Korean Job Discussion Forums

[itiswhatitis]

I interviewed for a position teaching SAT's. I am Canadian so I never wrote the SAT.

The school has a curriculum but I have never taught SAT's. I don't mind taking the time to learn, but I took the easy math class in high school and I wonder if that will get me in trouble with teaching SAT's.

How is teaching SAT's?

Is my weak math background going to cause me trouble?

Thanks in advance.

[thetawnyman]

Depends on which subject they want you to teach. Any decent SAT hakwon has separate teachers for reading and math.

You can also download a free practice test and give it a go.

[fustiancorduroy]

You were specifically asked to teach math? Unless you have a math background, an SAT hagwon (normally) wouldn't ask you to do that. Koreans usually teach the math section anyway. As a native English speaker, you job would be to teach the verbal and writing sections.

And, the plural of SAT is SATs, no apostrophe.

Also, is "write a test" a Canadian expression? Because I sure haven't heard any Americans say that.

[Haibrok]

Having taken easy math will not hurt you. The SAT only requires Algebra and a bit of geometry.

SAT math is hard because the questions are "tricky", not because they require advanced math. Questions are asked in such a way that you have to "think outside the box" before you realize that only a simply principle is required to solve the problems.

There are a million and one prep books out there. Only two are worthwhile. One is the actual book of old SAT exams put out by the College Board.

The other are the Kaplan prep courses.

The other companies do their best but they don't really simulate-well the types of questions the SAT asks. That's only obvious after working with the test for a while, though.

SAT verbal is pretty much the same. You really don't have to know any literature or literary theory, just be a smart reader with a lot of vocabulary.

Remember that the SAT is meant to equalize people of different educational backgrounds. It's meant to show raw capability. For learned subject matter proficiency, there are AP and IB tests. For work ethic there are grades. For personal factors there are recommendations.

The taboo word here is IQ: That's basically what the SAT is, an IQ test.

If this sounds weird it is, but that's born out of American social conditions, for better or worse.

[robot]

As a Canadian I can confirm we don't say "write a test". The expression is chiefly South African. In British usage "sit an exam" is common.

[Haibrok]

I think you "write a test" in German.

[FMPJ]

There is virtually no market for foreigners to teach SAT Math, so if you find a job teaching SAT prep, you'll likely be teaching W or CR (although the test is changing in the spring of '16, collapsing those two sections).

[Haibrok]

Yeah, I forgot the year after I took it they added the writing section, like the PSAT.

The new one is going to be completely nerfed though. Which is stupid. It's the one chance that smart kids who got a terrible education have to shine, and now they won't even get that. If the test is too easy, how can they show their intelligence?