What is your teaching philosophy?

I grew up in government-funded housing, and have seen so many people give up on their schooling. I knew, from a young age, that education was my key to success. Despite all statistics against low-income students, I was offered full scholarships to top schools such as Swarthmore, Amherst, and Emory. My belief is that any child can succeed in school if they have the right amount of passion and motivation. My goal is to find what makes each student excited to learn, and make learning rewarding.

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

My first session with a student would be mainly about assessing the student's strengths and weaknesses, and making sure the student feels comfortable accepting my help.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

The best way for a student to become an independent learner is to get them motivated to learn! Learning really is cool if you can see how the subject you are studying relates to real life, so I want to help my students become more excited to study new topics on their own time.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Motivation is a difficult thing to come by sometimes. I struggle deeply with seasonal depression, so cold weather makes my motivation to learn plummet. However, I know that having a support system can help anyone feel motivated about anything, even learning. There is always something in life to look forward to.

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

I would try to make the subject more appealing by comparing it to real world things. I use memory tricks to help me understand hard topics. Sometimes they are silly, but they stick!