What is your teaching philosophy?

My teaching philosophy is that every student can learn with the proper form of instruction. I recognize that each student is different and requires a unique approach to match his or her learning needs.

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

On the first session, I would be assessing a student's needs and ability levels. This would be done through reading passages, sample prompts, etc. I would also make sure that my teaching style is a good fit with the student's learning style.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

First off, I would work with the student to learn what their strengths and weaknesses are. Next, I would give them steps to follow in order to fill the gaps in areas they are struggling. Strategies such as close reading and highlighting the text would be implemented.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I would present small goals or achievements for a student to work toward, such as understanding a group of vocabulary terms at a time. This will help build a student's confidence in their ability, which translates into motivation.

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

If a student has difficulty learning a skill or concept, I would isolate the root issue that is causing the problem. I would break down the skill into isolated parts so that the difficult part is revealed and addressed.

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

Reading comprehension is primarily caused by a lack in fluency, which means that the student does not have the necessary vocabulary knowledge to read the text. I would strengthen the student's vocabulary knowledge, and give him or her a set of questions to ask while they are reading.

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

The most successful strategies that I have found when working with a new student are breaking down parts of close reading, as well as developing background knowledge of relevant topics or vocabulary terms.

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

I would raise a student's excitement level about a subject that they are struggling in by relating it to other academic areas that they excel at. I would also relate it to their favorite sport or hobby in order to raise interest.

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

I would use the "summary" strategy when checking for student comprehension, which requires him or her to restate the passage in their own words. I would also assess the student in other ways, such as creating a crossword puzzle.

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

I would build a student's confidence in a subject by setting attainable weekly goals for him or her to achieve. Doing this allows the student to feel successful in an area where they usually struggle.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I evaluate a student's needs in a variety of different ways. This assessment could take many forms: questions asked, essay prompts, and so forth. The main idea is for me to gain a sample of a student's work in order to see where improvement needs to take place.

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

I adapt my tutoring to match my student's needs in a variety of ways. For example, if a student is an audio learner, then I will bring in my laptop to play the sounds aloud for him or her to hear.

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

I will use a workbook, reading passages, highlighters, and my personal laptop during tutoring sessions. I will also bring in other English-related texts as needed into the lesson.