What is your teaching philosophy?

Every student learns in their own unique way. Tutoring provides the opportunity to really zero in on what that learning method is and to offer each student a chance to learn material in a way that works best for them.

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

Get to know the student beyond what they need help with. What their interests are, how they feel about the course, and what exactly is giving them difficulty are all important things to know when approaching a new student.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Try to stimulate an interest in the material and a desire to succeed. Really reward going the extra mile.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Try to show the student the benefits of what they are learning.

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

I would try to find new and unique ways of explaining or visualizing the concept or method.

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

Break the material into smaller sections and try to get a better idea of what the underlying issue may be. Sometimes it's focus, or other times it's simple anxiety.

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

I like to find out exactly what my students want to get out of our time together. I want to make sure they feel like every minute we spend together is beneficial in achieving their own personal goals.

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

Try to relate the subject to something they are already excited about or engaged with. Seeing real-world, practical examples can sometimes make an enormous difference.

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

Ask the student to reiterate a crucial concept, either from earlier in the lesson or a previous day. Possibly, start the session with a brief, quiz-like review to test their retention.

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

Practice, practice, practice, and then practice some more. That's, in my experience, the only way to build confidence.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I try to constantly monitor their performance and check for hints and signs as to what specifically gives them trouble. Alternatively, I try to quickly pick up on what methods they like and enjoy.

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

If someone likes to understand the underlying concepts to a formula or its derivation, I make sure to go through that. If someone learns better in a lecture-type environment, I make sure to do that as well. Likewise, if someone learns from performing the skill themselves, we spend a lot of time on problems. I try to make my teaching methods as adaptive as possible.

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

I like to use study guides, past exams, selected practice problems, or in-text example problems from the student's textbook. Also, I enjoy the online platform's bank of practice problems.