Latest Posts
Understanding TS Eliot Poems - History repeats
Posted by Mathew Teakle on 21 July, 2020Have you ever wondered what it’s like to live in an age of uncertainty, anxiety and rapid change? Ever felt fearful and had a sustained existential bleakness about the future because of events that just don’t seem real? Oh, you live in 202…
Read moreHave you chosen your HSC pen?
Posted by Mathew Teakle on 20 February, 2021It’s important to choose a writing instrument - not a cheap plastic pen. Make sure the ink is black, that it’s comfortable to use. So go out and find your perfect writing instrument, then buy at least ten to last the year. Cheap pens are…
Read moreWhen you analyse a text, remember to invite the ‘responders’
Posted by Mathew Teakle on 18 July, 2020“He felt pity come and then go like looking into a house window from a moving train on a darkened night.” The ‘pity’ is described in terms of ephemerality, it ‘comes’ and then ‘goes’ so quickly, but the simile suggests that a passing…
Read moreThe Art of Travel - Module C Elective 2
Posted by Mathew Teakle on 08 June, 2015If you’re doing Module C Elective 2 then you’ll need to think about Alain de Botton. This guy has read a lot of books and knows just about everything there is to know about the most obscure philosophers/thinkers/writers/dudes in Europe and…
Read moreIn the news
Posted by Mathew Teakle on 07 June, 2015In response to Sydney Morning Herald article: Cheating ‘endemic’ in NSW high schools, June 7, 2015. North Shore tutor Matthew Teakle said he had been inundated with requests by students for him to write their essays for him. When he refused…
Read moreProvocative Questions…
Posted by Mathew Teakle on 17 May, 2015Have you had the experience of hearing somebody give advice or an opinion on something they know nothing about? You knew they were wrong because you knew the truth. A friend once told me about a time when he was on a ferry in San Francisco…
Read moreEssays – It Pays to be Bold
Posted by Mathew Teakle on 03 May, 2015Hey there students of English! I’ve been thinking about essay writing lately and I’ve got some ideas I want to share. I think essay writing should be ‘bold’ and the thesis statement should reflect this. Every good essay starts with a sharp…
Read moreEssays are Like Platypuses
Posted by Mathew Teakle on 10 May, 2015Essays are like Platypuses – they’re a strange combination of (seemingly) incongruous elements. Essays are objective arguments fueled by deep, subjective opinion. Essays are polite and formal, while at the same time being aggressive…
Read moreAudiobooks – My Little Secret
Posted by Mathew Teakle on 24 May, 2014As I’ve gotten busier, the time I have available to sit and read a book has rapidly diminished. I do however, spend a lot of time sitting in my car driving – hence my love for audiobooks. I download all my books from audible.com directly…
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