What is your teaching philosophy?

My major philosophy in teaching is to show students how cool whatever they are learning is. I think that if someone finds something interesting, then it is so much easier to learn!

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

In a first session, I would want to get to know the student and how they like to learn and what subjects they like and why. If I know these things, I can help make learning the subject they have difficulty in easier and more enjoyable. After discussing this for a few minutes, I would want to jump into whatever subject they need tutoring in and ask about areas of difficulty, and then work from there to gauge what needs to be done to make things more understandable.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I think one of the best ways to help students learn independently is to teach them how to be critical in their own problem solving. Whether this means reading an essay out loud to themselves or writing out a verbal explanation for every part of a mathematical problem, having students really show themselves their own work and analyze their thought process helps them to become more independent learners.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

In order to keep a student motivated, I would try to make studying a rewarding activity. For instance, I sometimes tell myself that if I do 15 minutes of work consistently, then I can take a 5 minute break to do whatever I want. Usually by the time I would take a break, I am enjoying my work so much that I don't want to interrupt it, but sometimes students need to be able to see that next break as a goal.

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

If someone has difficulty learning a skill or a concept, I like to try to teach it in a different way, or compare it to something with which the student is familiar. This can often help by bridging gaps in knowledge about the subject by using the student's knowledge about the world or other subjects.

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

I like to have students read something to themselves out-loud if they are having comprehension problems, because it allows the brain to process the words using their vision and their hearing. If I'm not sure that a student understands a passage, I would ask them to explain what happened in their own words to see if they understand the main points of what a work says.

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

I think it is really important to let the student direct your attention to what is the most troublesome for them, and to really treat them with respect. I find that students who feel like partners in learning are much more enthusiastic about their learning and about working with me.