualize what overcoming it looks like. What is it likely to entail? What will you do if the fear creeps in? How would you feel when you overcome it? Visualizing success is often half the battle won, as it instills a certain degree of confidence and hope, rendering what you’re seeking to do as a realistic possibility. 
4. Act
   Visualizing can help give you the necessary ammunition to act. Beyond a point, you just need to tell yourself to take that leap of faith and jump into it head-on. If you succeed, it’s worth rewarding yourself, and even if you don’t, celebrate the fact that you had the courage to give it a shot. Remember, the journey is more important than the destination 

Lesson 2. Control your breath, control your mind.

All emotions, including fear, impact our breath. By focusing on your breath, you’ll also be able to realize and acknowledge that you’re afraid, and then direct your mind back to the present moment, so that you can pause your mind from ruminating over whatever it is you’re afraid of.

While this is a universal skill that is relevant for anything you do, scuba diving, in particular, is all about breathing. By controlling the speed and frequency of your breath, you can control your buoyancy underwater.

Ultimately, it’s a mind game, and given that the mind has both a conscious and an unconscious side to it, by being aware of your breath and gaining control over it, you can also gain control over your mind.

Lesson 3. Be like water, my friend.

“Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”

– Bruce Lee

You can’t control water, so the best thing you can do while diving is to adapt to the environment rather than fight it or try to control it. Be aware of when to ride into, against, or parallel to the current, and you’re likely to be fine. The more rigid and tense you are, the more likely you are to panic and mess up.

For as long as I’ve known A, one of my closest friends and a diving enthusiast, I’ve been privy to breathtaking videos and countless stories about the mysteries and magic of the underwater world. It was a matter of time before I experienced scuba-diving myself, but first I had to learn how to swim!

What held me back was my fear of deep water, a phobia I’ve carried since I (marginally) drowned as a kid.

Last year, while on a sabbatical from work, I decided it was time to overcome my fear. I enrolled myself in swimming lessons and over the course of a month, I went from being terrified of the deep side of the pool to loving how weightless I felt in the water, particularly when my feet didn’t touch the ground!

Now that the main hurdle was out of the way, I enrolled for the PADI Open Water Diver course with a dive shop in Goa. I was excited to see fishes, sea turtles, sea urchins, sharks, octopuses, and all the other water babies we associate with underwater life.

Little did I know what I was in for…

My First Scuba Diving Experience

My first scuba diving experience turned out to be the most terrifying experience of my life!!!

I was overwhelmed by the theory modules even before I reached Goa. Just reading ‘buoyancy’ and ‘air pressure’ took me back to my maths and physics exams in school and made me nauseous.

Further, I wasn’t expecting to be tested on skills like mask and regulator clearing, wearing and removing one’s Buoyancy Control Device underwater, emergency actions in case of no oxygen, etc. — in the deep sea! All I had imagined was playing with fishes…

It didn’t help that the underwater visibility in Goa was very poor (between 2-5 meters), leaving me overwhelmed, scared, and wondering how I got myself there! (Needless to say, I was mad at my dear friend for misrepresenting the experience to me.)

After four grueling days of theory sessions, confined water dives in the pool, open water dives in the sea, and very supportive peers, I miraculously cleared all the skill tests and theory exams (even scored the highest in them!). However, my Instructor refused to submit my papers for certification.

Despite clearing all the tests, I was visibly terrified and under-confident underwater. He asked me to come back before the diving season ends and do a few more dives with him to build my confidence before he submits my papers to PADI for certification.

To be honest, by this point I couldn’t care less about being certified. I’d taken the theory a bit too seriously, and with my anxiety kicking in (leading to a lot of unnecessary overthinking), I’d spent the last few days (and nights) constantly visualizing myself shooting up like a balloon and bursting my lungs — an example given in the modules for what might happen if you don’t adapt to pressure changes underwater on time!

I could see what a huge expectation mismatch there was between what I thought I’d be doing and what the course actually entailed, and all I craved by the end of it (the last day of the course also happened to be my birthday!) was solitude, a drink, and some sleep. Screw the certification. I was just glad to be alive!

Over the course of the next few weeks, I looked back at the experience and pondered over what I could have done differently to have had a more pleasant experience. While I was overjoyed (and equal part amused) at the amount of physics I now knew (sparking a newfound interest in the subject), I recognized the role that my fear and anxiety played in offsetting my experience. I understood that at the end of the day, it was a mind game, and if I could train my mind to overcome my fear and anxiety, I would be able to sail through this.

Fast Forward

This week (three months later), I came back to Goa to complete two dives with my Instructor. I knew that if I didn’t give it another shot (sooner than later), I would always carry the fear with me, and it would only get worse with time.

As I revised the fundamentals and assembled my kit, I thought to myself- this is it. I took a deep breath, put on my gear, sat on the edge of the boat, held my mask in place with my fingers, and did a back roll into the sea. Splash!

Three hours later- I am a certified PADI Open Water Diver

While I had quite a topsy-turvy experience, the feeling of weightlessness in water is unparalleled, and apart from scuba divers, it is only experienced by astronauts in space. It’s also fascinating to see a whole different world underwater, oblivious to the happenings of the world on land.

