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

Have a discussion about experience and goals. There's no sense in starting on a journey without first understanding where you wish that journey to end.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Create a sense of fun and enjoyment through learning. No matter how important a pupil sees the act of learning, without enjoying it on some level, the pupil will never seek to learn of their own volition without said learning feeling like a chore.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Try to find a prism through which the student can understand it. Equating the concept to something tangible that they enjoy makes it more straightforward and less conceptual.

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

Start small. Rome wasn't built in a day; nor will a student feel engaged if the only goal they are working towards is to be generally good at something. Start with a small area of said subject, and focus on that until it becomes easier. Then use the self-confidence that creates to move on to other areas.

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

Asking questions, asking the student to ask questions, and asking the student to turn the tables and teach me about whatever topic is being covered.

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

Gauge the personality and temperament of the student in the first few meetings. Possibly try a number of different techniques and approaches and see which topic was understood best.

What is your teaching philosophy?

Teaching is a two-sided discipline: knowledge and communication. It is not enough to simply know a lot about one's chosen subject, one must also impart that knowledge to others, in a way that makes sure it stays in their mind. I have been taught by many teachers who simply lectured about things they knew, which is surely impressive, but not what teaching is about, for me.

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

Get them reading things they enjoy, like magazines, comics, or adverts even. Before reading a new book, talking through what we think might be covered in the book and some vocabulary that might come up.

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

I have not tutored or taught before, so I cannot answer this.

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

Find things about that subject, however small, that they enjoy. Find areas of the subject, however small, that they are good at. Use these small victories to spur them on to larger ones.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

Confidence, enjoyment, and ability so often go hand in hand in hand with teaching. If a child wants to study something, it's because they're confident with it, and because they're good at it. Whatever they don't want to study tends to be the opposite.

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

I have not tutored before, so I cannot answer this question truthfully.