What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe that there is no "one size fits all" method to teaching. Every student has a unique learning style, and it's important that lessons cater to that learning style, while also helping students to strengthen their academic weaknesses. I also believe that students learn best when they feel safe and comfortable sharing their concerns with their instructors. For that reason, I believe in developing a culture of teaching that allows me to create a rapport with my students.

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

The format of initial sessions will differ depending on the student's needs, but typically I like to begin with both an informal conversation and an informal assessment. It is important for me to hear what the student believes they need assistance with, and it is also important for me to get to know the student's personality outside of their academic strengths and weaknesses. I then like to have the student walk me through how they might approach a typical problem in their discipline, so that I can see both their learning style and where weak spots may be occurring.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Students can become independent learners with the appropriate amount of modeling and scaffolding. It is my job as a tutor to first provide students with the support they need to be successful learners, and then to gradually remove such support until they are able to sustain such learning habits on their own.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I find it is important to break lessons and assignments into tasks manageable to each individual student. It is easier to stay motivated when a student feels they are accomplishing something and/or making progress. In certain cases, it also helps to provide students with incentives to keep working--whether it be as small as a 5-minute break to check social media, or as big as spending a session playing educational games.

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

I've found that one of the best ways to assist students in learning a difficult skill or concept is to teach it in terms relative to them, or to connect it to a subject or topic that is familiar to them. This, combined with breaking large assignments into smaller tasks, often makes the process easier for the student.

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

Difficulty in reading comprehension generally stems from 3 things: reading too quickly, difficulty focusing, or difficulty understanding the language of the text. One method to assist students in reading comprehension is to read the text aloud--as tone and inflection often help convey a better idea of what the author is trying to communicate. Other techniques involve breaking the text into smaller, manageable chunks. By analyzing a text a small section at a time, students can deliver more focus and spend a greater amount of time processing what it is they're reading.

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

When first working with students, I find it is best to spend the first few minutes getting to know that student on a personal level so as to build a rapport with them. Afterwards, I'll ask the student to walk me through the difficulties they're facing in a particular subject in order to best assess to how to assist them.