What is your teaching philosophy?

Everyone has the ability to learn; some just learn faster than others. I believe that everybody should be given a chance to show what they know.

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

First, I would let the student know that I am there to help him/her; I am not there as a punishment by their parents. I would get to know their skill level and try to see where they are in their specific subject. Some students struggle with the basics. Others understand most of it; they just need that extra help to get them there.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

The biggest challenge is giving them self confidence and a belief that they can actually do it.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Beginning slowly, and working their way up.

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

Break the problems down and see where is it they are having difficulty. Scaffolding is an easy way to see this. If they are struggling with an easy basic question, then I know I need to start at the very beginning of the topic.

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

I would try to ask them to explain the problem in their own words. If they can't do that, then I would ask them what they recognize in the problem.

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

I found that having patience and giving students praise are the best two ways to get students motivated to work. If they believe they can do something, they are more likely to actually do it.

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

Start with an easy problem to help build their confidence and work in harder problems little by little.

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

I would go over their work and check to make sure the problems are done correctly.

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

By giving them praise and letting them know that they are capable of doing the work.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

By observation. Sometimes all it takes is listening and watching a student to see what they need help with.

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

If a student is struggling, I slow the pace down. If a student is catching on, we can move along faster.

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

It depends on the level of a student and whether they have a textbook or an eBook. If they have an eBook, I would use my tablet or computer. No matter what, I will bring along paper, pencil and my graphing calculator.