What is your teaching philosophy?

I don't like to hand feed answers to the students; more is gained through self-discovery with guidance.

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

Find out more about their weaknesses and strengths with the subject/topic. We can then focus on improving what is lacking and reinforce what is already known.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Help express that first understanding the "big idea" of learning a subject opens up the opportunity to learn more independently.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Let them understand that the "light at the end of the tunnel" is a lot closer than they realize. If you just focus on that dot of light in the tunnel, you might forget that you are on a speeding train that will reach the exit soon enough.

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

Find out a little more about their personality; likes/dislikes, strengths/weaknesses, so I can better tailor-make their teaching plan.

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

You first have to make it fun. Most of the time if you are struggling over a subject, fun has left the room a long time ago, so you have to find ways to motivate through fun activities.

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

At first, a little bit of all the techniques; visual, verbal, physical, etc., to find out which technique the student learns best at. Once you master the subject well enough with that one specific technique, you can then pepper in a few of the others to really solidify that the student understands the material from all angles.

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

First, reinforce the aspects of the subject that the student understands and has a grasp of. More and more, include topic points that build off those and also challenge them.

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

Interactive materials for the most part. Reading the book is a big part of it, but putting that book to "work" gains greater understanding.