What is your teaching philosophy?

I strive to engage my students as much as possible by asking questions, while providing them with the background, support, and confidence required to learn. Before I start tutoring, I spend time reviewing the concepts until I have a renewed, thorough understanding and appreciation of the topic.

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

Ask questions and do practice exercises to feel out exactly where he or she is having trouble. Then, explain the concept and work on examples together. I'd also foster a sense of support and encouragement.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Learning how to learn takes confidence and practice. In teaching a concept, I make sure to ask my student how they know what to do and why. This develops critical thinking skills, which he or she will apply when they encounter new concepts.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Relate it to something he or she already understands. There is always a baseline to build off of. I try to break down concepts to be as small and easily digestible as practical.

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

I would start with readings they are naturally more interested in, talk about what to look for in them, read and underline with them, and talk about what we learned. Underlining, discussing questions before and after, and just practice are all effective strategies.