What is your teaching philosophy?

Keep asking questions!

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

Get to know his or her learning style - is he or she a kinetic learner, visual learner, or auditory learner? After determining this, I'd know how to best plan future lessons and activities!

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Help them figure out what things they like about school; spend an equal amount of time on the subjects they like as on the subjects in which they need to improve.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Depends on the student! If they are chatty and sociable, I'd let them tell me (briefly) about something fun in their social lives once we've completed an activity.

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

Try a new method - everyone is different!

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

Keep going. Consult a dictionary when you need to. Most importantly, have confidence that you will improve. You may think you are the only one with this issue, but that is not remotely the case.

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

Find out early what is and isn't working in regard to strategies.

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

Relate it to a subject they get excited about (even if that is pop culture!) - I focus on interdisciplinary studying when it's applicable.

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

Visual aids and hands-on study when possible.

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

Validation! They are already awesome for trying and seeking help and need to be reminded of that!

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

Pay just as much attention to what they don't tell me as to what they do tell me.

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

Pay attention and plan ahead.

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

Flashcards, web games for math skills, color coding notes, and good ol' pen and paper.