Last year I wrote my first-ever post for Ronnie’s Ramblings which provided advice for my Year 12 class and others who were embarking on their final year of secondary schooling. I shared this with my students hoping that they would take on board this early advice and intervention so they would know what to expect for what would be their biggest year of secondary schooling. But, despite all of mine and their good intentions, the year gets the better of us and the next thing you know it’s two weeks before the final exam and you’re wishing you listened and took on board the tips your teachers gave you at the start of the year.
This year is different though. 2024 is the first year the new study design for VCE English is being implemented. There are some big changes and you need to understand what they are. For a detailed explanation have a look at one of my previous posts that goes through those changes. The major change is the comparative text unit is no longer included in the course and is being replaced by the Creating Texts area of study. This is completed during Unit 3 and will be included in the exam where you will respond to a prompt/s based on the framework of ideas that you have studied in your school.
The other major change is the way that the Argument Analysis area of study is structured. You will be required to analyse how an argument is created in not only a written text but an audio/visual text as well. You also will not be required to compare so it is possible that the SACs will be divided into two separate tasks determined by your school. You are also required to study the one issue that has been recently explored in various media outlets since September 2023. When it comes to the exam, there’ll no longer be talking about whether there will be two texts or one text, it will only be one and will include visuals that you will be required to analyse and explain how the argument is constructed to create a point of view.
You will also be required to present an oral presentation on an issue of your choice. This isn’t weighted as heavily as it has been in previous years, but it is still an outcome that you should start considering and planning for early in the year.
Finally, you will be studying two texts analytically. Previously, one was a creative response, the other analytical, but in 2024 you will be required to study two texts analytically in Units 3 and 4 respectively. For the exam, you will choose one of the texts that you studied and write about that text in the exam.
So, that’s a quick outline of the changes to the study design and what to expect for Units 3 and 4, but here is some advice to you as an experienced English teacher (I’ve been doing this gig for over 20 years, and I do know what I’m going on about most of the time).
- Don’t leave your preparation until a week before the SAC. Complete your practice work (this can be as simple as practice paragraphs or plans, not necessarily full essays) when you start studying the texts. This will allow you to get feedback early and fix any glaring issues.
- Collect ideas and document them in a journal for the Creating Texts unit. Whatever your framework of ideas, you should live and breathe this topic for the year not just when you are studying it. For example, if you are studying protest, what examples of protest have occurred throughout the year? What are the implications of it? Did any change happen? Movies, songs, newspaper articles, podcasts etc. Document anything that you find in your journal and use the journal to help you study and prepare for this unit at the end of the year when you prepare for the exam.
- Read/watch the set texts that you will be studying at least twice.
- Create your own study guides that would include character quotes, themes, symbols, and author intention statements.
- Write practice work and ask your teacher for feedback. I’ve had students say that they wrote plenty of practice but never asked me for feedback. Don’t be afraid of the feedback, your teacher wants you to improve and do your best.
- Develop a positive rapport with your English teacher. You need them, work with them, not against them.
- Set boundaries for yourself. Balance your school work and private life. It is vital for your own well-being to have a balanced approach to Year 12. You do not want to burn out and have a ‘menty B’ during the year (it’s not a joke, no matter how you say it). If you feel overwhelmed, no matter how early or late, please, please reach out to someone, be it your parents, friends, and/or teachers.
- Start thinking about issues that concern you and you feel passionate about. Start a journal collecting articles and other forms of text that concern the issues. This will make it easier for you when it comes to preparing for the oral presentation.
- Don’t use ChatGPT to complete your homework. Teachers are a bit over it and it’s insulting. We want to mark your work. You are doing yourself a disservice by using the program. You’re not learning anything and you’re not tricking the teacher, they’re not dumb, they know what is your writing and what is that of a computer. I’m at the point where I’m not even confronting students about this anymore and I provide minimal feedback to students who do this. It’s a waste of your teacher’s time. Use AI to help you, not to do the work for you. There are benefits to using this technology if you do so wisely.
- Understand your teacher’s boundaries. They are human beings believe it or not. They have a life beyond teaching. They work hard for you, but in order for them to be the best they can be for you, you need to remember that they are not on call 24/7. They will reply to your emails as soon as they can (which may not be until the next school day), and they will see you when they are free (remember they also teach other classes), so don’t get annoyed if they can’t get back to you straight away or see you when you want. Work with your teachers, not against them (see point 6).
- Remember that you have to balance all of your subjects. They are just as important as each other. Use study time wisely. Create and organise a study timetable for your weekend and after school. English is the most crucial because it counts, but the other subjects that you study are just as important.
- If you have a tutor, ensure that they are familiar with the study design. If your tutor is a student who just finished Year 12 and achieved an amazing study score, that’s great, but remember that they completed the previous study design, not the current one, so they need to be all over the requirements of the new course. This also goes for teachers/adults who you employ as a tutor.
- Aim to achieve your best. Set yourself realistic and achievable goals.
- Be accountable for your own learning. Take ownership of your learning. You are ultimately responsible for your education. Your school and teachers facilitate and encourage you, but we cannot write and think for you or study for you. That is all on you.
- Remember that your ATAR does not define you. You hear that all the time, and I get that for you right now in this moment in time, it is your life, but once you get the result and once you get into that course in Uni or start working, it honestly doesn’t matter. I wasn’t proud of my ATAR (or the version of it when I was at school), but it doesn’t mean that I’m not successful. In fact, it meant that I ended up taking a different journey and now, I’m in a job that I have been doing for over 20 years and wouldn’t want to do anything else.
- Read Ronnie’s Ramblings and follow me on Tiktok for quick tips and advice (this will be an ongoing project for me this year, so follow for updates)
So, 16 is a blatant plug for me, but I honestly hope that it will be another resource for you to use and help you with your English studies this year. It will be hard, there will be tears, but make the most of the opportunities. You only do this once, so have some fun as well. Year 12 is about turning 18, about the last time you do certain things at school, going to the formal, camps, assemblies, sports carnivals etc. Life after school is very different, so make the most of this year.
As I finished my very first post over a year ago, I’m going to use the same quote from the poem ‘Invictus’ as it is the quote that motivates me to keep going and doing my best: I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.
If you’re new to Ronnie’s Ramblings this year, feel free to follow me on Instagram and on TikTok (links are on the homepage) for updates. My goal this year is to work on my TikTok videos and go viral as an educational influencer, but until then I’ll stick to my day job which I love (and on the odd occasion have some dislike for), but I wouldn’t want to do anything else – I’m also better at teaching than I am as a social media content creator. Also feel free to reach out and contact me if you have any questions, using the contact page.
Good luck for 2024 and as I always say keep it zesty (and yes I do know what the other meaning of the word is but I’m going with the traditional meaning of zesty)
Ronnie's Ramblings 