MindGym Philippines

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” — Benjamin Franklin

It’s 47 sleeps to go before your big day – the March 2012 LET.

For the few who chose to join MindGym’s Intensive Coaching for the LET, you are on track.  The General Education module drills that you will be taking on Saturday, January 28, 2012 may give you that extra confidence to face the LET’s very broad general education competencies, the signal for extra time and effort on doing the drills and reading more, or added push to focus on your LET target.  Make the most of the next three days to review for English, Math, Filipino, Social Studies, ICT, and Science so that when you see your scores you will have the feeling of having levelled up from the diagnostic test you took when you joined MindGym’s coaching for LET.  If you feel like needing reinforcement or even just the motivation to move on forward, call on your coaches or ask help from a friend or study buddy or get a hug from a loved one.  If you’re all by yourself (and this is almost impossible with all the social networks everyone has with the advent of the internet), talk to your cat or dog and its approval purrr or arf! arf!

For the many who are reviewing with other colleges, universities, and review centers, you should be on track as well.  If you want to experience our LET coaching at MindGym, you may register for our Final Coaching on February 24 to 26.  Registration will be until February 11.  Joining us for the final coaching will give you the extra boost to your LET confidence as our speakers give you some power refreshers for their subject expertise and the inspiration to pass and top LET as you listen to our LET topnotchers and special LET reviewees who were able to hurdle their challenges despite their odds.

For the many who continue to canvass from us and remain at a lost as to where they will start their LET preparation, you should be working up you knowledge, skills, and minds NOW.  With the commitment of MindGym to help determined LET takers to pass this March, the creativity of coaches to make time for special sessions, and some remaining modules still to be conducted, you still have relatively enough time to prepare.  Here are some MindGym options for “crammers”:

Option 1: Catch up with Professional Education module to start on January 29, Majorship weekend on February 18 and 19, and Final Coaching on the last weekend on February.  You may opt to either: a) pay for the materials for Warm-ups and General Education or b) materials for ProfEd, majorship and final coaching only.  This comes with a FREE diagnostic test.

Option 2: Self-review using whatever reviewers you have and register for our Final Coaching.  Under this option, get a FREE diagnostic test from to help direct your review.

Option 3: For the very disciplined and self-propelled LET taker, try our online LET review at www.myreviewcoach.com for only P 2,950.  Study the review materials and do all the drills at your own time and pace for at least 4 hours a day.  If you decide to take this option, we’d also be happy to have you at our Final Coaching.  We have a special discount package available for this option.

Option 4: If you only need brushing up or enrichment in particular subjects, we have one-on-one coaching at MindGym.  Your coaching package cost will depend on your needs, the time needed to coach you, and the subject matter that you need coaching on.  Friendly MindGym rates would apply.  Prior appointment is needed.

There’s still 960 hours (assuming that you take a rest a week before LET) on your hands to prepare for LET.  Reviewing for at least 4 hours a day is realistically possible.  It only means foregoing the movies, the shopping, and the online social network sites which have been proven time wasters for many students.

Act now.  Increase your chances of passing the LET.  Target to pass LET on first take.  Face LET stronger as a retaker.  And realize your dream of getting your PRC teaching license this Year of the Dragon.

Let us help you with your LET target.  Contact 437-5880 or email: mindgym.inc@gmail.com or post at FaceBook page: mindgym philippines

You have only 82 days left before the March 11, 2012 LET date.

Give yourself a bigger chance of passing or even topping the LET by preparing early:

• Retrieve your books, notes, reviewers, and other references.
• Start planning your review schedule this Christmas season.
• If you haven’t yet registered at PRC, it’s time you go there soonest to avoid the last day rush.

Also, if you are still canvassing for a LET review center that will help you succeed in LET, why not try MindGym Philippines?

To help prospective LET takers, MindGym gives FREE diagnostic or LET readiness tests to interested parties. Call 437-5880 or text 0927-8770800 (your name, school, major, and if first timer or retaker; date of visit).

Enjoy MindGym’s interactive, fun, and effective intensive coaching for the LET as MindGym coaches (LET topnotchers and high raters) lead you through LET competencies in a 17-day session every Saturday and Sunday, to start January 7 until the end of February.

Just in case, if studying at your own pace and time, whether by yourself and in the confines of your home or office, our online review at MyReviewCoach might be more viable for you.

Whether it’s self-review, live coaching, or online study — START NOW!

