What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe any person can become proficient in any subject if they are open to learn and the teacher is willing to try different approaches until one sticks for the student. I like to create a strong theoretical base and then be there for the student through numerous problems with the material. Repetition can take time, but it's the only way to make sure things are second nature. If you do this with core concepts, then suddenly students have a very strong foundation and become more able to take on new information.

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

I prefer to dive right into things. Before the first session, I try to communicate via email or phone to find out the best times to meet, what the goals are, and what the areas of weakness to focus on are. In the beginning of the first session, I'll introduce myself and go over everything to make sure the student and I are on the same page and that I haven't missed anything, but then I start teaching. I want students to come out of session one feeling they know more about the subject and good about how I tutor.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Most students struggle with material because they don't fully comprehend a core concept. When I give students a problem in a trouble area, I have them walk me through it and I ask questions about why they do each step. This lets me identify areas that I can explain on the spot, or at the next lesson if it is a bigger concept. Then I have the student do more problems in that area, and I tailor my questions to specifically target the problem concept. This makes them far more capable to tackle the next section in class, as each subject builds on itself. Most of my students find they need me less and less as time goes on because of this methodology.