What is your teaching philosophy?

Effectively communicating with the student is the most important part of any teaching exercise, so I strive to make sure the student understands the topic. I also try my best to create a positive learning environment and help the student set personal goals.

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

I will first try to gain a better understanding of where they are in the subject I am teaching; how much they know, and what they are struggling with. After that is established, I generally ask the student what s/he is having the most trouble with and why, and then go from there.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I do not baby my students and hand them the answers. My teaching style emphasizes the route taken to get to the answer, not so much the answer itself. So after a few lessons with me, my students should be capable of knowing what to do in order to get to the answer.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I usually offer small challenges to my students to help them stay motivated and push them in their academic goals. I also try to remind them of the long term impact their investment into their own education will have on them in the future.

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

I try my best to put the concept in terms that will be easier to understand for them. This may range from helping them visualize the concept or using a metaphor for the concept that they can relate to.

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

I find that most who struggle with reading comprehension are struggling because of the sheer amount of information given to them in one excerpt. I always encourage my students to take notes while reading the content. I also encourage them to focus on the content while reading it, and not worry about the questions until after they've read the content.

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

I have always found that initially when starting to work with a student, you need to make sure the goals of the student align with what your expectations are. Only after you've come to realize what the student wants can you successfully build an academic plan to help them achieve their goals.

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

I try my best to create a relationship between the subject and something the student is interested in. It is a lot easier to learn material when you can relate to it and/or visualize it.

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

After teaching the student the material, I always try to reinforce the topic with follow-up questions, making sure they not only understand the material in question, but also the underlying themes and reasoning.

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

Confidence is built over time, as the student becomes more comfortable with the subject. I always try to positively reinforce correct answers and help the student build confidence in his/her understanding of the subject.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I usually ask the student before we start the session what s/he is having the most trouble with, as well as his/her goals for the session. That way, I can help the student with the topics s/he is having the most problems with.

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

Not every student learns at the same pace. I quickly gauge where the student is in the academic subject and what they need to do to reach their goals. From there, I adapt my teaching methods to ensure they are fully understanding the material as I teach it.

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

Generally, I like to use the textbook that the student's teacher provides, as it will be more relevant to the subject matter than other references. Aside from that, I like using visual aids and outside examples to help reinforce the subject matter.