What is your teaching philosophy?

I am here to help you get to where you need to go. I want to understand your goals, what is important to you, and help you get there. I believe a great teacher is someone you have a relationship of confidence and trust with, in order to overcome any academic struggles you may be facing.

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

We need to examine where you are at with your ability and where you need to be at in the future. Then, plan a way to help you get to your goal within the time-frame you need. I want to figure out your needs so I can be relevant.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I can provide the appropriate means to practice whatever topic or subject the student is struggling with. Outside of our tutoring sessions there are things that I know will be beneficial for the student to practice and we can work out a plan so they are constantly learning and getting better.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Be excited about what we are doing. I truly have a passion for teaching and the subjects that we are going over are relevant to me, so I am going to be engaged and will work to make sure my students are engaged as well.

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

Take our time. This is about the student and what he or she needs. If we need to go over the same topic 2-3 times, that is okay. Comprehension is the ultimate goal not just breezing by multiple subjects and hoping something sticks. I will try to change up my approach in order to understand how my student learns.

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

I have found the most successful approach is to help enough to where the student is out of what I would call the "frustration-zone", and into a scenario where they are challenged, but have the tools and ability to figure out whatever they are learning on their own. I will be there to guide and direct their efforts in the right direction so their work is worthwhile and does not result in frustration and misunderstanding but comprehension and learning.

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

Help them understand why this subject is important to their life goals. Also help them to see how, if they try, they can be a potential resource to friends and family in the future, because they worked hard at something they struggled with.

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

Questions! If a student can respond to verifying questions and pass little checkpoints throughout the tutoring session I can know they are understanding and learning.

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

Practice. When something is done over and over it will build confidence. I will try to practice during most of my tutoring sessions so the material is applied and put to use, instead of being something on paper or something the student hears and then later forgets.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I can evaluate a student's needs by their performance level at a particular subject mixed with whatever input they are giving to me as a tutor. By these two methods I can really see what a student is struggling with and plan accordingly.

How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?

If my focus as a tutor is on the student and their needs I can find weak points in my strategy as a tutor and change them accordingly. I understand that each student is different and will learn differently, so it us up to me to figure out how they need to come to an understanding on their own.

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

Pictures may be used. The internet is a great resource and I can direct the students to certain web pages or material that would be beneficial to them. For Spanish, hearing the exact pronunciation is necessary and I will collect videos and soundclips from which the student can learn from.

How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?

Depending on the need of the student, take extra time to go over directions, instructions, or when necessary reading assignments that might hinder them from understanding the question or problem if they at first do not understand the reading/background. Use questions to check for understanding always.