No two students are alike, so why prescribe the same program for everyone? That approach will only lead to boredom, frustration, or both. It's important to get immediate student buy-in, because students can self-sabotage if they aren't invested in the process. Many begin skeptical that tutoring will work, or (even if it does) that the amount of improvement will be worth the added time and effort. They have enough obligations already, so the last thing they want or need is unnecessary busy work. I respect that, having gone through it myself, so I will always take a "most bang for your buck" approach to tutoring. I won't waste your time.
Before our first session, I have each student take a diagnostic test. This allows me to spot patterns in her errors and cater my lesson to her particular weaknesses, avoiding things she doesn't need help with. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it", as the saying goes. Second, I prioritize the concepts or techniques that enable us to get the most correct answers for the least amount of effort. In other words, work smart, not hard. Next, I focus on concepts that make up a disproportionate part of the test, illustrating the connections between seemingly unrelated problems, and increasing the student's pattern recognition. Finally, I demonstrate how simple techniques can be stacked to solve a broad number of problems, resulting in a more efficient, less error-prone approach. This follows the basic principle that a simple, familiar tool, used creatively, will always be better than a rarely used, special-case tool. Familiarity breeds speed and accuracy.
I don't just teach standardized test "tips & tricks" - this isn't a kitchen hack. It's a cohesive, systematic approach to conceptual, diagnostic, and procedural improvement. Since I understand that the achievement gap is about perspective and process, I never begin an engagement with limiting beliefs about a someone’s potential. Just because a student is at a certain level currently does not mean that they always will be. Sure, we may need to rebuild foundations, explore different viewpoints, revisit certain concepts, or persevere a bit longer. But I firmly believe that all of my students are capable of achieving a perfect score. If you shoot for the stars, but only hit the moon, are you not still an astronaut?