First I would like to get to know the student. I want to understand who he or she is and where they feel their strengths and weaknesses are academically. I want to set goals with the student and help them feel confident that we can fulfill those goals together.

I believe in helping students learn critical thinking skills and cultivating a love of learning. I like to use a variety of techniques to address different learning preferences and styles.

By teaching skills, not just content, I can help students learn how to learn their subject matter better. By introducing students to helpful resources I can help the students use all available aids on their path to success.

By pointing out past successes and encouraging effort even if it's not always met with instant success.

I find it's usually helpful to change the questions or teaching technique. Things can often click when you simply approach the problem from a different angle.

By asking appropriate comprehension questions I try to see where exactly the challenge lies and address that particular weakness consistently in future reading exercises.