What is your teaching philosophy?

My teaching philosophy revolves around being personally engaging, fun (humor never hurts), and down-to-earth. To me, these are the best ways to communicate new ideas and study habits.

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

Get to know a little about each other, find out some of the student's interests, and break the ice with some light-hearted banter.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Teach them some methods for thinking through problems and tackling difficult subjects.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I would keep the material personally interesting and engaging.

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

I would find ways to simplify the process by personalizing a new skill or concept by making sure it relates back to the student's interests.

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

I ask them to take their time reading through a sentence, have them read it (and re-read it) out loud, and then ask them to break the sentence down.

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

Being engaging, making learning fun, and deescalating the levels of stress and worry the student has.

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

Try to relate the subject to something the student is personally interested in. This often involves knowing the best questions to ask the student, and how to ask them.

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

I would make sure to ask them questions about the assignment, keeping in mind what the teacher of their class expects of them.

How do you build a student's confidence in a subject?

By being encouraging, uplifting, passionate, and positive. These tend to spread to others.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

Asking questions is the best way to find out what a students needs are. That, and working through a problem with them.

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

I reach them where they are at, and try to motivate and guide them to a renewed passion for working on their needs.

What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?

Online materials, written sources, YouTube videos, TED talks, and other credible guides and Encyclopedias.