What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe that it's important to establish a comfortable but professional relationship with a student so they ask questions more freely and are more willing to learn.

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

I would ask the student which areas of school they need help in, and develop a study plan that accommodates the student's preferred/most effective ways of studying.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I can help a student become an independent learner by showing them how to think critically when solving problems.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I would help a student stay motivated by switching up their method of studying so they are not bored by doing the same thing over and over again.

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

I would show them step-by-step how to answer the problem, and ask them to do similar questions until they feel comfortable.

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

Flashcards, solving similar problems, making mini-quizzes, and then having them explain how they solved it.

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

Practice books, a calculator, a laptop (for definitions), and paper.

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

I would build a student's confidence by tackling all components of a subject with the students and making sure they are comfortable by doing similar problems.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I evaluate a student's needs by watching them do samples of their homework and tests. From there I would focus on the areas where the student struggled.

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

For example if a student is more of a visual learner, I'd be sure to write everything out so they are able to understand. If they are struggling with something for a long time, I would do similar problems with them until they are comfortable. If they have trouble focusing, I would do intervals of different subjects and different methods of studying.

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

I would tell them to first find key sentences (first and last sentence of every paragraph). From that the student should have a good idea of what the passage is about, and they should then read over the questions to know what they are looking for. As they go back and read the entire passage, they should underline as they go to help them focus and retain what they are reading.

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

Asking what they need help with, how they like to study, what they think would be most effective in reaching school goals, and watching them do a sample of homework or a test.