When applying for college, one of the most pivotal factors in both acceptance and scholarships is a student’s ACT score. At least twice per week inside door #5 at 6:50 a.m., English teacher Tim Davis assists students through ACT prep.
Davis believes that consistent practice is the key to satisfactory test results. He has observed that those who attend ACT prep consistently see significant improvement in their results for the English section.
“What I’ve noticed is an elevation in confidence,” Davis said. “I think that some of it comes from the grit of getting up early and showing up at 6:50, and that’s awesome.”
Moreover, Davis encourages students to begin ACT prep significantly before their test date in order to avoid the unnecessary stress that comes with last-minute studying.
“When you cram, it’s kind of like a minute emergency, but this is the slow learning that sticks with you for a long time,” Davis said.
For students, Davis’ teaching style has been invaluable to the development of their ACT English proficiency.
“He has this kind of voice [that] draws you in. It’s just everything that he says, he takes into account, and he explains things thoroughly,” said sophomore Mikaela Guillermo, a regular attendee. “He makes it interesting every time.”
Students also see improvement in not only ACT scores, but their English skill as a whole.
“My grammar really improved,” said freshman Moaaz Khalil. “At the beginning of the year, I struggled to pick things out, but it’s a lot easier now.”
Overall, Davis works to build habit and instinct among students through repetition. He hopes to describe the optimal strategy for each type of question, ensuring that students are prepared for anything the ACT might present them.
“He expands on everything really well,” said Khalil. “I just like that.”