What is your teaching philosophy?

Both students and tutors can work together to learn something new on a specific topic. While the student may come with one intention in mind, they may walk away with a variety of resources to help improve future assignments. At the same time, the tutor can learn about one of the many issues surrounding the topic discussed and be better prepared to face them in the future.

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

Get to know the person as well as the assignment. Looking at teacher instructions and keep them as goals to meet, while allowing the student the space to find their voice and understanding of the assignment.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

By providing them, and working with them through, various resources that they can access via their school or online.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Remind them of their end goal and perhaps explain the purpose of why the assignment is necessary and how it will be useful for the future (at least for the future in their classes). Or telling jokes and keeping the atmosphere relaxed.

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

Work with them to find out what it is they are having trouble understanding, and perhaps find a way to make it relatable to something they already know.

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

Try to break it down into smaller chunks and discuss comprehension of each one in the case of prompts. Regardless, I'd try understanding where the student is and what they are struggling with, and come up with a strategy to apply for this assignment as well as future ones.

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

Simply letting the student lead the session. I don't pretend to know everything, and they know more than me about the requirements of the assignment set by their teacher. By giving the student the chance to express their goals and concerns first, even if the needs change later, it sets the foundation of being able to keep an open communication with the student.

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

Find out what it is they don't enjoy about the topic and see how I can approach the subject in a different way. Maybe even relate it to something they are already doing or good at.

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

Ask questions. Allow them to express their understanding in their own way. If it is correct and makes sense to them, they can apply it toward future assignments. Then, it becomes more than just memorizing or finishing an assignment. It becomes real learning that they can use for the future.

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

Remind them of how far they've come to get to the point they are in. That they are competent to continue in the subject and to encourage them to ask questions and explore it deeper. Listening to their ideas and concerns is especially important for this.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

Just having a conversation with them before going into the assignment can accomplish so many things; this being one of them. But I also divide according to high-order items and low-order items. Addressing the high-order items is usually the priority for me, but it depends on the nature of the assignment and the student's overall needs.

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

Listening to what they feel their needs are while expressing my own findings from what they are showing me of their assignment. Working together is key to a successful session.

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

Pencil and paper never fail me. However, the materials (if any) change depending on the needs of the student. Sometimes, they simply need resources for research or to check how to do something accurately. I often turn to websites that are credible for these resources.