What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe that you will learn best when you discover the answers for yourself. However, rather than tossing students in to sink or swim, I believe educators should be there to guide the learning process with insight, understanding, and strategic questions and lessons.

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

In the first session, student and tutor are trying to get to know one another and establish what the student wants out of the tutoring. This get-to-know-you session helps the student learn if this is the right tutor and helps the tutor understand what the student needs most.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

The love of learning is something that can last a person throughout a lifespan. Most people have something that they are passionate about, and when we can find the right way that person learns and connect it with what they love and are interested in, we have taken the first step toward creating a life-long learner.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

It's not enough to just challenge a student. Finding a student's motivation is also a matter of learning their passions and interests and then helping them connect the dots between their passions and the subjects they must study.

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

When we hit a wall, it's time to turn a corner. Inside-the-box thinking may be fine for some students, but for others the road most traveled is simply boring. When this happens, it's time to mix it up and try something unconventional!

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

Reading comprehension is often an issue of understanding the subject matter and creating emotional attachment with the material. We have trouble learning material outside of a context, and we remember things best when we create emotional connections by making material relevant.

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

One of the easiest methods is looking for the connection to the student's daily life. For instance, when studying Romeo and Juliet, the theme of romance is one the student will probably be familiar. If we can connect the dry material to something the student can more readily connect with, we've paved the way for a more exciting learning experience.

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

Students who truly understand the material can do more than parrot the rote learning back--they know what the material MEAN. Engaging in Socratic dialogue with a student (answering questions with more thought-provoking questions) is a great way to ensure the learning has a context.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

The student's teacher can often identify some of their needs, but nothing beats careful active listening. The first session with a student provides an opportunity to talk and get to know one another, but it also provides important information about where the student is coming from.

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

Every student is different, and every student comes from a different background. When we can make a bridge between the content and the student's background, we have taken an important step toward identifying that student's unique needs.