What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe anyone can learn anything given the right mindset. I'm a huge proponent of what Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck calls the "growth mindset" - the belief that intelligence is a muscle strengthened over time, not something we are born with. I strive to instill in my students that failing, whether it's a bad grade, a missed question, or a low score, is simply an opportunity for growth, not a reflection on one's intellectual capabilities.

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

1) Set expectations for both the tutor and tutee, including responsibilities both parties have to each other; 2) Understand the tutee's goals, strengths, and weaknesses; 3) Outline how often/how long we will see each other and make a plan for our sessions; 4) Emphasize that there are no dumb questions and that learning is all about making mistakes! 5) Dive into content to get the ball rolling.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

A good tutor doesn't just teach content or test-taking strategies, but teaches her tutee how to learn. This requires an accurate understanding of what learning is -- to borrow one of my favorite quotes from Sal Khan, "Failure is just another word for growing. And you keep going. This is learning." I try to impress this above all else to my tutees in order to help them see their own ability to learn anything.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I get motivated when I realize I'm getting better. When I'm trying to master a new concept or puzzle through a new problem, I make sure to start with the smaller, easier parts of the problem first. That way, when I master the easy stuff, I feel ready to keep learning. With my tutees, I try to build confidence over time, and a series of quick wins can help students gear up for the tougher problems ahead. There's nothing like the feeling of mastering something that had seemed impossible before!

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

I try to break down difficult concepts to easier, more digestible components. (You might not be able to understand how a house is built right away, but you can start by knowing how to stack a few bricks!) I also make an effort to explain the big picture before we get into the nitty gritty of a problem or concept -- it doesn't make sense to explain what a needle threader is before explaining what a sewing machine does first! Lastly, if students are having difficulty grasping a concept, I try to reframe the problem in other ways, especially ways that might cater better to their learning styles. For example, a visual learner might prefer to see a diagram or a schematic of the concept rather than listening to me explain it.