What is your teaching philosophy?

Work smart, not hard. Finish with a sense of accomplishment. Celebrate the small wins. Laugh often.

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

In a first session we'll speak about your goals and your experiences with the target subject. We'll also do a pretest and find which ways you learn best. We will also find a good time for future sessions.

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

By varying to tools used in sessions, depth of topic coverage, speed of introducing new topics, and the degree of learner autonomy.

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

A laptop for great videos, pdfs, and links for learners to use on their own. Calculators, pen, and pencil. Handheld teaching manipulatives for certain subject areas. And often a small 8x11 whiteboard for concept mapping.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

By making sure the student knows the real value behind mastery of the content area, how it fits into their chosen future, and how we can make it a manageable process. Motivation is liberation!

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

I would ask the student where do they feel they get stuck. Anxiety from past failures? Wording or jargon? Not knowing where to start? Something goes wrong in the middle of a process? Or not knowing how to end your masterpiece? It always comes back to a conversation and then making another attempt. Never stopping or shutting down. Moving forward inch by inch, until there is a snowball effect of successes.