What is your teaching philosophy?

My style is to first communicate with the student and figure out their needs. Afterwards, I can help through concepts, example problems, and any problems they are working on.

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

Talk to the student and discuss their objectives so I can plot our course and prepare for subsequent lessons. Afterwards I ask about if they have any homework assignments or coursework they would like me to help walk them through. At the end, ask if they have comments, questions, or concerns, again so I can prepare for the next lesson.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

After working them through a problem, let them do one themselves with some guidance and let them see that they can figure it out themselves.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

First, I'd ask if they have any comments, questions, or concerns. You can find out what a student’s motivation or lack thereof stems from, and by helping them with their learning objectives, make them feel more optimistic and motivated.

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

Try to break down the concept into easier ones they may understand, and then rebuild the concept from those building blocks. It also helps to have example problems we can work through so it sticks.

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

See what issues they have with reading comprehension. Math can have a lot of jargon, and if the student doesn't understand the concepts, reading the literature can be difficult. Therefore I'd try to help them understand the vocabulary and concepts.

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

Getting some background knowledge, such as their learning objectives and difficulties, so I know what to focus on.

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

Help them progress through the subject! When we're struggling with something, it can be pretty hard to stay excited about it.

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

Have them work through a couple of problems and see how they progress. Ask questions about if they understand what they are doing in order to solve it.

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

First help them learn the concepts, and then help them work through some problems and see if they can do some of their own. Once a student knows he or she can do it their own, they'll feel much better about being able to tackle future problems and feel more confident.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

Ask them. A student usually knows his or her own needs. If they don't, see if they can solve a problem on their own, and if not, observe and figure out where they are struggling.

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

Since each student has different needs, I will have to tutor to a different style depending on the student. If they say they are a visual learner, provide them with more visual examples, for example.

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

The digital whiteboard, material about the course they provide me, and some problem sets.