What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe each student learns differently, and I like to incorporate student-specific learning strategies into my tutoring sessions. This helps me better communicate ideas to students, and it reaches students where they learn best.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I help my students become independent learners by teaching them important study skills and time management strategies.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I help my students stay motivated through active learning. This engages students in the learning process and allows them to think critically and creatively about subject material.

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

It's very important for me to learn how my students learn. Therefore, when I start working with a new student, I try to get to know their personality, their hobbies, and I try different exercises to understand how they learn new concepts.

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

During a first session, I want to get to know how my new student learns, and what their target goals are.

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

To test a student's understanding of subject material, I ask students to explain key concepts to me in their own words. I'll ask them more difficult questions to help develop problem-solving skills.

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

Building a student's confidence is extremely important to finding success in the classroom. I highlight the progress each student has made above all else. I want students to see that they are growing and moving forward.

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

I'll bring a laptop to each session for visual learning. For most math and science, I bring a notebook and will draw out key concepts.

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

I like to figure out how my students learn and what types of things they enjoy. If I can relate the tricky subject matter to something they understand, then it helps them learn.

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

In reading comprehension, I encourage students to creating concept maps. It's helpful to find the main ideas in a passage and draw them out. Once students get used to making concept maps, over time they will be able to make concept maps in their mind as they're reading a passage.

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

I try to connect the subject matter to something that happens in the real-world. Whether it's math or science, it makes a lot more sense when you can relate it to your everyday life.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I will ask students questions about different aspects of the subject material. I rotate between difficult and easy questions. This helps me figure out which areas the student does well, and which areas the students need extra help.

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

Each student learns differently and has a different educational experience. I try to figure out the student's goal and main needs in a subject. I then design the lessons around those goals and needs.