What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe that every child can learn, and that with help, every child can feel successful about their learning.

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

The first session for me is about building a relationship with a student. In this session we typically get to know each other, and find common interests as well as assessing the student's strengths and weaknesses.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I subscribe to the idea of the gradual release of responsibility. I model for students what they need to know, and we practice together, usually with me showing my own thinking. As time goes on, I pull back and ask students how they would solve the problem, only stepping in when students truly do not know. As time goes on, students are anxious to show you how much they understand and do not need or want the assistance.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Give a student success often. Students need to see that their hard work is paying off. Playing games with students that work on specific skills-- playing cards are wonderful-- is another way to integrate "hard work" into something that is fun and engaging.

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

This is an instance in which I would scaffold the material for the student and break it down into its component parts. I would start with the concept at an earlier grade level if possible. I would also encourage any successes the child had in that area to keep their motivation high, and to stop them from becoming discouraged.

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

I would give students a reading assessment, such as a progress monitor to determine what skills they are specifically struggling with. We would read high interest books together, as I would model the skills they needed help with in a short lesson. We would then read together in a guided reading format, focusing on comprehension skills and word work.