The Gameplan
The approach
I don't sell online courses. I won't guarantee or promise a certain increase in your score. I do believe the right student can learn how to master the math section of the SAT on their own watching videos online if they have that ability to do so. But many can not. The majority of students benefit from teaching and guidance. When I teach, I consider it a conversation. In this case, the conversation revolves around what we can do with proper time and preparation.
I would like to think by the time a student is a rising junior, they understand that practice is imperative to succeeding in anything. They can't become an amazing athlete by just watching sports. They can't build a house watching HGTV. And they certainly can't become a doctor watching Grey's Anatomy. Anything they want to excel in comes with effort. How do we therefore apply this to the test-taking process of the SAT?
Each student I work with starts with giving me a baseline. Through experience and past practice, this is done with an official College Board Digital SAT practice test. This is done by using the Bluebook app. Once the test is taken, the student will send their score report me where I can see where the deficiencies exist.
From there we come up with a game plan. This game plan will most likely focus not so much on the categories the students are correctly answering, but instead where the needs are. If the student is weak on quadratics, we will focus on this unit. If the student struggles with exponential functions, time will be used on that unit.
Problem sets will be given between sessions as students need to practice the new strategies and tricks they learn with my instruction. The DESMOS calculator which is available on test day will be utilized when applicable.
Ultimately, through repetition from the problem sets and my instruction, improvement is inevitable. Students will understand the syntax used by the College Board. One their own, they will recognize patterns used in countless questions from other problems. When the student answers the questions correctly that were previously too difficult or intimidating now become rudimentary. This is in turn builds confidence. And with confidence, the sky is the limit.
New format, but still the same test
This year the College Board brought changes to the SAT, transitioning entirely to a digital format. Every student that takes the test will start with the exact same math module. The test is now adaptive, meaning your score received on the first module will dictate which of the two modules you'll take next.
Other notable changes include the ability to use the DESMOS calculator for any problem from both modules, and the problems are now scrambled in terms of difficulty. Both modules also consist of 2/3 multiple choice questions, with the remaining 1/3 being free response.
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No calculus? No sweat! All questions come from the basics!
I have taught the classes that have yielded the SAT the topics and questions for over two decades. This has given me a deep sense of mastery and confidence in my subject matter. I’ve had the opportunity to refine my lessons, tailor my approach to different learning styles, and develop a system that truly resonates with my students. There’s comfort in the familiarity, knowing each class inside and out, and the consistency has allowed me to perfect my craft.
