What is your teaching philosophy?

I wouldn't say I have any particular philosophy. I think each student is unique, and as a tutor I should be flexible enough to accommodate various learning methods. The needs of the student always come first!

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

After introductions, I would probably go into a dialogue about what the student expects to achieve from our sessions, inquire about problem areas he/she might have, and together try to figure out the best possible way I can help alleviate those.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Through consistent encouragement and positive reinforcement. I think the more the student feels like the sessions are fulfilling their purpose, the more motivated they are to go the extra mile to get even better on their own.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

By always staying positive and avoiding being overly critical. Setting achievable targets can also help keep the student's motivation/interest up.

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

That's what I'm there for! I believe that with the right amount of patience and perseverance, we can eventually find a way around such issues.

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

I might schedule some assignments to test a student's knowledge of the concept. If, afterwards, it is clear that the material hasn't been fully grasped, I would go over the problem areas again and maybe try to find a different method to help the student understand better.