What is your teaching philosophy?

My teaching philosophy is centered on listening and respect. I listen to student needs and instill in them the confidence to succeed.

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

In my first session, I listen to what the student tells me he or she is having trouble with. I acknowledge any frustration or concerns the student might have. Then I build a structured plan to improve on student weaknesses.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Students become independent learners by being encouraged to follow their passions. For example, I have used articles on basketball to improve student comprehension.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I would acknowledge their frustration, but assure them that their problems will be solved through our course of study. I also try to make students laugh, as I think laughter is a great stress reliever.

If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, what would you do?

If a student was having trouble understanding a concept, I would find something the student is excited about and use that to help push a lesson forward. For example, if it was a statistical problem, I might look at a baseball player's batting average to communicate the relationship between statistics and probability.