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Stop Guessing.
Start Solving.
Meet Peggy Sellery.
The Teacher Behind No Guesswork.®
My path to education wasn't a straight line—and I'm grateful for that.
As a premed undergraduate at MIT, I spent my days immersed in mathematics, science, and research, learning to think analytically and approach complex problems with curiosity and discipline.
As the youngest of nine children, I was a well-trained observer of cause and effect—a natural scientist.
At the same time, I was a witness to an endlessly unfolding story—the writer in me always felt a deep desire to document it.
Just as I was fascinated by the fundamental laws and interconnected mechanics of the universe, I was fascinated by the stories, personal relationships, and emotional ties that help make sense of life's complexities.
So, instead of continuing on to medical school, I chose a different path—one that ultimately led me to Columbia University, where I earned an MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing—studying language, communication, and the power of the written word.
For much of my life, I felt pulled between two identities: Scientist and Artist.
At first glance, these identities seem very different.
One is built on formulas—structure. The other on words—fluidity.
In time, I realized that the two sides of me shared something essential: a fascination with connections.
Connections between ideas.
Connections between seemingly unrelated concepts.
Connections between what was already known and what was waiting to be discovered.
Looking back, I can see that the power of connections shaped not only the way I taught, but the way I came to understand learning itself.
It would take more than two decades of teaching before I fully understood just how important those connections were.
Over 25 Years Helping Students Learn
For more than 25 years, I've taught mathematics, science, language arts, and standardized test preparation.
Along the way, I've worked with students of all ability levels—from students working to pass their classes to those pursuing admission to the Ivy League.
What fascinated me wasn't simply which students succeeded.
It was why.
Year after year, I noticed something surprising.
Many students often knew more than they thought they did.
They had studied the material.
Completed their homework.
Scored well on their tests.
Yet when faced with an unfamiliar problem, most froze.
They weren't lacking intelligence.
Or effort.
Or determination.
More often than not, they simply didn't know where to begin.
Knowledge Beyond Content
As I continued teaching, I became increasingly interested in the difference between students who consistently made progress and those who remained stuck.
I spent thousands of hours analyzing SAT and ACT questions, searching for the patterns hidden beneath the surface.
At the same time, I paid close attention to how students approached those questions—and how they responded to my cues.
Where did they get stuck?
What phrases came from my mouth in the moment before the lightbulb turned on?
What habits led to confidence?
What habits led to guessing?
Slowly, another pattern began to emerge.
The students who made the greatest gains weren't necessarily the students who knew the most.
They were the students who learned to recognize the clues I pointed out, ask the questions I modeled, and eventually guide themselves through the problem to a solution.
Over time, my prompts became their prompts.
My process became their process.
An Unexpected Discovery
One of the most surprising discoveries of my career came from teaching grammar.
The vast majority of students don't have a working knowledge of grammar—because they haven't talked about it since grade school.
Generally, they rely on Grammarly to edit their papers.
Beyond that, they "go by ear."
The irony is that everyday speech is often grammatically incorrect.
As a result, intuition can become one of the most dangerous traps on the SAT and ACT.
In fact, I've come to believe that grammar intuition is often just guessing disguised as confidence.
Success comes not from choosing what "sounds right," but from recognizing clues, identifying patterns, and only then applying the appropriate rule.
Over time, I realized that some of my most analytical teaching wasn't happening in mathematics—it was happening in grammar.
I teach my students to work backwards.
I teach them to categorize problems by looking at the answers before the questions.
To identify distinctive clues.
To cue themselves with simple phrases that allow them to retrieve the relevant rule or strategy.
Once my process becomes their process, problems that once felt confusing are surprisingly predictable.
Sure enough—the same pattern that emerged through teaching mathematics revealed itself through teaching grammar.
The strongest students weren't guessing.
They were automatically recognizing patterns.
The No Guesswork® I SEE, I SAY, I THINK™ Method
Over tens of thousands of hours of teaching, observing, refining, and testing strategies, I evolved a simple framework.
Students who use my framework don't have to guess—because they can immediately start solving.
When encountering an unfamiliar or challenging problem, these students naturally move through three stages:
I SEE
What clues and information are present, both in the question and the answers?
I SAY
What patterns do I recognize that allow me to categorize the kind of problem I am facing?
I THINK
What rules, strategies, and tools automatically come to mind when I name the category with simple phrases?
The No Guesswork® I SEE, I SAY, I THINK™ Method provides a clear, repeatable process that replaces uncertainty with predictability.
Why the Method Works So Well
I often remind my students that I'm not performing magic when I solve a problem quickly.
I've simply seen thousands of examples.
I've practiced identifying clues, recognizing patterns, and retrieving strategies so many times that the process has become automatic for me.
For machines, the process is automatic—I've become a machine.
The exciting part is watching my students become machines too.
Learning to effectively problem solve is a lot like learning to ride a bike.
In the beginning, every movement requires conscious effort.
When my students start test prep, they rely heavily on my guidance. Together, we practice the same process over and over again: I SEE. I SAY. I THINK.
At first, the process feels deliberate and awkward—but then something remarkable happens.
Students find a rhythm.
The clues become easier to recognize.
The strategies become easier to retrieve.
Questions that once felt intimidating become manageable.
Sometimes they even become fun.
By the time students are ready for the test, the process really can feel automatic—just like riding a bike.
There is a freedom that comes from knowing exactly what to do when you encounter something difficult.
That's why the No Guesswork® I SEE, I SAY, I THINK™ Method works so well.
It doesn't teach students what to think.
It teaches them how to think.
More Than A Test Prep Method
Although my method was developed through years of SAT and ACT instruction, I've come to believe that its value extends far beyond test day.
One reason I've spent so many years refining the No Guesswork® I SEE, I SAY, I THINK™ Method is that I care deeply about my students—not just their academic success, but their overall well-being.
Of course I want them to earn stronger scores, gain admission to great schools, and achieve their goals.
But I also want them to develop confidence.
Resilience.
Independence.
The ability to face difficult situations without immediately assuming they're incapable or overwhelmed.
Because the world is full of difficult problems.
Academic problems.
Professional problems.
Personal problems.
When people feel overwhelmed, their instinct is often to panic, react emotionally, or assume they don't know what to do.
But effective problem solving usually begins the same way.
Pause.
Observe.
Think clearly.
What do I actually see here?
What patterns do I recognize?
What tools might help?
Only then are we free to move forward, confidently and effectively.
In many ways, that's what No Guesswork® is really about.
Not simply better scores—but a better way to think through challenging problems.