What is your teaching philosophy?

Each problem faced can be solved in many ways. I hope to help my students find the best strategies for them and determine how to apply them to various problems.

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

I would try to talk to the student and find out in his or her own words what they struggle with, while trying to pick up on strategies that might help them.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I will not do a student's work for them, but rather continue to give them tools they can use to complete their work independently.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I would use positive encouragement and continuously pay the student compliments for their efforts.

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

I would try to think of another approach for the student to use, or try to simplify the concept and build on that base.

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

I would guide students in key aspects of the reading to pick up on, and give strategies for ways to sort the information.

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

I have found that giving the student personal responsibility for completing work on their own is very effective for them to learn, and for me too assess how they learn.

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

I would try to relate the subject matter to something in their life that the student is more interested in.

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

I would have the student explain the material to me as if I was unfamiliar with it, and ask questions to engage the student.

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

I would compliment the student on all of his or her progress or efforts.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I would ask the student to show me some of their completed work, or to explain different concepts to me so that I could see their level of knowledge.

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

I would focus more on areas that the students needs to have addressed, but would still incorporate areas that the student is successful in.

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

I like to use mostly paper and pen, but can use the computer when needed, especially to generate images of more complicated material.