What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe that all students have inherent worth and value and the capacity to learn. Though some students require different learning styles or teaching methods, each one is capable of putting his or her skills to work and gaining knowledge.

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

The first tutoring session will focus on getting to know the student, understanding his or her needs, and discussing the best ways for me to teach and for him or her to learn.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

As a tutor, it is important for me to encourage students to develop strong study skills in order that they might become independent learners. These skills include positive study habits, organizational techniques, and note taking tricks.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Motivation is key in order for students to develop a passion and desire for learning. I plan to help students stay motivated by using positive reinforcement, ensuring comprehension and understanding, and working with them in an encouraging way. Students should never feel let down or discouraged by a teacher.

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

Difficult concepts can be approached a variety of ways. If a student is having trouble grasping an idea one way, I would try to explain it differently. I would try to include personal, relatable examples and analogies and then have the student put the concept into his or her words to ensure accurate understanding.

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

Students who struggle with reading comprehension require extra help understanding vocabulary and sentence structure. As a tutor, I will make sure students are approaching reading with a strong English foundation and then encourage them to summarize what they read or take notes on passages in order to practice comprehension skills.

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

Effective teaching strategies differ from student to student. As a tutor, it is important to be able to apply a variety of different teaching methods in order to accommodate diverse learners. Personally, I have found that slowly walking through problems or concepts with struggling students and then having them explain it back to me is very effective.

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

Students who fail to be engaged in a particular subject need to be reminded of why they are studying that subject. Giving proof of real-world application or relating schoolwork to students' interests often help boost their excitement levels.

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

Practice tests are a great way to check student understanding without having the pressure of a graded exam. Additionally, having the student take a turn explaining concepts or working problems ensures that he or she has a working knowledge of the information.

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

A student's confidence in a subject is often related to his or her success. By showing students what they can do to succeed in a certain area, they will be more motivated to work hard and be more confident in their abilities.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

The best way to evaluate a student's needs is getting to know them and working with them one-on-one. Asking students what they enjoy about school or what techniques help them understand material best will allow me as a tutor to accommodate their particular needs.

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

As a tutor, adapting to students' needs is crucial to the success of the tutor-student relationship. Having knowledge of various teaching methods and learning styles allows me to accommodate students in different ways and find the way that they learn best.

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

Depending on a student's age, subject matter, learning style, and desires, I am willing to use a variety of different materials to engage him or her. Some may learn best visually, through the use of pictures, charts, diagrams, or videos. Others may be auditory learners, meaning I should explain the material to them and have them listen. Still other students may be kinetic learners, which means incorporating different hands-on activities to foster learning.