What is your teaching philosophy?

A teacher can possess all the knowledge in the world; but if you cannot translate it into something anyone can understand regardless of their background, then you haven't succeeded in your calling.

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

Listen! I would find out what the student hopes to get out of the lesson. I would also find out what works for them and what doesn't in terms of a teaching/learning environment. From there we would both decide what the best learning method would be moving forward and get right to it!

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I would ignite the passion for the subject in them. How? I believe passion is contagious and I'm passionate about learning. I make it a point to always make lessons exciting and show them how they can arrive at the answers without necessarily always giving the answers away. At the end of the day, you won't study because you have to, but because you want to.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I would remind the student that he/she was born for greatness and that they can achieve anything if they set their minds to it. I'm here to be the guiding light and will walk with them every step of the way.

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

Help them figure out where exactly they are getting lost and try different approaches until we get to a point where they fully understand the concept.

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

I would identify what they understand as well as what they are struggling to understand. I would then apply various comprehension monitoring strategies until we figured out which one worked best and stick to it.

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

Communication is key! We will discuss goals and objectives and both sides and how we can achieve them. I also believe in being open and honest so the student is fully aware of what to expect from me right of the bat.

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

I would tell them about all the amazing advantages that come with fully understanding the subject and how it ties in with their life objectives. Learning is never a waste of time.

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

I let them be the tutor and ask them to explain the material to me as they would to someone who doesn't understand it. We also do quizzes and other similar exercises.

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

Always providing positive feedback, praising them when they do a good job. Showing genuine joy during the session thus creating a positive environment and showing enthusiasm for the subject just to mention a few.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

Asking them questions, carrying out mini evaluations such a quizzes and creating and implementing a CAT (classroom assessment techniques).

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

The art of learning is fluid. If auditory learning, for example, doesn't work, I will switch to visual and if that doesn't work, I will move on to something else until we find something that works.

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

PowerPoint, white boards, videos, various software and online tools if the need arises.