What is your teaching philosophy?

If any student ever wants to learn-- really wants to learn-- I will do anything in my power to facilitate that learning; and that learning will be successful! It's important to realize, though, that it is ultimately the student's responsibility to do the learning. If, at the end of the day, a person is only half-heartedly interested in improving, then his or her progress will only be half-hearted, no matter what kind of games, or teaching techniques, or technology I bring to the table. What I do know is that my efforts are always 100%, strongly believing that, while correct answers are good, so are incorrect answers. Why? Because they provide the opportunity learn what wasn't learned properly to begin with. Mistakes are not only good; they are GREAT! How many times do you think Edison had to try before we got electricity? How different our lives would be if he had just said, "Aw, rats. I failed and I'm sick of making mistakes. I'm not going to try anymore...!" My favorite saying is actually from Henry Ford: "If you think you can or you think you can't, you are always right!" I agree wholeheartedly. If you think you can, call me and I will prove it to you!

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

Our first session will be about setting goals, sorting out priorities, discussing successful study skills, deciding about how much technology we can use, and discovering what the student ultimately desires from working together. In addition, we will need to talk about how comfortable the student is with the current material, and if we will need to revisit some of the background information required before continuing forward in the learning. By the end of the first session, the student and I will come away with a study plan, desired increments of improvement (goals), a defined schedule, and a method of learning that will work for us both. This will help the student and I to be on the same page and be able to maximize the benefits from our time together in every session thereafter.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

There is one fundamental question that must be answered before a student can ever hope to be an independent learner: do you really want to learn? Along with that question goes the degree to which the student is willing to make that learning his or her priority. With those answers in place, the amount of personal responsibility will be determined, and we can both design accountability that will be most useful to the learner. Responsibility + accountability = independence.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Um, chocolate always works for me. JK! Realistically, motivation is intrinsic to learning. When a person sees tangible progress, achieves goals that she, herself, has set up, and feels more and more confident in a subject, the motivation comes naturally. Chocolate melts, but the learning remains forever!