How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I can help a student become an independent learner by providing support, giving feedback, and helping with organization or studying. Support is a very important part of the process.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

One of the things I like to do with a first-time student is to set a goal for the lesson, or set a goal over time if the student plans to return. I help the student stay motivated by providing an objective, and working towards it. It gives the student and myself something to focus on, and when we achieve that goal, we're able to either celebrate it or create a new goal to work for, depending on the situation.

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

When a student has trouble learning a skill, I like to walk them through the process step by step, and ask questions about the process to ensure they understand how the process works. If they were having trouble with a concept, I would try using a different method of teaching it. Some kids prefer charts or graphs, some prefer a picture or diagram, and some prefer an outline or PowerPoint. I'm very skilled in being able to outline a concept in many ways to tailor to how the student learns best.

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

The most successful strategies I have are to set goals, make sure there's open communication, and for me to take a lot of notes! Setting goals is very important because it provides a focus for the lessons and helps me understand what the student needs help with. When I know what the student (or parents) want to accomplish, I know how to help! Open communication is also very important because I need to be fully aware of any problems the student has with school, attention span, or a certain subject area. I also need to know what learning styles work best for the student, so I can make an efficient lesson plan. Lastly, it's important that I'm taking notes throughout the lesson. That way, I can keep track of the progress made by the student from the goals we set, make notes on effective learning styles, and keep track of what the student may still need help with.

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

This is one of my favorite things to do. Regardless of the subject, learning is exciting! There's always a way to connect a subject area to the student's life, or another subject they love. With the goal setting (it's a common theme for me), I think it's important to show the student how much they are learning and how much progress they're making by achieving goals. It can help the student feel motivated, and a new goal gives them something to work for. That said, it's rewarding when the student has a chance to celebrate the progress they've made. When they're struggling with the content, I'd like to ask the student what the root of the problem is. Once we have that figured out, I can create a lesson or practice problems to get the student comfortable with the subject. Then I can make connections with what they are interested in and excited about. For example, if I had a student that struggles in reading, but loves math, I'd make a connection to reading and a math equation! A sentence is like an equation-- the student can add certain parts of the sentence together to understand context, and add all the pieces together to solve what it means. Providing a different perspective for students is key to helping them use what they know! The student is then engaged in reading, and using math to help them understand a subject that they were previously struggling with.

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

The main way to be sure a student understands the material is to ask them questions on that material, and there are many ways to do so. I can create a short quiz in a document, have the student fill out a diagram or chart, or ask them verbal questions about the process to make sure they really comprehend all of the components of the material.

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

The absolute best way to do this is to divide and conquer. One option is to set small goals, and achieve them by asking verbal questions, doing some studying by the book, or using memory devices to learn the content. Similarly, if a student is having trouble, a good idea is to break down the subject to its most basic form, and make some practice problems that I can walk the student through. Once the student is able to solve easier problems, we can work through higher and higher difficulty until the student has mastered the material. Both methods break down the subject to give the student a full understanding of the content. This builds confidence by letting the student achieve a level of understanding successfully, and allows them to correctly answer questions on their own, further building confidence.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I evaluate a student's needs by getting to know the student. I like to ask questions about studying, school performance, and likes or dislikes. Studying habits give some insight into a few different things. I can see how the student prefers to study, how often they study, what they study, and if they test themselves on the knowledge. The answers tell me what learning methods the student prefers, what skills or practices they use to study, and if they retain the information they've studied over time. That information helps me create a study plan for the student. School performance is integral to the equation as well, because it can provide insight into the student's attention span, as well as the results from studying reflected into quiz or test scores. That information allows me to gauge what adjustments need to be made for the student to optimize their time either with me or by studying independently. Lastly, likes and dislikes are most important for me to understand what the student needs help with, or what I can use to engage the student in learning. If the student dislikes a certain subject area or unit, I can then build around helping them learn the material. If they're not engaged in learning, then I can build a separate lesson to get the student interested in the material. Determining which fits the student allows me to make a lesson that's best fit for the individual. Likes factor into the equation because they tell me what I can use as a teacher to make connections in the lesson plan to things the student may struggle with.

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

I adapt my tutoring by assessing what the student's goals are for learning, and determine what needs to be mastered to achieve these goals. I incorporate that information with the student's learning styles and preferences to create a lesson plan for the student. The student may need help in mastering vocabulary words and their definitions, and prefer a visual style of learning. In that case, I'd create some diagrams or flow charts of words and root meanings to help the student understand. If the student has trouble with vocabulary and prefers kinesthetic style of learning, then I would suggest making flash cards with words and definitions, or a type of card game to put their hands on the word cards and use their hands to connect words to meanings or definitions.

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

The materials I typically use for myself are a Word document, pens and paper, and a study plan. The Word document is used to take notes of the student's goals, progress on what we learned, and what the student still wants to learn. I also have notebook paper and copy paper available with colored markers or pens to be able to create a diagram or chart on the spot. The study plan consists of whatever outside learning, text excerpts, practice problems, outline, or a combination of these for me to use or share with the student to focus our lesson on whatever the student needs help with.

What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe that students should be excited about learning! I like to incorporate multiple learning styles to keep lessons dynamic and interesting for the student. I think it's important for the student to be active in deciding their educational goals and in their learning-- that way, the student can feel comfortable with their expectations and with what they want to learn. Consequentially, the student can feel confident about what they study. That confidence is important in helping the student master their goals and have a deeper understanding of the content. This achievement supports the student, lets them feel good about what they're learning, and allows them to engage in tutoring sessions and in school.

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

In a typical first session, I would get to know the student's learning methods. The first thing I want to know about is what learning goals they have for the lesson, or in the classes they're taking in school. Then, I want to know what learning style they prefer; some students like diagrams and charts, some like flash cards or educational games, some like outlines or a PowerPoint, and some like a lecture or verbal questions. Knowing what the student prefers helps me create a study plan that caters to the way they learn best. Next, I want to know their favorite subjects, and what they struggle with. I also like to know if they like multiple choices, matching, fill in the blank, or free response types of questions. Lastly, I like to familiarize myself with the student's study habits. Knowing those study habits allows me to determine if we need to make changes in those habits, and it allows me to organize a study plan for the student.

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

Students that need help with reading comprehension usually need help with vocabulary expansion, context clues, or both. Vocabulary expansion would mean I help by providing different types of exercises and questions to teach new and unfamiliar words in order to make them familiar. There are plenty of resources for matching words and definitions, fill in the blank sentences, and multiple-choice question about the vocab word. Trouble with context clues would involve some review over definitions of words, but the words reviewed would be common context clues that indicate what the sentence would mean. Allowing the student to master those words would enable me to provide practice sentences in which the student could apply the concepts they've learned to short reading passages or sentences. Using a variety of tone, syntax, imagery, and mood in different example sentences would expose the student to unique writing styles, and further their critical thinking to analyze what the writing means or implies.