I’m a Confidence Man

I’m a confidence man.

Before you go reporting me to the appropriate authorities as some sort of flimflam man, I’m not saying I’m a con artist. I mean, I do work hard to gain the trust of my marks students, prey on their greed for higher test scores, and attempt to coerce them into investing their limited resources—time and energy—into my scheme. But it’s not a grift.

Nor am I saying that standardized tests are a scam. I am saying that, in my opinion, the way standardized tests are presented to students, parents, and universities (as some measure of a student’s current readiness for college) is total bunk. The only thing a standardized test score can give 100% accuracy on is a student’s state of readiness for that particular test on that particular day.

Students need a cheerleader to provide the encouragement they need to push harder than they thought they could. Students need a coach to show them the fundamentals of the test. Students need a teammate to show them how to exploit the lazy, repetitive nature of the test maker.

I’m constantly chasing the thrill of the hustle. When I see a student recognize how simple a question actually is or recall a strategy from a previous lesson, it’s like I’ve found a new assistant who’s ready to swindle their higher test score out from under the test maker’s nose.

So, as it’s my job to give students the confidence to be successful on test day, I’m a confidence man. Hence, I’m a conman. Wait. Let me start over.