What is your teaching philosophy?

I enjoy creating a relaxed atmosphere which promotes conversation. During most learning situations, the active skills (i.e. writing and speaking) are held to a minimum on the student's end; however, by reducing stress in the classroom, more dialogue is fostered. This capitalized on eustress and creates conversation in which the student does not have to worry about asking a 'dumb' question or feeling out of place. Furthermore, teaching a semantics-based learning technique, the student acquires knowledge not only actively, but passively, as well. This allows for better memory retention, and cuts back on the urge to binge study and forget.

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

Depending on the subject taught (foreign language, an instrument, match, etc.), I always find it imperative to open the tutoring session with conversation of likes, dislikes, future goals, and so on. This not only allows me to customize the tutoring session (and those from that point on), but it builds a more personal relationship between the teacher and student. This, in turn, relates to my teaching philosophy by reducing unnecessary stress, and by showing the student that I am genuinely interesting in their academic pursuits.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I am an advocate of semantics-based learning. In other words, I attempt to teach meaning along with content. Part of this approach is creating a sense of independence. By acquiring study skills outside of tutoring, research skills, reading skills, problem solving skills, etc., the student will be better equipped to handle an unfamiliar task without the aid of another.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

This is a two-part approach. First and foremost, it is my duty as an educator to check in with the student periodically. This not only ensures that I know they are doing what they need to do, but it also provides an incentive of a support system. Secondly, I attempt to teach in a more personable setting. By approaching problems tailored to the student, they have to opportunity to become more engaged with the subject matter; thus, creating a desire to work on the material independently.

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

Simply put, there are two options. First, more time needs to be spent on the subject because it has been presented too quickly or the student has not had ample time for learning to take place. Secondly, if this does not work, the teaching approach needs to be changed to help the student see the material in a new way.

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

An instructor must lead by example! If a teacher does not truly show interest in what they teach, the student will follow suit. For example, I am highly passionate about language and culture. By showing my excitement for the subject, a student will get to participate in a way in which they might have never seen before.

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

Positive reinforcement and feedback are a must. Furthermore, I oppose the idea of failure on the student's part. If the student is trying his or her hardest, there should be no reason they are not improvement. Rather than presenting a student with failure, spend time teaching and correcting the weak links in a student's learning chain.