What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe all students are capable of learning; it is based on the manner in which they are taught. Patience and dedication are necessary.

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

I like to get to know the student in respect to how they learn. Everyone has different ways of learning. I also let the student know who I am and what my experiences as a tutor have been.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

It is one thing to teach a student how to solve one problem, and it is another teaching the student how to think critically in order to solve many kinds of problems. Good study habits are incredibly useful.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I enjoy following through the problems each step of the way, but I also enjoy making sure the student is engaged. Attention span is sometimes low, so I like to throw a joke or two into the session.

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

I would attempt multiple methods to teach the skill or concept. If the student learns through props, I will develop a prop to portray the concept. I also understand that practice makes perfect, so we will practice easier concepts that will lead and aid the difficult concept.

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

It is imperative that we determine which part of reading comprehension they lack. They could have trouble with phonics or context understanding. We asses the student, and then monitor the progress of said student. This allows me to make data-based decisions as to what and how to teach a concept of reading comprehension.

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

The first thing that must happen when first starting to work with a student is trust and confidentiality. I find that students are coming into sessions lost, not only from an academic point of view, but from a social one too. They must first trust me that I am here to help him/her. Nothing is "too basic" to teach, everything is on the table. That is how we will build this foundation of understanding to further aid the student to help him/herself.

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

I love getting students excited about topics. There are certain topics that are found to be "boring," but with the right attitude from the teacher or tutor, the student will learn in an engaged manner. For example, I love teaching the subjects of math, biology, and human anatomy and physiology, but some students are not as excited about it. What I do is provide props so that the students can understand the concepts, and I also show my excitement and energy, because knowing these subjects is like having a superpower! Imagine having x-ray vision where you can locate certain body organs or tissues in a human body! Imagine if you could accurately explain what is going on in the body, this complex machine, just by looking for some key body functions! Well that's basically possible with knowledge of biology and human anatomy and physiology. Math is another subject that is essential if you want to feel "powerful." Having the capabilities to determine distances and angles based on only a given number of values and basic knowledge of algebra is something to get excited about!

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

I strongly believe in the power of data-based progress monitoring. It is a program used by all public schools when implementing response to interventions. I would asses the student to see in what area of a subject the student is having the most difficulties, and then provide a data-driven decision based on monitoring as to what to teach. I would later asses the student with a comprehension test to make sure that the student understands the material. However, there are some students who are not good test-takers. For these students, I would predominantly asses them informally during sessions and base my methods via these results.

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

The students want to see that their time dedicated to tutoring is providing results. I find that the best way to increase confidence in a subject is by teaching them concepts and showing the trend line of their progress from monitoring. Students are very happy when they see that positive slope in their progress, and consequently, they build confidence in their knowledge of the subject.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

There are formal and informal evaluations that I provide. To first assess a student's current understanding of a concept, I provide a pre-test where they show me what they know. Then, I perform progress monitoring to show the student where he/she needs more work, and we work together to build on those concepts. This is the formal evaluation. The informal evaluation is based on face-to-face interactions, where I determine their needs based on how they react to certain problems and work appropriately to those hesitations.

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

It is common for a student to understand and even master a concept using a certain method, and then have a completely different reaction to another concept using the same method of teaching. This is when I would adapt my tutoring to best fit the student's needs. I would use a more physical method if the student does not respond to a book example. I would show the problem in a different manner or context more familiar to the student. I also understand that some students have disabilities in learning, and I would accommodate my tutoring to best help the student understand the topic.

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

I have a portable dry-erase board, plenty of white paper and pencils, graph paper, rulers, calculators, and even protractors that would help me tutor a student in some problems. I have a collection of textbooks that further explain many topics and ideas if the student has none. I can bring these props to the session if the student needs it. But most Importantly, the student must be comfortable with the surrounding.