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

Start reading, learning, and enriching your Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE) knowledge if you have to take this specialization for the LET.  Diverse subjects will be tested in the LET though you may have taken only one or two of the subjects in-depth: Cosmetology, Food, Business Math, Entrepreneurship, Carpentry, Masonry, Plumbing, Electrical, Electronics and Drafting.  Make use of the Christmas vacation to go to a beauty salon; carefully watch kitchen activities; brush up on your investment and accounting knowledge, and visit an ongoing home or building construction to enrich your knowledge in TLE.

Here are a few items to warm you up a bit.

1. The dimension taken from front to the rear of the object is referred to as _______.

A. width

B. length

C. depth

D. height

2. Which type of financial statement shows how much cash is coming in and how much you are   paying for purchases and other expenses?

A. Income Statement

B. Balance sheet

C. Cash flow statement

D. Account Statement

3. What wrench is used to unscrew headless screws?

A. Adjustable wrench

B. Box-end wrench

C. Open-end wrench

D. Allen wrench

4. Which is true of the Russian style of table service? A waiter serves

A. the different courses one at a time.

B. the food using blue plate.

C. all the food using trolley.

D. the food using underliner.

5. Which wood joint is the simplest and easiest to make?

A. Dado

B. Miter

C. Rabbet

D. Butt

5. B. Disability

1. Which among the following is a mood disorder?

A. Bipolar disorder

B. Obsessive/compulsive disorder

C. Phobias

D. Selective mutism

2. It is the placement of a disabled child who is enrolled in a special class, in a regular school, where a student could participate in some activities with nondisabled peers.

A. Normalization

B. Mainstreaming

C. Integration

D. Inclusion

3. This is the inability or loss of ability to manipulate arithmetic symbols and do mathematical calculations

A. Congenital Arithmetic Disorder

B. Gerstman Syndrome

C. Dyscalculla

D. Acalculla

4. It states: “Where needs warrant, there shall be at least one special class in every province, and if possible, special schools for the physically handicapped, the mentally retarded, the emotionally disturbed and the specially gifted. The private sectors shall be given all the necessary inducement and encouragement.”

A. Declaration of the Rights of the Mentally Retarded

B. Education Act of 1982 (Batas Pambansa 232)

C. Child and Youth Welfare Code (PD 603)

D. Rights of the Disabled

5. This is defined as any restriction or lack of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being.

A. Abnormality

B. Disability

C. Handicap

D. Impairment

1. With the promotion of social justice in mind, which does NOT belong to the group?

A. Equitable access to education

B. Profit sharing

C. Diffusion of wealth

D. Absolute right over property

2. Which part of the Visayas receives the least precipitation?

A. Northern

B. Eastern

C. Western

D. Central

3. When the Filipino reformists asked for the assimilation of the Philippines by Spain, what did they ask for?  For the Philippines to ________.

A. become independent from Spain

B. become a province of Spain

C. be independent from Spain with certain conditions

D. be represented in the Spanish Cortes

4. How is the so-called colonial mentality manifested?

A. Cultural relativism

B. Cultural diversity

C. Xenocentrism

D. Ethnocentrism

5. The maximum price that can be legally changed for a good or service is called _____.

A. minimum wage

B. price floor

C. legal wage

D. price ceiling

• Would you like a memory upgrade?
• How about a life full of friends, higher grades, a better business or career, an ageless mind, less anxieties and lots of time for fun?
• Would you like to experience how your own brain works magic after learning a few memory tips and doing light brain workouts?

Yes, you can! when you join MindGym Philippines’ memory coach and professional teacher Albert Basa in a 3-hour enjoyable Memory Improvement Encounter.

Choose ONE of two workshops depending on whether you are a student or professional/adult/senior.

For students: Remember and recall lessons so you can ace your exams and eliminate test anxieties as you remember twice as much facts in a fraction of a time (and free-up hours for family and friends)

For businessmen, professionals, housewives/husbands, senior citizens:
Improve your memory for life (definitely good for seniors); Remember people’s names and faces, quotes, lyrics of songs; deliver note-less presentations; shop efficiently; make mental notes of vital actions (like where you parked your car or kept valuable things)

Boost your super memory this mini break (students) and before the new year sets in (adults).  Grab a P 900 discount from the regular workshop training investment through ensogo Philippines vouchers.

Hurry!

by Coach Albert A. Basa

Last Saturday, I attended the 4th BodyBuilding and Fitness Seminar in UP Diliman organized by the Philippine BodyBuilders Association of the Philippines (PBBA).

4-peat Mr. Universe Ramon Cortuna shared a strategic exercise program for basic bodybuilding, Registered Nutritionist and Dietician Janeth Aro talked on Nutrition and Athletic Performance, and 4Fitness Institute’s Director Norman Encarnacion shared about Kettlebell 101.

