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

Students enjoy tutoring most when their instructor in prepared and competent in the materials. I have found that having an academic structure in place that manages time well, accompanied with a learning environment that is prepared to respond to all of the dynamics of academic subject matter, classroom culture and test taking climate aids in my teaching strategies of reaching all types of learners in my tutelage.

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

I would attempt to assist the student in discovering a way that the materials can relate to something that they enjoy and persist at teaching through that opportunity for the student to comprehend.

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

I would ask probing questions while constantly checking in to assure the student was keeping up with my teaching pace. By checking in often and assuring I respond to all questions that the student asked, I would be relatively sure that a student understands the materials.

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

Most subjects have a direct field of usage in the "real world" that students, in my experiences, are more interested in. In order to build a student's confidence in a subject, I would attempt to relate the subject to the student's activities or make a comparative analysis with something that the student already understands well.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

Testing, both informal and formal, asking questions, and actively listening assists me with evaluating a student's needs.

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

Because I am able to navigate people through a higher ordered paradigm of communication skills, adaptation of my core competencies within the teachable moments in order to meet the needs of students are fluent practices of who I am. This self-styled actualization assists me in adapting my tutoring in order to meet the student's needs.

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

Dry erase board, white board, manipulative, dictionaries, and essentially, whatever is necessary that helps us to complete our goals.

What is your teaching philosophy?

Each academic discipline has its own culture and subcultures. What might be an appropriate tone and emphasis for one discipline might be less so for another. My teaching philosophy is based on best practices and relevant resources. Competency, preparedness, and applicability are at the core of my teaching philosophy. Teaching and learning are reciprocal processes that coincide with analysis and comprehension. These ideals command a moment in time and the teacher must be aware of that moment with each student and impact that window of opportunity with learning that can illustrate application. I believe wholeheartedly that when you give a man a fish, they can eat for a day, however, when you teach them how to fish, they can eat for a lifetime. Such is teaching and learning, a lifelong process managing disciplined contexts for effective accountability.

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

Introduce myself and ask the student to introduce themselves to me. Then I would move forward to assess the situation. Finally, we would set goals and organize a schedule in order to achieve those goals.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

By encouraging the teaching and learning process and actualizing student-led competencies (helping them in learning what it is that they would like to know about the subject matter), I can help a student become an independent learner.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Motivation is a lifestyle. Motivation begins with a good night's rest and a healthy breakfast. The intervals in between are about being prepared, on time, ready to learn, and mentally immersed within the culture of education that is tailored towards their success.

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

For all difficulty in comprehension, it is my goal to discover a way I can relate the materials to something the student enjoys so that the student has a means of conceptual analysis towards the materials. After assuring the language is understood, I would teach it in a manner where they are able to apply the skill of concept to themselves so that it appears functional to them versus conceptual.

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

I offer materials tailored for the middle school student in order to assist them in their comprehension of reading materials.