What is your teaching philosophy?

It is not the responsibility of a tutor to solve students’ problems, but rather to help the students learn how to solve the problems themselves. The ultimate goal of an education, rather from a school or a tutor, should be to learn.

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

First get to know the students! Second, find out what material they are currently learning and determine how well they understand that subject's foundations (make sure they understand Algebra I before they try to learn Algebra II.) Third, try to find which learning style(s) they best respond to, whether they are auditory, visible, and/or tactile learners.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Teach the students how to interpret a problem, (“What am I given? What am I trying to find?”) Compare it to sample problems given in their curriculum and problems they have solved previously. Show the students what they are looking for, and to work backwards to what they are given.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Encourage him or her that everyone struggles at math besides me. Then tell them that that's a joke. Then stop making jokes if they aren't helping. I would remind them that making mistakes is good, because they bring us one step closer to finding the right solution.

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

Try to explain it step-by-step or from a different perspective, if that proves unfruitful I would (if possible) move on to the next problem/subject and come back to the difficult concept later, sometimes coming back to a problem later is the best way to come to understand it.