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650-575-5867
MRTESTPREP@GMAIL.COM 650-575-5867
Methodology
Everything starts with the environment. My approach is to create two separate spaces with two separate purposes. First, there is the test room, where a number of students will simulate the testing environment. I use what I call the Real Timed, Real Test Method. For this, I supply the students with real SAT and ACT tests and have them complete them section by section, sticking to the time limits, just as they will on test day. Like the actual testing sites, my testing room is not without distractions. People shuffle their papers. They tap their pens. And intermittently, I come in and purposefully disrupt the testing environment with tried and true distractions (sometimes a song, sometimes a dance, sometimes a song and dance). All this is intended to prepare the students for the actual day of the test. If they can work though the distractions they encounter at MR. TEST PREP HEADQUARTERS no sniffly nose or bouncing knee will upset their performance when it really matters.
After the student has completed a section of the test, sticking to the Real Timed, Real Test Method, I call him or her out and immediately score the test and address the weak areas I see. This approach has a few major benefits. First, I don’t just pull the student aside, I bring him or her to a separate and more calming space—when the weather permits, we meet at a table in the garden for some fresh air and sunlight. This little breather helps the student stay focused through the two-hour lesson and makes him or her more receptive to the things I have to say. Second, by addressing problems as they arise rather than hours or days later—as is the case with most other tutoring programs—I am able to have the maximum effect on the student’s comprehension. The student has a chance to struggle through the problem on his or her own, just as he or she will on the day of the test (Real Timed, Real Test), but then we address the cause of those struggles before the student loses touch with exactly what he or she was missing. Whether it is an issue of comprehension or confidence, this calm space gives me an opportunity to address whatever is undermining the student’s score.
After the student has completed a section of the test, sticking to the Real Timed, Real Test Method, I call him or her out and immediately score the test and address the weak areas I see. This approach has a few major benefits. First, I don’t just pull the student aside, I bring him or her to a separate and more calming space—when the weather permits, we meet at a table in the garden for some fresh air and sunlight. This little breather helps the student stay focused through the two-hour lesson and makes him or her more receptive to the things I have to say. Second, by addressing problems as they arise rather than hours or days later—as is the case with most other tutoring programs—I am able to have the maximum effect on the student’s comprehension. The student has a chance to struggle through the problem on his or her own, just as he or she will on the day of the test (Real Timed, Real Test), but then we address the cause of those struggles before the student loses touch with exactly what he or she was missing. Whether it is an issue of comprehension or confidence, this calm space gives me an opportunity to address whatever is undermining the student’s score.
FULL LENGTH, GROUP SETTING PRACTICE TESTS
To guaranty that my students have access to the ideal set of resources, I offer full length, group setting practice tests free of charge in addition to regular tutoring sessions. After a few lessons, I encourage my students to sign up for one of these practice tests, in order to demystify the standardized testing process. Additionally, this opportunity helps the students build stamina, a necessity when taking a high-stakes, four-hour, multiple-choice exam. At our next meeting, the student and I go over his or her scores and address any material that posed a problem.
Fourteen years of experience have shown me that this is the ideal setup to tutor standardized test material. By balancing an effective teaching environment with valuable exposure to actual test-taking stressors and actual tests, I am able to maximize my students’ scores while reaching the broadest population of high school-aged kids.
To guaranty that my students have access to the ideal set of resources, I offer full length, group setting practice tests free of charge in addition to regular tutoring sessions. After a few lessons, I encourage my students to sign up for one of these practice tests, in order to demystify the standardized testing process. Additionally, this opportunity helps the students build stamina, a necessity when taking a high-stakes, four-hour, multiple-choice exam. At our next meeting, the student and I go over his or her scores and address any material that posed a problem.
Fourteen years of experience have shown me that this is the ideal setup to tutor standardized test material. By balancing an effective teaching environment with valuable exposure to actual test-taking stressors and actual tests, I am able to maximize my students’ scores while reaching the broadest population of high school-aged kids.
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