What is your teaching philosophy?

My teaching philosophy involves breaking down a concept to building blocks that the student is confident with and then building up from there. That could mean backtracking to very basic concepts, but if those are the only ones the student feels comfortable with, that has to be the starting point. This ensures that there will not be holes in the student's understanding, and I take pride in being able to explain things clearly in this light.

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

I would want to learn all I can about the material that the student is struggling with so that I can be best prepared to help them. Then, I would ask them to explain to me which parts they understand and which parts they do not. From here, I will be able to focus our lesson on the right concepts and incorporate what the student is already comfortable with.