What is your teaching philosophy?

My goal is to help students love learning and believe in themselves. A school teacher is entrusted with young, impressionable minds. Teaching is an invaluable trust which brings with it the responsibility to encourage inquiry, imagination, and creative thought as well as the responsibility of instilling self-confidence in these young minds. One of the most important roles of a school teacher is to guide young students through many new experiences and realities with a positive attitude and an open heart; every child deserves this. I think children should not miss out on using and appreciating their own imagination and exploring their world with curiosity. Inquiry is the best way to encourage education. Albert Einstein once said: "It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education." If a student is not free to question and imagine, they would be missing out on an essential element of life. I am determined to create inquiry within my teaching and to encourage each child to be original in their own way. As expressed by Jean Piaget: "The principle goal of education is to create men who are capable of doing new things, not simply of repeating what other generations have done -- men who are creative, inventive and discoverers." (Swiss Psychologist, 1896-1980)

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

We begin the session by getting to know each other. I then survey his/her interests so I can target positive-based learning activities, set goals, and, perhaps, do any diagnostics to allow for data driven instruction.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I would provide them the skills sets, strategies, and confidence they need within a given area. I would teach them "go-to" outlets when challenges arrive, and I would help them to not get frustrated but instead break down items into manageable bite-size amounts.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I would use their interests as much as possible. Making learning fun and the content relatable is a sure way to keep learning fun and engaging. This may include the incorporation of several modalities of learning within a given session (i.e., hands-on, auditory, visual, etc.).

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

I would ensure them that I have had my fair share of difficulties within topics and classes, so they can feel validated and have someone relate to them. From there, we would develop go-to strategies for when obstacles arise to allow for independence and confidence building.

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

We would start with a brief diagnostic so I can develop goals and gain clarity about the student's learning gaps that need attention. From there, we would engage in consecutive lessons that would build upon the student's reading comprehension needs, while scaffolding them into manageable pieces each session. We would ultimately be working to develop a toolkit of strategies for him/her to use while reading. These activities will differ. Some may start at the student's independent level and eventually lead to a healthy frustration level with guided practice. Activities may include things like close readings, audio passages, shared readings, interactive read alouds, stop and jotting, use of graphic organizers to reflect, note-taking, etc.

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

I would get to their level and recognize their strengths first. This helps to build a meaningful relationship, and it helps me develop activities that are of interest to the child to make the content more relatable or motivating.

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

I would use different modalities of learning within a given session (hands-on, listening, visual, etc.). If necessary, we could use positive incentives after the challenging activities to validate the hard work done and maintain motivation.

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

I take notes through all of my tutoring sessions to allow myself to use data to drive my instructional planning. Additionally, I implement frequent checks for understanding after activities (e.g., exit tickets or activities that require either verbal or nonverbal responses). I also administer mini progress monitoring and/or benchmark assessments to ensure the student is making progress and to create goals going forward.

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

I would use constant positive narration and feedback. Validating student work is essential to build motivation and confidence with challenging areas. Allowing for children to make requests and have choices is also a helpful way to build their confidence in areas of growth.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

Progress monitoring, diagnostics, checks for understanding, benchmark assessments, communication with classroom teachers, and surveying students and their families.

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

Surveying your students, their families, and any others that work with them at the beginning allows for me to plan deliberate and meaningful activities in their desired forms of learning.

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

I love to work hands-on. This may include the use of technology (i.e. tablets, computers, recording devices, etc.) or learning tools in activities (i.e. Lakeshore Learning games, interactive worksheets, dry erase boards, Wilson magnetic journals, math blocks, etc.).