Who better to hone your HSIE skills with than Mark Batten, one of our resident Business Studies experts. He believes that the key to HSC success is to practice as much as possible, especially when it comes to extended responses. We recently sat down with Mark and got the low down on who he really is and what he gets up to when he's not at school or in front of the Edrolo camera.
You can watch Mark's own Year 12 extended response skills lesson here.
The best responses are invariably those that are the best prepared. You are competing with students who have practiced writing no less than 50 extended responses over the course of the year. If it is only your first, second or third attempt, you are at a severe disadvantage. Make the most of any sample responses you can access, both good and bad, and learn from these.
Fun facts about Mark
🍝 He can't decide between Thai, Italian, or Japanese as his favourite food - it depends on the day
📺 If he were stranded on a desert island and could choose one TV show to watch, it would be all 11 seasons of Modern Family
🎤 His favourite band is Queen
🏆 His one goal in his family's footy tipping competition is to beat his younger brother (which he did last year!)
Tell us a bit about your background.
I am currently in my twentieth year of teaching. I first began teaching in Newcastle, NSW where I spent a year and a half. Upon returning home, I taught in central west NSW before moving to Sydney. Since then, I have taught in three schools in western Sydney. During this time, I’ve spent two years as a relieving Head Teacher of HSIE. I have also prepared and filmed a HSC study video for NSW students as part of the Sydney Morning Herald's study guides that they put out each year.
I grew up in a family business. Like, literally grew up in the business. My bed was approximately three metres from the oven of a bakery (with a couple of walls and a laneway in between!). My family lived behind our bakery shop, with all the baked goods being produced next door. As a result, my last HSC exam was on a Wednesday and I started work as a delivery driver the following Monday.
Why Business Studies? What makes you excited about this subject?
Having grown up in a family business (literally), I guess I was always drawn to the business world. However, I didn't want to work crazy hours and seven day weeks. Teaching students about business is a really happy medium. I love the fact that Business Studies is something that we all engage in. We have all been consumers and will continue to be. The changing nature of business means that there is always something being done in order to gain and sustain a competitive advantage. Just last week, Apple released their new iPad Air advertisement. The world's most valuable brand, synonymous with innovation and creativity, releases its newest promotional campaign and it is slammed. There is always something interesting happening in the world of business!
What's your top tip when it comes to studying for the Business Studies exam?
Practice!!! The best responses are invariably those that are the best prepared. You are competing with students who have practiced writing no less than 50 extended responses over the course of the year. If it is only your first, second or third attempt, you are at a severe disadvantage. Make the most of any sample responses you can access, both good and bad, and learn from these. You can see Mark's own Year 12 extended response skills lesson here.
The HSC Marking Guidelines and Feedback are great for demonstrating how students undertaking the HSC responded to each question. I think it’s reassuring that these sample responses are certainly not perfect. However, it is most likely not the first time they've answered an exam style question either.
Where do students use the skills they gain from studying Business Studies in life beyond school?
Students can apply knowledge and skills from the Business Studies course in a range of contexts. From students who want to enter a corporate environment, to students who want to run their own business. The wide ranging scope of topics from managing their human resources to preparing financial statements are things that students in a variety of fields can find value in.
In your experience, what do students find most challenging about Business Studies, and how do you support them?
I think that students find it difficult to convert their understanding of the course into extended pieces of writing. When coupled with the fact they are required to use a case study, this can prove quite challenging. To support them with this, I try to incorporate sample responses, both the good, the bad and the ugly, so they can get an idea of what to do and equally as important, what not to do.
What do you see as a key benefit for students in using Edrolo?
One thing I have noticed is that my students keep vastly different hours to me. Their emails at 1.14 am tell me that they operate on a completely different timetable. Edrolo is great as it meets your schedule, allowing you to go back over concepts at your own pace until you feel comfortable with it.
What's the funniest thing that's ever happened in your classroom?
A particularly forgetful student once left his workbook in the classroom at the end of the lesson. Rather than return it to him like an adult, I got masking tape and taped it underneath the desk where he sat each lesson. When he came into class two days later, he tells me that he thinks someone has taken his book. I played along, saying that he had obviously lost it. As he started to get agitated, I asked what he wanted me to do, and started clicking my fingers, telling him that it might fall from the sky. When he rolled his eyes at that, I said maybe it was under his desk. To see his face when he looked under his desk was priceless. He didn't leave his stuff behind ever again.
If you weren't a teacher, what would you be?
As a child, I remember writing in a book that I wanted to be either a fireman or a rugby league player for the mighty South Sydney Rabbitohs. A lack of talent put paid to one of those career options, so I guess if I wasn’t teaching, I might have had to go with my other choice.
What are the best and worst things about teaching?
Working with appreciative students is always a highlight. Being able to play a small part in their education, knowing that they go on to various successes in their careers is always really satisfying.The worst thing is that there are never enough hours in the day to get everything done to the level I am happy with. Unfortunately, some things need to be compromised.
See Mark in action, and get exam-ready for Business Studies. Log in to your Edrolo account now.
