What is your teaching philosophy?

I've always liked helping students to figure out the answer for themselves, providing them with the tools and support so that they can do the leg work!

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

We would talk about the subject -- their previous experience with it, the structure of their class or learning environment so far, and the areas that are particularly easy/challenging for them. I'd also want to discuss what they want to get out of tutoring (e.g. a 5 on the AP test or an A in the class) and their specific preferences for the sessions, if any (i.e., do they want this as a time to work through problems together? To talk through the subject? Do they prefer more instructive or participatory?).

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I think it's important to help them to find the answers themselves. I think that most people are smart enough to solve problems, even in difficult subjects -- they just need to be equipped with the proper thinking structures and prerequisite skills. I think it's up to the tutor to guarantee those structures and prerequisite skills are in place, and then to guide the student on their own learning journey. Also, I think it's important to catch onto what interests them and make the learning relevant and interesting to them!

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I take a number of approaches, but my two biggest are to try to make lessons relevant and interesting to them and to set small, achievable goals (using the SMART goal framework) so that they don't get overwhelmed by the amount they have to learn. Instead, they feel a motivating sense of accomplishment as they achieve incremental goals.

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

Everybody learns differently. I'd talk through the challenge with them and try to see what part of the skill or concept is confusing for them, and we would specifically work on that. I might also try a different style of learning -- be it auditory, visual, physical/tactile, or whatever else might work. For example, in tutoring for biology, I've worked with the student to physically act out the movement of molecules during protein synthesis.

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

This depends on the subject. Reading comprehension in the sciences is a very different skill than reading comprehension in literature. For both, the first step is to understand if the student is understanding the vocabulary being used and its meaning in context.

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

When we're just starting out, I've found it's helpful to get to know the student a little. This allows me to personalize their lessons to be more interesting. I've also found it's useful to discuss and possibly do a quiz to determine their ideal learning style so I can cater the sessions and the advisement I give to their needs.

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

It's easy to get discouraged and feel like you don't like something if you're struggling with it! It's important to find ways to make the subject interesting to them, and to use creative and diverse methods of instruction. Traditional methods of instruction and problem sets can be useful, but if someone is struggling, it can be helpful to learn in a way that is more engaging and sensory -- like through music, physical activity or games.

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

For standardized exams like the SAT or AP exams, I think it's important to take practice tests. Although we could do this within a session, I would encourage the student to do it on their own, as I think it would be a better use of our time to review the material and challenges within the test rather than for them to do the test in my presence. However, I'm open to parent/student needs.

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

I engage them and make the subject relevant and interesting to them.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

This depends on the goals of the student and their parents for the tutoring. If the tutoring is for a specific test, I would be interested to do a practice test. I'd also look at previous classwork and talk to the student and their parents about their successes and needs.

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

I like to figure out what interests them - both in their life in general and within the subject - and tailor the tutoring to be relevant and interesting to them.

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

It varies depending on topic and with each student. I would bring all necessary supplies to the lesson.