What is your teaching philosophy?

I mix discipline and organization with empathy and personal connection. Learning should be both fun and effective, and the two often go hand in hand.

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

I want to know the student. His or her interests, background, reason for seeking a tutor, and level of proficiency in the subject. As well, I want to share with this person who I am, and how I plan to teach.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

It is necessary to show a student how it is possible to engage with the material in everyday life-- how the material is interesting. Doing so will motivate the student to take a proactive interest in the subject.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Constant encouragement is needed, as well as varied teaching methods. The ability to adapt to a student's achievements or frustrations is crucial in keeping the lesson relevant, and the student encouraged and motivated.

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

Good insight and prescience on the part of the tutor is necessary in understanding which areas a student may have difficulty. One needs to plan for this and adapt the teaching to progress being made. If progress is not being made, the subject needs to continue to be revisited. Practice does make perfect (or near perfect)

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

Storytelling and allegories are priceless tools in drawing out the who, why, what, where, and when of a story or other written material. Connecting the dots takes a big picture thinker. It is the role of the tutor to tease out the natural analytical parts of our minds that we all have.

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

Sometimes, we need to step back, and change the topic for a bit. Just like the mind when it has too much to focus on, a student who is struggling may not make improvement simply by "working harder." Take a step back, talk aloud to one another, share a laugh, and decide mutually how to go forward. Anything can be made exciting. But, nobody is one size fits all. The exciting "thing" has to be something that the student and tutor equally have a zeal for.

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

The student needs to explain to the teacher what has been covered, and what has been learned. Examples of the knowledge gained need to be provided. A recap of the lesson, and questions on appreciate for the material (did the student like it or not, and why) must be asked to ensure the student is actually gaining something valuable and long-lasting from the lessons.

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

Constant encouragement and mutual appreciation for the subject matter and its difficulties. I share my struggles with every student I've had. Learning is not easy! But it can be lots of fun and enormously rewarding. Shared activities are also a must. If I ask a student to write a passage, I too, as the tutor, should write a passage. We are in this together, and will work together.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

It takes a very patient, insightful, and disciplined tutor to accurately assess a student's needs. Other forms of evaluation are testing, which can easily tease out strengths and weaknesses.

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

The first few sessions should provide more than enough information on the individual qualities of the student for any good tutor to be able to tailor the teaching style to each student. Feedback must be elicited from the student in order to engage in a mutually understood and agreed-upon path of learning and teaching.

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

-Reading (pre-selected passages) -Writing (student and teacher write passages based on prompts) -Formal materials (lesson books, notecards, etc.) -Conversation

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

Getting to know the student through informal conversation is the best way to start a strong relationship. One must invest time in getting to know the student. It is absolutely necessary to do so, in order for the tutoring to be effective over time.