What is your teaching philosophy?

To help a student find their personal teaching style and encourage them to believe in themselves and their ability to accomplish anything.

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

Discuss where they are at in their program. What they feel the biggest need is. What they need from me and how do think I can best help them. Look over any homework they are currently working on and discover what is the best way they retain information. Encourage the student to not get frustrated and work together as a team to be successful.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

By introducing the student to new study techniques that are fun and will help them be successful.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I'd continue to be patient, research different ways to explain the question, and work with them until they are confident.

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

I would take turns reading out loud with them. Teach them how to pick out the main points of what they are reading. Talk about what was read and have them explain to me what the information is trying to say.

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

Giving them the ability to communicate their needs. Start by setting up a study schedule. Identify their study habits and help them find ways to be organized. Go over their homework with them to find out where they need the most help.

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

Find ways to keep them engaged by creating fun and interactive study tools and not just depend on lectures to tutor with.

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

Pop quizzes, verbal or in writing. Have the student act like they are teaching the information. Also, test and make sure they understand the key points.

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

By listening to where they are the most frustrated and help them do repetitive problems to give them confidence.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

By listening to them, having them work problems, and seeing where I feel their weaknesses is. I find out their study habits and see how organized they are. I also like find out what their study environment is.

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

By understanding their needs, communication, and applying real-life examples to their study material. By analyzing and finding their study style and continuing to fluctuate with their needs, depending on their level of understanding.

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

A lot of examples of how to work problems, reviewing the key terms to make sure that they understand the foundation of the subject. Creating flash cards and asking a lot of questions to make sure they are understanding. Having them do a practice lesson, and then having them present the information to me. Most important is having the student repeat the information until they can explain it in their own words.