What is your teaching philosophy?

My philosophy is that the student should be made to understand the material in such a way that it is not only recalled for a test, but also that it should stay with the student permanently. This means, of course, that the material is all the better understood and that performance on these sorts of examinations is improved.

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

I would get a sense of the student's strengths and weaknesses in the material. This way, we can get a sense of direction and emphasis, so we can cover the relevant material with the right amount of attention and depth for the maximum benefit to the student.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

This is achieved by not just giving the student the answers, but instead by leading the student to the answers on their own. In this manner, the student is provided, with the help of the tutor, with the means of mastering the material through their own power.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

The best way to do this is through encouragement and perseverance. It is often hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel when you are just beginning, but through practice and concentrated effort, things will become clearer and easier. It is the job of the tutor to help realize this and to provide encouragement along the way.

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

My first response would be explaining the concept in a different way with different words, in order to approach it from a new angle. But then I would also offer examples, because it is often only through repeated cases and examples that the underlying concept is made clear. We could then move back to the concept armed with the help of our examples in hopes of understanding more clearly.

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

I begin by giving them the tools to discover what is essential in a passage or selection, and then ordering the remaining information in their mind accordingly. By doing this, the student is not forced to memorize information but can have it in the mind based on theme and importance, which helps retain and comprehend the material as they go.

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

I think it is important to take a broad view of the material at first and then get down to specifics. If we can understand the general structure of the material and of their understanding of it, then we can focus on specifics that will give the knowledge the student needs, or can help clarify a concept they do not fully understand. Finding, in the end, the balance between specific facts and general concepts is the goal and mark of a good student, and a good teacher will help achieve this.

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

I would take a step back find how it can be relevant. Often, students struggle with subjects for which they cannot find a practical or personal reason for pursuing. The tutor can remedy this by showing, in various ways, that the subject is not so far removed from the student and be of value to them and is therefore worth studying.

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

I have the student repeat the material back to me in their own words. This way they can begin to formulate the idea on their own, which means they will retain as if it were their own idea, and not simply given to them by me. I also have the student give an example of the idea we are covering. The ability to apply the concept in the right way means they have mastered it.

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

By having them work or consider a question on their own. As long as the tutor is helping, the student feels confident, but they need to be sure they are not simply using the tutor as a crutch. By working out problems with the limited help of the tutor, the student can get the needed confidence in the subject.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

Often the student is not quite sure where their difficulty most essentially lies. By working out problems through the sessions themselves, the tutor is able to see where the students has strengths and weakness, so that the tutor is now more prepared to meet those needs.

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

There is an inborn flexibility that anyone who teaches must have because each student is different. The best teachers are the ones who can go from student to student without struggling. Mastering a concept is what the student needs, and the teacher does not aid in this by mastering the concept itself, but by having the ability to communicate it well. Having a knowledge of the different styles of learning and teaching and getting to know the student, accompanied by a personal willingness to be flexible, is the best way to adapt to a student's needs.

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

I use resources in the subject that are available online and diagrams of my own creation when needed. Visible aids are helpful when discussing the passage of time, for example, and drawing out connections reinforces the knowledge in new ways.