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This week's big news ...

... is that I'm a chilli-daddy ... already!

Remember the chillies I planted on 28th February?

I wasn't expecting anything for at least another week, maybe two, but, as you can see, one tiny seed has decided to get going ... those incredibly cute leaves (I call the first to appear two the 'sun-sails') are about 1mm square. For the interested, it's a Bhut Jolokia - a type of ghost chilli usually rated about 170 times hotter than those used in Tabasco Sauce. 🥵

Normally, I'd relegate this news to the Chilli Zone at the bottom of the newsletter. But ...

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Let's talk chillies and revision ...

It's the number one subject my students are asking about (revision, that is), and you can imagine it's endemic in places where 'the yoof' hang out, like r/GCSE and r/Alevel on Reddit.

So how on earth is revision like growing chillies?

1 - to get the best results you have to start early. The hottest varieties have the longest growing seasons: you need to get going in February or early March if you want a good crop inn the summer;

2 - you have to create the right conditions for growth to happen. In the case of my tiny friends, sunlight, heat, moisture, and soil;

3 - it's terrific for your mental health. As is any gardening, incidentally. But growing chillies teaches you patience, hope, and perseverance. Beginning your revision now can only lower your stress levels when the exams arrive;

4 - small and frequent builds up to great results. My biggest revision hack takes less than ten minutes. But those ten minutes build, like compound interest in a bank account ...

5 - take active care of your crop. If you see an aphid on your leaves, deal with it, or next time you look there'll be hundreds of them (this happened to me). In your revision, spot potential gaps in your learning or things which might affect your grade ... and squish them before they multiply! Have no mercy;

6 - growth takes place without you even noticing. One minute the leaves are like those little sun-sails. A couple of months later, and you're suddenly looking at the 6ft monsters I grew a few years back. Again, be patient, and persevere;

7 - success is going to give you a warm glow. lol;

8 - the results can stay with you for years. I've got at least a year's worth of dried and frozen chillies from last year. A summer harvest of decent grades will set you up for the future, and really reward your efforts now

So go away and revise. Begin now. If you want tips, hacks, checklists, and resources, you know what to do. If you're growing chillies, I want to hear from you - mostly so I can pick your brains.

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I'm finding it hard to remember what day it is.

Those of us who are Bon Jovi fans will remember the immortal line from 'Wanted Dead or Alive':

Well, I tend to do it by the tutees I'll be seeing. Which has been especially tricky over the past couple of weeks as we have ducked and dived a little to accommodate people's changing needs and the half-term break.

So, elsewhere, I've been trying to sort out my pretty haphazard social media posting routine. Partly, this has been down to the erratic flow of author birthdays and anniversaries that I've been posting consecutively since May '24. They'll continue.

But I want, actually I need a schedule. I like streaks, consistency, and (within reason) deadlines. Here's what I've come up with so far - with some links to the latest, although I won't usually include these in my newsletter:

Mondays: Revision Icons - useful Shakespeare quotations in graphic format with a short model analysis

Tuesdays: Literacy Teaser - 'deliberate mistake' posts based on WJEC English Language questions

Wednesdays: from the Archive - looking back at the Shakespeare-related things I was blogging about this week, but oh, six, seven, eight years ago

Thursdays: I want to hear from you. What could/should I usefully be posting every Thursday?

Fridays: still settling on this one. A few years ago (see Wednesdays) these were longer form articles based on a critical quote from my 'reading round'. I wouldn't say 'waffle', exactly, but they did take in politics, music, and whatever was happening in my life at the time as well as a specific link to Shakespeare. Here's an example.

Saturdays: How I Helped This Week - quick tips or resources based on things which have come up during my week's tuition. Thanks again to Josh Spector for putting the idea into my head

Sundays: Shakespeare Sunday - a chance to cut loose and enjoy being part of an online community matching quotations to a different theme each week.

If these sound interesting, my socials are linked in the examples and at the bottom. Come and join me there. But again, what would you do on Thursdays?

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That's it for now.

A quick PS: 12 March is the tenth anniversary of the death of possibly my favourite novelist, Terry Pratchett. It's highly likely I'll be writing something about him in the next week, but in the meantime, a question for you:

Pratchett does, constantly.

Have a great week.

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Abel