What is your teaching philosophy?

Any student can be good at mathematics. All it takes is finding the right angle of attack to break down a problem to its simplest components for easy solving.

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

I would introduce myself and then familiarize myself with what subject and section they are learning at the moment. Then I would gauge what kind of level of understanding the student has before helping them learn.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I would attempt to give them a few problems during a tutoring session for the student to work out by themselves, as well as trying to build up their confidence when working independently.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I would provide them with examples of how mathematics is used in real life, and how they can benefit from being good at math.

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

Perhaps they are having trouble understanding how such a concept is presented. I would attempt to explain the skill or concept in a different, hopefully more understandable, way.

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

I try my best to only give advice on how to solve certain types of problems, leaving them to attempt to find a solution on their own. If they continue to have trouble, I'd do an example for them and have them work based off of that.

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

I would propose the benefits of being great at math.

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

I would give them mini-quizzes, asking for key terms and equations where applicable. I would also let them work on some example/homework problems on their own to see if they understand the material.

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

I would always try to maintain a positive attitude, praising a correct answer and kindly correcting wrong answers.

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

I try to assess what kind of learning style a student has so I can meld my tutoring style to their needs.

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

My mind, pencil, and paper, as well as the student's math book so I can: A) Use it as a guide on what kind of notation they are learning and B) Double-check anything I am not 100% sure about.