What is your teaching philosophy?

My teaching philosophy is that we are all capable of discovering, unraveling, and learning new information. We need to find the means, tools, and methods in order to process new information.

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

Build rapport with the student, and build a positive relationship that is nonthreatening, warm, and professional.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Students can become independent learners by having fun and making small gains daily.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Students can stay motivated when they make goals, stay focused on these goals, and successfully reach their goals. Even a failed attempt is a closer step towards succeeding.

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

If a student is having a difficulty with a subject area, I would say that it is completely normal not to know everything. I would try to work around their strengths, and then find techniques to improve on areas that are more challenging.

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

I would help them break reading comprehension in small parts. I would help them refocus, help them learn general concepts, and then focus on more specific concepts. Breaking things down in smaller blocks allows students to build confidence.

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

Communication is key to understanding how a student feels about a subject, and what their apprehensions, fears, or struggles may be. A tutor needs to discover first how a student processes information before they can guide them appropriately.

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

Have fun! And share that each person has challenges, but we can all learn to achieve greatness. I would help them stay motivated and share some personal struggles I have had too. I would share my personal experiences in order to help the student understand that it is normal to face uneasy challenges in our lives.

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

I would use practice questions, advise with online learning tools and videos, and use the tutoring platform to break down questions for the student. I would reword the language and use visuals to help the student learn. I would use various examples of real-life scenarios.

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

Anytime a student shows any small sign of success, I cheer them on. Any small gain is success. Confidence is subjective, and it's up to the tutor to measure that success to the student.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I evaluate a student's needs by discussing what they need. I also assess their needs by the outcomes of our sessions. It's a relationship between the tutor and student, however it is up to the tutor to pay attention to the student's needs based on the results of each session.

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

I adapt my tutoring to the student's needs by using a strengths-based approach. If a student is receptive to certain techniques, those are tools. The more tools I can get, the easier it will be to teach, and the more receptive the student will be to new information.

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

Pen and paper. Lots of paper, lots of examples, videos, books, and shared apps that a student may be able to use on their computer or phone to improve a subject area.