What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe that teaching is not about students knowing the what, but understanding the why and the how. Knowing what the powerhouse of the cell is important (the Mitochondria, by the way), but understanding how it provides for the cell. If a student doesn't learn the basis behind the facts, then what are they really building on from year to year?

What might you do in a typical first session with a student?

I would start by trying to get a feel for the student by assessing them, in both their work ethic and their knowledge of the subject. It is one thing to know a lot about a subject, but a whole other to be passionate about what they are doing. Knowing this can help me best plan my approach to optimize our time together.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

It's not about teaching students the facts; it's about teaching the students how to learn so that they can help themselves.

If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?

I try to understand why they might be having problems. That is usually due to missing a basic skill that they passed before that they fully understood. I try to find where they missed and help build that.