What is your teaching philosophy?

My teaching philosophy is that it's all about my student. As long as his or her goals for the tutoring session are met, then I feel I've done my job well. I also understand that everyone is different, so I don't mind adjusting my teaching style to find the one that works for each particular student.

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

I will introduce myself briefly, and then I'd like to hear about the student, their academic background, current academic performance in the subject, as well as their short- and long-term goals. How can I help them? Once we've established that, let's get right to work on meeting these goals!

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

First, I must determine how the student learns best. Then, I can make suggestions about study habits and strategies that the student may apply beyond our tutoring sessions.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I would remind them of the goals that he or she mentioned at our first session, of the progress that we've already made, and of the importance of staying on track in order to meet those long-term goals. That said, sometimes, all we need is a short 5-minute break to "reset the mind".