What is your teaching philosophy?

I teach with positivity, encouragement, and most of all patience. I like to present information in multiple ways to access different learning styles. All students learn in their own style and at their own pace. It's also important to establish the foundation of a student's prior knowledge and skills, and build on that.

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

I will get a sense of the student as a person - their interests, goals, sense of humor - and then use strategically selected practice questions to determine what they already know, and where they may have gaps. I avoid spending valuable tutoring time doing diagnostic tests - ideally, students can do this on their own time so that we can make the most of our time together.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

As a STEM educator, it's important to guide students through the learning process rather than "dumping information" on them. The best teaching gives students strategies to attack new problems or questions. Finally, the importance of building a student's confidence can't be underestimated. Most students know more than they think they do.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Teaching high school, I've had experience teaching some students who were seriously lacking motivation. The most effective strategy is encouragement and positive reinforcement - confidence is key. Once students see themselves being successful, it's much easier to stay motivated.

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

Try a new strategy. There are almost always multiple ways of thinking about a concept or problem, and the best teachers can pull different strategies from their toolkit when they identify that a student needs them.

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

Practice, practice, practice. I try to find literature that appeals to that student - even if it starts with a Sports Illustrated magazine - to get the student engaged in the act of reading. In addition, I teach active reading strategies that keep the reader engaged in the text.