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My tutoring sessions from this week!

March 15th, 2013

Here at the Study Hut we have a unique teaching method that seems to work very well. At the Study Hut we hope to empower students. Here’s what it says on our website:

“Our tutors are young, local, and experienced.  We offer one-on-one subject tutoring, SAT test prep, and a variety of other services.  Students love coming to Study Hut because it’s cool and they see results. There are many large, impersonal tutoring companies out there. Study Hut is proud to say that we’re not one of them.

Instead of using a “one-size-fits-all” method, we focus on each student’s unique learning style and teach to his or her strengths. Our tutors emphasize progress and growth for all students at all levels—no matter how unmotivated or defeated they may start out feeling.

Our highly trained tutors have all graduated from local high schools and universities. Study Hut tutors have experience teaching every subject you can think of, from elementary school through AP high school courses, we have done and seen it all.”

I am one of the tutors here at the Study Hut and proud to work for such a great company. I normally tutor elementary and middle school students and truly enjoying working with each of my students! Here’s a story about one of my personal tutoring sessions!

I tutor a little girl whose a 1st grader and together we work on her homework packet. Each week she has a different number of packets… each for a different subject including but not limited to – Math, Social Science, Literature, and English. She mostly struggles with math (subtraction)… and refers to the numbers as “big numbers” – which make her nervous. During tutoring we work on the homework packet and if she gets it done early we play Word Bingo since Bingo is her favorite game.

Some of the assignments in the packet include coloring different pictures and words – which the little girl certainly enjoys! We work on pronunciation of words, spelling words, definitions, and other fun assignments.

The little girl also has started to learn Spanish, so we work on Spanish vocabulary as well and basic phrases every week. I write the words down for her in English with the Spanish translation and she always highlights the English words with a highlighter. She studies them at home and does a great job!

Every student you tutor is different and they each work well in their own ways.

Holiday SAT Study Sesh!

December 7th, 2012

The holiday season is upon us, but that is no reason to neglect your SAT studies. The January 26 test isn’t that far away, and the March test will be here before you know it. Staying sharp over winter break isn’t always the easiest thing to do, but here at the Study Hut, we have a slogan: “Come on, Man!” Sure, vegging out in front of your TV re-watching The OC: Season 4 for the third time seems like a good idea, but this time of year provides you with ample time to continue your prep work without having to worry about classes, sports, and other obligations – besides, Season 4 is lame anyway (Spoiler Alert: Marissa dies).
To help you all remain on task, I’d like to share a method that I personally have found extremely effective: The Pomodoro Technique. Designed eons ago in the early 90s as a way to utilize the power of concentrated energy and frequent, short breaks, Pomodoro remains one of the most popular productivity techniques. The premise is simple; make use of all of your brain’s energy in 25-minute spurts, and then take a 5-minute break. Do this three more times and then reward yourself with a 25-minute break. It’s as simple as it sounds, but almost 100 times as effective.

So keep chugging along hut-sketeers (Nailed it!), and let us know how the Pomodoro helps you out. See the chart below for upcoming SAT dates and deadlines to register. Don’t wait until the last minute!

SAT Date Registration Deadline Late Registration Deadline
Jan 26 Dec 28 Jan 11
Mar 9 Feb 8 Feb 22
May 4 Apr 5 Apr 19
Jun 1 May 2 May 17

Thoughts on the SAT

July 17th, 2011

The biggest misconception about the SAT is that it directly measures intelligence. Many students choose not to study for it because they believe their intellectual capacity is enough to earn the score they want. In reality, the SAT is a better indicator of how well the students have prepared than how smart they are. Getting a high score requires both mastery of the material and knowledge of the test taking strategies.

There is a wide range of material students have to know. The math section deals with many topics including, numbers and operations, algebra I and II, geometry, data analysis, statistics, and probability. The critical reading section requires students to be fast and active readers and have good comprehension and an extensive vocabulary. The writing section is graded on a very specific rubric. Students can learn exactly what is needed to satisfy each requirement on the rubric and earn a high score without being particularly good writers. Needles to say, a fair amount of studying is necessary to become proficient in all this material.

The SAT is a unique test and therefore demands unique test taking strategies. The score on each section of the test can be maximized using certain tricks and strategies. Knowing when and when not to guess, for instance, is a very important skill. As with the material, the test taking strategies are very teachable.