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

Establishing goals is crucial. What does the student hope to achieve, what specifically is he or she struggling with, and what has been done thus far? Discussing study strategies specific to the material that needs to be learned is paramount in helping the student succeed. It is the responsibility of the tutor to help the student discover what works for him or her in order to ensure success in the future.

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

Spending time with the student helps me figure out what works best for them - discussing the material, looking at pictures, drawing, writing things down, or developing questions. Whatever the student seems to do best with helps me change how I approach the tutor session so the student can learn most efficiently.

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

I use pictures, outlines, drawings, lots of verbal discussion, and review.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

The first session is very important. This is where I ask the student what they feel their strengths and weaknesses are, what they have done to this point that has helped or hasn't helped etc. Going through the first tutoring session helps me get a grasp on how the student learns best, so I can come up with an individualized plan to best help them learn and succeed.