What is your teaching philosophy?

Teaching should be an exchange, not a one-sided lecture. Though there's a time and a place for lengthy explanations, there must also be the chance for a student to ask questions, to explore material deeper, and to show the teacher how well material is being understood.

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

I would first review the assignments a student is being given in class to better learn what their teacher, and the curriculum, are looking for. After that, I would work with them to find not only what areas need improvement, but in what areas there is already strength and confidence, so that I can better keep the student motivated.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

The best way to help a student develop as a learner is to provide them with a wide range of tools and strategies for approaching material covered, so that they may discover what works best for them.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

To keep a student motivated, I would ensure that the sole focus of a session is not on material that they are struggling with. By including material with which they are already confident, it becomes much easier to avoid frustration and build a greater general understanding of the material.

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

I would try to identify the specific reason for difficulty, and work towards finding related concepts that show the concept in question from different viewpoints.

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

A large part of reading comprehension is recognizing patterns in text, and so I would encourage practice with similar passages to help build up that base of experience in seeing these patterns at work.

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

The best way I have found to begin working with a student is by asking a few leading questions, prompting them to step up in the discussion and explain to me in their own words what it is about the material that frustrates them.

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

Motivation can be one of the biggest obstacles with problem subjects. One of the most reliable ways I've learned to overcome this and inspire excitement is highlighting the ways in which the subject at hand relates to and overlaps with one that they are naturally more passionate about.

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

After working with the student on a few examples, arriving at answers together, I would have them attempt a few examples on their own, and have them explain to me how they arrived at the answer that they chose.

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

Confidence comes easiest from concrete results, and so one of the best ways to build that confidence is to put the concepts that are causing the most trouble on hold for the moment, instead highlighting the concepts that they feel come easily to them, because these will quite often outweigh the problematic areas of a subject.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

Evaluating a student's needs comes down to two factors. I would very much want to see some examples of the student's classwork and assignments to get a stronger understanding of what is expected of them in the classroom. Beyond that, though, I also want to hear the student's frustrations and concerns in their own words, so that I know what is weighing on their mind.

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

I adapt my tutoring to a student's needs based largely on the method of learning that suits them best. Additionally, I figure out where their motivations lie, so that I better understand how to get the most effort out of them in a session.

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

I would use anything from a student's classroom texts, to the widespread resources available online, and even prompts and questions of my own design.