Unlocking the Secrets of Elite Tutoring

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Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to take a moment to thank you all for your thoughtful feedback to my most recent article on “Balancing the 3 Modes of Mental Activity.” Your continued support and engagement mean the world to me. 

Most people were interested in talking about what’s been happening to me during these extreme diffuse mode workouts. The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that something rather profound is going on here. Creativity is the most mysterious and opaque of all our capacities. It is also the most powerful and enriching. Any practice that unlocks our creative energies is deserving of our attention.

If any of you decide to experiment more with this practice, I’d love to hear how it goes. As a reminder, it doesn’t matter so much what you are doing just so long as you dial up both the intensity and the duration of your workout. You want to be so engaged in what you are doing, that your automatic mind is forced to shut-off completely. The only way this happens is if you go hard and do so for a decent chunk of time (at least 30 minutes).

Now, you might be annoyed to hear this but if you don’t end up on the floor, you haven’t worked out hard enough. Here’s a visual of the evolution of a good intense workout and proof that you can do so and still have fun!

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Today, I’m excited to share the latest podcast episode for The Nick Halaris Show. We are featuring my friend Dan Lerman, one of the very best SAT and ACT private tutors in the world. Dan holds a PHD in Cognitive Science, is a psychology professor at Columbia University, and is the founder of The League of Extraordinary Tutors. He’s also a popular education YouTuber, where he creates free content designed to help students and parents navigate our ever-more competitive education landscape. 

Ready to dive in? Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube or on your favorite podcast platform.

I wanted to have Dan on the show to learn more about the inner workings of the mysterious private tutor world. When I was coming up, private tutors were hardly a thing; now, they are a difference maker. Access to elite educational opportunities is a key line of division in our fracturing society and, while in education we tend to look for systemic solutions, what’s going on with private tutors suggests that individual intervention may be where we want to focus. 

Tune in to this fascinating conversation to learn:

• Why parents around the world are willing to pay people like Dan upwards of $2000 per hour to help their kids do better on standardized tests

• What close reading is and why it’s the secret to standardized test success

• Just what is being measured by standardized tests and why we should care about it

• Why, despite their issues and limitations, many schools are turning back to standardized test scores to help sort candidates

• How the best schools in the world are designed to create lifelong learners rather than for information/curriculum delivery

  &

• Much, much more

Stay tuned to the end to hear why Dan thinks, even with the rise of AI, our education system is largely here to stay. We also discuss Dan’s fascinating perspectives on why intelligence is improvable, why kids are struggling so much with literacy these days, and just how serious the youth mental health crisis may be. 

As always, I hope you all enjoy this episode. Thanks for tuning in! 

Love this episode? Please rate, subscribe, and review on your favorite podcast platform to help more users find our show. 🙏 Thank you

Keywords

elite tutoring, SAT, ACT, education, standardized tests, private schools, intelligence, cognitive skills, tutoring rates, educational equity, education, AI, tutoring, college admissions, literacy, standardized testing, teacher quality, future of education, student anxiety, learning techniques

Summary

In this conversation, Nick Halaris interviews Dan Lerman, a leading private SAT and ACT tutor, who shares his journey into elite tutoring, the evolution of tutoring rates, and the core skills necessary for success in standardized tests. They discuss the impact of test scores on educational opportunities, what standardized tests measure, and the improvable nature of intelligence. The conversation also explores the role of education in society, the effectiveness of private schools, and the significant influence of teachers on student experiences. In this conversation, Dan Lerman and Nick Halaris explore the evolving landscape of education, focusing on the quality of teaching, the integration of AI, and the challenges faced by students today. They discuss the impact of technology on learning, the future of mass education, concerns about literacy among graduates, and the competitive nature of college admissions. The conversation highlights the importance of personalized tutoring and the potential for a new approach to education that leverages both technology and human interaction.

Takeaways

• Dan Lerman is a top private SAT and ACT tutor with a PhD in cognitive sciences education.

• Tutoring rates have significantly increased, with some tutors charging over $2,000 an hour.

• The key to success in standardized tests is being a close reader.

• Grit and motivation are crucial for improving test scores.

• Standardized tests measure reading ability and the capacity to study for a test.

• Intelligence is an improvable construct, influenced by learning and experience.

• Education should focus on pulling out the best in students, not just delivering information.

• Private schools vary in their effectiveness in fostering a curious learning environment.

• The quality of education often depends on the individual teacher's impact.

• Creating lifelong learners is essential for a successful educational experience. The variance in teacher quality is significantly lower in private schools.

• AI can be integrated into education to enhance learning experiences.

• Mass education may be becoming obsolete due to advancements in technology.

• Many students are graduating with inadequate literacy skills.

• Standardized testing may not be the best measure of student capability.

• College admissions processes are increasingly competitive and stressful for students.

• There is a growing mental health crisis among students linked to academic pressure.

• Personalized tutoring can fill gaps left by traditional education systems.

• The future of education may involve experiential learning and entrepreneurship.

• The demand for tutors is likely to increase as education evolves.

Titles

• Unlocking the Secrets of Elite Tutoring

• The Journey of a Top SAT Tutor

• Understanding the High Stakes of Standardized Testing

• The Evolution of Tutoring in America

• How Test Scores Shape Futures

Sound Bites

• "I'm one of the very best private SAT tutors."

• "The key skill is being a close reader."

• "Education doesn't mean what I thought of."

• "I think it depends on the school."

• "90% of the teachers were the real deal."

• "AI is kind of an exploration."

• "The game of mass education is over."

• "There's a market out there for sharp minds."

• "Kids are massively anxious and getting Cs."

• "It's a zero-sum game."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Elite Tutoring

01:11 Dan Lerman's Journey into Tutoring

04:22 The Evolution of Tutoring Rates

06:31 Understanding the Core Skills for Success

10:08 The Impact of Test Scores on Opportunities

11:05 What Standardized Tests Measure

14:15 The Improvable Nature of Intelligence

18:15 Education's Role in Society

21:32 The Effectiveness of Private Schools

24:30 The Influence of Teachers on Student Experience

24:57 The Quality of Education and Teacher Impact

27:04 Integrating AI in Education

30:59 The Future of Mass Education

35:42 Concerns About Student Literacy

40:31 The Role of Standardized Testing

43:59 The Competitive Landscape of College Admissions

49:35 The Future of Tutoring and Education

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