A NoTe About
Motivating Students
How to Motivate Students to Get a Better SAT or ACT Score
Let's start with a question:
I want you to ask yourself how many times do you ask your student to do their homework/projects/chores? Have you ever found a way to motivate your student for a sustained period of time?
A majority of caretakers for students cannot find a way to keep their student motivated. They might find some short-term solutions, but overall, most kids aren't motivated to study, that is why you are hiring a tutor. When students do become motivated, they are unable to sustain it.
People always ask me how do I motivate students to do well on the SAT and ACT. The answer: I don't. I find ways to get results from students, even if they aren't motivated. My goal is to get my students the results they are looking for as quickly as possible and create a structure that ensures success.
I create enough structure around my students so they can be successful regardless of how they feel. I create study habits and hold kids accountable. I schedule sessions 2-3 times a week. I find that frequent sessions result in my students retaining the material and this ensures most of my students reach their score goal within 1-2 tests.
I also adapt my approach to each individual student. I develop strategies based on your student's needs and help them develop habits to ensure they are successful.
The ways I hold my students accountable include frequent sessions, check-ins if necessary, regular calls, and text messages with the students/caretakers. I also provide a structure within sessions to ensure success, even if a student is unable to complete their assigned homework.
Do you offer Guarantees?
No. I believe “past performance in this test prep program doesn’t guarantee future results” and “Past college results, don’t guarantee future results.” I have had great results. Students who go up 200-300 points on the SAT. 2-3 points on the SAT. I have helped students get into their “dream college” and help them find a college that wasn’t on their list but turned out to be a dream college. I have landed multiple Presidential Scholarships. I have landed multiple full-ride offers.
But I have seen students rejected even after best efforts. I am honest in the fact that out of a group of 50 students there is probably 1-2 that I cannot get results for with test-prep. Sometimes I am not the right tutor. Sometimes I am the right tutor but a student’s talent cannot translate to a test.
There are tutoring companies that offer guarantees. As someone who worked under companies with guarantees, I can tell you what normally happens,. A student is required to complete an absurd amount of homework to access the guarantee. I and other tutors KNEW students rarely completed the homework. Students rarely met the guarantee requirements. When they DID they were just offered free tutoring hours or additional services. Sometimes that helped. Other times that did not. Out of 100 students, it was rare that ANY got their money back.
I can guarantee I will be agile and adapt. I do that well. If your student does not get an ACT/SAT score after tutoring with me, a score that puts them in the best position, it is my job to find admission opportunities for them that highlight their strengths rather than weaknesses. Help them identify scholarships, merit aid, and opportunities that focus on a student’s GPA/Service/Extracurricular. I do that well. I rarely have to do that, I typically deliver scores, but in the case where a student needs that support, I provide it.