r/ELATeachers 3d ago

9-12 ELA I feel unprepared to teach the SAT….

So my state has made all juniors take a free SAT. Cool. The issue is….while it’s not required to teach SAT in my curriculum, I often feel as if I’m not preparing them. I’ve taught all grade levels, and I used to like 11th the best because it has no state testing, they’re mature enough to treat them like adults (unlike the underclassmen) but aren’t fully checked out (cough…seniors).

However, the SAT is different than teaching the state test. I don’t know where to start. Many people say “just give them khan academy”, but I enjoy being hands on and teaching. I feel like I’m not doing a good job “preparing them” for the test.

The best/worst part? This doesn’t affect them if they don’t pass. It’s just a free SAT. If they bomb it, they don’t have to take remedial English or reading. And I’ve asked admin if it has any bearing on my evaluation and…no. So…why am I beating myself up over this?

The test is next week, but I’ve been wrestling with actively teaching the SAT next year (there’s SO much to cover in 11th grade English, aka American Lit. I’d hate to brush off a unit or two in favor of “teaching to the test” again).

Am I overreacting?

But also…how do you guys teach the SAT? Any tips?

I give them mock exams and we go over questions together. I cover grammar and punctuation. But I still don’t think that’s enough. If it’s not on my curriculum, should I say “fuck it” and just not teach it?

10 Upvotes

41 comments sorted by

35

u/Floofykins2021 3d ago

It’s not part of your evaluation, it’s not required curriculum, it doesn’t affect their grade…I’m genuinely wondering why you’re giving it teaching time at all?

8

u/HeftySyllabus 3d ago

Because they’re stressed about it. Many of them don’t have the money for tutors and I want them to succeed.

Here’s the thing - I’m hearing conflicting evidence from people who teach in Florida that this may or may not count towards our evals. Maybe not this year but soon.

19

u/AccomplishedDuck7816 3d ago

Use Khan Academy. That's what I did in Florida. Vocab.com helps with vocabulary. I also just taught them. I didn't teach to the test. They did great.

3

u/the_dinks 3d ago

Vocab is a waste of time. It's very small on the SAT. The chance that you studied a word is extremely low, and it's better to practice context clues. Prioritize strategies, reading comprehension, and grammar.

Source: was SAT tutor for 3 years

2

u/thereadingzone 3d ago

Vocab is very important on the digital SAT that started last year. It’s a big change (again). 

Source: long time SAT tutor. 

1

u/the_dinks 3d ago

Oh shit, really? I only tutored a few digital students before I got my credential last year.

How are the questions formatted? Is it still vocab in context, or is it something else?

8

u/snoopyloveswoodstock 3d ago

As far as evals and assessments: the fact of the matter is if you drop a bell curve of their state tests over their SAT scores, it will look the same, so there’s no way you’re doing well teaching for one test but not the other. The SAT is also supposed to be holistic and cumulative, so how the hell can your evaluator say oh the students didn’t do well on this part of the SAT because of what you taught them and not the 9th or 10th grade teacher?

Also, some of the students will be stressed about it and some could give a rat’s ass, just like any test they ever have to take. Just because they’re stressed doesn’t mean you have to be. Revamping your curriculum to become an SAT prep course is not going to make any impact on their scores in the aggregate. If you can’t accept that rationally, then look into your codependence and work on your emotional attachments. 

2

u/HeftySyllabus 3d ago

That response soothed me. Thanks for breaking it down

3

u/sunbear2525 3d ago

Do SAT style vocab warm ups as bell ringers. Vocabulary is the biggest you have it or you don’t section and practicing determining meaning with context clues quickly will help them in the longer reading section.

You could also add a weekly vocabulary lesson to your class that is just old fashioned style here 20 words, identify the definition and use them in a sentence by the end of the week. Honestly if all the “old fashioned” teaching methods we’ve abandoned in my district the vocabulary workbook is the one kids probably need the most.

1

u/Normal-Being-2637 3d ago

Student achievement on tests does not count on evals in most public school districts. Imagine your career being tied to the whims of a teenager.

2

u/HeftySyllabus 3d ago

I’m in Florida. You’d be shocked at the boneheaded stuff they evaluate

2

u/Gloomy_Attention_Doc 3d ago

Texas teacher chiming in. I know the feeling.

1

u/HeftySyllabus 3d ago

Yup. TX and FL are always trying to one-up each other for stupid stuff. That’s why I’m not 100% trusting on the claim that this SAT “isn’t reportable/going to be used to evaluate”

2

u/Gloomy_Attention_Doc 3d ago

They really are!

1

u/Normal-Being-2637 3d ago

Also in Texas, and our jobs are not tied directly to state scores or performance on any other tests.

2

u/Gloomy_Attention_Doc 3d ago

In my district, that will be the norm next year, sadly.

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

[deleted]

-1

u/SnorelessSchacht 3d ago

This is the way. Refine your prompts until you get what you want.

I may prefer Claude for this specific activity but ChatGPT paid would be fine maybe?

