What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe an educator should be relatable to their students and should take the time to get to know their students. A teacher should be understanding, patient, and able to present information from various angles to best find that angle that the student(s) understands best. Teaching/learning can and should be an enjoyable experience, and there is room for fun in the educational environment.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Being an independent learner means a student needs to be able to process information and solve problems/answer questions on their own. To become independent, students need to be taught how to think critically instead of babysat. They need to be urged and given the confidence to try problems on their own instead of being spoon-fed answers. They need to be asked open-ended questions such as, "What do you think" and "How would you approach this problem?"