No “what ifs”and “if onlys” for Dy-an Angco, Top 6 September 2011 LET

First and last LET.  One and only LET.  The time is NOW.  These statements marked Dorothy Anne Angco’s resolve to pass the LET and target for a top rank.  From the very start, when Dy-an took the diagnostic test at MindGym, I had the feeling that she would be one of our topnotcher bets for the September 2011 LET.  She asked very profound questions which made us rethink our answers.  She came early for review class and was attentive through the day.  Whenever I told her:  “kayang-kaya mo ‘yan Dy-an”, she would reply with a smile “ma’m nakaka-pressure ‘yan ma’m, pero gusto ko po talaga at pagsisikapan ko”. Little had I known about the extra-extra time she devoted outside our weekend reviews to achieve her “topping the LET” target till she wrote this article.  Gather strength from Dy-an’s personal sharing of the LET experience in her story below.

My Journey to LET Success

by Dorothy Anne Angco, Top 6, September 2011 LET

When a person is raised without having much in life, the person learns the value of contentment, maximizing the resources he/she is bequeath with.

I grew up not having the luxury of getting my wants, settling only on the things which are necessary. The lack of material abundance never became an excuse for my passion to learn; on the contrary, it fueled my determination to achieve and succeed.

The treasures I have are my dreams: dream of making my parents proud, for whoever I am today and yet to be, is the product of their hard work and sacrifices; and 2) dream of becoming an inspiration to my fellow men, to strive and excel in their chosen fields.

These were the seeds I have planted and nurtured within, with the hope that one day, each of them will blossom into reality.

The Licensure Exam for Teachers was a humbling experience for me. I consider it as God’s way of making me witness how deep faith and total surrender translated to fruitful rewards and blessings.

Yes, I secretly had the desire of standing out, hence the hundred percent effort I had exerted in the past months to prepare for the LET. I had to juggle the demands of my graduate studies, work and review. Indeed, time management and focus became the name of the game – library over mall, LET review module over Facebook and MindGym review sessions over gimmicks.

As I see it, it was all about making choices. And I chose honor and excellence over momentary pleasures derived from leisure and unproductive engagements. I chose not to be haunted by “what if’ and if only’s”. I chose to persevere, pray and perform to the best of my ability.

And it paid off. This brings me back to a quote I have come across with:

Great achievements rarely ever come in a single shot.

So don’t rush things, even if they seem to be going slower than you’d like them to. It’s easy to become frustrated and feel like all your efforts are in vain, but have patience. You may not realize it now, but in the end, you will see that all the little steps made a difference and all the hard work paid off.

The achievement I have goes back to those who have helped me succeed. My deepest gratitude to my family, mentors, MindGym family, friends and beloved – for the overflowing boost of confidence, dose of advice, unconditional love and support.

Cheers to all Professional Teachers! This is another milestone in our lives. May we become instruments of change, through our selfless service in educating the citizens of tomorrow.

To all future LET examinees, here’s a piece of advice:

“Seize every moment, make the most out of your time to prepare for the examination. Make it a once in a lifetime experience, next time is too uncertain.”

March 2012 LET takers: are you passionate about passing or topping the LET?  Are you preparing just as Dy-an did?  Save yourself from the tears and heavy hearts experienced by those who have not braced themselves well enough for their LET challenge.  Forget the expressions of regret:  What if … and if only …

March 2012 LET Review – Sample LET Items in Majorship: Values Education (Day 20)

You are lucky if you are assigned Values Education for a LET specialization.  To date, MindGym has four (4) Values Education ex-reviewees who made it to the Top Ten in the past LET:  Ma. Adeinev Reyes, Sheryl Raquipiso, and very recently Wilson Espiritu, and Patricia Caguin-del Rosario.  These topnotchers and majority of Values Education reviewees informed us that the specialization part of their LET was relatively easy compared to GenEd and ProfEd.  Try the following drills and see for yourself.

1. What best describes values in this statement: “One’s values are shaped by significant persons who model these values”?

A. Learned

B. Transmitted

C. Subjective

D. Personalistic

2. Which of the following could BEST sustain values development within the school setting?

A. Highly qualified teachers in values education

B. Consistency and actual manifestation of values among students and school personnel

C. Provision of opportunities and activities for values learning among students

D. Relevant curriculum in Values Education

3. Which of the following is the MOST controversial of all mass media as a source of values?

A. Print, because tabloids sensationalize reports too much.

B. Television, because most people have access to it.

C. Radio, because broadcasters cheat listeners of their physical appearance.

D. Internet, because there is no control of materials destructive of values.

4. Which of the following situations could the true essence of nationalism be reinforced among the learners using the inculcation approach?

