What is your teaching philosophy?

Once you've learned something, it is never forgotten. It just needs to be recalled.

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

Assess the problem, set short and long-term goals, establish plans to achieve both, and offer reassurance to put the mind at ease.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Every student of mine is taught to rely on nothing or nobody. Each one struggles at least a little so that he or she is forced to overcome it. They are not just pushed, but taught to push themselves.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Support and positive reinforcement. Well placed compliments go a long way also.

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

I'd need to find where there are holes and gaps in his or her fundamentals, and then begin from there.

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

Practice, practice, practice. Dyslexia can't be cured; it can be dealt with differently though.

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

Connect to the student. Allow him or her to show you who they are and how they learn. Let the student know I've got him/her. Allow the student to do most of the talking. Give them the driver's seat.

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

Lots of case in point examples. If you feel like it is your job, you're motivated differently than when you are a doing it as a student.

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

A process used in modern education known as C.F.U. (check for understanding).

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

Teach the student how to teach the material, such that a certain mastery is expected of him or her. Help them help people.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

Holistic approach evaluations that require many skills will be a struggle, because the weak brick will sink the ship.

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

Proceed perpendicular to the problem, isolate the unknowns, eliminate excess information, and arrive at your solution.

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

Pencil, paper, worksheets.