What is your teaching philosophy?

My educational philosophy is, and always has been, akin to a quote most commonly attributed to Confucius: "Tell me, and I'll forget; show me, and I'll remember; but, involve me, and I'll understand." This is important to me because once a student truly understands something, it gives them the freedom to express it in a multitude of ways. Once this is accomplished, and what is learned becomes meaningful, then you have the makings of a truly learned student and person.

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

Attempt to build some sort of rapport and begin to build a relationship. Also, I would ask the student to articulate the reason they believe I am helping them to get an understanding of their perspective regarding their academic situation.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Encourage the student to explain and articulate what they are doing and why, as much as possible. Once a student is willing and able to verbalize and interact with someone regarding their learning, and get positive feedback, this greatly builds a student's confidence. It also shows that the student is capable of constant academic growth and improvement.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Immediate, constant, and AUTHENTIC feedback that is germane to what they are working on. This makes the learning a living organism that the student feels they have a stake and stock in.

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

First, ask the student to explain what they can, because it gives an indication of how the student views or interprets the information. They can begin to make corrections from that point.

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

I've always liked the idea of meta-cognition to assist in reading comprehension; in this case, it means having the student go into the reading with some set goals and purpose such as locating main idea of a paragraph or summary of a paragraph, etc. Also, graphic organizers are a helpful tool. Students can use graphic organizers to help them break down a story and further understand the story's structure.

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

Depending on the subjects, there are some detailed specifics. Generally, I have found that having the student set some reasonable goals before starting and modifying those goals during the lessons, as the student shows more proficiency and confidence, is a great way to be successful with students.

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

I'd go back to setting attainable goals so the student feels in control of the learning and not burdened by it. Oftentimes, once a student enjoys some success and learning new things, they tend to show the excitement.

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

Asking a student to articulate the information to me, in their own language. Try different ways to communicate this, verbally, graphic organizers, etc.

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

Set attainable goals and give consistent, immediate feedback. Also, approach mistakes and wrong answers in a non-judgmental manner so that the student feels safe and comfortable to explore the subject and discover the correct answers.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

If available, look at previous scores or marks for the student. Afterward, ask the student to describe their troubles in a given subject.

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

Give the student several ways to express the answer and attempt to get the student to express it in a written form, while keeping the quality and authenticity of the responses as high as possible.

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

Graphic organizers, flashcards, student interaction and articulation, solution stations.