What is your teaching philosophy?

My teaching philosophy is "Learn to do by doing." In other words, you will never be successful unless you try. I also like a hands-on approach, with project-based learning being a favorite type of instruction.

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

The things I might do in a typical first session are beginning by getting to know the student. Answering questions about the student's background, as well as what he/she hopes to achieve during tutoring would be key questions to get off to a solid start.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I think you can help a student become an independent learner by teaching them study skills and reading strategies. Time scheduling, concentration, listening and note taking are all skills that can be taught. In terms of reading skills, visualization, making inferences, and asking questions area also all skills that can be taught.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I would help a student stay motivated by charting the progress he/she has already made. Informal and formal assessments are both ways to show student progress. I would also use a lot of positive reinforcement to highlight the student's progress.

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

If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept I would start with the basics, scaffolding the concept so that the student has the foundational knowledge to grasp the new skill/concept.

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

To help students with reading comprehension, I would make it fun! Marking up the text is key...making inferences, asking questions, taking notes, and visualizing are all part of the reading comprehension process so I would urge the student to mark up the text!

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

Strategies I have found to be most successful is to 1) get to know the student and 2) help meet students exactly where they are in the learning process with whatever subject they are studying. Using the text that they are struggling with helps them stay on top of the skills needed for school.

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

I am not opposed to using candy for correct answers! I also would try to motivate the student by charting his/her progress over the course of our meeting times.

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

To be sure that a student understands the material, I would use informal and formal assessments along the way to chart his / her progress. If the student successfully completes the assessments, I will know that he/she understands the material.

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

I think you build a student's confidence in a subject through positive reinforcement. There is no way he/she will learn unless by trying, and the more positive reinforcement they get along the way, the better.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I believe that you evaluate a student's needs through diagnostic assessments.

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

The best thing you can do to adapt to a student's needs is to learn what works for him her. Every student has strengths--audio, visual, kinesthetic, etc., and learning the student’s strengths is key.

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

I usually use a diagnostic test, as well as a list of reading comprehension strategies. I would also include an excerpt on how to write a strong thesis statement, as well as information on how to write essay paragraphs. Of course, it all depends on what the student is learning!