What is your teaching philosophy?

With the right teacher, mastering a subject can be much easier than trying to do it by yourself. And teachers and students need to work together to accomplish this.

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

Begin by getting acquainted and talking about how we teach and learn, and what our roles will be. Then, a broad overview of the subject at hand.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

To teach him or her to think independently, to learn by examining the subject matter in everyday life, and to explore other sources of the material independently.

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

Backtrack, and make sure that the student understands the more basic concepts involved with the material.

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

First, make sure they are understanding what they read. Second, quiz students after short passages. Third, extend the length of the passages and quizzes.

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

Encouragement by praise, humor, and encouraging the student to think independently.

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

Relate the subject to something the student likes, or a real-life situation the student experiences.

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

Quiz the student. Ask the student to explain the concept and how it might apply to a different situation than the one in which it was learned.

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

Encouragement when answers are correct; explanations when wrong.

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

Adjust the speed of the instruction to the student's level of comprehension and the quantity of material to be covered.

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

A pencil and clean and lined paper, a marker board if available, and any props pertinent to the subject.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Encouragement, praise, and thoughtful questions about the material.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

Examine grades and past performance; ask the student first, then the parents later.