What is your teaching philosophy?

Learning and teaching has many challenges. Figuring out how a student learns is an exciting experience that can help make learning more fun throughout their entire lifetime.

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

I would talk with the student about school. How do they feel about it, what do they like, and dislike? Do they feel like anything in particular is difficult for them? Contemplate with them what they are learning about in school now. And then move on to their homework so that we can work through some problems together.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

The first step to becoming an independent learner is being enthusiastic about learning and knowing your learning style. I would help students pinpoint what format they prefer to learn in. Then using their resources to learn more independently is fun.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I would tell a story about a subject I had trouble in. The lesson to all of these stories is that all things are just one challenge, if you work at it long enough you will succeed. We just have to find that ah ha moment.

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

Take a break. Work on something else and come back to the topic with new eyes. Start thinking about the concept from a different angle to see if we can make it easier.

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

I struggled with reading comprehension and found that I was in too much of a hurry. Slow down, it's not a race. I would go through a passage with them and stop between every paragraph so we could talk about the meaning and take a quick note.

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

I like to start by finding out what a student likes to do. Then I determine why they are working with a tutor. This way our interactions and lessons can be geared towards their interests and needs.

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

Struggling is just one challenge along the way. I would work with them to change their mind set. When they are smart enough to figure it out, the moment of insight is coming soon.

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

I would go through problems and have them explain why their answer is the best.

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

Work on problems with them. Point out when and how they have improved. It is all about hard work and improvement.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I start by asking them what they think their needs are. If it is hard for them to pinpoint the issues, I would go through some problems to see where they are struggling.

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

Once the student's learning needs are evident, I would think of ways to approach an idea that are more conducive to their style of learning.

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

I like to use drawings or diagrams a lot. I would also use videos. I then like to go through practice problems.