What is your teaching philosophy?

I encourage students to persevere in solving challenging problems. Sometimes a little patience is all someone needs to understand the answer.

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

I first try to understand the goals of the student. Whether they need help with homework or they are studying for a test will impact how I will tutor them in future sessions.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I allow students to just do their best on a sample problem. Then, I am able to address the exact point where the student is not able to find the solution.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I take short breaks where we talk about interests other than the subject we are studying.

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

I go right back to the basics so that the student can feel a little success. Sometimes feeling a little success is all that is needed to understand more advanced material.

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

I break down the words and phrases into smaller pieces and discuss each piece.

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

I often go back to the basics. I am then able to see whether there is earlier material they are struggling with. Also, feeling a little success always helps.

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

I try to find applications that relate to them. If they enjoy baseball, I try to relate the material to baseball.

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

I always allow the student to do a sample problem so we both know the student understands the material.

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

I have students complete a short assessment on the basics so that they start feeling success.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I ask the student what their goals are for the session.

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

I adjust the difficulty and quantity of my sample problems until I find what works for the student.

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

I love referencing Wolfram Alpha as the program often gives step by step instructions on how to solve the problem.