A student’s needs can be physical, emotional, or social. All three must be balanced. A teacher can evaluate these through observation, a direct conversation, or engaging the student in a method that is non-threatening yet revealing. A tool that I have found useful is a metaphorical comparison. Prepare five to six cards with a different picture on each. Ask the child to create a metaphor about a topic relating to the subject, and ask the child to create a metaphor and expand it with an explanation.

During the first session with a student, I want to engage the child to learn about his/her background, interests, and learning style. I may use prepared questions or just engage in a give and take conversation. I typically ask for a writing sample and ask him/her to read something on grade level that I have brought with me. I want to get to know the student and help the child get to know me. My aim is to assist this child to be successful on his/her academic journey.

I will help the student become an independent learner by developing confidence in his/her ability. To accomplish this, I shall use materials appropriate for his/her academic level and interests. Teaching the child appropriate skills is another avenue to independent learning. Learning how to study, how to write, and how to comprehend what is read are key ingredients to building confidence. They are the tools of the trade. A carpenter cannot build a house without the proper tools and knowledge. A child cannot learn how to read, write, and think critically without practice using the correct tools.

With students who are struggling with reading comprehension, I would first ascertain if the materials used are too difficult or if it is the strategy that is not working. In either case, I would adapt to fit the needs of the child. I would pay careful attention to whether the child can address key details about the story or material: the who, what, when, where, why, and how. Once those are mastered, we can get into the deeper thinking skills, such as point of view, vocabulary, and literary language, such as figures of speech.

When starting to work with a student, I have found that students who are exposed to and employ the Habits of Mind are the most successful. As defined in the previous question, the Habits of Mind are those behaviors used when confronted with problems that first seem insurmountable. Habits of Mind include skills, attitudes, and past experiences that help one tackle problems. When I introduce these, I give the students scenarios of behaviors to which they match an appropriate Habit of Mind. In the ensuing discussion, students learn that these HOM overlap, that one or more can fit several scenarios. Learning what they are and consistently using them helps students become successful. The HOM are Persistence, Managing Impulsivity, Listening to Others with Understanding and Empathy, Thinking Flexibly, Thinking About Our Thinking, Striving for Accuracy and Precision, Questioning and Posing Problems, Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations, Thinking and Communicating with Clarity and Precision, Gathering Data Through All Senses, Creating, Imaging, and Innovating, Responding with Wonderment and Awe, Taking Responsible Risks, Finding Humor, Thinking Interdependently, and Learning Continuously.

There are several ways to help a student get excited or engaged with a subject with which they are struggling. Begin the discussion with a personal anecdote about a similar experience. Sharing a personal difficulty can ‘break the ice’ or help a situation through seeing another perspective in a similar situation. Another way is to share an interesting or amusing piece of historical background that catches the interest of the child. A third way is to do a mind map, whereby the student lists the subject or topic and then names as many branches or associations they can make with that subject or topic. This usually provides an avenue into the subject that provides a different perspective or a different approach to explore.

Several techniques can be used to ensure the student understands the material. A common technique is to simply give a test on the covered material. A better way is to have the child write a summary of what he/she has learned and include key details in the writing piece. Another way is to web the material: write the topic of the material taught in the center and have the child write key words/ideas learned around that topic. A kinesthetic approach is to encourage the child to make a symbol representing what the child has learned and then explain the symbol using key terms of the taught material. Finally, the teacher can construct a Cloze passage in which the student fills in the blanks using key terms from a provided list. Any one or a combination of these methods is useful.

An effective teacher uses several strategies to boost a student’s confidence in a subject. A student’s confidence rises when he/she demonstrates that the subject material has been learned. A child can demonstrate this via a test, a writing piece, a mind map, constructing a symbol, or a method of choice. Employing the Habits of Mind consistently will help a student with long-term retention and develop good study habits. A combination of these will boost a student’s confidence.

If one method does not work, try another.

The materials I use during a tutoring session depend on the needs and learning style of the student. I may use typed materials that I have prepared ahead of time, and/or the ‘board’ for online tutoring, flash cards, metaphor cards, writing topics, and prepared reading materials depending on grade level.

我的哲学教学在学生中心。All the training, classes, and workshops mean nothing if I am not meeting the needs of the students. In my thirty years of teaching, I learned that to really help each of them, I had to find out their interests, their style of learning, what works for them. I learned to pre-assess before beginning a unit, assess during the unit, and help each one be successful. If the student already knew the material, which I could ascertain by a pretest, why make him/her sit through the same material again? I then planned enrichment or an independent study. My philosophy also involves being an expert in my field. As an English/language arts teacher, I knew the components of this subject area inside out. I learned different strategies to meet the needs of students. I knew who worked well in small groups and who preferred to work alone. I learned to scaffold assignments making them suitable for the ability levels of the students. As a teacher of the gifted, I learned that not all ‘gifted’ are gifted in every subject. I helped the students understand this as well. I never wanted a student to be afraid to ask a question or offer a new idea or way of doing things. Teaching is a balancing act. Meeting the needs of the students while imparting the subject material in an interesting way that is suitable to the learning style of the students is not an easy task. It is challenging, but I found that meeting the needs of my students enhanced their journey and profoundly affected mine.

To help a student stay motivated, I praise good work and commend good effort. I try to help the student see learning as part of the journey and there are inevitable ups and downs.

If a student has difficulty learning a concept or skill, I would talk to the student to determine the cause of the difficulty – the materials or the strategy or if we have to build more background knowledge. Learning is like building blocks. You have to master the basics – build the bottom row – before you proceed.