What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe that to teach well, one has to understand the mentality of the person they are trying to teach. Since I myself, have needed tutoring in my past, I think I can accurately gauge the needs of students.

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

First I would get to know them, and try to figure out their what they are struggling with and why. And then based off of that information, I would tailor my lessons to each individual.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

By not just teaching them what they are struggling with, but also teaching them the process of learning and self-teaching which are vital to future success.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

By providing them opportunities to see their own improvement over time. This is vital, because motivation is a key aspect of good learning.

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

I would slow down the lesson and break it down into simpler terms using examples. Then I would do additional practice to enforce the ideas.

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

In my experience, I have found that students who struggle with reading comprehension tend to read quickly to get through a passage without fully understanding what it is saying. So I would initially ask them to read it out loud, because that helps them understand it better. Then I would have them summarize it to me to check their comprehension, and also simultaneously improve it.

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

An important first step is to ensure the student feels comfortable and confident in his ability to learn. I find that bad grades can lead lower self-esteem, and this can in turn cause bad grades in a vicious cycle. To break the cycle, the student has to feel that they can get better, so I work to ensure they fell this way through positive encouragement.

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

By making what we are learning relevant to their lives, and their future. This can great affect the outlook the student has towards his or her work, which is an important part of doing well.

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

I would have them work it out loud in front of me as they explain their though process. I think this really lets me get into their head and see how they are thinking it through. From this perspective it is easy to see whether or not they have grasped the concepts of the material.

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

By providing positive encouragement, and constructive criticism. Furthermore, showing them their own accomplishments can boost confidence.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

It depends on the subject, but in general, I would find out what units they are on and have them do some problems to see where they are not understanding the material.

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

Each student can have a different style, and picking up on it is important. you can often tell by simply asking them what helps them learn. It could be doing examples, lecture or any other things.

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

Practice questions, white boards and markers and lots of scratch paper a well.