What is your teaching philosophy?

I help keep education simple, relatable, and enjoyable.

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

A short ice-breaker to get to know the student's personality and how I can relate that to the subject matter we're covering.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Micro assignments. Ask the student to look into a particular reading, article, or piece of work. Open each new session with a discussion about this work. It will teach them to work independently and create an opening for our next session.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Review it. Find out what skill or concept specifically they are having trouble with, and then dive into the matter further. We can continue to review this until the student becomes comfortable with the skills.

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

I can relate with them. I love reading but wasn't always this way. One thing that helped me build a stronger comprehension was to read out loud, in front of someone or even by myself. I will demonstrate reading parts of the curriculum out loud and ask for them to try the same.

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

Developing a partnership, so the student knows that you are there to see them succeed. It is important to set the tone that I am there to help them learn and to support them as their largest cheerleader. Establishing that helps grow success later on.

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

Tell a personal story about how I wasn't the model student growing up and how I used integrated personal passions to overcome my struggles within a subject. For me it was science. In junior high school, I had a talk with my teacher and mom about an upcoming project I wasn't excited about. I learned I was able to integrate a topic I was passionate about (sharks), which sparked a new level of excitement with my work in the class. I wound up not only becoming excited about the project but about going to science class.

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

I'd provide an introduction of the coursework, cover individual material (bites), and lastly, summarize up the material. In between each transition keeping the session open for questions.

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

Compliment them. Learning or building knowledge can be a challenge, and taking the first step towards growth can seem daunting, but growth is the most rewarding piece of life. Kudos to them.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

Listening to a student is the most important piece to evaluating: both from their viewpoint and my own assessment.

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

Understanding that every person is different is the key to adapting a tutoring program. Some tutoring may be fast-paced where a subject matter is quickly retained, and some tutoring may require additional practice. Being able to adapt to either tutoring style is the key.

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

Visual aids. They help support reading, provide some form of reference piece, and make learning fun.