What is your teaching philosophy?

My goal as a teacher is to help every student reach their fullest potential. I will work one-on-one with your student to help them work hard and achieve their goal.

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

My first session would be to get to know the student- their specific needs and where they are currently. We would then determine where we need to go from there.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Learning strategies that help students know the process of solving a problem are the best way I know to help a student become an independent learner.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

The connection with a student has to be more than just academic. Getting to know a student will help me know what will help that student stay motivated- for some students it might mean giving a break after a hard problem, and for others, we will keep working.

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

If a student struggles with a skill or concept, I would take a step back and make sure that they understand the previous concepts leading up to that particular concept. If that's not where the problem is, I would try a different approach to tackling that problem. And always, I would try to relate it to something they are more familiar with- cell phone usage, gas mileage, etc.

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

I always am very personable with students so that they feel as comfortable with me as possible. The more comfortable they feel with me, the more comfortable they will be with working on a difficult or tedious concept.

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

It's always important to verify that students really understand what you've taught them. The most obvious way to determine what they know is an assessment- either a written test or quiz. Also, if the student isn't a good test taker, you watch them work on problems on a worksheet, or I'll ask them to explain a problem to me.

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

Success fosters success. Start with an easier concept, and then build off of that.

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

One of the best components of tutoring is the concept that you work directly with a student and can, therefore, provide precisely what they need- be it working at a slower or faster pace, reading the questions to the student, or providing supplemental materials, whatever the student might need to be successful.

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

Generally, the student will have the materials that they are working on: worksheet, homework, or a packet. I can supplement their work with additional notes, worksheets, formulas, etc.