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

I like to get to know my students before beginning. Knowing the types of things that interest them helps me develop new and interesting ways to teach concepts. I also like to know what the student sees as his/her strengths and weaknesses.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

By providing a student with new skills and understanding of his/her learning style, a tutor can provide a student with long-term skills to use. Once a student understands how he/she best learns, he/she can then begin to adapt the material to his/her learning style.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

By adjusting the presentation of different concepts, you can ensure that a student stays motivated. It is key that a student finds the material engaging to foster motivation.

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

Breaking down the reading material into smaller, more manageable parts is key. It is also helpful to add in lots of smaller comprehension questions to help students learn how to ask questions as they read.

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

When starting off with a student, it is key that you build a relationship. The student needs to know that you are there to help them understand the material in the best way for them. It is not about being able to memorize and regurgitate information. Helping students recognize what techniques work for them leads to better learning.

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

Every student can be engaged and excited about any subject. It is key that tutors help students identify what aspects of a subject they do find interesting. Tutors also need to know how to present the information in new and exciting ways that the student has not seen before to maintain the excitement.