What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe that teachers help students to develop new skills and knowledge in order to be successful in their lives. A good teacher will do his or her best to understand the person as an individual first and student second. That is, to truly find out what is important to that individual, what his or her challenges may be, what their interests are and how he or she likes to learn. Teachers change lives, build confidence, and help students meet their educational and personal goals. A good teacher is an awesome person to have in your corner!

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

My first session would be about getting to know the student. What his or her interests are and, specifically, what his or her goal is during the tutoring experience. I would also share something about my background and hobbies. Additionally, we would talk about how the session would work, what my expectations are as well as what the students expectations are of me. Finally, I would answer any questions and let the student know that I believe learning should be fun, so we'll definitely include that as well.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I can help a student become an independent learner by helping him or her discover their strengths and identify any challenges their might have. By doing so they can work to their strengths and find tools and resources to improve. Focusing on strengths builds confidence. Additionally, I will provide them with opportunities and assignments in new areas that require they use new skills.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Motivation can come from inside the student or from outside the student. The student can identify personal reasons he or she wants to succeed and these can be great motivators. Additionally, I'll be making sure I keep the material interesting and fun and paced in a way that the student looks forward to the next one.

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

The first thing is to identify what the difficulty is. Whether it is something that requires a different approach from the one we've been using, new resources, or just more one on one discussion about the concept.

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

To help with reading comprehension, I would ask the student questions about the particular subject to see if they had any prior knowledge that would help them to understand. Also, asking questions throughout the reading is helpful in that it provides both the teacher and student with opportunities to discuss difficult passages. Also, a review of vocabulary within a passage is helpful, as well having the student summarize what he or she has read at the end of the exercise.

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

Some of my best strategies are asking students to share information about themselves. Having discussions about why they think the material is or is not important to them. Providing them with early opportunities to write in order to assess needs. Allowing them to ask questions and giving honest feedback.

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

I would find something that they are really interested in for example, music. If we are studying poetry, I might ask them to look at a particular song and how it compares to a poem we are studying. If we talking about nous and verbs, we can make it a game or use flashcards to make it fun.

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

To check for understanding, I will ask questions, use quizzes, games and assessments and provide opportunities for students to talk about what they've learned.

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

I build confidence by providing honest feedback and encouragement. Additionally, I would use various types of positive reinforcement and provide them with opportunities to demonstrate their abilities to learn new materials.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I evaluate student needs by using pretests, question and answer sessions, and writing/vocabulary exercises.

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

By differentiating my instruction. I would use language and vocabulary that would allow for clear understanding, use materials and exercises specifically geared towards their reading and writing levels. I would also increase or decrease the speed at which material was covered depending on student needs.

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

I use vocabulary building, reading exercises, writing prompts, grammar and punctuation exercises, and discussion.