What is your teaching philosophy?

My philosophy is that, in a tutoring session, my student should do most of the talking. So most of my tutoring consists of asking the student questions and keeping them actively involved. If I keep asking questions, I can tell if my student truly understands the material. Giving a lecture doesn't do that.

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

Most of my first session would be figuring out how much the student already knows on a topic, and how their school assigns work. I teach a very broad range of students -- some know the material but aren't confident about writing a paper, and some are the reverse. My students also have a very broad range of schools and what the school expects of them. So I always ask to see their previous assignments, until I know where the student stands.