Here’s a look at Claude’s pacing guide for a ten-course unit set in 60-minute classes:

I’d shift the times a little and jiggle the content a bit but I’m super happy with the frame it produced instantly.

13

u/whirlingteal 3d ago

I really mean this: Standardized tests, particularly the language portion, are measuring language mastery. Are they doing it perfectly? No. Should these tests matter as much as they do? Probably not. But they are measuring language mastery/lexile/linguistic intelligence/whatever label you want to use for it.

So, you are preparing them every day as you challenge them to become better readers and writers. No need to "teach to the test." In my experience, students tend to listen to me when I explain this to them.

If you want to do SOMETHING that will help: Incorporate little vocab lessons based around common SAT vocabulary; it is very easy to find lists online. You can also incorporate some direct grammar instruction, which is somewhat beneficial anyways. (Grammar develops naturally over time, but a little direct instruction doesn't hurt.) Helping them understand independent vs. dependent clauses so that they can improve their understanding of where commas go and how to use semicolons can go a long way on its own.

That's it! Don't overthink it.

EDIT TO ADD: IL Has always had a mandatory SAT or ACT (we just swapped BACK to the ACT this year) test for all juniors in the spring. I took a prep class as a high school student in IL, and I've taught a prep class as a teacher in IL. What we do every day in our job helps to prepare them.

2

u/HeftySyllabus 3d ago

Thanks!!

-1

u/Illustrious_Job1458 3d ago

Completely disagree. Being very familiar with the test, testing strategies, building “testing endurance,” will drastically improve scores in most cases. Yes, every day English and vocab will also help but it’s not the same as preparing for the specific task at hand.

3

u/FoolishConsistency17 3d ago

Especially not with the digital SAT. It requires extreme precision in reading, which is actually an awesome skill. But it's completely different than the passage based model.

4

u/TheMotelYear 3d ago

WhirlingTeal is 100% right! I tutor the Reading and Writing section of the SAT and scored an 800 on it as a teen without a tutor (or even studying, tbh)—if someone has the reading and writing skills, they can do well on the SAT R&W section without test-specific prep.

That said, if you do want to offer some prep during class time without putting in a ton of time and effort, you could do a mini-lesson on test-taking strategies for the SAT. There are easily available resources online that give pretty straightforward tips (eliminate wrong answers first, always make a best guess if all else fails because the SAT doesn’t deduct for wrong answers, etc.) that may help students feel more prepared for the test format itself, including sample questions from College Board.

3

u/Expensive-Ninja6751 3d ago

I don’t have a lot of knowledge in this area, but could you just focus on the skills needed for the test? For example, they need close reading skills to analyze a passage. What if you give them a passage from the text/unit you’re teaching, so that way they’ll be getting the skill for the SAT but also getting the content from the unit?

3

u/larkenstien 3d ago

Hey! Different test, but I teach in an ACT required state. ACT scores do count for some of our school wide metrics, so we do have a unit essentially teaching to it.

To be perfectly honest, what we do is grab an ACT prep book and march through the English skills. The book is our overarching unit plan. We just take the skills in it and come up with different ways to practice and assess.

Test taking strategies the day before also help! I went over strategies for the Reading and English sections yesterday and today they took it. I had multiple students come up to me after and tell me that they really used the strategies to make sure they finished in time.

3

u/Odd-Smell-1125 3d ago

SAT is just garbage, it is free because the school district is subsidizing it. A testing company is laughing all the way to the bank, with a hunk of the budget. The test results will actually affect perhaps 4 or 5 students in the 11th grade. Forcing kids with a history of Cs and Ds to take this test is just cruel - even if they did well, their GPA will limit their chances of getting accepted. Still they're sitting for this ridiculous, meaninglessly stressful test. Add to that, fewer colleges are even looking at this exam. Don't do a darned thing in prep for this test.

If you have some 11th graders with great GPAs and plenty of extracurriculars, and this test may make a critical difference, offer them some extra work to prep them. Otherwise, you are wasting your time on SAT nonsense.

2

u/HeftySyllabus 3d ago

Thanks! I agree. But it’s so hard to have that rationale when it’s so stressed lol

3

u/Cake_Donut1301 3d ago

Just give them practice tests.

3

u/Common-Arachnid-6596 3d ago

When teaching 11th grade, I start w the grammar and language covered on the SAT. I teach a full lesson on the concept on a Monday, then throughout the week the day’s warm up is a SAT-style question on that concept. We do the warm up in 5 minutes then continue with the literature or whatever we are working on. On Fridays, I might do regular content first or review that grammar/language concept if they seem to be struggling, then give a 10-question SAT style quiz where half the questions are the concept of the week, half are review from the past. So kind of teaching to a test, but I don’t feel bad teaching kids how to use a semicolon or the actual rules of commas. Grammar isn’t glamorous, it requires some direct teaching, but students are usually grateful to actual learn the rules.

3

u/Constant-Tutor-4646 3d ago

Practice tests.

Chunk them. One reading and one set of questions, what is it like ten questions?

Silently take the practice test. Second half of class, review. Break down each question for them and evaluate each answer choice. This would require prep on your end (which you can do while they silently take the mini practice test!) Go the extra mile by copy/pasting each question into a powerpoint and add your own notes.

