What is your teaching philosophy?

Relating to the student and understanding his or her individual needs is the key to achieving academic success.

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

Fundamentals are the key to success and starting small can lead to big things.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Confidence is the foundation of independence, and memorizing material is only one small part of the equation. Helping students develop sound study habits is paramount in producing independent learners.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Taking the time to truly understand and listen to others is the most important aspect of motivating students. Understanding what drives learners to succeed is requisite to keeping people motivated.

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

I wholeheartedly believe that anyone can master virtually any concept, provided the approach and delivery are appropriate. Thus, a good tutor must understand and relate to his or her student to help them overcome academic obstacles.

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

Context and relativity are important in this regard. In other words, what is the author truly trying to say and how does one get the student interested in his or her message? There's no one size fits all solution to this problem; it's simply a matter of relating to the student.

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

Finding common ground and listening to the student's concerns are some of the initial steps in this process. Achieving trust and establishing a sound professional relationship are next. Reiterating fundamentals and positive reinforcement round out the entire process.

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

"The aim of education is the knowledge, not of facts, but of values. "William S. Burroughs

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

Essays go far in displaying competency in a subject, but standardized tests also have their place. The ideal method would be one identical to an upcoming test. This also serves to ease test anxiety.

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

Success breeds confidence. Incrementally building on small triumphs is the ultimate key to victory.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

Simply put, one needs to listen.

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

This varies with the individual student, but the mode of instruction is important in this regard. Visual learning aids, multimedia files, or even virtual tours are viable options.

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

Peer-reviewed and accredited academic sources form the core of my study materials. These include, but are not limited to: textbooks, academic periodicals, virtual exhibits, and audio recordings.