What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe people are capable of learning anything. That being said, a person's strengths and weaknesses will make some subjects more or less difficult to learn than others. However with persistence, proper instruction, and maximizing strengths in your thinking, you can learn anything.

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

During a typical first session, I would want to get to know the student, understand a little bit about how they think, what their goals and interests are in order to better serve them as a tutor and provide the material and instruction that will most benefit them. I would then assess the student's comprehension and work with the student to put together a basic outline charting how we will progress from their current level to their goal level.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I generally like to promote curiosity and encourage students to follow that curiosity, while remaining on task. An effective strategy for encouraging independent learning is to occasionally ask a student to do some research and find the answer to their own question. I would then serve as a resource on how to do such research.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Setting many small attainable goals is a key to staying motivated. No victory is too small to celebrate, either. In order to help students see their progress, I also keep diligent records so that we can look back and see the progress they have made.