My teaching philosophy is that each student, no matter the level of competence at which he or she begins a task, is able to learn a concept, however difficult it may seem. The question, therefore, is not "Will I learn?"; instead, it is "How can I learn?"

In a first session, I would ask a student how best she learns new material. Is she a visual learner who works better with images? Or, does she prefer to tackle new concepts by being given a model with which to work? This is a process that requires the teacher to listen carefully to a student's specific learning styles.

Becoming an independent learner is a process and requires patience (and a bit of trust). I would develop independence in a student by, for example, presenting a model of a properly written essay, guiding that student through the writing process, and finally, allowing the student to create an essay on his own. I would, of course, be available at all times as a motivated guide and supporter.

You can't have motivation without goals, in much the same way that a long-distance runner can't compete without wanting to win a marathon. After all, what's the point of expending time, energy, and talent if there is no reward at the end?

In much the same way, I remind my students that, while achieving a goal may be difficult, the end result--writing an excellent college admissions essay, for example--is empowering and incredibly satisfying.

In my experience, using different kinds of approaches--until finding one that works--helps my students learn difficult material.

For example, when I recently taught the history of the Islamic Revolution as background for reading "Persepolis," my class began by analyzing articles in The New York Times. When I noticed that all of my students were not absorbing the material, I introduced videos and short films that brought that history to life. After taking this approach, the number of students who were prepared to read "Persepolis" increased.

I help students by presenting a number of strategies and questions, some of which follow:

I find that allowing a student to show me what he already knows is a good way to begin. At that point, I can guide a student towards new strategies with which he may not be familiar.

I aim to bring a number of different resources, such as video clips, technology and electronic resources (iPads, etc.), and graphic novels, to enrich the learning experience. I also find that field trips enhance the learning process for those students who are struggling with a concept.

The first technique I would use to test whether or not a student has learned the material is simple: Ask the student to run through the steps in the same way that I modeled them.

Another technique I use is to ask students how we arrived at the answer--in reverse order.

I build student confidence one step at a time. If the student has trouble completing an essay, for example, we would focus on making the different parts of an essay as strong and well-written as possible.