HSC English Unseen Section Masterclass

I’ve always been deeply fascinated by words. They hold such immense power to inspire and cultivate change, and the sheer potential of language as a tool for growth and wisdom is absolutely unmatched by any other subject.

Well, at least that’s what I told myself when I made the decision to drop all math units in year 12, and do 4 units of English instead (much to my parents’ dismay).

Growing up I inhaled novels, spending a good deal of my time in high school writing and reading stories that had nothing to do with the English syllabus or curriculum. Being forced to study a piece of literature is enough to turn anyone off it, and English often gets a bad rap for forcing students to engage with texts they couldn’t care less about.

Doing Extension 2 English for my HSC really helped me to consolidate this gap between what I wanted to learn, and what I actually had to learn to do well in class. The creative freedom of writing a 6000-word short story about whatever I wanted, paired with the tutorage of an excellent mentor, pushed me to find my own voice as writer. In doing so, I began to notice the distinct voices of my prescribed authors, and suddenly texts I had barely given a second glance to, seemed so much more palatable.

As a tutor myself, my philosophy is focused on rekindling this relationship between students and the texts/content they are studying in English. I firmly believe that the most important learning emerges from a process in which the student is actually engaged with the concepts, not because they have to (although that is a fairly motivating reason) but because they want to.

The new English syllabus focuses on encouraging students to communicate their own ideas, just under the pressure of a timed exam. Empowering students to take control of their own learning always produces the strongest essays and responses, and a unique voice will allow students to achieve the highest bands. High school is such an important period in shaping developing minds, and no other subject can work to solidify a student’s notion of self and identity in the way English can.

Plus, all the rumours are false, you can most definitely get a high ATAR without any maths, I promise!