Monterey locals take note: SAT Crash Course upcoming:
When: November 21st and 22nd from 8:30am-1:30pm
Where: The Stevenson School
Who: Ideally for those signed up for December 5th SAT, but anyone taking the SAT will benefit.
For more information, contact CROSSWALK. Call 831-70-TUTOR or email mail@crosswalkeducation.com.
Learn proven strategies that get results!
No matter what the subject or what the objective, it’s hard not to find an excellent use for Flash Cards.
I might argue that Flash Cards are the number one “go to” study resource.
I’ve used them for Foreign Languages, SAT Prep and even Math tutoring. They are so versatile since they can be personalized for any study use.
Vocabulary words is the obvious choice but any concepts that require definition or explanation can be captured in a Flash Card.
And the best part is when using Flash Cards, you can discard the words or concepts you know and focus on the most challenging topics. This is a great way to optimize studying.
Next study time, try some Flash Cards. Old school, but very effective.
For most students, the educational landscape evolves over time. New teachers, new classes and new skills 
require students to be able to adapt and adjust to learning environments.
Despite this ever-changing atmosphere, one thing remains constant: successful learning truly takes place when a strong relationship is created between the teacher and the student.
Think about your favorite teacher: you undoubtedly learned more because you enjoyed working with and for that particular instructor.
We take the same approach at CROSSWALK. After hundreds of students and many tutors, the relationship between the student and the tutor is always the determining factor for success.
For this reason, we offer free consultations. The first meeting is the chance for the tutor to meet the student and vice versa. If a strong match is made, the chances for success grow. If there is not a strong match, then CROSSWALK will work to find a better match at no charge.
As much as we are in the educational business, we find ourselves more in the relationship business.
It’s the relationship between the student and the tutor that truly matters. CROSSWALK won’t rest until we’ve found the right match for all.
At CROSSWALK, we see a number of students that struggle with test taking. Many bright, articulate and well-rounded students freeze up during test time.
There is something about a test environment that creates nerves and lowers self-confidence.
So if you are struggling with test taking, try some of these techniques to improve your results:
1) Keep the Confidence Up: build yourself up before, during and after the test. Tell yourself you are just as smart, or smarter, than the next student. Often times, test taking is more about your internal confidence than your knowledge. This is most true during standardized tests.
2) Don’t Spend Too Much Time on One Question: this obviously depends on the test, but the advice is applicable in a lot of settings. If you cannot develop a good answer quickly, move on to the next question. You can always go back, so score points where you can. Taking too much time will also lower your self-confidence.
3) Stay Calm: part of successful test taking is the ability to stay calm and focused for the entire time. Take deep breaths and eliminate any extraneous thoughts.
4) Make Sure You Are Answering the Question: sounds obvious, but may test takers don’t read all of the directions or they don’t understand precisely what is being asked. Many teachers want to ensure you know the material, so they will plant traps or tricks to catch people that don’t read the directions or understand the question. Take the time to understand exactly what is being asked.
5) Double Check Your Answers: this is the oldest trick in the book, but extremely necessary. When reviewing tests the next day, many students find silly errors or slips that could have easily been avoided if they checked their work. So take the extra time to check your work.
These are just some techniques to overcome test anxiety. Ultimately it comes down to preparation, focus, confidence and practice. Tell yourself you are good test taker, study for the test and practice the good habits listed above and test anxiety will be a thing of the past.
The Path Towards Learning Success 