What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe that all students are able to learn; it is up to us, the students' parents and teachers, to unlock that ability. I am a facilitator and guide in the learning process, actively encouraging the student to confidently complete whatever is put in front of him/her.

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

I want to get to know the student and how s/he learns. What motivates the student to succeed academically, vocationally, or even socially? I also try to find out what frustrates the student academically, to make sure we can focus on that area specifically to make the student more confident in his/her ability to do the work presented.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

My goal is to guide students through open dialogue to complete their assignments. I want students to explain what s/he is thinking and how s/he got there.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I would incorporate time for things that interest him/her. A student likes basketball? Once the session is over, or a prescribed amount of time has passed, we'll go out and play basketball, talk about basketball, or allow the student to watch basketball. Then, we'll get back to work. Incorporating interests motivates students to stay on track.

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

I would break down the skill into its smallest components and facilitate self-thinking to have the student explain his/her thought process. As we go through the process, I'll ask the student to continue or stop, if s/he completed a part of the sequence incorrectly.

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

After reading a passage, I have the student go back and pick through it and map out important details. Next, we answer literal and summative comprehension questions. Following that, we discuss evaluative and inferential questions.

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

Self-thinking and breaking tasks down into component steps to better organize the thought process.

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

I would relate the subject to something/someone relevant to him/her in his/her life.

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

I would quiz the student and give them a break. Then, I'd have them explain the task we just completed.

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

Breaking the subject material down into smaller, more manageable chunks.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

First, I ask. Second, I assess. Third, I make a decision based off the first two steps.

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

If a student doesn't understand the material through the medium I'm using to teach, I change the strategy to one with which the student is more comfortable.

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

Whatever the student has, along with physical manipulatives, videos, computers, tablets, a pen and paper, etc.