What is your teaching philosophy?

I have to paraphrase Socrates and say that I can't teach anyone anything; I can only make them think. For me, it's not just about getting a student to the right answer, but more about challenging them to arrive at it on their own. I really want to encourage students to tackle questions and problems from various perspectives to find what works best for them personally.

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

I would definitely want to identify what type of learner the student is (whether they respond better to visual, auditory, kinetic, etc.). I would then be able to tailor future lesson plans to this student in particular.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Always encourage the student to ask questions. If they don't understand how an answer was reached, they need to be comfortable saying so. This way, they will be able to develop their own critical thinking skills and arrive at answers on their own. It is also important to find what they are passionate about.