What is your teaching philosophy?

My teaching philosophy is to encourage questions and open discussion. I feel that active learning, where students are making the connections themselves is the most beneficial to them. Having a friendly and relaxed space for learning is important to me as well.

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

Get to know the student. Figure out what they want to get out of the tutoring session and devise a plan to help the student meet their goals.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I can help students by giving them study skills to be able to master the materials on their own.

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

Figure out what the problem is. Is it learning the vocabulary or is it more big picture? Taking the time to slow down and read the passage and underlining the main points will help them get that broader view.

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

I think being personable and encouraging questions to help diagnose what needs to be worked on should be the first step.

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

First by being excited yourself. If, as the tutor, I am not engaged with the material, it will be that much harder for the student to get excited. I would then show them that progress is possible, and as that progress grows, excitement will follow.

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

I would build their confidence by setting a baseline to improve from. Then setting reasonable goals that could be attained by studying. Finally, I would stress that learning isn't about test taking and that you can be confident and interested in any subject regardless of perceived ability.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I would evaluate by first asking the student what their needs are. I would also look at past homework assignments and tests to get a gauge of what their teacher is looking for.

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

Go slow. Break the concept down into manageable parts and go from there. I would also encourage questions at all parts of the learning process.