What is your teaching philosophy?

I have worked as a research specialist in a cancer lab and fondly believe that whatever you learn today can be used tomorrow to help someone out. Chemistry and Math may be irrelevant right now, but I can assure you if we work at it and find meaning, they will become easier to understand. That's why I like to keep my sessions light hearted, because I understand it can be frustrating, but if we make it fun we can find out that this stuff makes sense and is pretty useful.

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

I like to get to know a student. What are you into? What do you do for fun? What bothers you in chemistry? How can I help? It may seem like I'm asking a lot of questions, but I'm just trying to get a grasp of how you interact with people. Are you a person that likes to do the work and then have me check it for mistakes, or do you want me to walk you through the process so that you know how to do it the right way and learn from that?

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Depending on how independent a student is there are many ways to help them. It can range from walking them through the steps of a difficult equation to handing them a mock test and having them go at it. The key is building habits of study and knowing how to ask questions. No matter what tier of education you’re at, there is always someone who will explain something better and help you understand. Knowing how to ask a fruitful question is how you become a successful learner.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Keeping the conversion of study light. A grueling 3 hour tutoring session interrogation is counterproductive and will burn someone out. By showing how it relates to real life is a great way to keep a student motivated in the way that what they are learning isn't wasting space in the attics of their mind. Realistic goals are key to learning. It can be as small as using a formula without having to look at it to completing a problem set without guidance. Accomplishing hurdles makes you want to just catch the next one and the next one, and without much time the whole book is behind you. Just one page at a time.

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

Perhaps it isn't the students fault. Perhaps I'm not explaining myself right. Let’s watch a YouTube video and see if someone can explain it better than I. I'll also fill in some gaps in the video and together we can tackle the challenge.

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

Getting to know the style of student they are works best for me. I don't want to teach a student how I learned chemistry; I want them to learn how they learn chemistry. The reason I'm here is not to show you how smart I am but rather how smart you could become.

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

Showing a student how the subject relates in real life keeps them engaged in the form of "I'm not wasting my time. This could be useful".