What is your teaching philosophy?

As a teacher, my goal is for your student to understand the subject in a new way that incorporates their interests and abilities.

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

During my first session with a student, I would start by getting to know the student - on both a personal level and a professional level. Getting to know your student - and them getting to know me - makes them feel more comfortable and ready to learn. From there, I would begin by asking a few questions relevant to the subject matter. This helps me to get an understanding of where your student is at and what our goals should be while going forward.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Becoming an independent learner is only possible with a passion and drive to learn. I can help your student feel comfortable with mathematics and encourage their desire to learn by incorporating their interests into the learning process.

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

If your student has difficulty understanding a concept, I would try approaching it with a different teaching method. Not all students learn the same way, so it is important to adjust my teaching methods to find the correct match for your student.

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

During a tutoring session I typically utilize practice questions. For regents algebra, a majority of the work we focus on will stem from past regents examinations.

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

To get a student excited or engaged, the best thing to do is relate the topic to something that interests them.

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

The best way to ensure that a student understands the material is by having them attempt a problem on their own. If they are not able to get through it without help, go back and re-teach the topic from where things went wrong.

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

In order to build a student's confidence in a subject, I would start by creating achievable goals. Start the session with a problem or two that the student already knows how to solve. This encourages them to feel good about what they know and opens the door to learning more.

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

Every student learns differently. Ask the student if involving pictures or writing the words or numbers out would help them better understand. If they don't know what works for them, try different options until something clicks for them.

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

The first thing you do is ask the student what they need help with. Whether it is something on their homework that they did not understand or a concept their teacher discussed in class - this is always a great starting point. If the student is unable to pinpoint it, the best thing to do is to create a beginning assessment that helps me understand what that student needs to focus on in particular.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

The first thing to do is to create an assessment of general practice problems that help pinpoint the area where the student needs the most help.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

To keep a student motivated, you have to give them a confidence boost. When trying to conquer a difficult topic, including a few problems that cover topics your student already understands keeps them from getting frustrated and open to learning.

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

If a student is struggling with reading comprehension, it helps to ask them simple questions about the text. Breaking the problem down into smaller parts may help the student better understand the context.