Don’t get me wrong. I have not thought about shifting from teaching to bodybuilding (yet).

Myths disproven

“Bodybuilding stunts growth in height.”

Ramon Cortuna harvested gold medals in international competitions in the past decade and will continue to do so as he vies for a prestigious bodybuilding competition in Ohio come 2012.

I wonder whether he stopped growing, having reached a height a bit over 5’5”, because of his rigorous bodybuilding routine. But he was quick to dispel Myth 1 and say that his height was predetermined by his genes, not lifting heavyweights.

“Bodybuilding makes a male’s genital smaller”.

“Not true”, said Cortuna. “If it did reduce it, then I would have stopped bodybuilding a long time ago”, he exclaimed. That quip made his audience burst into laughter.

Bodybuilding or Brain-building?

With off-season bodybuilders around, I initially felt thin and quite malnourished although Coach Alice never failed to notice the lean muscled (sexy) body I developed over time, thanks to jogs around the UP oval and my improvised home gym!)…

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Yes! to reach out to the many LET takers in the provinces who can not travel to attend our Intensive Coaching for LET but would like to be part of the MindGym family and benefit from the support and care of its LET coaches and reviewers! We will soon be releasing our very first LET Review Book:  LETers’ Choice Warm-Ups.

This first of three volumes to be released for the 2012 LET will consist of preparatory essentials for LET, MindGym Philippines’ topnotchers’ tips, personal planner and progress trackers, meaningful inspirationals and a comprehensive set of General and Professional Education drills to check for a LET test taker’s current readiness.

Expect the book to be as warm, friendly, interactive and fun as our coaching sessions at MindGym Philippines.  Owning it would be like having a personal companion in your journey towards LET success!

Enrollees of MyReviewCoach online LET review may purchase the book to supplement their electronic distance review.

Reserve a copy now! Call us through 437-5880 or email mindgym.inc[at]gmail.com

by Coach Albert A. Basa

In our L.E.T. review sessions on learning theories, I advice teachers to go on a movie date to understand how “classical conditioning works” by making their movie date crave more for them or even fall in love with them a few movies after.

But I’m not a love guru so you’ll have to discover your own magic motives. I’m a memory coach and my goal now is to show how watching movies can increase your memory power.

Two nights ago, I had a movie date and the most difficult part other than waiting in line to buy popcorn is choosing a good movie to watch. “No Other Woman” remains an attraction with ticket sales close to “Harry Potter” and “Transformers” in the Philippines but a second in a row might be boring.

Real Steel (2011)

So I chose “Real Steel” instead starring Hugh Jackman and directed by Shawn Levy.

Setting: Year 2020 when humans have been replaced by robots in boxing (except Pacquio, he’s irreplaceable!). Fast-forward: Robots Zeus vs. Atom match. Zeus won but with tarnished reputation and Atom as the “people’s champion” by fighting shadow-boxing mode and copying Charlie (Jackman) from the ring side.

Replaying a movie in my mind is sometimes more enjoyable (with no tickets to buy and time waste in a queue). I can recall vividly the detailed scenes and dialogues of my favorite actors.   Try doing it sometimes — that’s if you can remember the movies you’ve watched.  Let me show you how to remember forthcoming movies that you plan to watch.

“Association” is all you need

Remembering movie titles, characters, and scenes plus your movie date’s name (if you’ve had many), is a work of memory.

The technique – ASSOCIATION.

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An earlier LET for the first batch of test takers in 2012 as posted by the Professional Regulations Commission came as a surprise to us (it’s been moved to March 11, 2012!).

Since the time MindGym started coaching in October 2009, the initial LET for a given year was usually scheduled on the first week of April.  With this change, we will have to start conducting our intensive coaching for LET sessions before the year ends or just after the release of September 2011 exam results.  This means a working Christmas season for licensed teachers-to-be and MindGym coaches and teachers.

PRC Chairperson Teresita Manzala’s memorandum announcing the PRC schedule for 2012 reads:

The PROFESSIONAL REGULATION COMMISSION announces that the first Licensure Examination for Teachers (L.E.T.) for Calendar Year 2012 will be held on Sunday, March 11, 2012 in the cities of Manila, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legazpi, Lucena, Pagadian, Tacloban, Tuguegarao and Zamboanga.

All qualified applicants may file their applications on the dates and places below:

Filing Period :

First Timer : October 3, 2011 to January 13, 2012

Repeater : October 3, 2011 to December 29, 2011

Filing Centers:

PRC Regional Offices in the cities of:  Manila, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legazpi, Lucena, Pagadian, Tacloban, Tuguegarao and Zamboanga

NO APPLICANTS WILL BE ADMITTED BEYOND THE ABOVE STATED

With the above announcement,  it’s about time you prepare for your PRC LET requirements for application now.

