What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe that the best type of teaching is where the teacher and the student are close in level. What I mean by that is that the student doesn't feel that he/she is so "below the level of the teacher" that it's hard for communication to happen. Because, really, communication is the key in teaching. If the teacher is able to communicate on the level of the student, the student will learn much more.

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

I would make sure that the student feels at ease in the first session by allowing him/her to ask questions freely. I don't like diving right into hardcore studying because at first that may be overwhelming. I make sure to get to know the student's pace and struggles so that we can both specifically work at those.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

The best way to do that is by easing it in. At first, I walk him/her through the problem, and we solve it out. As we go about doing questions, though, I'll take pauses allowing the student to fill in the blanks. Eventually, we'll come to a problem where the student has to solve it out by themselves, explaining it to me as I would have explained to him/her. In this method, it's not overwhelming, and the student slowly picks up on solving things independently.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I push for goals and to-do lists. For sessions where the student is struggling and their brain is wanting to quit, I set goals and make a list of things to get done. Crossing those off as we go keeps the student on task and motivated. Additionally, making sure that the learning session isn't dull and allowing for quick breaks are important.

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

Practice is essential here. If a student is struggling with concepts, the best way to go about the problem is to keep practicing. The more we practice, the more comfortable the student will feel when dealing with the particular difficulty, and the more the difficulty will subside.