The best way to help a student become an independent learner is by quickly identifying the learning strategy that best fits their needs and comfort level. Once that is identified, it becomes much easier for a student to receive information from a wider variety of sources, since they can pick out the pieces of information in a manner that is the most efficient to them.

I help students stay motivated by providing a scope of their success in the 'bigger picture.' For example, a 15-year-old student might not see the importance of understanding the inner workings of the United States Congress; however, if they are aware of how useful that information will be to them in the next 4-5 years once they start voting, they can better understand that they aren't just mindlessly learning about the government. Instead, they are learning about a topic that directly pertains to their future.

Similar to how a musician might practice a difficult verse, if a student has trouble grasping a new concept or idea, the first course of action needs to be to slow things down. When starting a concept, determine which specific aspects the student is having difficulty with, with each portion of the concept representing an individual puzzle piece. Once understanding for each piece has been met, understanding the concept becomes as simple as putting the puzzle together.