I’ve been working with a shy student I’ll call Esmeralda who struggles to advocate for herself. Self-advocacy is a skill we teach in test prep every day at RTC. In every lesson, I create a safe space for Esmeralda around recognizing what her needs are and expressing them, because lots of our students, especially our girls, don’t have this skill yet in their teen years. They need it for college and beyond.

Every time Esmeralda pipes up for herself with her growing voice, I praise and reinforce. Today, she sent me an email clearly telling me her needs. Woot! Seeing this student progress is so exciting.

In RTC test prep, students learn an entire skill set which depends on their assessed needs. Often, students arrive to test prep tutoring with their college-readiness skills at various levels of development; they need them sharpened to succeed.

Like Esmeralda, all maturing young people need self-advocacy skills for their happiness and safety. Our tutors are safe adults who create trusting relationships with them. In their lessons, tutors teach learners to advocate for themselves around their learning needs and homework levels. As a result, students learn that they have a confident voice in their growth, and they use it. In mindfulness coaching, students learn to be present with their inner voice and trust it, so they trust their test-taking skills. Of course, the skills transfer, as students develop confident voices speaking to adults.

Some students come to us telling us they are desperate for study skills for college; others are unprepared for college, but don’t yet realize they lack those skills. Our tutors work with students on study and life skills like chunking out work to meet deadlines, critical reading and thinking as they interact with texts and problems, learning to work calmly under time constraints, producing work to a high standard, and communicating clearly and effectively with people who expect them to meet deadlines. 

Some of our high-achieving students learn mindful self-care in test prep: how to listen to their bodies, rest, and prioritize self-care over the pursuit of perfection. Other students find their confidence, learning for the first time that if they work hard, they can achieve. All students learn to be come clear, focused test-takers. Our Mindfulness Coaches work with our students on science-based mind-body skills so that students can regulate their nervous systems and take their best, calm test no matter what on Test Day.

As educators, we know we have succeeded when a student like Esmeralda not only meets all her homework deadlines and starts to see improvement in her practice tests – places we knew were her strengths when she began – but also when she begins to see confidence in herself as a learner, to find her place and her value as a young person, and to learn her voice has value – places where we knew she needed to grow. When she steps foot on campus at her dream school, Esmeralda will know she belongs there and has a voice, which matters to us.  Every student has a unique path. To us, when a student starts to grow in new and exciting ways, that’s pretty magical. 

That’s why we do test prep this way at RTC. Yes, it’s absolutely about the score. But we believe your student should leave test prep not just with the score to get into college, but the skills to achieve there.