What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe that every student can learn to a high level. It is my passion to ignite a love for learning where one does not already exist. By serving my students, I can prepare them with the skills they need to not just be temporarily successful, but rather successful for the rest of their lives.

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

I would ask questions to get to know the student better - likes/dislikes on a variety of topics and pop culture.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I believe that teaching skills like finding context clues in reading, making analogies, breaking apart and analyzing questions will help students transfer these skills when they have to perform on their own.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I would assess body language; if I can see that a student is slowing down or getting past the point of productive frustration, I would suggest we take a brief break and find out what is the actual issue.

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

I would start by having the student explain to me what they DO understand about the concept or skill, then step in where I see a misconception. Typically, I ask probing questions to help ascertain at what level the student understands a concept or skill.

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

I encourage students to read at their own pace. I have a few strategies for finding main idea and supporting details; and annotating. I can also help by co-reading and helping students sound out words.

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

I find that developing a relationship helps build trust which then helps build success. When a student thinks that you care about them, they will work harder for you. I show my students I care about them by listening to them and asking them questions about them, and when appropriate, make jokes.

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

I would capitalize on what they like about the subject; and if a student is unable to tell me what they like, I will relate an aspect of the content to something they are interested in like sports, music, arts, etc.

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

I would ask a lot of "why" questions after having a student explain a concept to me. I want my students to go beyond simple recall as much as possible. In some cases, we would make foldables, use graphic organizers, and/or diagrams.

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

I would ask a student to bring the materials they use for class, paper, pen or pencil, in addition to a computer or cell phone if they have one. I would have my computer in case the student does not have access at home.

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

If I feel that a student has trouble reading about something, I would read it out loud while they read along. If the student has a hard time visualizing a process, I would break it down and have them illustrate or describe it to me. If a student is struggling with a skill, I would have them show me what they do on their own, and then I would break down and highlight the part that needs attention.

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

I build a student's confidence in a subject by creating opportunities for success. Success begets success, so I work with the student to determine goals for our session, then break the goals up into "check points" that are more bite-size and frequent "checks for understanding," to provide the student multiple opportunities to feel successful by the end of the session.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I would first determine what the student thinks his or her needs are. Then I would give them an opportunity to show me what they know, because sometimes students understand something but lack confidence in saying they understand it. In some cases, students really don't know what their needs are.