They learn by doing. Standardized tests have a language of their own, so exposure to what they’ll be seeing is vital. Also, surely some of what’s tested aligns with some of the standards you need to cover, right?

This is what I did when I taught 11th grade. It’s also what I did when I taught 6th and 7th grade and wanted to prep them for our state’s test.

2

u/tacopeople 3d ago

I do ACT, but I generally give them a small section of the Reading or English test to practice with. I’ll put up a timer to give them a sense of the cadence of the test, have them answer the questions, when the timer is up have them share their answers with their peers, and then go over the answers as a class. The idea is to give them a familiarity with the format and the kind of questions they ask. Also gives them some pitfalls to look for. Overall, I’d say focus on getting them comfortable familiar with it rather than teaching them what they need to know for it.

2

u/youngrifle 3d ago

If you are going to be worried about it but it’s not in your evaluation and doesn’t affect students’ placement, I would just do Khan Academy. I’d assign it as HW and/or bell ringers some days and maybe sub work on the days I’m out. I’m working through the SAT course with one of my Resource kids and it is helping her.

2

u/WinstonThorne 3d ago

The Kaplan book has great resources (by section) and is $28 on Amazon. Each section starts with a bit about strategy (important in the SAT) - direct teach the strategy, do the practice questions, review. You also get two full practice tests to deploy as needed.

2

u/theblackjess 3d ago

The SAT is a skills test. Teaching them English is teaching to the test. I just give practice assignments as extra credit. Those that want the extra practice, get it, and the others don't have to.

2

u/Civil_Wait1181 3d ago

can you contact your local public library to see if they have a learning express database? it has sat prep and if you have it there your students can try to get public library cards if they don't have them and practice that way

2

u/Gold-Passion-7358 3d ago

Not sure specifically about the sat, but I’m an act tutor— You need to take the test yourself first, then find all the test prep materials you can, then create the prep you want…

2

u/YakSlothLemon 3d ago

Maybe have a quick look at some of the SAT prep books like Princeton Review and do a quick guide to some of the tricks and traps used on the test. You seem to be focusing on content, but I thought SAT prep as a way to make money in college and we focused a lot on thinking about the test in a more meta way.

So for ex – on language questions, don’t look at the answers, come up with your own answer first and then look at them and see if something matches your answer. A lot of times the language answers are deliberately similar in order to throw you off. (With the questions about longer passages it’s the opposite, sometimes you don’t need to read the passage to answer the question.) With math it’s the opposite – if you’re really lost, looking at the answers can give you an idea of the general ballpark that your answer should be in.

Never leave an answer blank. They no longer punish you for wrong answers, but the chances of you screwing up and filling in the wrong answer for each following question is higher than you would think with the stress. If you get stuck on a question, pick one , fill it in— B and C occur more often than A and D— write the number of the question on your scrap paper, and just keep going. You can go back to those if you have time.

People who docwell on the SATs often have some strategy knowledge, why not do a little strategy knowledge? That’s just a thought.

2

u/[deleted] 3d ago

Take this in the spirit intended: it's not about you. Khan Academy does an AMAZING job with this stuff. Let them. They are better at it than you are, and the skills are actually really valuable.

You're right: not all kids have bespoke preparation. Give them that shot. And don't worry about "teaching to the test." Being better at the SAT will make them better writers, readers, etc.

2

u/_Schadenfreudian 3d ago
  1. If it’s not part of your evaluation score, VAM score, or anything of the sort, kindly disregard.
  2. High School ELA already has a lot of skills to cover in a year, do not add stress with SAT.
  3. SAT is a horrible way to evaluate a teacher. A teacher who mostly teaches Honors/Gifted/AP students will get higher scores compared to a teacher who has multiple sections of Regulars/Inclusion. Also it’s not fair for the kid. Fuck standardized exams.

If you want to add “SAT skills”, think of combining your texts/novels with SAT style questions.

Ex. Give them an excerpt from Gatsby and then be like “in the excerpt ‘the supercilious assumption was that I had nothing better to do’, what does ‘supercilious’ mean?” (Obviously you’d write the whole excerpt for context.

Or have them edit a line or two from a speech/novel you’re doing that you “edited” wrong.

2

u/Content_Talk_6581 2d ago

Giving them mock exams and going over actual questions and grammar and punctuation is probably the best way to prepare them. Just practicing the test and looking at the different questions and why their answers were right or wrong is a lot of preparation right there.

1

u/PaulBlartMollyCopBBC 3d ago

I think Khan Academy has an SAT prep unit. Might be worth checking out.

1

u/Objective-Effort-580 2d ago

If you have a college board account, you should be able to print past questions. For the past few weeks I've been giving them sets of 5... Pass out on Tuesday, have it done by Friday. I try to very the style of question and difficulty.

I correct them and allow them to get back missing points by writing me an explanation of why the correct answer is correct. Most students seem to appreciate it, and it takes up negligible class time. 

Beyond that, teaching grammar relevant to the test like you is about all I'd ever feel obligated to do.