What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe in breaking down the difficult concepts into small, manageable pieces. I tailor this to each student that I teach so that I can make sure we understand each other.

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

Before the first session, I like to ask the student/parent what he or she is looking to get out of tutoring. During the session, I work to assess the student's needs. For instance, if we are doing SAT tutoring, I ask the student to complete a section before we meet, and then during the session, I will go over a review of the test. Then we will go over the answers to the questions that the student did on his or her own. That way, I can get a better idea of what level the student is starting at.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I like to assign homework each session for my students and ask them to apply the concepts that we went over during our sessions to complete the homework. I also leave it up to the students to let me know which areas they struggled with on the homework, encouraging them to advocate for their needs.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I like to give me students a lot of positive reinforcement. I point out the mistakes they make, but I make a point to emphasize the things that they do right along the way. I also like to track their progress so that they can see how far they have come as we progress in tutoring.