What is your teaching philosophy?

Practice makes perfect!

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

Identify the point of difficulty through questioning and think of different ways to approach that skill or concept that fits in better with the student's learning style.

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

I would show them the applications of that subject, hopefully in something that interests them.

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

I would use practice problems and also talk through with the student to gauge how well they understand the material.

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

I allow them to work independently and just make myself available for questions if they need it. If a student sees they can work alone, they will gain confidence.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

By asking them questions about the subject at hand and seeing how much they know. I think it is also important to learn their thought process in solving problems.

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

By assessing what type of learner the student is, whether it is visual, auditory, or other, I can adapt tutoring to suit this need. With a visual learner, for example, I can use more diagrams and global learning perspectives.

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

If the student has materials I will use those. If not, I typically use online materials so the student has access to them even without me there.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

By giving them the confidence to work alone and ensuring they have developed critical thinking, which works for their own learning.

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

I would spend part of the first session going over class requirements with the student and making a plan for what we would focus on each meeting. After planning is over, we could begin working on the current topic in the student's class.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I would help a student stay motivated by noting progress and giving encouragement for learning victories.

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

I help students by showing them how to break sentences up and focus on the important information. I think it is also helpful to give students interesting material to read to build the basics of reading comprehension.

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

I have found that doing an initial assessment and finding weak points is most successful with a new student. Then I assess what type of learner they are and gear study sessions towards this, which also works well.