What is your teaching philosophy?

Allowing as much time as needed to fully understand the material. Also, I never give up.

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

During the first session with a student I like to get to know their class history, hobbies, goals and learning style. This way I make sure their needs are met.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I provide study tips, practice problems and interesting facts that make it much easier to learn independently.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I tell students that there is always a way to understand scientific concepts and they are always worth the effort to learn. It can be fun to learn them!

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

I would take a different approach in teaching how to understand the concept or use the skill until progress is made.

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

I like to point out any summary portions at the end of textbook chapters that make reading the material easier than before. Also, I try to pinpoint any specific areas that are difficult to the student such as the meaning of words and then help from there.

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

I have found providing practice problems with an answer key to be a great strategy as well as having clear, short explanations that make learning a lot easier for the student.

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

I would mention small facts that pertain to reality and the importance of certain concepts to make learning the subject more fun and interesting for the student.

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

I would ask the students sample questions, ask for any questions or clarification, and go over difficult questions or questions that the student doesn't understand so that in the future the student will understand.

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

I like to give questions that are relatively easy to answer so that a student knows that he or she does have knowledge in the subject and can learn more.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I first evaluate what a student needs by what the student tells me. Then I gauge by how the student performs and how the student feels about the material by what additional steps or less steps can be taken to fulfill all of what the student needs.

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

I listen to the student and make sure that if a student learns best one way I will match my tutoring style as close as possible. With that said, I do like to host a variety of learning methods so that the student can learn in more than one way.

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

I typically use practice problems, reading materials, visual aids such as diagrams and graphs, and mnemonics. I also like to make short quizzes or tests for the student and go over them as well as tests or quizzes that have already been taken.