What is your teaching philosophy?

My teaching philosophy is that every student has the ability to succeed. This helps me approach every student the same way, supporting their strengths and working on any difficulties in a friendly and optimistic environment.

What might you do in a typical first session with a student?

On the first day I need to spend a little time to get to know my new student. Talking to the student and having him/her tell me what they think they need to work on, and which study habits work best for them, is very important to understand from day one.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I like to challenge my students to work on tasks between lessons or at certain points during the week when I'm not there. This challenges them to become independent and learn how to approach challenging concepts when I'm not there to help.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Helping a student stay motivated is all about positive reinforcement. Every little success is important, and difficulties need to be approached optimistically so that a student knows that anything is doable, and every weakness can become a strength over time.

If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?

If a student is not learning a concept, then I will approach that subject another way. I have been working with kids long enough that I can tell when we have hit a wall, so it is important not to frustrate them and instead take it from a new viewpoint.

How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?

It is important for a student who struggles with reading comprehension to not be afraid to admit that they don't know what a word means. If it's asking me or constantly looking up definitions, soon those troubling words will become a part of their vocabulary.

What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?

I like to have a mix of working on problems together and letting the student do problems independently while I observe. This gives me insight as to how they approach a problem and how I can help them in the future.