What is your teaching philosophy?

My philosophy of teaching is best described as an attitude of successes made possible through effective teaching and learning. I believe that students benefit from quality experiences in education that encourage them to have an ongoing interest in opportunity, and an interest in practicing higher order thinking skills as a student and in the community.

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

My first session with a student would involve a discussion of what goals they have in mind. I may ask what they feel their strengths and weaknesses and interests are. We would do some informal types of tasks or assessments to determine levels of study that are appropriate for ongoing tutoring. I would assess in more than one format to determine what kinds of learning the student seems comfortable doing, and which types of tasks might need more study that others. I finish with scheduling their next session, and give them an assignment or further tasks for assessment to complete at home.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

This one is so easy! Make it fun, for starters. Make it doable, secondly. Give them an honest answer as to why the work is needed for their goals. Lastly, acknowledge the work and give positive and relevant feedback.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I like to learn a bit about students, including their interests and goals. I try to incorporate these into our work when possible. I give a lot of positive feedback and model strategies that will work for the student. I then reinforce with encouragement and consistent practice.

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

I try to better define the question or problem. I break it down into manageable steps. I provide organizers or outlines. I make sure that the student has all of the necessary language (vocabulary) to comprehend the skill or concept. We work on practicing until a better understanding is achieved. I provide lots of positive feedback and suggestions.

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

I like to preview the text and discuss what types of text we are reading and what to look for within the text, such as vocabulary, verbs, and key phrases as well as heading, pictures and captions. I often pre-teach vocabulary. I may provide a before-, during- and after-reading organizer to help the student analyze different aspects of the text to better understand it. For example, if it is a persuasive argument, we would analyze the vocabulary and the details of pros and cons. A cause and effect or compare/contrast would suggest another approach. Narratives offer the opportunity to discuss author's purpose and to analyze characters through dialogue and plot and setting. Close reading allows for careful scrutiny of each section of reading to check for understanding. Discussion allows for further investigation of passages and concepts that may be difficult. Writing tasks help to clarify and check for understanding.