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

I always like to get to know my students before we get started! After learning more about each other and setting some goals, we can discuss how best to achieve them and jump right in!

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

My entire philosophy is based on supporting my students to become confident and independent in their abilities. Whether it's understanding the material, doing homework, or prepping for tests, I individualize my tutoring to make sure my students can achieve their goals and be proud of it!

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Tutoring is all about helping my students set and achieve their own goals. With my help and encouragement, my students build up enough confidence through their accomplishments that, eventually, their motivation comes from within!

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

After years of tutoring, I've built up plenty of experience in tailoring my teaching techniques to the personal needs and learning styles of my students. If the first method isn't working, I reflect on why that is, and try out a new one to teach the skill or concept. No matter what the subject is, I work with my students to find out their best learning style and cater to that!

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

I myself used to struggle with reading comprehension. There are plenty of techniques and tips that I personally have learned and used that I can pass on to my students. There are many reasons why a student may struggle with this, and after determining what that is, I am confident that I can use a variety of methods to help my students improve and become confident in their reading comprehension.

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

The key to a strong tutoring relationship is trust. I work very hard to get to know my students and allow them to get to know me so that we are able to trust and be honest with each other. By building a strong foundation and understanding each other, I am able to better cater to my student’s needs. When we can work so well together, we both feel the pride when we achieve the student's goals!

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

It's very easy to dislike a subject when you're struggling to understand it. I work hard to use a variety of methods to show my students how the subject can actually be very interesting, exciting, and (most importantly) understandable! Once I am able to show my students that they can understand the subject and will be able to succeed in it, it becomes much easier for them to get engaged and feel confident in not only that subject, but in all of their classes!

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

Studies have shown that in order to best understand and remember the material, students must be able to produce/recall it on their own. Therefore, I will work together with the student, gradually having them do practice problems with less and less help from me. Eventually, once I've made sure the student has a strong enough grasp of the material and can do the assignments on their own, we will know they have mastered it and are ready to move on!