What is your teaching philosophy?

My teaching philosophy is that everyone learns at their own pace and to try to have a little fun. Too much pressure will not help you remember the information you are learning, but a relaxed and supported environment will.

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

In the first session with a student, I typically like to get to know who they are, where they're from, and where they're going. It's good for me to know the student's personal goals because we can spend the time focusing on making sure they reach their personal success.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I can help a student become an independent learner by coaching them to find answers to questions within their own memory bank. It's helpful to use triggers that jog one's memory, so I make sure that the student is attaching meaning to the material that they are learning and not just memorizing it.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Reminding a student of their personal goal that they set for themselves within the first session really helps to keep students motivated.

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

If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept then I would switch to another learning method. Education in the 21st century is so dynamic and vast that there are many different ways to teach one thing. It also helps to keep sessions fresh and unpredictable and therefore interesting.

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

I like to go over vocabulary with my students before and after a reading assignment to make sure they are comprehending the reading fully. This often helps with reading comprehension.

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

Opening up with an icebreaker and talking about our history. It's good to feel comfortable with your tutor, because it will then be easier to be more vulnerable with your insecurities about the new language.

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

I think my attitude as the tutor will help a student get excited/engaged about a subject he or she is struggling in. If we make it fun or even funny, then it won't feel too much like an obligation anymore.

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

Always, after learning something new, I have my student "teach me" what we just learned to gauge how much of the material the student has gotten down.

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

Words of affirmation go a very long way when it comes to building confidence in a subject. If I know that the student lacks confidence in a particular subject, I will focus more on the positives and the improvements rather than offering constructive criticism, as I would do in other subjects.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

By having them talk to me and tell me what they're struggling with and what they would like to work on. I've learned that showing my students that they are in control of the journey definitely builds their motivation to get better.

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

I have always been able to relate to different people naturally, and I think it will not be too much of an issue to adapt to my student's needs once we have gotten to know one another well enough.

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

Typically, I like to use magazines when tutoring, because the main idea of the reading will always be super obvious one way or another; whether you can tell from the photo attached to the article or main phrases that are emphasized in different font, it's always easier for students to already tell what the reading is going to be about just in case the content is difficult. I also like to use movies, but that might work better in a classroom setting as opposed to a tutoring session.