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

For students struggling with reading comprehension, I would focus on slowing down while reading and take the reading one small section at a time to verbally talk about what is happening in the text before moving on. As the student progresses, increase the size of the sections before discussion.

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

I find that discovering what the student is interested in and connecting the lesson or skill to their interest has always motivated the student more. Also, first discovering where the student's skill level is at and setting a manageable goal for the student and I allows the student to work in specific increments instead of getting overwhelmed by everything they need to learn.

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

Depending on the character of the student, I would either 1) connect the lesson to something the student is very passionate about, or 2) tell the student about how I struggled, but once I persevered I felt amazing.

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

During a typical first session, I would typically assess the skills of my student in order to be able to help us set some manageable goals together. I would also get to know what my student is interested in in order to be able to connect our lessons to their interests if possible.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

At first, I would guide the student step-by-step in order to help them do each step of a problem correctly. Then we would do some practice problems where the student would be encouraged to do each step independently and when stuck to refer to the problem we worked through together. Then for an assignment that is at the next level, I would have the student see if they can use their previous lesson to find out what they need to do the same or differently in this new assignment.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

When a student is having difficulty with a specific skill of concept, I like to break the problem down into smaller steps. For example, if a student is struggling with word pronunciation, I would break it down into first pronouncing the individual letters, then syllables, and finally combining the syllables into the original word.

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

First, I would make sure the student understands the step-by-step process for the material at hand. Then I would make sure we do some repetitive practice in order to lock-in the skill. Also, I would make sure the student is able do the skills without any of my guidance.

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

I have found that repetition often helps students gain confidence in a subject because the more they do a skill correctly the easier it is to remember. Also, having a student realize they can do it without any assistance helps them gain more confidence.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

First I ask a student where their struggles are, and then we work backwards to where the student has confidence. Then from there we can make a plan to gain the skills needed for what they are needing to achieve. Also, depending on the subject, I can make an assessment for the student to take in order to find out the student’s areas of strengths and weaknesses.

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

As I work with a student, I am able to find out how a specific student learns best. As in, are they verbal, tactile, or sight learners. Once that is figured out, lessons can be tailored to the way that particular student learns. Also, this allows me to learn what a student needs to strengthen in order to make their learning in the future more accessible.

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

Depending on the subject, I can either use simple paper and pencil, whatever textbook the student is working from, the tools accessible to me via the tutoring service, and some grade level books. However, materials can be adjusted based on the need of the individual student.

What is your teaching philosophy?

As a teacher, I believe teaching is not just about teaching a specific subject, but also helping a student grow as a person. Students should be taught how to apply their learning to the world around them and for what they hope to accomplish. Also, I believe a student who enjoys their learning will be able to learn more effectively. So, I believe a big part of a tutor's job is to help instill confidence in the student in the subject they may be struggling with.