What is your teaching philosophy?

My teaching philosophy is experiential, conversation-based, and personal. I try to get to know as much as I can about the students, what works best for each, and how to tell when they have achieved comprehension.

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

In a first session, I would take time to get to know the student and their understanding of the subject material, and I would work with them in a very conversational, open way to make a start in addressing their needs.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I like to ask the student questions, see if they can explain the concept to me or explain the necessary steps to coming to an answer, and give them the tools and resources to further develop their understanding.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I would use a lot of positive reinforcement and emphasize the little successes in the lessons.

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

One of my best youth work talents is patience; I would go through similar sorts of problems, using different approaches until achieving a conceptual breakthrough.

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

I make sure first that I understand where they are in their reading ability before suggesting books and other resources to further their comprehension. This may include audio, using a dictionary, and limiting screen time!

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

Always, always positive reinforcement! Celebrate the little victories, and reward improvement.

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

My best conceptual tool is having a student explain a concept to me, complete with going through an example question. I also make sure to engage them, asking questions, and encouraging different learning styles to find what fits best.

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

My philosophy is that it's best to continue to encourage, focusing on successes, and finding ways to improve that are less harsh or critical and more inviting.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

In order to determine a student's needs, I engage them in conversation, I ask them what their needs are, and I will also go through some questions step by step to determine where the understanding is and where it breaks down.

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

My style of tutoring is 100% individualized--I treat each student uniquely depending on what I know about them, their learning style, and how I can best meet their needs.

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

The resources I use are practice questions/problems, resources such as textbooks, dictionaries, or calculators, and I will also use visual aids to assist in concept mastery.

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

The strategies I rely on most readily are engaging visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning; using a Socratic method of questioning toward comprehension; and positive reinforcement!