What is your teaching philosophy?

Teaching is about relating to students. Once a student is listening intently, it becomes much easier to help them learn. I try to show patience and relate to them so they find the material digestible.

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

First and foremost, I would like to get to know a little about the student. It makes it easier to communicate if we can find some common ground. Additionally, I would like to figure out what they think is holding them back in the particular area that I am there to help them with.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

You can help a student become an independent learner through repetition of material and confidence building.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I aspire to encourage students to value the knowledge they are being given, but that is often times an uphill battle. The best way I believe is to show them the value that knowledge could have in their real lives.

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

Try to approach the material in a different way, or teach the material in a different manner. Oftentimes, visuals or examples can be helpful in these scenarios.

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

I predominantly tutor math so it is all about explaining how to translate the words to the corresponding mathematical meaning. I do that by trying to conceptualize the operations and creating a chart of commonly used words.

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

Get to know them and show them that tutoring can be fun and not intimidating. Also, build their self-confidence as the teenage years can be rough.

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

It would depend on the particular student, but usually showing how the subject relates to something they like to do can be really beneficial.

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

You can quiz them or have them go through problems that are slightly different than the originally presented ones. Additionally, you can have them say aloud why they are doing what they are doing so it is clear they understand the process.

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

You start with simple questions and build a foundation, and congratulate them when they succeed. Then, you start adding up the small successes until they are confident in more complex material.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

The best way to figure out what a student needs is to talk to them. Some students aren't succeeding because they lack motivation, while others are not succeeding because they are having trouble digesting the material quickly and efficiently enough.

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

It is important to understand what the student is struggling with and how they learn. I attempt to get a comprehensive understanding of the student and convey the material on a level that they understand.