Methods at SSA: Epiphany-Based Teaching Model

 
 

We encourage epiphanies in our students

At SSA, we spend a lot of time trying to get kids to have an epiphany. So, assuming that they already know most of the things they’re going to need to know for the SAT (which they do!), our job is to help them figure out how to parlay those tools and how to understand them. Plato believed that all learning is remembering, that we already have all of the answers, but we have to discover them. We believe that our students already have the answers they need and we work with them to help them discover these answers.

Building the tower of knowledge

You already have the fundamental knowledge on which you’re going to build and we’re just gonna add things to that. To that end, our job as teachers is to figure out what you already know, pitch our lessons to your level, and then build on top of that using vocabulary and jargon that you are already familiar with. We want you to have an epiphany where you are connecting knowledge that you are getting to knowledge that you already have. 

 
 

Higher-order and critical thinking skills

Our job is to find an easier way to explain things that you already knew so that you see a connection between this thing that we just taught you and this old thing that actually is similar to another connection that you’ve seen before. Those are higher-order thinking skills and critical thinking skills. Those are the benchmarks of success, both for us and for your kids, in terms of college acceptance, college persistence, college graduation, salary after graduation, and happiness in life. Those are all the indicators and the more that we can instill that in your children, not only will their learning experience be that much better, but their lives will be that much better, too!

Learn more about college, financial aid, and SAT® news and tips and tricks!

Make the most of your summer with us - reading, writing, math, and social justice classes!

SSA MethodsAlyssa the College ExpertVideo