Peter

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

Assess his level of comfort and start speaking to him within those borders.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Constantly show him the milestones in his rear view mirror.

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

Expand their knowledge base; in other words, I would not drill down on his ignorance but promote his potential.

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

Talking about things that he is interested in and doing it in French.

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

Forget the subject and bring him to what he wants to discuss; the finer parts will follow.

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

I trick him to reveal how much he knows and build on that.

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

Start from what he can handle and expand.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I evaluate based on what he asks for and judge whether it is relevant.

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

Keep it age and knowledge related, and let him lead in the non-lesson issues.

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

Conversation and the core text of the subject.

What is your teaching philosophy?

Make it fun and make the student want to engage, even if we go very far afield.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Find out what he or she knows, and then catch his or her passions and let them be guided by them.