What is your teaching philosophy?

My teaching philosophy is to start at the grassroots level. I want to make sure you know the basics. If you master the basics, you'll be able to apply that foundation to the most complex problems and succeed at them!

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

I want to get straight to work! First I'd like to hear what you want to get out of the lesson, what you want to learn, and your strengths and weaknesses of the topic. We can assess those together with practice problems and review. Then, we can move forward from there to improve from the ground up.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I can help a student become an independent learner by teaching them the basic tools to solve even the most complex of problems. Continued practice with these tools enables students to truly master the subject on their own.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I love the process of learning: struggles, confusion, and enlightenment. I will use my positive attitude and passion for this process to motivate my students.

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

Again I have grassroots approach to learning. If a student has difficulty learning a concept, that struggle signals to me that we need to return to more basic levels of the concept and fully master those before moving on.

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

Reading comp is no walk in the park. I would share my tricks for reading critically: how to take notes, how to find the most essential concepts of a passage, and how to successfully pick the right answers to comprehension questions.

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

I believe a listening ear, a positive attitude, enthusiasm, and, of course, an excellent understanding of the topic the student is studying all enable a successful relationship between my students and me.

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

I think learning cool, new, problem-solving tricks about the subject that enable success in it helps students get excited about it. In other words, I think empowering the students to do great in the subject results in better engagement and excitement about it!

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

Two main techniques to ensure understanding: 1) fill-in-the-blank conversations with the student, constantly asking "check" questions and 2) practice problems galore.

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

I think students are confident in a subject if they firmly believe they can solve problems and know the fundamental tools to do so. Thus my goal is to instill that knowledge and understanding in my students and make sure they can solve practice questions in a quick and effective way.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I evaluate a student's needs via two mechanisms: 1) their verbal communication to me about what they need help with, and 2) my observations about how a student goes about solving problems and answering questions.

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

There are many different types of learners. I will do my best to adapt my presentation and teaching skills to best suit the student's learning style to ensure the most efficient and efficacious learning process for them.

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

A pencil, an eraser, and scratch paper.