Alyssa

What is your teaching philosophy?

My teaching philosophy is relaxed and laid back- I believe that in order to learn, the student must be comfortable with the teacher and that there must be a strong relationship between the two in order for there to be success. I am also a strong proponent to the philosophy of instilling self-confidence in students, and believe strongly in positive reinforcement. I believe in the importance of recognizing the good and positive in each student's work, and working around their strengths, rather than directly attacking the negative qualities of a student's work.

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

In a first session with a student, I would want to get to know the student, both as a person and as a learner. I would introduce myself and explain a bit about my teaching philosophy, then ask them questions about themselves such as favorite hobbies and activities. I believe that in order to have a good tutor-student relationship, you must know each other as more than just teacher and learner. After getting to know each other a bit, I would then proceed to assess their academic situation by performing age-appropriate screenings for their specific subject needs.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Becoming an independent learner is key to success! The student must have the confidence to succeed on their own, so I am a strong proponent in the belief that a tutor must build up the learner's confidence and encourage them in everything that they can do correctly.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Staying motivated is the key to long-term success. It is important to keep the interest alive and try to switch up activities as much as possible so that the learner does not get bored with the material quickly.

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

If a student has difficulty with a certain subject, I am understanding and encouraging. I find that oftentimes, a student's ability to learn a skill or concept can be blighted by the fact that they lack self-confidence.

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

Reading comprehension is something that can be tricky to teach correctly. However, in my professional opinion, the most important thing to do with a student who struggles with reading comprehension is to repeat activities multiple times and make sure that we do not try to rush through the material.

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

I have found that it is extremely important to foster a learner's unique abilities and strengths, while encouraging self-confidence and forward progress.

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

It is very important to relate subjects to something that a student can relate to. For example, if a student plays sports, I often try to insert sports analogies into our lessons. If they enjoy music, I add music into our lessons. It is important to add things into the lesson that already interest them, in order to keep their attention.