What is your teaching philosophy?

I aim to build a strong foundation of knowledge with my students in their desired areas. By piecing together a strong foundation in a given subject, the smaller fragments of knowledge are much more easily assembled. This will result in a deeper understanding of the material as opposed to memorizing answers for specific questions. Look for answers; don't wait for them.

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

First and foremost, if it is a new student of mine, I would take the time to introduce myself and create some connections on both a personal and professional level. We are only as good of a teacher as the students allow us to be, so the stronger our connection, the more they will benefit. The first session would be a great time to write out specific goals the student has. Writing these goals out make them a much more "real" idea than just letting them sit in the back of one's mind. After setting some goals, a good first step in achieving them is setting up a timeline so we can have short term goals that lead into the longer term goals. From there, we can dive into the student's background with this specific material.