What is your teaching philosophy?

All students can learn. All students can improve. There are many ways that subject matter can be presented. My goal is to provide the best environment for my students to meet their potential.

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

In a typical initial session with a student, I would ask questions about the student’s interests and what they consider to be their learning strengths. I would help the student set goals for their tutoring experience.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I would help a student become an independent learner by providing tools they can use in their studies outside the tutoring session to break down tasks in manageable increments.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Students can stay motivated by setting goals and tracking the meeting of goals through instruments such as charts and checklists. I would also give positive verbal feedback.

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

If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, I would break the task into smaller parts and solve the problem step by step.

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

*Read comprehension questions before reading the text. *Identify story elements (characters, setting, etc.) as a student is reading. *Restate the plot in their own words.

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

I want to get to know the student first. I find out what interest the student so I can incorporate that in some of the tutoring sessions. I use assessments to tell what kind of learner the student is: hearing learner, visual learner, doing learner.

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

I would relate something that they are interested in to the subject matter at hand. I would find ways to make it a game so the subject is more palatable.

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

I would have the students explain the material in their own words. I will use quizzes.

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

I would build the student's confidence by starting small and having them master concepts one at a time. In this way they would gather successes and then gain momentum from that.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I would interview the students. We would set goals for what the student wants to accomplish. And then we would write down action steps to reach those goals.

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

I will assess whether a student is a hearing learner, visual learner, or doing learner. I would tailor my tutoring sessions to work with the student's strengths.

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

I will use paper, pencil, and iPad. I will have students audio or videotape themselves answering questions or doing the work.