I believe in encouraging and instilling confidence in students by approaching subject matter in several different ways, including having students create their own practice problems after establishing a certain level of comfort with the material.

First, I would assess how comfortable the student feels with the material, and then discuss ways to manage any anxiety or time management concerns. I believe conquering fear of the ACT is crucial to successful testing.

Encouraging students to build in a block of time to study each day or each week is something that has proven very valuable. By allowing the student to take charge of their own learning and instead bring questions to tutoring sessions, rather than expecting a simple overview of material, students are much more able to achieve their academic goals.

Giving students manageable tasks is a great way to get the instant gratification feeling that is often lost during test prep. The length of tutoring sessions is also a great way to make sure information is clicking, so students leave feeling confident rather than confused by new material.

I have found it beneficial to apply real life situations to the concepts with which a student is struggling in order to increase understanding. By using situations or ideas that are already understood and familiar to the student, the concepts become less daunting and easier to grasp.

Learning to read with intention is something that often improves reading comprehension abilities. While reading quickly is often encouraged for the ACT, learning to read with the intent to find information needed will be beneficial in the long run.

I find that students produce their best work when they feel most comfortable with their tutor and when they know that tutoring is a place that is free of judgment. Tutors are not here to criticize, but are here to help students achieve their goals, and when students understand this, they are much more likely to be motivated to do well.

Increasing confidence with the material is an easy way to begin excitement for a subject. Getting questions correct in an area in which a student struggles is one of the greatest things for a tutor to see, because it is so rewarding for a student to see their hard work paying off.

I would first go over the basics of the material so the student understands the objectives toward which they are working. I would then have students complete practice problems, and have them explain either why they got it correct, or I would help them understand how to achieve the correct answer the next time. Lastly, when a student feels confident, I would ask them to create practice problems for themselves. Mastering all three areas ensures a great deal of mastery in the subject.

I have found that slowly introducing more challenging concepts as students work toward mastery in a subject is the best way to foster confidence. Students are much more likely to engage in difficult material if they feel confident with the less challenging concepts, rather than flooding students with concepts of varying difficulty from the start.

A student's needs become clear in many different ways. First, students communicate their needs to their tutor. After that, I pay close attention to the areas in which the student has the most and least success, as well as the ways they go about solving various problems, as that is a good indicator of mastery in a subject.

Adapting to a student's needs can happen in various ways. I often find it useful to see how students respond to individual work compared to working together to solve problems. Seeing what benefits a student more or whichever method a student prefers is often the first step in adapting my tutoring style to meet student needs.

I typically use practice problems and ACT workbook problems, but I have found that having students create their own examples and practice problems is often most effective.