My teaching philosophy is student-centered, taking the "sage of the stage" so to speak. I believe that the purpose of education is to help students to discover their strengths-- not in a specific subject, but as a learner. What type of learner is the student and how can he/she strengthen and build upon that strength? Tutoring is the best way to come by this rather than a large classroom. As a teacher, I advocate for smaller classes because of this. Smaller classes allow me to hone in on each student's individual strengths and plan my lessons accordingly.

During my first session, I would like to get to know the student first, both as a person and a learner. This will help me develop further methods as we progress.

By identifying the student's strengths and how that student can maximize these strengths, I can help the them become an independent learner.

Most students are not inherently motivated. I use different techniques to help these kids stay on track: incentive programs; competitions; short-term goal setting; and, of course, Mom and Dad's suggestions.

When a student has difficulty learning a skill, I like to present it in a different way, and I keep doing this until the student learns this skill.

Reading comprehension is difficult. I try to incorporate various reading strategies (fill-in-the-blank templates, anticipation guides, dual notes, etc.) and let the student choose which method he/she likes best.

In order to be a successful tutor, I think that first the student and teacher must learn things about each other. This helps to create a comfortable learning environment, which is crucial to success.

When students know they struggle in a specific subject, it is important that the teacher motivate and excite the students about each lesson. Applying the topic to something they are exposed to everyday (social media, video games, music, etc.) helps to capture the interest.

Guided practice, individual practice, records of scores, etc.

Find the student's strengths and help him/her use that strength to succeed.

Personality and diagnostic testing helps to identify where the student struggles, but also helps to identify the type of learner that student is.

Once I know the type of person and learner the student is, I can adapt my lessons to fit his/her learning style. For example, many boys are kinesthetic learners. For these types of learners, lessons outside or lessons that involve moving around are the most effective.

I always use technology and try to incorporate the technology the student may have. I find online quizzes and phone apps can be successful if the student is taught to use them properly. Also, index cards, highlighters, and post it's help to enhance the lesson.