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

In a first session, I would like to begin by getting to know the student personally and discovering his/her learning type. I believe that a strong friendship is the basis of a successful tutor and student relationship. I desire to be more than just an academic guide, but also be able to serve as a mentor to the student. It is imperative that the student feel comfortable with me.

What is your teaching philosophy?

My teaching philosophy is to make learning enjoyable, as it has always been for me. I firmly believe in learning because the student is genuinely intrigued in the subject rather than studying to pass an exam. If I come across a student that is unenthused in a particular subject, I attempt to make it as fun as the material can be by integrating arts and crafts or music into the curriculum.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I can help a student become an independent learner by giving him/her techniques that they can use and develop on their own. Further, I would hope that in motivating students during our sessions that they would have more of an inclination to learn on their own.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I would help a student stay motivated by helping them to understand that to be able to achieve what we desire in life, we must put in the effort. I would not mean to pressure a student, however, I believe that when a student has a better understanding of living a balanced life, that they will be more inclined to be motivated in school if it means that they can simultaneously lead their social lives.

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

If a student has difficulty learning a concept, I would try and reintroduce it in different ways until we found one that worked best with the student. If the student still has difficulty after a period of time, I would take a break from it and come back to it later, with the intent that the student would be looking at it from a new perspective.

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

Foremost, I help students who are struggling with reading comprehension by explaining to them that they must not focus on every detail, but rather the larger picture of the passage. If a student gets caught up on difficult vocabulary that impedes upon their interpretation of the sentence, I help them find other ways to navigate the meaning of the sentence by using context clues.

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

I have found it most successful to begin working with a student by taking personality tests/learning tests so that the two of us might discover his/her best learning style and go forward from there.

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

I would help a student get excited/engaged with a subject in which they are struggling by attempting to make the material fun. If the subject is history, for example, I would have the student draw pictures instead of writing out a summary of the historical event. If the subject is math, I would teach the student a fun song/anagram to remember the material.

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

I would make sure that the student understands the material by having a conversation with them about the curriculum. I would ask for them to explain specific concepts to me verbally. I believe that until they can discuss a specific concept eloquently, that they have not yet mastered the material.

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

I build a student's confidence in a subject by beginning with the easiest concepts and rewarding the student when they have mastered them. I slowly push the student harder with more difficult concepts. If they are struggling, however, I will go back to basics with them. If the student can handle the more difficult concepts, I will slowly step back and allow for the student to learn increasingly more independently, until the student has their desired confidence in a particular subject.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I evaluate a student's needs by foremost discovering their learning type. From there, I will discuss with the student with what subjects they are struggling. I will then try to find the best way to integrate their learning style with their most challenging concepts. If possible, I will further get in contact with the student's teacher to understand from him/her with what the student is struggling and if the teacher could provide any further feedback that would benefit our tutoring sessions.

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

I adapt my tutoring styles to the student's preferred learning style. If a specific style is not working, then I will try another. It is all about trial and error. Whichever style has the most success rates with the student is what we will work on.