I believe that every student has the potential for success. My ultimate goal is to instill self-worth and self-motivation so that the student feels confident they can tackle their obstacles in any situation.

During the first session, I want to understand the student's learning style and personality. I will build rapport to learn about the student's interests and hobbies, and create a safe learning environment so that they begin to feel comfortable explaining their academic frustrations and obstacles to me.

I believe in the idea of generalization and maintenance. I always make sure that the student can take the skills he or she learned in the tutoring session and apply them to a different set of stimuli, within a novel setting. It is important that the student can take what he or she learned and use it in the real world, with real-world examples.

I always like to relate what is important in the student's life to the obstacle at hand. There is always a way to apply a particular subject to the real world, which can not only elicit understanding of the subject but also allow the student to enjoy the subject.

The combination that I have found works most effectively is through practice tests and explanations of the student's thinking process. That way, I can get both a qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the student's struggles.

My favorite thing to do is provide analogies, and compare the skill or concept the student is struggling with to an activity or hobby that interests the student. That way, the student is able to understand the underlying ideas and apply them to a different situation. I have also found that drawing or "acting" out situations also helps students grasp concepts. As a tutor, I ultimately like to find the medium through which the student learns best.

After a student has read several paragraphs or pages, I like to ask the students to paraphrase what he or she just read. I will usually ask questions that are both broad (ex: what is the main idea?) or detailed (ex: what color was the character's shirt?) so I can see what types of concepts the student is struggling to comprehend. Taking the time to talk through a passage or book every few pages can help the student retain the information and grasp main ideas and details.

I have found that using real world situations and hobbies or activities that interest the student are the best ways to keep that student engaged. I strive to make the subject material valuable and important to the student and show them that this subject can be relevant to their everyday life. That way, the student can conceptualize the material in a way that is already familiar to them.

I like to provide testing material such as quizzes or essay prompts so that I can be sure the student understands the material. This also helps me see what type of concepts the student is still struggling with and the concepts the student has mastered.

The best way to build confidence is to show the student that they can accomplish their goals on their own and encourage them throughout the tutoring session. No one is perfect or gets perfect scores on every exam, and it is important for the student to understand that. If the student is a part of a sports team or club, or has even mastered a hobby, I like to remind them that they had to start from ground zero even with those activities. Practice is the key to success!

Textbooks or materials from school are always great so that I can see what the student is learning in the classroom and is expected to know. Notes from teachers on the student's performance in class is also ideal. I also like to bring in my own worksheets or quizzes so that the students get additional practice in that subject and eventually master the concepts regardless of the type of material that is presented to them.