What is your teaching philosophy?

Every single person has potential. We are all different, we all learn at different rates, and that is ok. We should not worry about others, but instead we should worry about ourselves and what we can do to make sure we can learn something new and use it in our everyday life.

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

The first session is mainly about getting to know the student. Building rapport is all about building trust and getting to know the strengths and weaknesses of the student. It would mainly be about introduction and understanding what the goal of the student is.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

When working with the student, my goal is to teach them different skills that they could use for when I'm not there. By introducing these skills, they will grow confident and be able to be independent. The goal is to give the student the skills so that they will eventually not need my assistance.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Positivity is key! When a student is working on something new or on something they struggle with, it is important to stay positive. Praise them even if they only get one step correct, and show them that you are there with them and that they can do it.

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

If there is something that is hard for them, or they are not grasping the skill, then it's time to switch it up and introduce a new skill. Change is good, and change could give them the boost that they need.

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

Reading comprehension is about slowing it down and breaking down the words. It's easy to read a sentence, but to understand what it means is something else. Having visuals are very effective in these types of situations, and connecting words to visuals help.

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

Each student is different, so there is not a single strategy that is successful across the board. I try to make sure that I break everything down and check for understanding because it's easy to say "yeah" or "yes, I get it". I want to see if they truly understand the material by having them show me every step of the process.

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

A part of getting to know the student at the beginning is to incorporate their likes into a subject. Learning can be tedious, but students seem to grasp material quicker when it is related to things they like.

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

I like checking for understanding, asking them questions, quizzing them, and making mistakes on purpose to see if they catch them. Just keeping them on their toes is helpful in general.

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

Positivity goes a long way. Praising them and having their family participate in joining in on the praise is helpful. Students feel proud when they teach others a new thing; flipping roles and having them be the "teacher" boosts their confidence a lot.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

Starting with the basics is a great way to evaluate where the student is. If they do great, then move onto the next level.

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

Some methods don't work since we are all different. I like testing various strategies out first, but if one doesn't work then it's time move on to the next method.

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

I like using textbooks and scratch paper! You can say I'm a bit old-school, but it's the way I was taught and it's effective. I am not afraid to use technology, and I know many schools are using online programs to work on subjects (which is great as well).