What is your teaching philosophy?

Since high school, I have strongly agreed with William Butler Yeats when he said “Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.” It is a teacher’s job to facilitate a student’s learning journey; to guide them, not to drag them. At its core, education should be empowering for the student. As a teacher and tutor, I prefer to teach "how to" learn rather than teach facts and ideas.

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

During a typical first session with a student, I'm most focused on making sure the student feels at ease and empowered. We'll get to know each other and then develop a tutoring plan. We will discuss the students' goals and where and how he or she is hoping to improve. Our first session would be relaxed, mainly focused on creating a comfortable relationship and space for the student to learn in.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

As William Butler Yeats said "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." Education is about discovery and empowerment, not memorization. To this end, my goal as a tutor and a teacher is for every student to become an independent learner. I have many different strategies for this, depending on the student. They vary from teaching specific reading comprehension skills, effective study habits, time management, or anything else the student needs in order to make the learning his or her own.