What is your teaching philosophy?

It is important not only to teach information to student, but to teach them the tools to problem solve and learn on their own.

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

In a first session it is important to discuss the subject and information a student wants to cover. It is also important to set expectations for me as the tutor (what the student expects from me) and expectations for the learning (I usually expect that a student try to study the material prior to the session and formulate at least a few questions for the session).

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Provide an example of how to solve a problem and teach the student the tools to be able to do this. Then, provide oversight and help as they attempt to implement these skills once they are learned.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

This is really dependent on the student: -why is the student not motivated? -what are their educational goals? -are their factors outside the particular subject being studied that are impeding their learning?

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

Assess the reason for the student's difficulty and work together to overcome the problem. Often this difficulty is associated with misunderstanding of concepts rather that deficiencies in the student's ability to learn.

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

One of the most important parts of working with a student is to determine their motivation for seeking tutoring and what their expectations for the tutoring is.

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

This often depends of the student's motivation for seeking tutoring in the first place. Reminding the student of this initial motivation is important.

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

Teach back is useful: having a student explain to you a concept they learned or how they work through a problem. In addition, having students work through problems with less and less help each iteration is also useful.

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

This depends entirely on the subject being covered. Usually pen and paper (plus/minus a calculator or computer) is all you need.