I believe that everybody can reach their maximum potential, if they have patience and an open mind. I'll give as much time as it takes to make sure my students succeed.

After introductions, I like to get a feel for what the student expects to gain from the tutoring sessions. Are they struggling with the particular subject? Are they looking for extra practice to improve their mastery of the subject? Etc. Then I might work through an assessment with them to find out their strengths and weaknesses. From there, I can work with the student to decide the best way to help them succeed.

Deriving the formulas, or explaining the thought process when solving problems, can really help students understand concepts better. If that doesn't work, I'll try explaining the concept in different ways and go step by step to isolate where the confusion is happening.

The first step I take is to find out what types of questions they do understand and what they don't. This gives me a better understanding of where exactly the problem lies. I'll work with them on questions with the same type of wording and explain in detail when they get stuck.

The best strategy is to be patient and make sure the student stays positively motivated and isn't overwhelmed. Learning will be harder if the student loses confidence in their abilities.

With younger students, it helps to be a good role model and make the subject seem really cool, exciting and fun. I do this by setting up milestones and achievements when working with them to make more it like a game and less like a chore. For older students, it is important to help them understand that learning the subjects well will help them achieve their ultimate goals in life. I'll remind them why they are learning what they are learning and how it will help them get where they want to go.

One technique to ensure a student truly understands the material is to ask questions in different ways. This ensures that they are understanding concepts and not just memorizing steps. It is also important to talk to the student often while working with them, not just give them a test and observe. It is important to know what goes on in their minds while they solve problems and answer questions. Many times I discover that a student doesn't fully understand a concept just by asking, "why did you do what you just did?”

One way people gain confidence is by overcoming challenges. I help students overcome challenges by giving them a difficult question that I know they will have trouble on. Then, after they know the concept better, I'll give them the same question and they will see how much progress they've made.

Typically, I will ask them what they think they have trouble with. Then I will evaluate a student's needs by giving them a diagnostic test and reviewing the results with them. I will also ask questions while they work on assignments that I have given them as a way to probe their understanding of the material. It also helps to look over tests that they have taken in school to see what they do and don't know in a testing environment.

It helps motivation to set goals and checkpoints. I will remind the student of what they have achieved and what there is still to learn. Throughout the sessions, I try my best not to let the student feel like they smart enough or capable of learning the material. I'll always keep a positive attitude towards them and be encouraging when they make mistakes.

I understand that every student has different ways of learning. I will regularly ask if my explanations help them understand better. If not, I try to find different ways to instruct until the students understand. For example if my verbal explanation is not good enough, I might draw a picture, or give an analogy. I might slow down or speed up the lesson depending on how the student is responding to the topics. I might spend more time on the concepts that are more challenging for the student and less time on the ones they know better.

I try to give a good balance of individual work and work in which I go through the problems with the student. When going through the problems with the student, I try not to give the answers and have the student think for him/herself. I always make sure after helping the student through a problem that they can do it on their own.

I plan on using workbooks/worksheets and various online resources to help students practice subjects. I may also utilize flash cards when conditions are suitable.