What is your teaching philosophy?

My teaching philosophy is centered around a personal motto of mine: "To have something you have never had, you have to do what you have never done." Often students and learners struggle with material because they keep trying to use the same methods that have gotten them stuck in the past. Working harder on a difficult topic is not always going to get you better results! Sometimes, the best thing to do is look at a final goal and plan backwards. Often planning ahead and taking a new perspective is all we need to do to tackle a new subject. Perspective is everything!

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

First things first, a student must feel comfortable in the learning environment. It is important that a student trust his/her instructor to guide them toward their final goals! I will make sure that I do a pre-test/ pre-evaluation with a student to gauge where we are and where we are headed. I will also take time to get to know the student and find out their goals and desires. Where does this student want to be by the end of the session? What are their expectations? How can I serve those goals?