What is your teaching philosophy?

My teaching philosophy is to be very sensitive to the learning style of the student and to be able to adjust so the student can absorb the material most effectively. Also, I make sure to be as prepared as possible for the session. I try to find out and access the current schoolwork and most recent tests, so I will be highly attuned to the level of the student and what they are working on in class.

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

For a first session, I typically will contact the student, parent, or guardian ahead of time to get a sense of the current coursework. Sometimes I will be put in contact with the teacher, and get that information directly. Then I plan out a session that is most relevant to the student and is paced in a way that allows the student enough time to absorb the content essential for a greater understanding of their coursework.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I help students to become independent learners by presenting fundamental background information on the subjects they are studying, things that teachers typically don't cover in school. Many times this is historical information, so the students can get a broader sense of coursework and its significance to their futures. That creates a highly motivated individual who can develop a genuine interest in what they are studying and will naturally strive to be an independent learner.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

To help a student stay motivated, you have to know a bit about the student and their lives. This may mean getting to know the parent or person booking the tutoring session for them. By getting a sense of the student's daily reality, you have a better idea of what style to use in your communication. The student should see you as someone beneficial to their lives by the way you approach each academic topic. By them seeing you put in that much effort, they learn naturally from your own motivation for tutoring.

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

If a student shows difficulty grasping a concept, I review the fundamentals. That may mean going over something they learned in an earlier grade, but it needs to be reviewed so they can grasp the current information on solid footing.

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

When I am faced with students who struggle with reading comprehension, I have them read passages that they don't understand to me. I then stop them periodically and ask them what they have or haven't understood, and deal with meaning. This gets them aware of paying attention to meaning. With this added awareness, they learn to slow down when reading and put more thought into the process.

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

I have found the best strategies consist of staying attuned to the student's progress on tests and with homework, so you can see if what you covered in the tutoring session is having a positive impact on their tests and is relevant enough for their current coursework. This allows you to adjust what you cover in tutoring sessions as necessary.

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

I would help a student get excited enough about learning something by asking them why, and seeing how they are viewing that subject. I would try as much as possible to present that subject as relevant to the student's life. This often requires using examples from pop culture. In any case, it is necessary to bridge the academic information with a student's everyday reality.

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

To make sure a student is understanding what is being covered at school and what I'm covering in our sessions, I ask them questions. I let them tell me what they do or do not understand, and I stay sensitive to the feedback I am getting from the student. I try to have the student know that I am not giving a lecture and that for the session to go well, their understanding everything we cover is key.

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

To build a student's confidence in a subject, you have to make sure the foundation material is solid. No one should be too embarrassed to go over earlier work. Sometimes this even requires going over material that was never learned fully from earlier grades.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

To evaluate a student's needs it requires knowing as much as possible about that student's schooling or testing history. Get the student and parent to tell you what that student's schooling or testing experience has typically been like. The more of this kind of information you have, the better you can refine each tutoring session to better suit the student.

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

I adapt each tutoring session to a student's needs in multiple ways. As a tutor, I may need to adjust the speed at which I am going over concepts. I may need to slow down and present more examples to students that are not grasping concepts as quickly. I may adjust my tutoring session plan to cover more advanced concepts for students already grasping the basic material. I may have to use different ways of presenting material. Sometimes we will use computers, other times pencil and paper or even whiteboards and chalkboards. Other times we will use flashcards. Things will adjust depending on which method results in greater retention.

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

During a tutoring session, I will use online resources, textbooks, and various teaching props like whiteboards that provide an expanded view of concepts. Using websites can encourage the student to use online resources throughout their week. Textbooks are good for charting progress and for going over what has been covered in class. Whiteboards allow me to have a large surface for working out a math problem or building a chart or graph. I try to be creative and make things both relevant and visual. I also use handouts and pages from various other kinds of books that deal with the subject in question in a unique way. I also show online video clips that might offer yet another unique way of explaining a concept for added clarity.