What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe that it is important to be able to meet the learning needs of each individual student. Each student has a specific learning style, and adapting to this on an individual basis is something I try to utilize with every student.

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

I find it important to get to know a student personally and then discuss what learning methods work best for them. From there, I assess which subject matters they struggle with most and target those areas.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Getting a correct answer is important, but being able to identify how to arrive at the answer is the best way to become proficient at a subject. I prefer to focus on the concepts and methods behind the right answer so that students learn to work through problems independently.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Staying motivated is all about being able to make progress. I find setting goals for students to chart progress helps maintain good motivation.

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

I've had the best luck by breaking down the concept into smaller and more manageable concepts. Similarly, if a student is having difficulty solving a problem, working on comparable but simpler problems and working up to more difficult work is an effective way to help a student understand difficult material.

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

Reading comprehension is about breaking pages and paragraphs down, understanding the purpose of each sentence, and then linking the sentences together to gain an understanding of the larger message.

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

Many students are hesitant to work with a tutor, so I find that getting to know them and establishing a personal connection is the best way to make any student comfortable and ready to learn. From there, it is important to find out which learning methods have and have not worked for this student in the past.

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

Many students lose interest because they become discouraged at the difficulty of the material and their lack of progress with the subject. I set achievable goals that students can work toward to chart their progress. Working through real-life examples, and how the subject matter pertains to everyday life, is another effective way to keep students engaged in the material.

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

To ensure a complete understanding of the subject material, I have students work through problems while explaining them back to me, as the best way to know that a student understands the material is if they are able to teach it.

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

If a student starts to lose confidence, I find it best to work on less complex concepts and problems and work up to more difficult material, so that there is always a sense of progress and that the student is learning.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I prefer to have students give a quick self-assessment on what material they understand and what they struggle with. I verify that with some example problems, and discuss any other areas where they may be struggling, such as with their learning style clashing with a teacher's teaching methods.

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

I continually reassess to ensure that teaching methods are working for students. If the student has a preferred learning method that has worked in the past, I adapt my teaching style to accommodate them.

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

I have a number of textbooks and ACT practice tests available as resources. I also find it useful to create a customized formula sheet for students studying math or science.