My teaching philosophy to empower students to be the agents of their own learning. In order to learn efficiently and effectively, tutors need to embrace learning styles. From concepts to creation, students must learn how to ask significant questions and keep asking them. For a tutor, this means modeling good questions and expecting the best from her students.

Getting to know and trust each other is extremely important. I like to play a few games related to the subject matter I'll be teaching that also allows us to learn about each other and our backgrounds.

Students become independent learners when they have both the tools and the confidence to succeed. Students who are taught how to question, how to study and why learning can be fun become excellent independent learners!

Students can stay motivated by knowing that they are not alone in their struggles, and that the only pressure is from within. Once students grasp that learning can be a slow, step-by-step process, and not a race, it becomes much less scary.

I would keep breaking the skill down into smaller, more manageable chunks. Learning happens bit-by-bit, not all at once!

Students need to understand that there are techniques that anyone can learn to become a better reader, and it doesn't come naturally. Everybody practices. Some of these techniques include reading aloud, chunking small paragraphs, writing questions in the margins, etc.

It's always useful to make sure that the student is engaged in what we are doing. Students should be active in learning at all times. These means bringing hands-on activities, noting and sharing student interests, and continually asking questions during tutoring sessions.

It's extremely important to get to know who your student is and what s/he likes. If you can relate the content that the student struggles with to her hobbies, it can help make the task less painful and more interesting.

I use the I do, we do, you do method. This means that I first demonstrate a skill, we practice it together, and then the students does it on her own. If she struggles, then we just go back to the we do part until she gains confidence to try on her own again.

I never put a student down or make it seem like I'm frustrated with her. It's important to keep celebrating every time a student does something right or takes a big risk.

This depends on the subject. But usually, it's great to have a sample of student writing. A great way to learn about your student and also to understand her writing struggles is to have her write you a letter in which she tells you all about herself.

There are so many different learning styles. Starting with a general one that has been successful in the past is a great way to start. However, if it becomes clear that this isn't working for a particular student, I would change the process of learning. That is to say, if a handout doesn't work, we switch to a video clip. If that doesn't work, we try a relatable, hands-on tactic. There are so many ways to adjust content, process and product to fit a student's learning style.

Students should have a notebook and a folder to keep handouts. Usually, I come prepared with a handout or packet for the session. If a student has a computer, sometimes we work online and I have the student save her work there.