Life Lessons from Diving

Going through any challenging experience that is far outside one’s comfort zone invariably brings with it numerous life lessons. Needless to say, this experience taught me a lot about myself and my fears, and I write this post to share a part of this with you, in case it benefits anyone else out there.

Additionally, understanding the curriculum of the PADI Open Water Diver course and being fully aware of what you’re signing up for can go a long way in ensuring you have a great experience from the onset. So, I’m also including some practical information and tips towards the latter part of the post for those considering pursuing the course.

Lesson 1: There’s no other way to face your fear except to FACE IT.

As they say, the fear of X is often scarier than X itself. And once fear takes over, all rationality goes for a toss.>> IELTS TUTOR trả lời câu hỏi NÊN THAM GIA THI THỬ IELTS NHIỀU LẦN & CÁC NGUỒN THI THỬ?

So what does it mean to face your fear?

As I see it, it’s a four-step process:

Accept

The first step is to accept and acknowledge your fear, not with anger or resentment, but with peace and equanimity. Everyone has fears, the object and degree might vary, but we have all felt it in some form and at some point in time in our lives.

Observe

The next step is to observe it, not just at the superficial level, but as deeply as you possibly can. Where is the fear stemming from? What is the root cause? How do you feel? How do you respond to it? What are its triggers? Are your concerns rational?

Visualize

Once you understand your fear, try to visualize what overcoming it looks like. What is it likely to entail? What will you do if the fear creeps in? How would you feel when you overcome it? Visualizing success is often half the battle won, as it instills a certain degree of confidence and hope, rendering what you’re seeking to do as a realistic possibility.

Act

Visualizing can help give you the necessary ammunition to act. Beyond a point, you just need to tell yourself to take that leap of faith and jump into it head-on. If you succeed, it’s worth rewarding yourself, and even if you don’t, celebrate the fact that you had the courage to give it a shot. Remember, the journey is more important than the destination

Lesson 2. Control your breath, control your mind.

All emotions, including fear, impact our breath. By focusing on your breath, you’ll also be able to realize and acknowledge that you’re afraid, and then direct your mind back to the present moment, so that you can pause your mind from ruminating over whatever it is you’re afraid of.

While this is a universal skill that is relevant for anything you do, scuba diving, in particular, is all about breathing. By controlling the speed and frequency of your breath, you can control your buoyancy underwater.

Ultimately, it’s a mind game, and given that the mind has both a conscious and an unconscious side to it, by being aware of your breath and gaining control over it, you can also gain control over your mind.

Lesson 3. Be like water, my friend.

“Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”

– Bruce Lee

You can’t control water, so the best thing you can do while diving is to adapt to the environment rather than fight it or try to control it. Be aware of when to ride into, against, or parallel to the current, and you’re likely to be fine. The more rigid and tense you are, the more likely you are to panic and mess up.

Lesson 4. Don’t take perceived failure and perceived success seriously.

When I did the course in January 2019, I was the only one who didn’t get certified, because what I lacked was confidence, not knowledge.

There were other students who weren’t as thorough with the theory but were comfortable in the water, and so with a few extra hours of work on the theory, managed to complete their tests and clear the course.

I didn’t take this as a personal failure; I was proud that I’d gotten out of my comfort zone and didn’t give up even after realizing how mentally unprepared I was to go through this experience. But I won’t lie- I did feel quite shitty for not getting certified (especially since I’d cleared all the tests).

This week, as I set out for two fun dives, purely to build my confidence and comfort in the water, I happened to be the only one on the boat who had dived before (not counting the instructors and divemasters). Everyone else was a first-time diver doing a 20-minute introductory dive with an instructor, just to get a feel of scuba diving.

After the dives, while everyone was chit-chatting about the low visibility and how they’d underestimated how difficult it would be to equalize underwater, one of them turned to me and exclaimed “Ila, you’re a pro!”. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud and exchange glances with one of the divemasters, who knew how daunting the whole experience had been for me and that I was far from a pro!

This exchange reminded me about how we often get so caught up in perceived failures and perceived successes. At the end of the course the first time around, I was the only one who hadn’t been certified and well-meaning people shed encouraging words, but it sounded more like they were pacifying me about a failure. This time, it was the exact opposite, with people considering me to be far more proficient at diving than I actually was.

Perceptions are so contextual and relative that it’s futile to take them seriously. It’s best to accept things as they are, and simply strive to get better with each attempt, pushing the bar you set for yourself, rather than getting caught up with what others think.

Ultimately, you’re the writer of your own script, and if you believe you can do something, that’s all that matters, and that’s enough to get you to your destination — sooner or later. What’s the rush anyway?

