<p>(specifically Critical Reading tutors--with help in READING SECTION)</p>
<p>I want to (kind of have the great privilege) of having an SAT tutor, but at times I feel as if he/she is useless, and that all the work really is on me. It doesn't seem I need the tutor, but since I have the great opportunity to do so anyway, how can I most effectively use him/her?</p>
<p>Go over questions/passages? (he/she hasn't read them beforehand, per se)
Talk about strategy? (CC is enough?)
Do passages together during the session (takes time)?</p>
<p>Any suggestions?
How can I get the most for my money?</p>
<p>Hopefully this will serve as good advice for those with some extra help too!</p>
<p>Anyone? Help please?</p>
<p>It sounds like your sessions are the kind where your tutor comes and ask as you, “Well, BeattheSAT, what do you want to work on today?”</p>
<p>If so, then yes, the burden of the work will be on you. It’s best if the tutor does some prep work tho. As for strategies…work on passages together and make sure you understand the passage b4 delving into the Qs.</p>
<p>I can only really speak for the math (but what I say probably applies to verbal as well). A good tutor will be doing the following:</p>
<p>(1) Teaching you strategies that you were previously unaware of.
(2) Giving you problems to do at the appropriate level in each topic, letting you explain your solutions, and then possibly giving alternate solutions.
(3) Telling you exactly what problems you should be doing for hw between meetings. These problems should be at the appropriate level in each topic so that you are getting some right, and some wrong.
(4) Going over the hw problems that you got wrong or spent too much time on.
(5) Periodically assigning a practice test (probably from the blue book) to make sure you are implementing the strategies you have learned correctly under timed conditions, and to keep track of your improvement.
(6) When it’s close to the SAT the tutor should watch you do at least one section timed, so that the tutor can point out small things that you can do to optimize your score before going into the test.</p>
<p>Of course, a tutor isn’t absolutely necessary for all of these things, but if you need help with motivation, working with a tutor can be useful.</p>
<p>@yeulih – Yes, that’s exactly what the tutor does and doesn’t really do much prep. before hand. Do most tutors do prep.? What is your experience? What “good prep” can a tutor do?</p>
<p>@DrSteve – Thanks for the advice! Are you an SAT tutor, too? Looking at your past posts, it seems that you also have a book! What is it? Can you give me a link? Thanks!</p>
<p>Yes I’ve been tutoring SAT math a little over 12 years now. I have a very specific 3 1/2 month program that I follow. I generally teach groups of 4 to 6 students simultaneously with similar PSAT math scores. I only focus on problems that will ensure a score increase. For example if the group has scores in the 400s I will spend most of the course on Level 1, 2, and 3 problems. If the group is in the 600s I will spend most of the course on Level 3, 4 and 5 problems. I use the blue book for practice tests, and my own materials for everything else. </p>
<p>The rules of this forum prevent me from answering your other questions.</p>
<p>In general, tutors should do prep work. Realistically, it may depend on how much the tutor is charging.</p>
<p>I work for a major test prep company for 1-on-1 tutoring. Obviously, the parents pay far more for my services than what I actually get as pay, but I know I am expensive and I make sure I am prepared.</p>
<p>The ‘strategy’ for CR isn’t rocket science but it does involve understanding the passage on a fundamental level before tackling the questions. Your tutor should be guiding to you in ‘how’ to get each passage.</p>
<p>I don’t teach privately now, but I wouldn’t accept less than 25/hour if I had to do prep.</p>
<p>Agree with DrSteve, but would add that tutor should also be looking over your answers to see trends that you tend to get wrong - this can be by looking over your practice tests/sections, or more effectively by sitting with you as you do sections and having you talk through your thought process, or by watching you take sections and seeing your strategy, timing, etc.</p>
<p>Good tutors either work for good companies that train them/provide help, or do a lot of prep on their own. Either way, they honestly should be pretty pricey - the ones that charge $20, $30, even $40 an hour typically don’t have the experience or dedication to put in the work they should (IME).</p>