My teaching philosophy revolves around the individual. That's why I love one-on-one tutoring - everybody learns differently, and needs different things to help them reach their goals. I believe in taking the time to figure out what each of my students need, and then doing my best to provide that for them!

It's important to get to know the student as a person. I would try to have a conversation about their interests, their goals (academic and otherwise), and their frustrations. That way I would be better equipped to help them whatever the focus of that first session might be. I would ask them what they feel they're doing well in, and why, so that we could use that reasoning together to improve their skills elsewhere.

A student becomes an independent learner when they get excited about learning - more than improving test scores, I think of that as my job - getting students excited to be studying these things.

Motivation is all about keeping your goals at the forefront of your mind. Whether it's a distant or more abstract goal, like acceptance to a certain college, or it's a simple desire to get a better grade on an essay, I'll be sure my students remember why they wanted to work with me.

I'm not afraid to explain things in a million different ways. I love it when students challenge me to think in new ways! Tutoring like this goes both ways. And I always emphasize staying calm. If a student is getting upset, or frustrated, that's when it's time to take a break to chat about something related to their goals, or work on a different aspect of the subject for a bit.

It's important to find the root of the comprehension problem. Are they reading a passage too quickly? Is their vocabulary lacking? I would probe until I understood why a student was having difficulty before I tried to help them improve.

It's easier for everyone if we both treat each other with respect, and that means we need to see each other as people. It is integral to my teaching process to get to know my students, and let them get to know me, so that it never feels as if we're just two test-driven robots going back and forth.

I would show them a new angle, teach them something new about that subject - whether it's a cool application of a concept, or some historical background that might not be in a textbook.

Testing is important for evaluating comprehension, but if the subject allows it, I prefer to have a conversation with my student, where I ask some open-ended questions about the material and we go from there. If a student can speak comfortably about a subject, I know they're doing well.

Testing is also helpful here! If a student is feeling unprepared and I can give them a few quick quizzes that they ace, that can do wonders for confidence. It's always great to prove to a student how awesome they are!

Well, to begin with, I ask them! If applicable, I might ask a parent or other informed third party, but it's important to understand what the student believes they need to work on, regardless. I also want to evaluate the student's previous work, and talk through it with them to see if they recognize their mistakes or any areas they think they could improve upon.

Some students thrive on tests, and others freeze at the sight of multiple choice. Regardless of the subject, I am always willing to adjust my evaluation methods to favor the ones that let my student thrive. In general, I am committed to keeping an open mind - everyone learns differently!

I prefer to keep things as varied as possible - visuals if possible, maybe even videos! Some practice problems thrown in, but never a big chunk at once. And plenty of conversation and joking in between!