What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe that education is the key to success, and everyone is capable of being successful.

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

I would like to get to: (1) know my student, (2) understand their goals for the tutoring session, (3) create a plan of action to reach the student's goals, and (4) begin to tackle the plan - becoming one steps closer to completing the student's goals.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I can help a student become an independent learner by learning the student's skills and habits, their weaknesses and strengths, which model of learning best suits them, and by working with the student to execute a plan for success.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I would like to understand why the student is having difficulty, and identify ways to enable the student to overcome this difficulty (i.e. using lectures, PowerPoint, visuals, videos, problem sets, discussion, etc.).

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

Strategies that I have found to be most successful are: (1) getting to know the student, (2) encouraging the student to build confidence, (3) identifying common issues, (4) coming up with solutions to succeed, and (5) having open channels of communication to ensure clarity in learning.

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

I would find ways to make learning manageable and interesting. Oftentimes, this can be done by finding ways to relate the subject to the student's interests.

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

I think that it is very important for students to identify how their teachers/professors test material. Once we are aware of this, we can then become familiar with the material and test the students in a format similar to their instructor - to ensure understanding and success.

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

Encouragement is the key to confidence. Consistency in successfully understanding a subject will also boost confidence as well.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I have a checklist of common questions to ask of my students to ensure that we are covering the student's needs. A very practical way of evaluating that a student's needs are being met is by talking with the student, and allowing the student to critique whether the tutor is aiding them to accomplish their needs of the tutoring session.

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

Adaptation occurs when the tutor identifies what the student's needs are and how they are to be met. I must ask the student how they believe they learn best, and I must also use techniques to ensure that the student is learning - whether that be via discussion, visual aids, problem sets, etc.

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

I use problems, video, lecture, and whatever else is necessary to aid my students.

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

One way that I help students who are struggling with reading comprehension is first defining the words that are not comprehendible, and second by explaining how those words fit in the sentence and how they move the paragraph along. It is important to identify why the student isn't comprehending in order to achieve comprehension. Additionally, I believe that continued reading and breaking down of what is being read will aid in comprehension.