Looking for a LET coach? Contact MindGym Philippines at 437-5880 or text 0927-877-0800 now.

For LET test takers who are not from Manila or are quite far from MindGym Philippines’ review center in Quezon City, you may want to check our online LET review site, take a trial LET test and decide whether you want to review live or take our online LET review through MyReviewCoach.com.

File at your nearest PRC office and start reviewing as soon as you can! For more details about our LET review sessions, click here.

Use it or lose it is a cliche which applies for muscle building as much as memory training.  Students have to use their memory powers to remember information, pass exams, and get good grades.  When students graduate from their educational institutions, they tend to stop using their memory and to exercise their brains, thus leading to the misconception that memory worsens with age.  It may deteriorate  BUT only if we allow it.

Boost your memory power by learning simple memory techniques useful for school and everyday living!  Enroll at MindGym Philippines’ Memory Advantage Workshop (MAW) facilitated by memory coach and professional teacher Albert Basa (as interviewed at GMA News to Go by Kara David).

This October, MindGym will start conducting a 3-hour workshop to provide basic, easy-to-use, and effective memory techniques which requires shorter time and lower training investment.  The cost of the workshop including materials, certificate, and light snacks is a very reasonable  amount of P 1,500.

With the use of memory techniques, here’s a range of things students and adults can achieve.

Students will have better chances to ace exams in any academic subject by remembering and recalling lessons to the details; eliminate test anxieties; and remember twice as much facts in a fraction of a time — thus, leaving more time for play, relaxation, and family affairs.

Businessmen, professional, housewives/husbands, and senior citizens can expect to improve their memory throughout your lifetime (yes, even with age); remember people’s names and faces, quotes and lyrics of songs; deliver noteless presentations; associate products with their prices and shop efficiently; and make mental notes of important actions (like where you parked your car or kept valuable things).

Enroll now.  Call MindGym Philippines at 4375880 or 9860944 for updates on schedule of classes.

After over 14 days of intensive coaching in general education, professional education and specialization, MindGym Philippines will conduct a 3-day event this weekend, September 9, 10, 11. It includes a pre-LET day and a  Final Coaching for MindGym LETers and MyReviewCoach online LET review.  Reviewees are required to come much earlier to maximize time on a variety of activities geared towards empowering you TOP the LET.

On Friday: We’ll be simulating the actual LET day to minimize anxieties of taking a national examinations, to refresh and reinforce LET competencies to be tested, and to empower reviewees to reach their goals of becoming licensed teacher before the year ends.

Just like on the LET day itself, reviewees have to come in white, bring all documents, test requirements, and food and drinks as well.  On top of these, a Facebook post requires reviewees to bring: ”Fit mind, healthy body, and ‘Yes, I can!’ spirit”

Saturday and Sunday will be days of personal readiness assessments in all aspects of the LET, of realizations and confidence boosters, and of assurances  that whatever results come out from the September 2011 LET. Reviewees will always have friends to share victories (and trying times with) and their MindGym family to go back to in good and bad times.

This is our reviewees’ chance to be in the company of LET winners:  Erica Montefalcon (Top 1, April 2011), Benedict Barayuga (Top 1, April 2009), Glenn Gilongos (Top 1, 1995), Albert Basa (Top3, April 2009),  Melane Manalo and Nev Ryes (Top 4, April 2010), Noel Carena (Top 7, April 2010), Aicel Alcantara (Top 5, September 2010) and Ericka Villafuerte (September 2009), eight of whom reviewed and currently coach for MindGym Philippines.

Being among topnotchers who care enough to spare their weekends to be with reviewees would surely be a super booster to all, one which jibes with a tenet of the universal “Law of Attraction”.  Education experts from the University of the Philippines like professor Lizamarie Olegario and several special guests will impart tips as well.

MindGym LET alumni, now teachers in their own communities, are also expected to come over to rekindle their friendshps, reminisce times they’ve once been reviewees and pass forward their experiences and hopes to the batch.

Now who’s super ready for the September 2011 LET?

In two months, you’ll be taking the Licensure Examinations for Teachers. Have you started your LET preparation yet? Are you still looking for a LET review center or materials to use in your self-review?

Are you staying far from our Quezon City center? Or can’t meet our center review schedule because of work, school, or family commitments?

Then study and review online for the Licensure Examination our My Review Coach!

All you need is computer access, an internet connection, 2-3 hours of daily learning a day, and of course personal discipline, analytical and study skills, and motivation to study by yourself.

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