What is your teaching philosophy?

I enjoy teaching physics and math and believe that good conceptual understanding is the key to strong problem solving abilities. The one-size-fits-all approach does not really work for everyone, and hence, I like to try different approaches depending on the student's needs.

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

Before I begin the first session, I would ask the student for their study materials and determine what topic the student needs help with. In this way we can hit the ground running. 1. We would do a brief meet and greet to get comfortable and then begin with any concepts that need refreshing. For example, if we are starting with position, velocity, and acceleration, we would talk about what each of these terms mean physically and their mathematical representations. 2. We would then go over problems like interpreting position vs time graphs, velocity vs time graphs, etc. 3. Then, I would ask the student to solve a problem by themselves just to make sure that the concepts are settling in. 4. Go back and repeat the previous steps if necessary.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Guide them through problems and concepts initially, and then have them work on problems by themselves, providing help in the form of clues.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Telling them that the ability to solve math and physics problems and become good at it is an acquired talent, and it is simply not true that some people are born with these qualities. Everyone can get it as long as they work towards it, patiently and consistently.