What is your teaching philosophy?

I subscribe to Carol Dweck's philosophy of "growth mindset" by acknowledging that anyone can grow their skills. "In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment." In a fun and creative way, I hope to help students harness this mindset when learning new concepts.

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

If I am working with a student on an essay, I will work with them by going through both comprehensive edits (thesis, focus, commentary) and then minor edits (grammar, active voice, punctuation). Other sessions may include practice test questions, essay planning, and sound boarding to generate ideas and solutions!

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Independent learning comes in stages. Students learn the material through guided discovery and modeling, and they are encouraged in their ideas along the way. I incorporate the student in the process by asking questions to guide them in the right direction, and they can eventually go back and teach me the material once they understand the concept or plan.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Motivation works best with humor and organization. When you can't see the end of the tunnel, it helps to have a light for immediate surroundings, so I try to show the student the different small stages of a bigger assignment or coursework. They feel less overwhelmed when they have a grip on what is coming and how it will look. Humor makes it easier to stay motivated during large projects, too!

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

I have found that the most successful strategies for starting to work with a student are patience, humor, and creativity. I create a conversational platform for students to express their ideas and questions, so they can easily engage with me and enjoy mastering the material.

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

Very often, I hear defeated students say, "I am just not a math-person," and/or, "I am just not a reader." I challenge these fixed mindset beliefs by introducing growth mindset concepts, relating the material to something of interest, and by explaining how the brain develops and responds to learning these subjects that may be of difficulty at first.

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

In order to be sure that a student understands the material, I would use either diagnostic questions of varying levels to measure comprehension, and/or I would ask the student to teach me the content while I pretend to be the novice.

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

Building confidence comes with little victories. By starting with small steps in mastery, students begin to garner confidence towards their ability to understand and integrate what they already know.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I evaluate what a student needs by using their own analysis, diagnostic practice tests, and interviewing. I like to have students walk me through their thought processes and cognitions before I begin to even teach a concept.

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

Each student has their own affinities towards visual, auditory, and/or kinesthetic learning, and they have their own added strengths in subject matters. By first discovering their affinities, I adapt to their needs by playing up their strengths.

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

I enjoy using my own whiteboard and the screen online. Additionally, I usually have online resources bookmarked on my computer, so I can easily share my screen and demonstrate where to find these resources.