What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe that a great teacher gets to know their students and meets them where they are at. Through that personal connection and understanding of who your students are, you can help lead them to where they will be successful!

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

Let's get to know a little bit about each other! What do you believe are your strengths and weaknesses? What topics are interesting to you? Where are you finding success? What are your goals? Let's make a plan or simply get down to business!

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

My job is to help you learn to think critically for yourself. In the beginning, you will show me what you can do and I'll model good strategies for you. Then, we'll learn some new things together and practice what to do when we come across new ideas or skills. By the end, you should have filled any missing gaps and developed some great tools for learning on your own!

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Every lesson has something of value for everyone. Sometimes it just takes a little fun and a little perspective! Also, let's take small steps - ones that we can manage and not get overwhelmed.

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

You got this! Let's start with what you do know and build from there. Can we connect it to a skill we learned before or maybe an experience that you had that can relate?

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

Reading takes patience and practice. As with everything, let's break it into smaller pieces. Let's read something that is interesting to you!

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

Most importantly, I like to get to know a student - who they are as a learner, what they know, what they enjoy, etc. That way, we can start from where they are and move forward!

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

Many times, it is important for students to connect with the material and see the relevance - how it fits into the big picture. Also, it is important to find successes in a topic so that we feel confident and capable of moving forward.

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

It is important to check in often. Students should be able to self-asses and express where they feel they understand and where they are not confident. When they can teach it to me, I know they've got it!

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

Positivity and encouragement are super important. As well, we need to work in small enough chunks that we can be successful and even when we are not, we need to build perseverance.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

Through trial and observation and some self-reporting, we will get to know each other and where there are gaps.

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

As an educator with many years of experience, I have a set of tools that I can refer to for a variety of needs. As well, I am always learning and growing alongside my students and working to adjust to what works best for them.

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

Depending on the type of learner and their needs, I may use video, print, manipulatives (hands-on objects), images, or audio. Some items are easier to access as they are needed, while some take some planning ahead of time.