What is your teaching philosophy?

Focus on building the relationships, and the rest will follow. Most kids don't learn well in school because they don't want to be there. Give them a reason to be there and they'll make good use of their time.

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

I'd discuss the possible reasons why there are needs for tutoring in this subject.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I can help a student become an independent learner by encouraging them to ask as many questions as possible, and then walking them through the necessary steps to answer the questions they've posed.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I'd tell them to draw out or write down their end goal, and then look at that end goal everyday before they go to sleep and in the morning when they wake up.

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

I'd break it down to its most empirical form and allow the student to express it in a language familiar to them.

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

We answer target questions paragraph by paragraph in order to maintain the scope and sequence of the story.

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

Diagnostic assessments, and then casual conversation.

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

By speaking to them and being honest about the subject. I tell a student, "I know this is boring, but you and I are going to make it as fun as possible."