What is your teaching philosophy?

My teaching philosophy is that I want to make students feel confident and empowered with knowledge. Learning should be fun and not a source of stress.

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

In my first session, I like to get to know a student. I want them to feel as if I understand what they are feeling as a student and as a child. I want them to feel comfortable with me, so I often ask them questions about sports, their likes, dislikes, and what makes them happy in school.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I try to give a student the tools to become more confident in themselves, and then they can fly on their own.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I would use flash cards, quizzes, and any other tools that can be used to commit the concept to memory.

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

I use sticky notes to outline the concepts in paragraphs. We then talk about why they chose the particular concept to highlight.

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

I have found giving them a short quiz on the subject matter to gauge their learning issues works well.

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

I would try to make the subject fun by having them do word games, word searches, puzzles, etc.

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

I am a big fan of online resources and index cards.

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

I think of ways to reward them for their grades.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I give them a short test on various issues in a particular subject.

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

I have an individual learning plan for each student.

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

Index cards and sticky notes.