This past Friday night I went home to cook dinner with my mom and spend some time with her as the school semester is winding down. After dinner, we were chatting and I told her that I see myself following the entrepreneurial path after graduating college. I said, "You know, somewhere along the way I gained the confidence in myself to be able to overcome any challenge I set for myself, to solve any problem I set my mind to. While I know that I could graduate and get a very well-paying job and live a comfortable life... I don't think I would be happy living a comfortable life. I've found that my happiness stems from growth, and the best way to grow is to continually challenge myself. I feel like I can accomplish some amazing things in my lifetime, and I believe entrepreneurship is the best path for me to do so - working on our world's most pressing problems." She agreed with me, but she was also curious and asked where/what I thought that "somewhere along the way" was to develop such a confidence. Well, I've been thinking on that subject and here are a few of my previous experiences that I think contributed to my bold mindset.

Keep in mind that this is not blanket advice to everyone. This is simply the things I have experienced to develop the mindset I have today.

Understand struggling is part of the learning process.

This has been something that I've learned not because of one experience, but many. Nonetheless, it's been an incredibly beneficial realization. When I learn something new, I often try to struggle as much as possible, in as many ways as possible. What I think many people don't realize is that they are learning when they struggle- but they don't feel like they're learning because they aren't yet able to see the results. A great deal of learning takes place while you're struggling; when you do something new, your brain is taking in a lot of information that may not be immediately processed. The way I see it is that I should load up my brain with as much information as possible so there's more data to learn from. Rather than not seeing results and giving up, I place trust in the learning process and know that my efforts will be rewarded.

Learn how to endure pain.

When I look back on my childhood, there were many times when I experienced pain but didn't stop what I was doing. Why did I keep going? I mean, I don't particularly enjoy being in pain, but I was having too much fun to worry about the pain.

I remember countless summer days that my friends and I would go ride on mountain biking trails for hours on end, pushing way past the point that we were tired because we were having a blast. Whenever I would crash or fall, I'd get right back on the bike and keep riding - not ready to quit. When we finally made the grueling journey back home (it stopped being fun when we got off the trails and had to bike for an additional 30 minutes to get back home), we would collapse onto my driveway and lay there because that was literally the only things our bodies would let us do.

I've also enjoyed playing soccer, and there have been many times where I have been hit with the ball in painful places, stepped on with cleats, etc. But I rarely stopped after I got injured, I kept playing because it was fun. It's not that I don't feel the pain, I just don't choose to pay attention to it. I think there's an important lesson in that - both in developing the ability to push through the pain and in finding the motivation to keep going.

I think everyone should jump off a cliff naked at least once in their lives.

So, I provide this advice mainly in a figurative sense, but one way to gain this experience is to go out and literally jump off a cliff naked - at least that's how I did it. Back in high school, there was this rock quarry that everyone loved going to and jumping off into the water during the summer. One time I went, I decided to jump off completely in the nude and I'm glad I did.

I'm not the only crazy guy to jump off a cliff naked. Shane McConkey, a world-renowned professional skier, has also been known to fly off ski jumps with his signature giant naked spread-eagle. The first time he flew off a ski jump wearing nothing more than his ski boots was immediately after attempting to do a double backflip and failing, landing on his head. However, when he hiked back up the cliff and made the jump in the nude, he landed the trick.

People waste so much time and energy worrying about such insignificant things. It can be quite empowering to not only overcome a fear but to do so in your most vulnerable state. This provides a perspective on things and helps you worry about what really matters. Be bold, stop caring so much what other people may think, and test your limits.

Establish a support network, but also occasionally interact with non-believers.

I'm incredibly fortunate to have a such a supportive community of family and friends. However, every once in a while I talk with someone and I know that they think I'm crazy or are thinking, "OK, but he doesn't really mean that." I do not blindly dismiss people that don't believe in me - if they have a good point I'll definitely consider it, but the non-believers get to go on a list of people I'll get to prove wrong. And yeah, that can be fun too.

That said, I can't express how thankful I am to have such a supportive community of friends, family, and mentors that believe in me. Having a support network is essential for when the times get tough; when you're at your weakest point, it can sometimes be a much-needed boost of confidence to hear "I don't know how you're going to do it, but I know you'll figure it out."

Learn effective communication, because you can't do it all on your own.

It's much easier to have confidence that you'll be able to accomplish your goal if you have a team, all with different backgrounds and strengths, that you can trust to work effectively. This will not happen if you cannot effectively communicate with each other. I know that I'm not an expert in a lot of areas, but to that note, I am confident in my ability to both communicate my ideas to others and understand the ideas other people attempt to communicate with me.

There are a few books that I found helpful in learning effective communication techniques which I'll list below. However, these books won't help you unless you go forth and converse with others.>> Tham khảo HƯỚNG DẪN TỪ A ĐẾN Z CÁCH PHÂN TÍCH TASK 2 ĐỀ THI THẬT NGÀY 30/5/2020 IELTS WRITING VIỆT NAM (kèm bài được sửa của học sinh đạt 6.5 đi thi thật)

• Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High
• Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box

Travel.

You'll run into problems in a completely foreign environment and be forced to come up with a solution. Better yet, travel alone. The summer after my freshman year of college I studied in Spain and spent two weeks traveling alone throughout Spain and France. After my latest trip to Europe, I remembered how beneficial it can be to just go out and explore. Half the time you don't know what you're getting yourself into, but you always make it out alive and more confident in yourself to explore new environments.

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