What is your teaching philosophy?

“What is teaching about?” —a question that different people may have different answers for. Essentially, it is a transfer of knowledge from the teacher to the students. It can be just, simply, state the truth about a subject; or it can provide an exercise to the students so they can understand the knowledge or become familiar with the tools. Yes, essentially that is what teaching is. But it can go far beyond that, as well. A good teacher can provide guidance, leading students through a thought process in solving problems. A good teacher will motivate the student to think and propose his or her own solutions. A good teacher will guide each student through the right path toward achieving his or her goals. Yes, I believe everyone has their own way of teaching, but I prefer the way that should have a great deal more than just passing knowledge. Teaching is a process that intimately involves the teacher and students together to share the knowledge and the critical thinking. Eventually the students are motivated to develop their own interests in the subject, and they can go far beyond what can be taught in class.

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

Introduce myself, my background and experiences; Let students introduce themselves; Get familiar to the student's study style. Figure out the schedule that would work best for both of us.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Start by asking the right question and gradually lead student to work through the problems. Give similar examples and ask the students to solve themselves. During the process, the teacher can encourage the students to learn by themselves.