What is your teaching philosophy?

Find out what the student needs, help him/her identify their strong and weak points in the subject and develop an action plan to maintain and achieve success.

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

In my first session with a student, I would spend a little time discussing his or hers goals for the class. Then we would dive right into the study material provided by the instructor as well as go over the course syllabus.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I can help a student become an independent learner by showing them the tools, tricks and formulas to arriving at the correct answer, as well as improving study habits and retention of course material.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

By giving the student realistic goals to set and accomplish as well as providing benchmark intermediate goals within the student's abilities. His/her success in the course will give the student a reward-like feeling, and that their investment into their education was well worth it.

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

Try an alternative method; visual, audio, theoretical and practical applications.

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

Help them focus on their strong points in reading, and help improve their weak points by allowing them to discover the "pertinent information" in the reading.

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

Patience and a map of realistic goals the student wants to accomplish are a great way to begin a successful tutoring experience.

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

I would help a student find the fun in the work. In every course, there are things that make it interesting. My goal would be to help the student discover this through practical examples of how it will apply or be a benefit in the real world.

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

I would first go over the syllabus, and then get right into what the student is struggling with in the course. We would review course material and apply helpful concepts to ensure the student's success.

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

Again, confidence comes with the rewarding feeling of doing well in the course. The coursework may never come easy to a student; however, if we can improve efficiency in the subjects, that's where confidence is built.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I let them tell me what their needs are.

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

I will always go over what the student believes his/her strong points are in the course and apply the method I believe is a best fit for the student.

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

I use the whiteboard, a calculator, graphs, scrap paper, the Internet, screen sharing and most of all, any of the material a student's given.