What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe in challenging people and pushing them to find answers on their own. Through my own experiences, I have found that you are capable of a lot more than you may give yourself credit for, and it often takes someone forcing you to think deeper to find the answers you are looking for.

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

My goal would be to understand my student's base level of knowledge on a topic as well as his or her goals for the course. I would then use this to set learning objectives to help move my student forward throughout the course.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I would create weekly schedules and timelines so that my student can stay on track and see the progress he or she is making. By keeping sight of the goals, I will help my student make progress with every lesson.

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

I would focus on taking more time with a specific concept until my student completely understands it before moving on. I would approach this by breaking down the concept to its core problem and making it easier to understand.

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

I believe it is important to get to know one another as well as your student's skills and goals. It is important for me to know what a student wants to accomplish and plan accordingly.

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

I would allow them to establish a strong base of knowledge by consistently asking them progress questions on the material in order to ensure they are understanding every step of the way.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I would first ask them how they feel about their skills in particular areas to get an idea of their self-identified needs. Then I would give them a simple baseline test to see which areas they need the most help in.