What is your teaching philosophy?

I hope to foster independent learning and a passion for the topic. I will guide students through the mechanics of learning and encourage critical thinking, which will eventually lead to mastery.

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

I will listen as the student explains what they are struggling with. I will have them walk me through how they would approach solving a problem. Based on this assessment, I would come up with practice problems and specific topics to focus on.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Students would demonstrate their mastery by explaining a topic to me. They should be able to logically explain any concept I quiz them on. They should demonstrate not just memorization but a higher analysis of how why the topic is important, and how subtopics fit into the greater picture.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Students are motivated when they can see their progress. I would encourage students by identifying areas they've progressed in during each session. I would also show why mastery of the topic is important, on a practical level, to motivate students.

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

I would help students develop reading tactics. Students can improve their reading ability by understanding the structure of the article or book, thereby identifying important details more easily. I would also have students visualize while they read, thereby developing a stronger foundation as they continue reading.

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

When I have corrected essays in the past, I have added comments to help the student develop their own ideas. These comments encourage students to think through what they wrote instead of relying on my corrections.

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

If a student practices, they will eventually demonstrate improvement in some area(s). I would identify the student's improvements and use these as encouragement. I would also give them practice problems that reinforce their new skill set.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I would have them walk through the topics they are struggling with. I would also have them take an assessment that would identify what knowledge they are missing. Based on the distribution of answers, I would see how the student can improve, be it memorization or application or something else. I would also listen to the student describe what areas of the assessment they had difficulties thinking through.

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

I would identify what type of learning the student is best adapted for, be it visual or auditory or kinesthetic. Based on their learning style, I would use different materials (for example slides for visual learners, songs and mnemonics for auditory learners, models for kinesthetic learners, etc.).

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

I have used more visual material in the past. When I correct essays, I use Microsoft Word's "track changes" option to allow students to see what I added or deleted. This allows them to see specific changes themselves and to eventually reason out how they might want to make changes.

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

Students become more engaged in a topic when they develop confidence in their own abilities with respect to it. I would show the student what they had improved on. I would also use material that targets the student's learning style so that they can understand and retain lessons better.

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

I would have the student teach the material back to me. If they can teach material to me effectively, it shows that they have mastered the topic. I would also ask challenging questions that require more critical thinking to test the student's synthesis of the topic.