What is your teaching philosophy?

Cooperation; learning is a cooperative effort from the student and the teacher. Proper communication requires two people to share a perspective, and only when that occurs does a concept become clear. I work at creating that common perspective by relating the subject matter to concepts that already exist in the student’s perspective.

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

Introduce by name. Then ask what courses he is taking currently. Then ask what material he would like to improve on.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Teach them how to tackle problems as opposed to simply showing them the formula.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Show them applications of a concept they may deem is unimportant.

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

I would have them explain it and see where the misunderstanding lies.

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

Break down the sentence, and look for key words that stand out to give you the main idea.

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

Listening in the beginning is most Important.

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

Show applications of the subject, and assure them that they will figure it out.

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

Ask them to explain a concept to me in their own words.

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

If they can ground a concept with other concepts and beliefs, their comfort with the subject matter increases.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

Ask them where they are struggling, and adjust as you study together.

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

Adapt the concepts to their perspective on the world.

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

Paper and pen are my favorite. There are countless possibilities with just these two tools.