What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe in the Socratic method - guiding students through questioning rather than giving answers.

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

Really try and identify what aspect of their academics is proving challenging, review past work that shows how they have approached the challenge in the past, and try and come up with some strategies to start tackling the issues.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

By teaching them the skills they need to be a self-sufficient and resilient learner.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

By teaching them research and study skills.

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

Break it down into smaller components, try approaching it in different ways, review underlying principles, and/or analogous skills. But mostly practice, practice, practice.

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

Use smaller passages. Instead of trying to understand a chapter, try to understand a paragraph. Instead of a paragraph, a sentence, etc.

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

Having a conversation about what they think their weak areas are and understanding what their past approach has been.

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

Modeling excitement and engagement, boosting confidence through success.

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

Questioning both formally (homework/practice problems) and informally (verbal checks for understanding).

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

By looking at their past work, speaking with them, and doing practice work.

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

I'm not sure this has a generalizable answer.