What is your teaching philosophy?

Learning should be organic. A student can recognize how the concepts within a subject harmonize together. I can make a student aware of this with my insight into certain subjects.

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

  An absolute must would be to find out and gauge where they are in that subject so that I'd know where we should begin.  

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

A student has to learn how to deal with problems. I can show them all the references they have available, and help them realize that learning comes with practice.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

  I can't cure apathy or give someone the will to learn if they have none. But, I can remind them that they are learning material that they will use in their career and that learning it is a step towards that career. If they are not learning something that is used in their desired field, I can remind them that it's all temporary, and once it's done, it's done for good.  

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

I would try to break down the concept as much as possible, and try to relate it to something they might already know. I'd use analogies and mnemonic devices to solidify the material.