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

In a first session, I want to open lines of communication. I want to know how you've been successful in the past, what works for you, and what's been giving you grief. Once we understand each other, let's get at the things that are tripping you up! At the end of a session I always want to summarize what we went over and allow you to ask any last questions or provide feedback on how you felt the session went, or on what you might prefer we do differently in the next session.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Independent learning is a combination of two things: passion and confidence. Passion is something that a student brings to the table, but confidence is something tutors get to help them build. My job is to give you tools, support, and to teach you new or different ways to attack problems that you struggle with so that you can gain more confidence handling them on your own.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

It depends on how the student is motivated. Some are motivated internally, others externally. I think one of the best ways I can help you stay focused and motivated is to keep things fun! If you do well, I'm going to be excited for you. If you improve consistently in a subject that used to be difficult for you, I'm going to reinforce that good behavior. I'm your resource, but I'm also your biggest cheerleader. I want to see you succeed and do well.

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

Let's try looking at it a few different ways. Sometimes if you approach a concept from a different angle, it all clicks! Practice makes perfect so I would do some practice problems with them afterwards, and then have them do it independently and explain what they did to me. It helps to reinforce their understanding and having to explain it out loud makes obvious areas where your understanding isn't as strong.

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

Reading comprehension is often about the questions that are being asked about the text you're reading. Always, always, always, read the question(s) first. This helps you focus your reading of a passage to hone in on the points you need to understand to answer the question. If it's a matter of actually understanding the words that are used, let's make flashcards of words you see a lot but struggle to remember and we can beef up your vocabulary a little bit! This might help you be more confident approaching more difficult texts.

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

You can always try and relate it to something they like. For example, if a student struggles in Psychology, but they love sports, let's use sports examples. Let's talk about favorite players or teams and work in the concepts that relate to Psychology. You're probably going to remember them better because it's associated with something you actually like, and you have a cool new learning device!

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

This is so important! I can ramble on all day, but at the end of the session, YOU have to walk away understanding how to work independently. With that being said, I'll use tactics like having you summarize what we learned, having you do problems on your own and then going over them together, or even having you teach me the concept. This forces you to paraphrase, to practice and to repeat!