I strive to teach students through grounding new knowledge in their own personal experiences. My philosophy is based on creating intrinsic motivation; when people are interested in the subject at hand and feel it is relevant to their lives, that is when meaningful learning takes place.

"Get to know you" games are a fun way for my student and I to get to know one another; I think it is important to have that personal connection before jumping into teaching. I'd also ask the student if there is anything specific they feel I should know about them to let them know that I am really invested and interested.

Students become independent learners when they are truly interested in a subject; in order to make that happen, I'd strive to make learning relevant and interesting to the student, while also giving them ideas on how to learn--be it researching information on the Internet, watching documentaries, or going on excursions to places of interest.

Encouragement is motivating, as is the student reaching milestones they set for themselves. In the first few sessions, I ask the student what they'd like to accomplish; then, when they do accomplish their goals, they feel intrinsically motivated to keep going. They might also get an external reward, like a special field trip or something fun related to the subject, for some external motivation as well.