What is your teaching philosophy?

To be real and empowering to students, so that they may exceed their expectations, and ultimately achieve their academic goals.

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

Take a formative assessment in order to see the academic level of the student.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

By challenging them directly in the classroom.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Have short-term goals that lead into long-term goals.

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

Find an additional way to explain/relate the topic to the student.

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

Diagram sentences in order to understand what the writer is trying to illustrate.

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

Find a baseline level of knowledge, find common ground in the classroom, and have at least one short-term goal already visualized.

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

Relate the subject to their personal life, and if we aren't able to reach common ground there, relate the subject to a current topic in science literature.

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

Having students explain why the correct answer is correct and also why the incorrect answers are incorrect is an excellent way to gauge a student's understanding.

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

Start with less challenging questions, and work our way towards more difficult questions. Giving a student confidence to start a new topic is a great way to engage them directly.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

Always start with a formative assessment of some kind and build from there.

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

All students learn at different paces and methods. Adapting a curriculum to a student's strengths is key in developing a rapport with that student.

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

Question banks, demonstrations, etc. Anything that will engage the student can and should be used to improve the student's understanding of the topic.