What is your teaching philosophy?

Nothing is ever as complicated as it seems. This is especially true in school. New concepts are daunting, but they don't have to be. A level head, and the patience to parse through complicated material one step at a time, makes even the most confusing problems simple. I don't want to help you with number four on the problem set, I want to help you learn how to take a problem one step at a time. This way, you can solve any problem, not just the ones you've solved before.

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

I want to understand your goals. I want to know what you want out of tutoring, and I want to create a strategy for your success. This can take a whole session for something like the LSAT. Or, it can take part of a session, for something like econ homework. In sum, it's important to first understand the goal before setting out to achieve it. Otherwise you're on a journey without a map.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

My goal is to teach you how to sort it out. While individual concepts can be troublesome, the true value of good tutoring is to show you how to figure it out on your own.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Motivation is tricky. Even people with lots of drive get into a slump sometimes. If you feel like you're in a slump, I'm here to help keep you on track. Having clear and simple goals can help anyone find the motivation to move forward.

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

Breathe. Yes, it's complicated. If we pause, we can look at the concept or skill in a different light. Sometimes time and space away from the problem is the key to solving it.

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

Reading comprehension can be tricky. Especially moving from one level of complexity to the next. I'm here to summarize a passage into it's main point. Then we can work together to see how the passage makes that point.

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

I want to get to know you. Let's learn a little bit more about each other so we can communicate better. Better communication equals a better strategy for reaching your tutoring goals.

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

It's easy to get lost in the conceptual nature of many college-level courses. Sometimes we need to be reminded how a subject affects the real world. Let's keep that in mind, and then we can find the motivation to keep trying.

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

Oftentimes, we learn something new, then dismiss the accomplishment. Having confidence in a subject is about celebrating the accomplishment of learning, however big or small. In short, when a student gets something right, they get a high five.