I believe that students have the role of learners, as well as educators. I will be learning from the students I help every day. I think it is important for them to share who they are with others and learn to join others in a coalition for learning. I believe that the ideal attitude towards learning is one of positivity and constant growth. The growth mindset is one of the most important to have. I also like to say: "Remember. You say you can't do this, but you should add a 'yet' to the end of that sentence". Students are also wonderful individuals.

In a first session with a student, I might ask them the basics about themselves, such as their name, their favorite subject, and something they like to do for fun. This would give me a better idea of who they are, and how to make them feel more comfortable. Then, we might talk about what they're struggling with, what they're confused about, or anything else they might need my help with. We could go over some homework, talk about why some of those topics are worrisome to them, and try and come up with some fun ways to make their work more interesting. I want students to feel comfortable, and like what we're doing to help them is genuine.

Independent learners are those who have intrinsic motivation, or who are motivated from the inside. A lot of the time, motivation can be hard to find. But it's getting the right balance of work and fun that makes an unmotivated learner and independent learner. We can play review games, come up with rap songs, draw, and more. Becoming independent is ultimately the student's move, but I can help them in the process by making the learning interesting and enjoyable.

Motivation is key. I used to struggle a lot with motivation. But today, I use apps, a to-do list, and set phone reminders to do my work. I don't expect students to do the exact same, but I would motivate them with fun, interesting learning opportunities with varied forms of instruction (like drawing, using math blocks, and so forth). To-Do lists and other organization techniques, for more independent students, can also help greatly to schedule their time. Also, taking breaks is very important! A student's mental health and clarity is necessary to stay motivated.

When a student is having difficulty with learning a skill or concept, I would go over the basics with them. It is important to have a strong foundation to build on. Then, we could brainstorm together about what would help them learn it better. We could do something fun, like write a creative story about the first time they got a soccer goal, or draw a picture of a pizza to model fractions. I am a firm believer in tailoring each student's needs to their learning styles, so the learning is more interesting to them. Then, we would practice, practice, practice!

Students struggling with reading comprehension can sometimes tell the outcome, but have a hard time describing how things turned out that way. In other words, they read the words, but the words didn't stick. What I would do to help a student with reading comprehension would be to read short sentences at a time, and decipher each sentence in terms of the last. For example: "The dog ran into the woods. She ran so far, she got lost". We would discuss where the dog ran, and why she got lost. We would also write down words the student doesn't know, and would define them. We would discuss and ask questions about the reading, and I would have the student refer to the text to explain their own thoughts. Eventually, we could work on making predictions about the text to show what they are learning. For example, "Do you think the dog will be found by her owner?".

Usually, to engage and excite a student in a subject they are struggling in, the student and I will talk about what they like to do and come up with something fun to relate to their interests. For example, writing about sports, or solving a word problem involving food might be starters. We could play some review games, draw pictures, or anything else that gets them motivated. I also find that clearly defined objectives, transitions, concrete examples, and positive and sincere feedback also help.

Usually in school, students take quizzes or tests to check their understanding of material. I am not huge on tests or quizzes, because I believe that as a tutor I'm here to relieve stress! So to make sure students understand material, we would probably review in the student's own words, play a review game, use flashcards, practice more, or anything else the student might think of to recall and reuse the information.

Unfortunately in school, a student's confidence level usually stems from their test material. If they see that they perform poorly on tests and quizzes, they deem themselves "not smart" and might give up. I believe that this "grade confidence" is not a defining factor of all students. To build true, defining confidence in a student, simply believing in them and telling them that their mistakes help them grow can go a long way. Lots of practice in an area of study can familiarize a student, and thus bring them confidence that they can do it without help. I might have them do problems with me (like the training wheels on a bike), and then have them do similar problems on their own.

Usually, I have a conversation with the child about what they think is missing for them to learn better (for example, what their goals are, what they are stuck on, etc.). Then, we go over some of the material, and usually I can tell where they are stuck just from how they talk about it. We devise ways to get un-stuck together. My evaluation of their needs really depends on that communication. But, even if we don't talk much, I can see where a student is struggling when they do work with me and I can do some scaffolding to fill in the gaps.

I like to chat with the student first about what he or she likes to do in their free time. I have found that jumping right into the tutoring scares them a little, so I like to get to know their strengths before we talk about their most difficult subject.

Every student is different. Every student needs something different with their education. I adapt based on how they react to my own teaching style. If I need to change some things, I am quick to change them. For example, if the work is getting to be too much, we can take breaks, stretch, or play a game involving their subject.

For online tutoring, I have a tablet that makes it easy for me to draw on the whiteboard and communicate with the student. I use educational game websites, fun worksheets on their whiteboard, sometimes dice or cards for math games, and often I will use objects in my room or in the student's room to illustrate a concept, such as geometry. I will also use any materials the student brings to the lesson, whether it be in person or online.