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

During my first session, it is deeply important for me to get to know students as learners and as people. Prior to the session, I normally send a survey to students. In this survey, I typically ask students about their previous experiences with the subject, what they enjoy/don't enjoy about school, and I also highly value what the students themselves would like to learn and get out of the sessions, which are all discussed during the first session. Based on that conversation, I create individualized plans for parents and students to review and accept before moving forward-it's important to me that everyone is on the same page! I believe that when students have a voice and an input, the learning experienced is mutual and shared.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Moving students from dependent learners to independent thinkers is highly important to me. While my approach is structured, very supportive, and often full of positivity and praise, I also often challenge students' answers and rarely accept an answer at face value. When students answer a question, I ask where they got the answer, what would happen if..., and provide scenarios in which that answer may not prove true, especially in academic writing. I believe that empowering students to discover their independence creates a highly effective teaching and learning process.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Students often do not feel motivated if they feel disempowered or that the learning is not relevant. I aim to structure my approach in a way that students learn the same concepts in individually relevant ways, taking student interests into consideration when lesson planning and assigning tasks.

What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe in empowering students to become independent learners and critical thinkers. I rarely accept answers at face value, and I challenge students to analyze multiple perspectives to thoroughly engage with topics and subjects, which is especially important in writing. I know a student has comprehensively understood something when he or she is able to apply that knowledge to real-life scenarios, and to further question and critique concepts and relationships between them within academia and outside the bounds of it as well.