What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe that students must learn to think for themselves. I am only a guide for them. They do the learning themselves.

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

I would introduce myself, get to know the student, ask them what their goals are, and what their strengths and weaknesses are with the subject. The student would tell me what they have been working on in class, and I could test their knowledge to see where they are at in the subject.

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

I would ask them what kind of strategies work best for them and pick solutions that play to their strengths. If they are unsure, I would explain each learning style and have them tell me which one seems most appealing.

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

I would take a paragraph and have the student break it down into sentences, and have them figure out the meaning of each through the use of context clues and key vocabulary.

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

Being very clear with goals, rules, and how tutoring sessions will be set up from the get go.

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

I like to use interesting videos and provide entertaining side notes about the subject. Little things that they can look up to get interested in the class.

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

I would quiz them on the material that we previously went over.

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

I would start off with a concept that they already know and scaffold from there by gradually increasing the difficulty.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I ask them what they are struggling with as well as take note of the kinds of problems that they are getting wrong.

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

I choose strategies and learning skills that play to the strengths of the student.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I teach them study strategies and tips that they can then use on their own.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I would encourage them and tell them that what they do now will help them in the long run. I also give praise for small accomplishments so that the student can build up their confidence in the subject, which is what often is the cause of the lack of motivation.

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

Depending on the subject, I will use anything from instructional videos and pictures, drawings, reference books, or any of the resources offered by the tutoring company.