What is your teaching philosophy?

Learning is most effective when the student is having fun, and the best way to learn is to teach.

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

I would begin by asking a broad range of questions to determine what the student's strengths and weaknesses are in order to plan future lessons that are specific to that student. I would also ask about the student's interests to get an idea of how he or she might learn best.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

The best way to motivate independent learning is to find an aspect of the subject matter which interests the student. If the student wants to learn, he or she will.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Encouragement, especially when a student is initially struggling, is more important than criticism. I always talk about what is good before what needs improvement.

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

I try different strategies for learning. Maybe the concept makes more sense if it is in a diagram. Maybe the student needs to master another concept first. Maybe it just needs practice. The more variety in the learning, the more likely the student will learn.

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

The first step is determining where the student is having trouble. Is it vocabulary? If so, we'll make flashcards and use memory tricks for each word he or she does not know. Is it finding the main idea? If so, we'll draw a diagram to map out the passage. Is it syntax and sentence construction? If so, we'll take different sentences and label all the parts. Once we find out what the problem is, we'll work to solve it together.

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

Engaging the student in learning and making it a fun process motivates thinking and learning. Also, I really enjoy singing.

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

Find something in the subject that they like, or use their outside interests as learning tools.

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

The best way to determine whether or not someone understands something is to have him or her teach it. If the student understands a concept, he or she should be able to teach it back to me.

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

Early encouragement boosts confidence and encourages further learning.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

By asking a wide variety of questions, it is easy to tell what the student's strengths are and what they need to practice.

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

I pinpoint exactly where the student is struggling and how the student learns best.

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

Materials should fit the student. I love colored pens, since they give a visual representation for what we're learning, but I also use practice tests, cards, and outside sources, and sometimes snacks.