What is your teaching philosophy?

No one can learn if they aren't enjoying the experience. It really can be that easy! My philosophy is to pinpoint the subjects the student is having the most trouble with and working from the ground up - but it is also to make sure that the student grows in other ways during the lesson as well. They should always come out the other side with a little more confidence than they came in with. I hope I can offer my students a sense of, shall we say, playful efficiency, that will make our lessons highly effective but won't render them into a chore as well.

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

I think it is imperative that we get to know each other. The first step to a successful education relationship is communication! If I don't know how the student thinks, feels, likes, etc., how can I hope to best reach them? Same thing vice versa - I want the students to get to know me so that they feel an ease of communication on their end as well.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I can help a student become an independent learner by teaching them repeatable methods that address the problems they're having with the particular subject. If they can learn how to identify and articulate what they're having an issue with, it makes it that much easier to find a solution.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I think, if a student understands how many doors education opens for them both academically and socially, they will have no problem staying motivated in the face of challenges.

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

First, I want to get to know the student. Once I know them, I want to ask them about what they think they have the most trouble with, and then compare that with diagnostic evidence (test scores, grades, etc.) to get the complete picture of the student's place.