What is your teaching philosophy?

Anyone can learn, but not everyone learns the same way. Once you identify how you best learn, success is only a matter of practice and commitment.

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

People who empower them, and actually care about their success motivate students. Therefore, my typical first session would include a short “get to know you” questionnaire, as well as time for the student to identify how he/she feel about the subject and what goals he/she want to set for themselves regarding their own improvement in that subject area.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Students become independent learners once they have been taught a process or model that guides them through their thinking on a specific subject or problem. By giving students consistent practice through models and concise processes, they will be able to replicate that for any subject area.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Students remain motivated when they see areas or skill sets in which they are demonstrating improvement. Every problem can be broken down into the skills and knowledge that students need to be successful. While they may not master all of it at once, if they can see that they already possess strengths in some of the skills that they need, they will be more likely to continue working towards improvement in the other areas that will guarantee their success.