What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe that education should be life giving. Education, should open children's eyes to their worth and show them all the wonderful things they have to give. Education should be a journey of self-discovery; a journey where students find the courage to make mistakes, discover their gifts and talents, and use those gifts to be life-giving themselves. As teachers, we have a responsibility to walk daily with our students and to be their guide in helping them become the best versions of themselves.

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

In a first session with a student, I will assess the student's needs, including their objectives, goals, and learning style.

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

If a student has difficulty, I will find out what part of the skill or concept he/she finds most difficult. I will try to break down the skill into more manageable sections, and I will find visual resources to aid understanding.

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

I help students who are struggling with reading comprehension by finding reading material that interests them. I will teach skills that good readers use, like connecting, inferring, asking questions, predicting, visualizing, etc.

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

I have found that using visual aids or drawing pictures helps students better grasp abstract concepts. I have also learned that breaking tasks up into more manageable sections helps students to feel less overwhelmed and has helped them stay focused.

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

I feel that students are more engaged and get excited learning when they feel confident in their ability to understand the concepts. Therefore, I would first assess what in particular the student is having difficulty in and create lessons to aid in comprehension. I would also assess what the student's learning style is, which will guide what type of lessons/activities I plan.

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

I would have students show their learning in a way that is most comfortable for them, whether it is a written response, oral response, or drawn picture.

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

I would build a student's confidence in a subject by breaking the subject into more manageable parts. When that is done, students can focus on one thing at a time, which increases their opportunity for success. The more they succeed in each of the parts, the more confident they will be overall.