Top Tips for Public Speaking and Maximising Personal Impact

This is an image of a resource that I produced some time ago which is fantastic if I say so myself. It's made up of 75 slides that help guide students of any age through the art of public speaking.

The resource called Top Tips for Public Speaking: How to Give a Presentation can be found at Classroom Resources and it is well worth having a look at. I've just put a few images on here so you can see the layout but the coverage is extensive from research, planning, speech writing, delivery, practise and preparation to evaluation.





Another resource that I produced and which is available on Classroom Resources' website is another set of slides for anyone who wants to network or wants guidance for social situations. It's called Maximising Personal Impact and once again I've uploaded some images of slides so you can have a look.




The image on Classroom Resources' website is of one of the cards that accompanies this resource, so along with the 55 slides there is a set of cards which acts as reminders to help you remember how to maximise your personal impact!

Some new titles!

My new book, a GCSE literature guide for An Inspector Calls due out in May 2010 is advertising on Philip Allan's site. I love the cover!


Also some material I wrote for CGP last year now features in the new A2 English Language Guide which they published earlier this year.

Celebrations

Today I am posting about some VERY EXCITING news that I was told about last week and for which I received confirmation on Monday.

Having entered the SCBWI Undiscovered Voices Competition back in June, I was very surprised and elated to be told that I am to feature in the Undiscovered Voices anthology to be published in February 2010.

I am really honoured to have been selected, as I've been trying to get my fiction published long enough to know how difficult it is to achieve. The introduction for the anthology will be written by none other than Melvin Burgess and the book will be sent to US and UK agents and editors, which is absolutely brilliant. The last SCBWI anthology published in 2008 resulted in a number of writers being taken on by agents so I am hopeful that this may lead to some success for me - in fiction.

I am going out tonight and I fully intend to celebrate this new opening in my life, before getting back to the writing tomorrow.

Weekend jaunts

Today I'm posting about a weekend trip I made to a beautiful natural area in Surrey that I didn't even know existed until Saturday: Painshill Park. The park dates back to the 18th century and boasts a number of interesting features like a gothic tower, a ruined abbey, a Chinese bridge and more. It is definitely worth a visit if you're in that neck of the woods.

This is the Gothic Temple at Painshill Park:


The Turkish Tent:

My favourite part was the Grotto- only open at weekends - but with some beautiful crystals in it. The wood in the Grotto came from Windsor Castle after the fire there.

The Gothic Tower in the distance:


The ruined abbey:

Summer time update

I realise it has been a while since my last post so here I am once more for those of you who return to read my blog. Facebook appears to have taken over the world and my blogging is suffering as a result. However I am here to share the news. First bit of writing news is that I redrafted my Evans book on careers in retail, aimed at KS3 and KS4 students, and sent it off to the editor yesterday.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the publisher will be happy with it. Today I received in the post a package from Philip Allan outlining my next project and including the contracts for what will essentially be a GCSE student literature guide and teacher resource pack on a play.... more details later.

I thought I would also post today (rather belatedly)about a visit I made about a month ago to Blenheim Palace which was lovely. It's home to the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough and Churchill's ancestral home. The palace itself is really beautiful and interesting - rich in history, but the grounds and surroundings are truly picturesque.


I would highly recommend visiting this place either on your own or with your family. There really is enough to fill a whole day and the way the palace is organised means it caters well for children- it's highly interactive and could even be used as a location for a History trip. Ever the teacher!

With writing as it is, I am considering postponing my dissertation submission until next year. I don't want to rush it and not give it my full attention. I will of course weigh up the pros and cons of this, as I do with every decision that I make!

New Publications

All three Collins books that I co-wrote are out now! Look out for Aiming for Level 4, Aiming for Level 5 and Aiming for Level 6 Reading:




The books are part of a lively series aimed at KS3- teens. As their titles suggest they aim to help students move up to the next level. They are divided into chapters each dealing with a specific Assessment Focus and I'm really pleased with how the books have turned out. They offer a wide range of texts and stimulating material, in an accessible and appealing format, so do have a look for them in shops.


I'm also pleased to report that I'm just waiting to get confirmation of another educational writing commission which I'll tell you about later ... that and my MA dissertation should keep me busy for a while! Oh and of course it's the summer holidays so that is definitely something to celebrate. I'll tell you what exciting things I've been doing with my time when I next post!

What words would you ban?

I am absolutely certain there must be something I should be doing but today should is a banned word. Today is all about what I want to be doing, so.... I got up way too early for a Saturday, went to an appointment which of course I wanted to go to ;-) and then went back to bed which I REALLY wanted to do.

Now, I am going to READ- yes, that amazing leisure time experience that is so often sidelined because of all those things I should and have to do!

Then I intend to WRITE- another activity that is too often sidelined. And well then I am going out, which I want to do.

This week, Anna Perera, whom I wrote about some time ago, came to my school to talk to our Year 9 students about her book Guantanamo Boy and she ran a workshop for them. I'd organised it all after being impressed by her when I met her, so I was pleased that her visit went well.

Anna spoke with passion about Guantanamo and was very informative. The students left with a greater insight into the world at large, life as a writer and of course the publishing world. I'm hoping she may have inspired one or two to go into writing or editing, which is what I want to have happened.

Now that should has been banned, I wonder what other words could be banned? I imagine there are one or two out there just waiting to be banned.