What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe that it is key to challenge students in order for them to grow to their full potential. Tutoring allows for different teaching opportunities because, most often, it is one-to-one. From my educational experiences, I know how valuable teacher encouragement and motivation is for personal motivation. I intend to motivate students while teaching them to be intrinsically motivated through challenging, yet supportive lessons and assignments. I will use a variety of instructional strategies including direct instruction, questioning techniques, and collaborative learning, when possible.

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

Most importantly, I would need to establish rapport with my student. I would discuss interests, personal goals, as well as academic goals.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Finding the connection between interest and learning is key to lifelong independent learning.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Setting small personal and academic goals will help to build confidence and instill motivation.

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

Look for other presentation strategies, and break down the concept into smaller chunks.

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

Interest is key to engagement and motivation. Therefore, learning to pick reading materials that are a good fit will be taught from the beginning.

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

Building rapport, identifying interests and goals, and breaking down concepts into achievable chunks.

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

Identify how they are connected to the subject, its uses, and find a way to make it interesting at their level. Can't just be for a test.

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

Depending on the subject, I might use some type of digital check, game, online quiz, or a discussion.

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

Small achievable goals.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

Test scores and grades, but more importantly through their personal goals.

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

Through rapport and open, honest discussions. The student is most important.

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

A variety of digital tools, as well as engaging manipulatives.