Tutoring topic: dealing with motivated students with high expectations in bad shape for exam

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
1

This is the closest thing I could find to an active tutoring forum. I would be interested if there was a better place to post it. I have had problems with tutoring motivated students for exams where they were not well prepared and had unrealistic expectations.

I tutored this girl for the Math Level II SAT II. Her father told me she was a brilliant student and had been valedictorian of her middle school. She was in pretty bad shape for the SAT II. After half an hour, I told her I saw why she got a tutor, but I would help her get a top score. She then gets up talks to the father. The father ends the lesson saying she was an advanced student and needed advanced explanations. I replied that if she doesn’t understand the explanation, I would give her a simpler one, rather than a more advanced one. I believe she told her father that I was the one who didn’t understand the material

I worked with another student for the Quantitative GRE. He is going to state college that was originally a teachers college. He had worked with another tutor for the Verbal GRE and had improved to 80th percentile on practice tests. He had gotten 400 on his math SAT. He was very motivated to get high scores, as he wanted to get into a good MBA program, as that was important to a career in corporate management.

When I worked with him, he didn’t know much of the basic math. He thought the test was ridiculous, as it was mostly SAT-like middle school math, and not financial math. I mostly agree on this. I have him an assignment of relatively easy problems, and he got 3 out of 24 right, less than by guessing randomly. I told him that he had some work to do, but he would improve to a good score as he was motivated. I gave him assignments to study in addition to an even easier problem assignment.

He twice canceled the 3rd lesson at the last minute. Neither he nor his mother would return my calls or emails, so I assume he told his mother it was partly my fault, as he had blamed the unfair material on the test.

Both of these students were motivated and had good work ethic, and I could have helped them a lot. I don’t know if I could handle this sort of situation better or if this is just comes with the territory.

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You’re better off without those type of students. Why stress over them? If a student cancels at the last minute, give him one more chance. If he cancels a second time, drop that student immediately.

3

In the girl’s case, it seems more like the infamous “tiger parenting” (since the dad wants something for the girl, when she really needs something else). Ideally he shouldn’t have been too involved…

I’m not sure what I would’ve done with the second student – if he cancels last minute twice, it’s most likely his fault. Also, what gives him the right to blame the material of the test or call it ridiculous when he can’t do basic math? I’m a little confused…

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One key aspect of all students who do well in tests such as SAT, GRE, GMAT etc., is that they are committed and willing to work hard. This has been my experience. Of course, the larger student population falls in the category of needing instant results, well that is not how it works in reality. There is really not much you can do about it, yes you should do your best in motivating them, encouraging them, helping them gradually master the content and raising their level, but beyond that it is ultimately in their hands to do the necessary work. Also, in my opinion a good tutor should clearly communicate to a student about their current standing and what will it take to reach their goal and the time frame required.