What is your teaching philosophy?

Learning is an adventure, and that's exactly how I approach it with my students. Education should be exciting, challenging, interactive, and fun. Instead of a teacher simply passing information onto a student, the teacher and student should be going on a journey together.

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

In the first session, I would help the student make some concrete goals regarding what he or she expects, or hopes, to attain from the tutoring. Then I would help the student create a visual representation of these goals so that we could track the student's progress over time.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I can help a student become an independent learner by modeling proper procedures, by encouraging the student to always ask questions, and praising the student for trying new things and taking risks.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I would help a student stay motivated by creating fun educational challenges, helping the student track his or her academic success, and giving verbal praise for all of the student's efforts.

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

I would go through the problem or task step-by-step with the student, modeling the proper technique, explaining how and why I execute each step. Then, if necessary, I would provide the student with a slightly easier version of the problem, in order to facilitate success and improve confidence.

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

I help students who are struggling with reading comprehension by showing them how to use "text marking," how to identify main idea and supporting details, how to recognize types of text structure, and how to understand the author's purpose.

How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?

I would help a student get excited about a subject in which they are struggling by using alternate methods, such as academic games/puzzles, video/audio versions of the text, and "real world" applications.

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

I build a student's confidence in a subject by using the "scaffolding" technique, which entails giving the student a fairly simple task to begin with, and then gradually increase the degree of difficulty until the student can master it.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I evaluate my student's needs by talking to the student about the given subject, observing the student while he or she works through a task, and reviewing the student's work with him or her.

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

I use various types of materials during a tutoring session, including paper, pencil or pen, books, and videos, as well as audio samples, multi-colored pens for text-marking, and poster boards.

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

Some strategies I found to be successful when I start to work with a student include "icebreaker" games/activities, personal interest inventories, and developing personal and academic goals.

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

I would use various assessments to be sure the student understands the materials, including informal questioning, portfolio checks, teacher checklists, student self-assessments, and quizzes.

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

I adapt my tutoring to my student's needs by interviewing my student, asking for verbal and written feedback, and adapting according to the results of any assessment I administer.