What is your teaching philosophy?

Helping each student build from their individual strengths and shore up their weaknesses.

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

Ask them about their interest in the subject, anything they enjoy about the subject, and then build from there to always keep joy at the forefront.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

By giving them tools to check their work on their own, and by building a systematic base from which further knowledge flows.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Always focus on what they enjoy about the subject, and show how the more 'boring' parts can have purpose in achieving their goals.

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

Go back to the basics to see if there is something missing that might block them from learning more advanced concepts.

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

Work on building tools to make educated guesses about what words mean so that even if words are new, you can start to build vocabulary organically from context clues.

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

The first step should always be to look at the student's base of knowledge, which will help determine their strengths and weaknesses in the subject and give clues to their learning style.

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

Focus on what they enjoy about the subject and show them things they could do that are even more interesting to them once they've learned this subject.

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

Have them explain it to me. This shows the gaps in their knowledge and what they have a good grasp of.

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

Focus on the things they can do and, after a few weeks, show them the progress they've made.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

Ask them what they're struggling with. Look back at their prior assignments/quizzes/tests. And have them explain their understanding of the subject.

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

Talk to them. Focus on what they want to learn and what makes them tick. Make sure that lines of communication stay open so that they are free to ask questions and tell you if something isn't working for them.

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

I like my students to have a lot of blank paper so that they can take notes, jot down new vocabulary/important terms, and write things in their own words. That way, they have their own language to talk about something, and it builds muscle memory. Drawing pictures and diagrams is especially important.