What is your teaching philosophy?

My teaching philosophy is based upon the magic that transpires with students' joy and capacity for deeper learning; it is both fulfilling and inspirational. My goal is to teach the skills needed to succeed while fostering a love of further exploration into the subject. When teaching, my intuition is utilized in order to move through scenarios organically, changing my approach as needed. There have been days where my lessons seem solid, and I am excited to teach what is planned. The class or student will let me know through their behavior, body language, or tones that something different is needed. Picking up on this subtlety and changing the direction of the lesson is a skill which benefits everyone!

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

I would introduce myself and tell them a bit about my skills and experience. This would vary according to the age of my student. Immediately, I would want to get to know them, personally, as well as their desired outcome for the tutoring. We would then move into an assessment of their current skills. We would review material to be covered in our sessions. The students would then participate in a simple lesson as an introduction. To finish the session, the student and I would record two simple goals, pertaining to the subject, that they will be able to obtain within one to two weeks. We will visit these goals each session and create new ones as these are met.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Throughout the learning process, I encourage students to share and talk, and I incorporate as many ways to learn as possible (visual, auditory, and kinetic). Each week they will create and look over their goals, recording their progress. Also, they will be given small assignments to complete in-between sessions. This will keep the information fresh and build confidence. When a student truly understands the information, they are able to teach it to someone else. The lessons will include opportunities to be the teacher.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

The student will stay motivated by creating and achieving goals between lessons. They will also be given hands on homework, which will pertain to their interests and daily life.

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

I would first try different approaches, such as hands on activities and visual cues. I would also assess where the difficulty stems from and perhaps revisit foundation lessons.

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

Reading comprehension can be strengthened by telling stories in great detail and having the student recall and retell the story in various ways. One of the ways to improve reading and comprehension skills is to have them create visual pictures of the stories in their head. They can then explain it, draw it, act it out, etc.... I would also work with the sequencing of stories.

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

We could create games or activities to practice and study. I find that it is best to include as many learning styles as possible in my lessons.

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

I find it is most beneficial to begin by getting to know one another, to build trust. The next step is to assess where the student is in the given subject and create a plan for learning.

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

Practicing the given material in a multitude of ways is best to truly understand what is being learned.

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

Setting attainable goals that can be met on a weekly basis will build a student's confidence in a subject. Also, it is beneficial to incorporate the material into everyday activities to offer practical ways to practice, as well as meaningful opportunities to build confidence.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I evaluate a student's needs first by meeting with them and talking. We can then look over their current work, as well as progress reports and any notes from teachers or parents. Working together with the material provides the best data for what their needs are.

How do you adapt your tutoring to the student's needs?

I adapt my tutoring by evaluating each student and tailoring lessons to meet their needs. The lessons, practice, and assignments should challenge the student and build stamina, while maintaining their interest in the given subject.

What types of materials do you typically use during a tutoring session?

I use a variety of writing, reading, and visual materials during a session. The variety of materials increases the likelihood of success by allowing the student to participate, using various ways of learning.