What is your teaching philosophy?

My teaching philosophy is not a "one size fits all" approach. Indeed, it is to be as fluid as possible to provide my students with exactly what they need. I prefer to get to know my students on a personal level and incorporate their interests into our conversations and lectures about course material. This, in my opinion, facilities the most effective and efficient learning. I often ask for feedback and for my students to teach me, as this demonstrates that full learning and understanding is taking place. It is my job to provide the highest caliber service to my students, and I solicit their feedback and preferences to plan and execute my approach accordingly.

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

Get to know them on a personal level. Who are they? What is their background? What do they study? What are their academic goals? What do they feel they need from me to achieve these goals? What problems are they currently facing? What type of learner are they (i.e. visual, audible, etc.)? I also find out exactly where they are in terms of understanding the material. Often, course material builds off of previous material, so if I receive a student in the middle of a course, I will ensure that they have a solid understanding of the foundation material before moving onto more complex problems that build off of the foundation material. I find one of the most common tutoring pitfalls to be focusing on the difficult concepts when the student does not understand the fundamentals fully and thus they are complicated more. So in a first session, I like to ensure that they have a firm understanding of the basics before tackling more difficult tasks. Knowing the student and their personality makes this task much easier.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

By avoiding "spoon feeding" them answers. I like to provide them with everything that they need to solve a problem, have them attempt it on their own, and ask me questions only as completely necessary along the way. I also like to take a conversational approach to learning in private tutoring sessions, whereby the same process is followed: The student tells me what they know about the subject, I help them when they get stuck, and they ask me follow-up questions to further their understanding. This helps them become independent learners in two ways: 1. They rely less on me as the tutor because they know not to expect the answers just given to them, and 2. It makes the content more interesting and relevant to them, which in turn facilitates them wanting to learn more about it on their own.

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

If a student has difficulty learning a concept, I first identify the root of the problem. Are they struggling with the math? Are they missing an integrated concept? Are they missing the definition of a key term? Once the problem is identified, I try to express it to them as simply as possible and in layman's terms. I especially like to exaggerate and come up with ridiculous examples. They may sound crazy, but this is a proven memory technique that will ensure that the student will not only remember it in the immediate future but also in the long-term (and on test day!) Complex subjects can often be expressed very simply. It is my job as a tutor to do this for students that are struggling.

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

I have found that getting to know a student and their personality/interests, as well as allowing them to get to know me on a personal level, immediately pays dividends. It is much easier to work with someone who you know and are comfortable having a conversation with. Students that seek tutoring are often struggling and are intimidated by their course work and those that provide it to them. Easing that stress right off the bat allows them to focus more and have a more comfortable and effective learning experience, because they will be more likely to ask questions (which is KEY!), provide their own insight, and be motivated to study following tutoring.

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

The Socratic Method is very effective but requires a good relationship between the tutor and student. I constantly ask in-depth questions and ask for the student to explain to me IN THEIR OWN WORDS the material to ensure they understand it. If students can explain the material correctly in their own terms, they are extremely likely to retain the information and be able to recall it effectively and efficiently.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

Through talking with them, asking them what they do not understand, and having them explain what they do understand. Their explanations allow me to find deficiencies in their understanding and provide them with what they need to fill those gaps.

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

I love the use of whiteboards (or a screen sharing whiteboard program) which allows me to utilize different colors, especially when dealing with graphs in Economics. Color makes things significantly easier to see and thus understand.

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

I start by having them solve problems/explain the simple topics that they know, and then working up from there and giving them small hints as needed to progress along the way. This builds their initial confidence, and by gradually working up, not only do they feel more confident in their abilities by successfully moving up another step, but they also understand the material better in the process. Being able to do even the most simple process correctly gives the student a sense of accomplishment that will increase their confidence going forward.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I am a firm believer in the "work hard-play hard" mentality. I like to keep an optimistic outlook and remind students, for example, "after buckling down for these next few days, you will walk out of your exam knowing you passed and will be able to celebrate with a clear conscience over the weekend!" It is easy for school to consume students' lives and for them to lose sight of other aspects of life. I feel that reminding students that good times are ahead, and those good times will be even better if they know they are doing well in school, goes a very long way. For regular students, I may even suggest they take a day or two off to have some fun and come back with a clean conscience, as it is very easy to become overwhelmed, which is a slippery slope for under-performing and thus losing motivation.

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

The key to reading comprehension is engaging with the material. Asking questions and simplifying complex prose is the key!