What is your teaching philosophy?

A good educator can lead a student to the correct answer, but a great educator can give a student the tools they need to arrive at the correct answer by themselves. My approach is to determine what a student already knows, ensure a solid foundation up to that point, and design lessons with achievable goals in an incremental fashion to boost a student's knowledge and confidence in their ability to learn.

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

In any first session, it's important to get to know the student and begin building a positive and encouraging rapport. I would first work to identify precisely what level the student is at with the particular skill at hand. I would do this by starting with easy tasks, games, and exercises, and then gradually increasing the difficulty level of the activities. This will help me determine exactly where to begin instruction with the student. After the first session, I would map out a plan to get the student from wherever they are to wherever they need to be. I would create goals and benchmarks for the upcoming sessions to make sure that we are on target to meet the end goal.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Discovering what motivates a student is the key to fueling their desire to learn independently. A student's hobbies and interests can serve as a perfect medium to teach any academic skill through the lens of something interesting and engaging for the learner. Additionally, I strive to teach in a manner that primarily facilitates and guides learning so that students will feel a sense of pride and accomplishment when they become proficient in a particular area.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Incorporating a student's interests and hobbies into a lesson is a great way to keep students motivated. I also promote positive reinforcement and a safe environment for making mistakes. It is also important to acknowledge a student's' socioemotional needs as well. There must be a balance between teaching perseverance and avoiding a detrimental level of frustration.