What is your teaching philosophy?

My expectations of myself as a teacher embody four roles: 1) helping students overcome limitations, 2) engaging students through active participation, 3) building strong rapport with students and their families, 4) and finding new teaching methods to best suit the individual student.

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

I would like to get to know you! Every student is a unique individual, and I would like to know what your academic strengths and weakness are, but also what you like to do outside of the classroom. We will discuss any concerns that the student and family might have and set up goals. Then we will begin diving into the material.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Teach them effective study skills.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I think students respond well to enthusiasm and good humor. I think it is also important to be willing, as a tutor, to approach a problem from a different modality so that the student continues to remain interested in the content material.

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

It is important to take a step back from a problem to make sure that a student has a firm understanding of the foundation of a concept. I like to tutor at a very basic level to start so that a student fully understands the fundamentals. Once a student is able to teach me the basics, then I think that it is time to move on to a more complicated level of understanding.

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

It is critical to break paragraphs and sentences down to understandable chunks. I think one of the major roadblocks to reading comprehension is the student feeling overwhelmed by the material. If we can work together to break things up into smaller, more approachable segments, there is a high likelihood for the student to build their reading comprehension success.

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

I like to start small - I would like to see if a student is able to successfully answer questions about a certain topic on a very general level. Then, as we dig deeper, it becomes clear what areas might be confusing for the student. I also like to use games - there are a lot of online learning platforms that allow a student to apply their knowledge to practical problems. I think practice makes perfect!

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

I like to apply subject material to the real world. I think students tend to get bogged down by the minutiae of a subject and don't understand how it relates to the world at large. I think this encourages engagement, but also helps with conceptualization.

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

Practice problems! I would like to see the student complete several practice problems to show their understanding. Furthermore, I would have them teach me the material. This allows me to see if they have any gaps in their understanding.

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

Enthusiasm! When a student is successful at understanding material then I will let them know. It is critical to recognize successes, no matter how small. This helps foster confidence and a sense of independence, which are crucial to a student applying their knowledge to their academics at large.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I would like to review homework assignments and written material to see what the student may be struggling with.