A. Telling the students to speak in Filipino at all times regardless of the situation

B. Promoting the use of locally made products to help the Philippine economy

C. Mobilizing the learners to join rallies of national concerns

D. Providing moral dilemma situations on the issue of going abroad as the OFWs

5. Ms. Villar wants to give a test that would measure her student’s acquisition of the value of cleanliness, but she prefers a test that she can easily construct, score and interpret. What test should she choose?

A. Ranking test

B. Thurstone Scale

C. Rating Scale

D. Projective test

Answers to DAY 19’s LET questions for special education specialization:
1. C. depth
2. C. Cash flow statement
3. D. Allen wrench
4. A. the different courses one at a time.
5. D. Butt

March 2012 LET Review – Sample LET Items in Majorship: PHYSICAL SCIENCE (Day 15)

1. Which of the following illustrates a physical change?

A. Iron nail rusts

B. Milk turns sour

C. Fruits ripen

D. Butter melts

2. Which of the following solids is most likely to dissolve in CCI?

A. phosphorus pentachloride

B. potassium chloride

C. copper chloride

D. calcium chloride

3. What term is used to indicate the amount of water vapor actually present in the air at a given time?

A. Atmospheric humility

B. Absolute humidity

C. Atmospheric moisture

D. Relative humidity

4. Why do we see the sunrise in the east?

A. On the globe, we are located in the east.

B. The earth rotates from west to east.

C. The earth revolves eastward.

D. We are located in the 20th meridian.

5. If you clap your hands and hear the echo from a distant wall 0.20s later, how far away is the wall?

A. 68 m

B. 70 m

C. 32 m

D. 34 m

Answers to DAY 14’s LET questions for Filipino specialization:

1. B. Jose Nepomuceno

2. A. Perpektibo

3. C. Sintaks

4. D. ang boses ng tao ay boses ng Diyos

5. B. Hapon

Congratulations to April 2011 LET Passers at MindGym Philippines

Congratulations to April 2011 LET Passers at MindGym Philippines
Believing that “Yes, you can!”, you did it MindGym LETers! We are glad that you chose us to be your LET review venue.
- Your MindGym coaches

Memory Advantage Workshop 2011

There is no learning without memory.” — Harry Lorayne

Train your memory!
Apply memory techniques mentioned by MindGym memory coach Albert A. Basa when he was interviewed live by Kara yesterday, May 18, 2011, at  GMA News TV’s News to Go with Kara David and Howie Severino.

Use memory techniques to recall presidents of the Philippines in sequence, memorize facts in the chemistry table of elements, master mathematical formulas, learn a foreign language, recall bible verses, speeches, and presentations.  Remember lessons twice as much with ease in less time.  Increase your grades while still having time to play your favorite internet games.  Get higher scores when you review for your licensure, board, or bar exams.  Never miss the spot where you parked you car or kept your home keys.   Be a better student, a better teacher or singer/host/actor or nurse/doctor/lawyer, and a better person.

Join MindGym’s Memory Advantage Workshops conducted on appointment basis with coach Albert in groups of 5 to 10 learners.  Workshops last for fifteen to eighteen hours (about 5 to 6 sessions) of  fun, interactive memory building sessions.  Learners may be grouped according to age, academic level, personal interest, or careers.  Groups trainings cost P4,500 inclusive of workbook and certificate of training.  One-on-one coaching may also be recommended for people with targeted skills to learn and master over a shorted time frame.  Trainings are conducted at MindGym Philippines learning center at 219 J. P. Rizal, Project 4, Quezon City (5 minutes away from Katipunan, Cubao, or Eastwood).

Would you like to develop your super memory power?  Call 437-5880 or 342-9382 to book for personal or group training now.

Sept 2011 LET Review Batch 2

Future LET reviewees, you may now register your details for Batch 2 (starts on July 9, 2011). Call us at (02) 437-5880 or text us at 0927-877-0800.

What My Sketch Pad Taught Me – An Essay

Inspired from her art workshop last April 2009, one of our students, Shing, wrote this creative writing piece. Read on what this recent highschool graduate thinks about taking art “seriously” for the first time and how it changed her perspective of simply learning about other things in life:

What My Sketch Pad Taught Me

By Elisha Andrea A. Liganor

Even if a year has passed, I can still remember clearly the first comment Sir Mar told me about my work:

‘Iha, ang diin mo mag shade. Lagyan mo ng konting hinay’

Or something like that. Up until now, I still have a tight grip on my pencil, and I tend to write without caring if there would be marks on the other side of the paper – because that’s just who I am.

Art classes, as many would think, may just be another form of leisure, a hobby to take the boredom away, but meeting Sir Mar made me think otherwise. Of course, I’ve known a lot of art people from school, but his philosophy in his work very much stands out: it’s different and more complex than the ordinary. I can honestly say that his life is one big art work where as ours would be like a page off a sketch pad – everything in his life IS art.

Keep on reading..