What is your teaching philosophy?

A strong conceptual understanding is the key to success and enjoyment in any subject.

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

At a first session, I would give a brief introduction of myself and then jump right in. I'd do a few practice problems to gauge the student's level of understanding and then move forward from there.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I would ask students probing questions so that they can guide themselves through the thought process and make their own connections.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I would provide words of encouragement and point out things that they are doing really well.

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

I would try to approach the problem from a different perspective, integrating diagrams or pictures to better visualize the problem.

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

Asking them questions! This helps me gauge where they are at in their level of understanding.

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

Try to provide real world examples that align with their interests!

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

I would give them problems that require all concepts and see if they can walk through it, and then explain WHY they are using certain processes to solve the problem.