I believe that all children can learn. Some children learn differently than others, so it is my job to find what works and help them learn to the best of their ability.

By working through problems and practice with the instructor/tutor and by giving positive feedback, I feel that the student is more likely to become an independent learner.

If a specific skill or concept is difficult for a student, I will draw on my many years of working with students who struggle with similar concepts and reteach or practice in another format. Lecture isn't always the best way to learn something, sometimes practicing it another way or using a demonstration will help.

Reading comprehension is something that many students have struggled with in the past. So, in order to increase both reading comprehension and subject knowledge, I break things down into chunks. We read it together and pick out the important concepts, and then go from there. Once we have practiced this together many times, I will ask the student to read and then tell me what the main ideas/concepts were. If they got them, we move on, if not then we go back over the passage and determine the key ideas.

In order to be successful when working with a student, I feel that getting to know the student (and in-turn letting them know a little more about you), really helps them to be successful. Showing that you care about them and know something about them helps them to know that you're not just here because it's your job, it’s because you really want to help them.

Many times, a student may lose interest in a subject area because they are struggling. In order to get them excited, or keep them engaged, in the field of science, I like to do different hands-on activities or experiments that they can see the use of the subject matter in the real world.

Many times, with my students, as we're having a conversation, I will throw in questions over the material we are covering. If they can answer those questions correctly, I know that they understand and comprehend the material.

In order to build confidence, students need positive reinforcement as well as encouragement. When they are told what they are doing wrong all the time, they tend to shut down and their confidence shrinks.

I like to see exactly what the student is struggling with. If the student is missing a large concept, then we will review that concept. It may be that the way it is being taught is at too high of a level for them, so I will take the difficulty level down as well.