What is your teaching philosophy?

Listening before speaking. Finding out your student's strengths and weaknesses and proceeding from there.

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

Listen to their biggest concerns, struggles, and challenges - pinpoint them, and attack.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

By teaching them the tools and skills necessary to be able to fly solo. First together, and then on their own.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

By staying involved during the learning process until they are absolutely confident and competent in their respective subject.

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

Find out why or what is exactly giving them the difficulty, then create a strategy to overcome that is best suited to the student's preferred learning method.

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

Breaking down the sentences to better understand them, encouraging them to practice by reading simple texts and gradually increasing the reading complexity to become more accustomed to tougher passages.

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

Listening first to hear what it is they are struggling with. Once you understand what it is, you are better situated to attack the weaknesses and overall strengthen the student.

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

By attempting to break it down and simplify them as much as possible.

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

Quizzing/testing them to ensure proper retention and comprehension of subject matters.

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

Emphasizing to them that they have the ability, will, and skills to conquer the subject, and then proceed by instructing them. Also mention to them that I had my own difficulties and struggles with understanding subjects, but with perseverance and patience, I overcame them. And so will they.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

By listening to their personal challenges, concerns, and difficulties. Determining what position they are at in terms of understanding the material, and comparing the two to determine what the plan of action should be in terms of instruction.

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

I can never adapt if I do not listen to them. So the first step is listening to understanding what their personal preferences are in terms of learning and what their greatest challenges are. Then, devise a plan accordingly.

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

Depending on the subject matter, pen, notebook, instruction materials, flashcards, highlighters, and scrap paper.