What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe that no concept is too complex or dry to be grasped by an individual. The key to understanding is in the presentation of the information. In order for a subject to be grasped, it needs to be made personal to the student, it has to be funny, it has to click. I teach in the way that I enjoy learning; I relate the information to what I know and love (cats, food, people), and I try to do the same for the individuals that I teach. I like to get to know my students and then cater learning not only to their learning style but their lifestyle and personality.

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

The first thing that I like to do in a tutoring session is get to know the student and their goals. I can then make a plan as to what material to cover when, how in-depth to go, and how to make that material relevant to them. If there is a style of teaching that they know does not work for them, it's best to learn that from the get-go. It is also important to me to learn about the student personally, so that I can cater the way I teach to them. I want to know what is important to you personally so that I can work to make this information relevant to you, beyond a textbook or test. I like to build a friendly relationship with the people I teach because I find that a good rapport makes for a more trusting and powerful tutor-student relationship. I also like to set parameters for meeting times, when I can be reached and how to communicate with me for the convenience of myself and the student.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Helping a student to relate to the material that they are learning is a passion of mine. I think that if a student can find information that is relevant to their lives in their studies, they will be more connected and passionate not only about the subject but about learning in general.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I find that setting small, reasonable goals to build up to a big achievement is better than staring down a mountain of a pursuit. Let's take steps that are manageable in order to complete the journey, that way there are more successes to celebrate and more chances to check progress to make sure that all material is really being learned.

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

I enjoy the challenge of catering lessons to students, and that requires taking multiple approaches. For me, this means working through visual means, practicing problems/exams, and providing materials which make the skill or concept relevant to the student in their everyday life. I've written lessons entirely as visual concept maps, and have used pop culture (most notably Mean Girls and Internet memes) as a way of making learning fun and relevant.

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

Knowing the student's personal interests, skills and gaps in knowledge are the best way to address how to conquer a challenging subject. I find that beginning each lesson with a basic overview of the concepts, and then diving into specific details and putting them in the context of the big ideas and the student's life, is the best strategy for meeting academic goals.

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

I think that making subjects relevant to students by relating the subject to their interests and their lives is key to reaching their academic goals. I personally cannot learn if I am not engaged, so I enjoy personalizing lessons to make abstract concepts real and concrete ideas for my students. This can include relating information to sports, history, pop culture, food, animals, and other subjects that the student is learning.