What is your teaching philosophy?

My teaching philosophy is "practice to learn." Practicing material outside of the classroom and in situations where you are not used to using the content is the best way to learn the content. I am also big on using illustrations and diagrams to help teach concepts instead of lecturing, and developing note taking techniques that can ease your studying.

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

In a first session with a student, I want to learn about the student and what they personally feel is the struggle for them. I want to hear from the student where they feel they are weak and where they feel they are strong in their learning. If they come in with specific questions, then I will help them with that. I also want to learn a little about the students, like what are their hobbies and any other things they do related to school.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

The best way to teach a student to be an independent learner is to teach skills that they can use outside of tutoring and the classroom. Developing good study skills is the best way to do this as well as teaching other ways to use the information.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I would pay attention to how the student was doing that day. If I can tell a student is having a rough day or time, I might take a little bit of their tutoring time to have them talk to me about something else or focus on something other than the subject. If a student becomes burned out or upset, they are not going to be motivated.

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

When it comes to reading comprehension, I would help the students learn active reading techniques. Sometimes just highlighting or underlining important information can help the student focus on certain things. I would also help them with practice quizzes and find real world examples, like articles.