What is your teaching philosophy?

My teaching philosophy is that the best teachers know how to make complex concepts simple and easy to remember and make the learning experience fun.

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

I think that it's important to build a relationship with anyone you're going to be working with, so the first order of business would be to spend some time talking and getting to know the student and telling some things about myself and how I would like to help them accomplish their educational goals.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I can help a student become an independent thinker by asking them the right questions and allowing them to come up with the answers.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I have found that encouragement is a strong motivator. I will always celebrate a student's successes with him or her and encourage them to persevere through the challenging times.

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

When a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, it is sometimes helpful to switch up the teaching style. Some students like listening, others may be more hands on learners, and still others may learn through games or other tools. We will experiment together to find out what works best.

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

There is nothing like practice to perfect any skill, so we would learn together and stop often to talk about what had just been read. That way, they have to do more than just get the words out; they will have to think about the words that are coming out of their mouths.

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

If a student is struggling with the material, it may be because they don't see how it relates to them. I would get them engaged by helping them make the connection between the material and their lives or their interests.

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

Review, review, review.