What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe that learning is more than mere regurgitation of facts; therefore, it is imperative that my student has a thorough understanding of a given topic. To help my student grasp an idea, I plan on initially asking easy questions to introduce him/her to a topic. After teaching my student some concepts that required for understanding of the concept, I will give challenging practice problems so that he/she is motivated to think outside the box to solve the problems.

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

I might ask my student what s/he already knows regarding the topic. I would ask relatively easy questions to motivate my student to delve deeper into a subject. Following this, I would probably lay out a "game plan" of scheduled assignments to help the student succeed.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I can help a student become an independent learner by motivating him/her. I can do this by showing the student intriguing topics related to the subject s/he is learning so an intrinsic interest develops.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I would help my student remain motivated by introducing him/her to intriguing topics that might help renew interest in a certain subject. For example, if a student is struggling to find motivation to do a math problem, I might show him a quick video about the creation of pi.

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

I think that the best way to handle this is to first engage the student. I plan on doing this by introducing the subject in an easy manner- one that s/he might possibly relate to. From there, I would start off with easy concepts and slowly transition to harder topics. I believe that preventing a student from becoming overwhelmed is one of the major steps to teaching a new topic.

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

Whenever I hear the words "reading comprehension," I automatically think concentration. I know that this is easier said than done, but trying to somehow relate the reading topics to the student might be a good way to get started on reading comprehension.

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

Repetition is one of the best ways to learn something new. For example, solving similar problems helps understanding of a certain topic.