What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe that all students can learn and that the learning process is continuous yet different in timeframe for all students.

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

The first session is a diagnostic to find out where students are in regard to basic skills and gaps in content knowledge. From there, I develop a learning plan towards our ultimate goals and how we will get there.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I can teach the student about important studying and information gathering skills and gradually ween the student off of my direct help to eventually become independent of aid in general.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I believe that finding out a student's incentives for success is important. Also, showing the student their own successes is an important motivational strategy.

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

In that situation there is reteaching that must occur, and I would probably try another delivery method (visual, audio, etc.) to make sure the student could understand the concept/lesson.

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

I believe using a graduated Lexile program to build them towards grade level is important. Also, learning common prefixes and suffixes is important towards students being able to decide words in text. Lastly, integrating new words into the student's vocabulary is immensely important towards their development.

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

Getting to know them personally in regard to interests and struggles. This helps me relate new information to the student, making connections to their hobbies and interests.

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

Students need to see the importance to their own lives through current events/modern applications and also having them experience successes with the material to increase excitement.

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

I would utilize visuals, audio clips, graduated release of skills, and information to increase student retention of information.

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

I believe you build on small victories in student understanding, and keep challenging the student to increase the rate of victories.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I evaluate a student's needs through direct observation of skills and knowledge, as well as taking into account the stated needs of the student.

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

I evaluate the grade level the student operates on in terms of literacy, and also pair my decisions on their particular learning style that seems most effective (visual, auditory, etc.).

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

I like to use primary and secondary sources, film, and sometimes manipulatives to help students grow.