Dean Close School Library

verbum dei lucerna

Welcome to the Flecker Library webpages.

Scholars and Staff are welcome to help themselves to all of the resources available on this site, and to keep up with library news. 

"The poet's business is not to save the soul of man but to make it worth saving."

                          -  James Elroy Flecker 1884-1915.

 

 

 Independent Study Kit

 Prep general Guidance

  • Plan a schedule of around three 25 minutes sessions with two 5 minute breaks (though you may need more in the Sixth Form). This fits well with the ‘Pomodoro Technique’ described below.

  • Teachers should set prep on Microsoft Teams so you should be able to check there to see exactly what you have been asked to do (check out the video below for a quick guide).

  • Work in a comfortable spot where you are unlikely to be distracted by TV, music or the temptation of phones. It can be helpful if this is not your own bedroom if you are prone to being distracted.

  • Once prep starts, turn off your phone or distance it in a different room or out of sight. (In boarding houses, phones are handed in by junior pupils during prep).

  • Listening to music while working can be distracting, particularly for younger pupils, but it is true that some pupils do find certain types of music conducive to work. Keep in mind that classroom tests and exam halls will not allow music and it is worth preparing for these by mimicking this. Act accordingly.

  • If you need to work on your laptop, but are prone to distractions, there are apps that can be used to limit your number of screens to keep you focused. Several are also based around the Pomodoro Technique and can be good options.

  • It is unusual for teachers to set collaborative preps, but if they do so they are advised to use a ‘Channel’ on Microsoft Teams rather than social media, text or email.

Prep on Teams

Quick guide for parents and pupils to help manage prep in Microsoft Teams

The Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique is a simple productivity tool to reframe your approach to tasks. It comes highly recommended by students and is a popular tool across the web. All you need is (A) a timer (this could be an app, a phone, a stopwatch, or an egg-timer) and (B) the self-control to focus a certain amount of time on a single task / set of tasks. 25 mins is recommended, but this can be customised. Using it takes a bit of practice but it is amazing how thinking in terms of pomodoros instead of preps or revision minutes feels less demanding and easier to achieve.

There are a variety of web / device apps to use as timers and trackers (some with a built in distraction blocking functionality). The range is always changing but a few popular choices are:

Further Tips

Infographic created by Anna Vital, whose work can be found at https://blog.adioma.com/author/anna-vital/