Brian

What is your teaching philosophy?

It is best to work slowly and steadily with students to ensure they understand a problem every step of the way. All questions are welcome.

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

The first step to effectively tutor someone is to find out how they learn. In my first sessions, I like to get to know my students and how they process information so I can adjust my tutoring style to one that will come the most natural to them.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Becoming independent is all about setting goals and following through with them. I will help students develop studying plans that will keep them on track.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

There is no such thing as a correct pace to learn something. I'm willing to spend as much time as necessary on a single problem to show a student that they can solve it. Staying motivated is about the little victories, and that is what math is all about. When you break a problem into many sub problems, they become a series of little victories.

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

If a student is having difficulty learning a concept, there are two things that will help. The first is to change the way the information is presented. Some people are visual learners, and some learn by example. However, sometimes students just need a break, and we can move on to a different skill.

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

Reading comprehension is all about taking it slowly and digesting passages one sentence at a time. I help students organize their thoughts so they can tackle whatever reading is presented to them.

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

Working problems by example is a critical first step, in my opinion. Walking students through a problem step by step is a great way for them to internalize all of the concepts we are working with.

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

To get a student engaged, I would try to make the problem relatable to them or their hobbies. If they are struggling, I would break the problem down into easier steps that they could then do confidently.

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

To make sure my students understand a concept, I have them teach me the concept. If they can satisfactorily teach me a subject, then they have mastered it.

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

To build confidence, I work with students for however long it takes to complete a problem to show them that it is possible for them to succeed, and that they can do it with the skills they have.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

Practice problems are an excellent way to gauge where a student is at, and asking them to teach me the skills they have learned fills in the gaps.

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

I have learned that there are many ways to solve the same problem, and tutoring is all about finding the solution that makes the most sense to the student. I identify the student's preferred way to learn and then emphasize it in my lessons, adapting the material so that it is a more natural fit for students.

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

In tutoring sessions, I believe in the use of practice problems. They are the most effective way for the student to gain experience applying the concepts that are taught and they allow me to gauge the student's understanding.