What is your teaching philosophy?

Students need to be given opportunities to apply the skills and knowledge that they learn in the classroom. It is only when teachers give their students these opportunities that real learning and understanding can happen.

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

I would spend my first session with a student getting to know them and forming a relationship with them. The student needs to feel comfortable around me in order to trust me to be their teacher. I would also make sure that I know what the student's interests are so that I can incorporate that into my lessons.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Students stay motivated when they are given opportunities to use the knowledge that they have learned. This allows them to see their own progress and to have a visual of what their hard work has done for them.

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

I would try to present the information to the student in a different way. Perhaps the way that the concept had been taught did not make sense to the student because they could not make a connection between the skill/concept and their own life.

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

For students who are struggling with reading comprehension, it is important to make sure that they are reading a text that is at their level. If it is a textbook that they are reading so they have no choice, I would present the students with multiple ways to organize what they are reading and to take notes to monitor their comprehension as they are reading.

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

When I first start working with a student, it is important to model the skill or concept to them so they can see how it is properly done. After that, we do the work together with the teacher guiding the student through the problem. Then, the student would have an opportunity to do the work independently.

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

If students are able to make connections to their own life, then they will be excited about what they are learning, even if it is something that they struggle with. Therefore, it is important for the teacher to know what their student is interested in so they can help them engage in the subject.

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

I would have a discussion with the student to see if they have understood the material enough to speak about it and answer questions orally. I would also have the student practice the skill on their own to make sure that they can do it without assistance.

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

It is important to give a student encouragement throughout a lesson. If they are struggling, I would make sure to give them constructive feedback in a considerate and helpful way. It is also very important to give a student positive feedback so they know that there are some things that they are doing well.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I evaluate a student's needs by having them orally work through a problem. For math, I would present them with a problem and have them talk me through how they would tackle it. Therefore, I would be able to not only see what they present on the paper, but also what they are thinking.

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

It is very important to meet the learning needs of my students. Students learn in a variety of different ways so I would have a conversation with the student about what types of activities and presentations of the material they enjoy the most (taking notes, watching videos, playing games, etc.).

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

I would use videos, songs, and other forms of media as well as interactive games. This allows the students to access the information in a way that they may not have been able to in the classroom. It is also important to expose the students to text if they are struggling in reading and language arts, so I would use reading passages that are fitted to the student's interest and needs.