What is your teaching philosophy?

Tailoring for individual students to achieve their goals. Not all students work the same way, and the goal is to learn who THEY are in order to achieve THEIR dreams.

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

Spend the beginning of the session learning about the students, their style of learning, and what they want to achieve out of tutoring. I would also bring in the parents to make sure that their expectations are clear, and clearly explain my expectations of students: I will work for you, if you work for me.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Teaching them the process of research. There are thousands of websites, books, individuals, and other resources for students to better their own understanding. If you teach them how to find it, they become more independent.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I like fun and competition. Just like in sports, it is about beating personal records. I also enjoy combining disciplines and breaking up the monotony with real life questions and solutions.

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

Using the knowledge I learned about their style, I would develop a tailored plan. For example, if a student were an auditory learner and couldn't remember the states by looking at a map (as a visual learner would), I would introduce a song designed to memorize the states instead.

How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?

I enjoy using media to engage students. I love learning websites, including Ted talks and news to increase everyday awareness. I also love bringing in relevant problems to a student's life. Ex: A student I work with works a part-time job at Starbucks, and is struggling with the concept of supply and demand. I would use an example of a shortage of customers to demonstrate the amount of excess coffee their Starbucks carries during the shortage.

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

Build on past knowledge. A student who is comfortable with one subject will be more likely to venture into a new subject if it relates to the previous one.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

It is a combination of student perception, parent perception, past work and scores, and administered evaluations by myself.

What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?

The basics are two notebooks: one for me, and one for the student. Any additional materials would include a computer, models, textbooks, or any other appropriate material (rulers, calculators, etc.).

What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?

The best judge of comprehension is teaching! If a student can teach the subject back to me, they understand it. The student alternates between following along with me, and leading the session themselves during individual sessions. At the end, I provide a problem for them combining the knowledge learned, and they teach me how to solve the problem!