What is your teaching philosophy?

Everyone can learn. However everyone does have the desire to want to learn. This takes work ethic and accountability. A desire to get better every day will get you a long way in life.

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

Get to know the student; plain and simple, I need to know who I am working with. I want to know who I am helping and see what they are struggling with.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

This can be done with study skills and asking tough questions. Questions like, "can I explain this concept in my own words?" Also, developing study habits that cater to one's strengths.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

The easiest way I have found is to find what students like in school and what their potential interests in college would be, and apply those features to the lesson and make it relevant to that student. The goal must always be in focus.

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

I would ask why they thought they did not get it, and then I would reteach it in a different way and have them explain that concept back to me so I know they had attained it.

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

First we must identify terms in a passage that they do not understand. Then find those meanings and apply it to text. We must also read and ask questions like, "What is the main Idea of this paragraph?" That will help close holes in the comprehension level.

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

Goal setting and discussion about how setting and reaching those goals will help the student down the road. I also think practice in figuring out how you learn best will fine-tune your skills in any subject.

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

I would look up related activities in the subject and try to apply them to the interests of that student to make it relevant to them.

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

They have to be able to explain it to me in their own words. They could also write me a page summary or make flash cards that I could use to teach another student who does not know the material.

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

Small goals that we can reach in the beginning. Taste success and build bigger goals to reach.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

Looking at grades and asking questions about their interest in those subjects, and what they do and do not like about those classes.

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

I try to find their strengths and use those to build on weaknesses. Studying is like training for a sport; it takes practice.

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

Note taking, Venn diagrams, and concept maps. Charts and primary resources from history websites.