What is your teaching philosophy?

I think all students can learn, and it is a teacher's job to meet students at their own levels and help them grow. Teachers can maximize learning by creating a positive experience for the student, as confidence level is strongly related to success.

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

In a first session with a student, I would introduce myself and find out what interests the student. This will help me to connect future learning with the student's real world experiences and interests. I will also informally assess the skills the student has so that I can decide our first steps in learning.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I like to help students become independent learners by staying silent and giving them a chance to think and try. There is nothing wrong with making mistakes- it's my job to guide a student through the process and help him/her discover where the mistake was made and HOW to fix it.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I relate learning to the student's interests and the real world so that the student can be engaged and motivated to learn. I also offer specific praise on accomplishments and patience when students are struggling.

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

I would try multiple approaches to explaining. I especially like drawing sketches of visual representations as well as having the student "reteach" the material to me so that I can see where the misunderstanding is.

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

We always go back to the text and highlight the information needed. I also work on vocabulary, because that tends to be the missing link.

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

We start at the point that the student is comfortable and then move forward. If we arrive at a high frustration level, we will review the "known" material and mix in some unknown material to help move us forward comfortably.

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

It's important to review basics. For instance, with math, I need to make sure students have "number sense" before we can move on to the new material.

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

We can make mini-goals and celebrate when we achieve these successes!

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I like to ask students to "teach" me the material or how to answer the problem. This lets me know how much they understand and how much is just trial and error.

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

I look for "holes" in a student's learning and try to fill those gaps with teaching and strategies that they may have missed.

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

I'm all about drawing graphics/images in order to conceptualize new material. This works in nearly all math situations as well as in vocabulary!