What is your teaching philosophy?

Sometimes people just need a little nudge in the right direction and a bit more confidence.

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

I ask for old tests and assignments that went poorly, so that I can see what kinds of questions the teacher likes to ask, and also what the student is struggling with.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

The two real things required for independent learning are curiosity and resources. With free access to Wikipedia, almost everyone has the resources necessary. So all that remains is to inspire the curiosity and to get the student to say, "Now hold a up a second, why does that work like that?"