What is your teaching philosophy?

My teaching philosophy is to help empower students to stay calm and use what information they know to arrive at the correct answers on tests through good game theory and deductive reasoning

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

In a typical first session I will often try to gauge the student's strengths and weaknesses by discussing his/her past performance and future goals. I will also have the student take a few diagnostic quizzes to help arrive and concrete areas in need of improvement

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

My primary focus is helping students to build confidence in their own problem solving abilities by not only teaching them subject matter, but also by showing them how to use what they know to reason out what they don't know.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I am extremely positive and encouraging, and very interested in learning myself. I believe my own enthusiasm for acquiring knowledge and testing myself is evident in my energetic interaction with students, and helps them to be more motivated and optimistic themselves.

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

I try to determine which aspect the student has difficulty with by breaking down the skill/concept into component parts and discussing each aspect with the student making sure he/she grasps it through analogy and short questions. I never make the student feel inadequate and prefer to help them celebrate their small victories as a way of building confidence and self-actualization/visualization.

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

I demonstrate to students how I personally deal with difficult passages in reading comprehension by reading out loud, emphasizing key phrases/ideas/words, and then I paraphrase/summarize what is being conveyed. I also attempt to anticipate key issues or questions that are raised and how I would answer those apparent contradictions; this is helpful in anticipating questions and answers. My method is not dependent one high verbal proficiency but will help students at any level to stay engaged and perform better under pressure.

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

Learning what the student's perceived, as well as actual, weaknesses are. Being very up front about mutual goals. Setting long term as well as short term goals in the context of any time restrictions (days until a test) that remain. I also pursue a very interactive rather than lecturing approach and find that engaging the student's interest and confidence is the key objective underlying all the disparate subjects I may be tutoring.

How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?

I would try to help them relate to the subject in terms of a hobby or interest they may have such as athletics, where a knowledge of math or physics may enhance the student’s appreciation for or performance in a given sport.

What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?

I constantly check that the student understands by giving concrete examples that may help their processing of the information. I also try to rephrase problems in different ways that would test the same concepts.

How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?

I build a student's confidence by helping them focus on the positive, celebrating small victories, and letting them know when they get things right that are difficult (or I get wrong). I especially enjoy giving positive feedback when they ask good questions because that indicates curiosity; the hallmark of intelligence.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I discuss with the parents and the students at the beginning of working with them and after each and every session. Of course, I also try to test the student as thoroughly as possible by covering as much subject matter in as much depth as time allows.

How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?

I always try to give the student choices in the direction of the tutoring so they take ownership of mastery of the subject matter. I always check to make sure I am not going to fast or that they understand what was just discussed before moving on.

What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?

I use classroom materials as well as standardized test preparation. I enjoy helping the student use the internet (Google, Wikipedia, Lexis, etc.) to track down information quickly and, as an attorney, science major with original published research, and competitive trivia/scavenger hunt competitor (Who Wants to Be a Millionaire contestant, Winner of NYC Amazing Race Competition), I believe I am extremely proficient in teaching students who to frame search terms, how to cross check sources and "facts" and how to be a creative "out of the box" thinker that takes pride (nerd pride from my days as an MIT undergraduate) in my ability to solve almost any problem in any field (science, engineering, medicine, law, etc.).