What is your teaching philosophy?

Failure is the only way to obtain success. Failure through application of skills is very important, and learning from it is often much more effective than textbook learning or lecture.

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

During the first session with a student it is important to set up the framework for what we will cover and what goals the student has. Having this framework will enable a tangible benchmark of success. It is also very important to get to know the student and figure out how they learn. Not everyone learns the same way, and identifying a student's preferred learning style is crucial.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I can help a student become an independent learner by using the technique that parents use to teach kids how to ride a bike. Repeating a skill with a student until they get the hang of it, and then gradually releasing them into doing it themselves.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I would help a student stay motivated by keeping track of the goals that we set for them, and then repeatedly going back to them to show them how much they have accomplished.

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

If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, there are many roads to take. Often, moving away from that skill or concept for awhile, and then coming back to it at a later time, suffices. If that doesn't suffice, reworking a concept to a student's individual learning style is often productive.

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

With students that are struggling with reading comprehension it is important to diagnose the core reason that student is having difficulty. For example, if the student is having trouble with remembering key facts, note taking would be a great tool to increase comprehension.

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

To get a student excited or engaged in a subject they are struggling in, I would try to figure out how we could connect the subject to their life or interests.

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

To ensure that a student understands the material, quizzing through formal and informal means, such as via casual conversation, is often helpful. From there you can set a benchmark, and continue to work in problem areas.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

With subjective information from the student such as what they believe they need help in, and objective information such as grades, it is possible to pinpoint the needs of a student.

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

Setting goals, figuring out where the student's strengths and weaknesses lie, and how they learn best are very successful techniques that I utilize when starting to work with a student.

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

Keeping track of progress and having something substantive, being able to prove a student's abilities on paper, builds a student's confidence in a subject.

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

Simply by asking how they learn best, and trying various methods out. For example: if they do best with flashcards - flashcards it is! However, if that doesn't work and they express they like to see examples being done, and then trying it themselves - then that's the method we will follow!

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

I typically use any materials that the student provides, any relevant materials that I find on the extensive database, and anything that is requested of me. Often, Google is the best material! Especially when trying to develop a solid framework, without gaps. Even masters in a subject often defer to Google and Wikipedia when they just aren't sure about something.