我的philosophy is to start with the basics to understand the ensuing complexity that any subject is the key to learning and understanding.

In the first session I would like to get familiar not only with the subject matter that we are going to be going over, but begin with short introductions, maybe 5 minutes, with information about ourselves and what we are bringing to the table. I would then use 5-10 minutes to get to understand how best the student retains information and possible interest points that will help make subject material more comprehensible. I would then begin on the task of teaching and communicating the information necessary to complete the lesson with understanding, finding where I may need to reinforce my lesson plan. This would also give a baseline read on what exactly the student knows and where their pitfalls in their understanding or areas where extra attention may be required. From these, a comprehensive lesson plan for future sessions may be established if further tutoring is requested by the student.

I believe in finding ways in which education material can be incorporated into the student's existing interests or previously understood concepts in order to promote an independent learning motivation. By finding ways in which seemingly obscure concepts can correlate, I have found, enhances an individual's curiosity into the comprehension of a subject, rather than just simply memorizing long enough to pass a test/class/etc.

I would help a student stay motivated by finding ways, first and foremost with preventative measures to keep them from burning out in the first place. This may include break frequency, changing pace of teaching lesson to mediate frustrations from lessons going too fast or slow, or even finding ways to present the information in new and interesting ways that will keep a student engaged. If I find myself in a situation where motivation is relatively low due to lack of interest I would find ways in which the information would be more exciting for the individual, finding new ways to communicate dry, underwhelming material that may be difficult to be excited about even as an enthusiast.

If a student has a difficulty learning a skill or concept I may first start by trying to present the information in a different manner, such using a more visual or descriptive way of communicating the information. I would then try to find possible ways in which the concept/skill may tie into one's hobbies or interests and use this angle to help in my description. If further difficulty ensues, I will work backwards from that point towards the basics or beginning of the lesson. In doing this, I should be able to find where their understanding of fundamentals/causes and bridging the gap in their understanding. This should help not only deepen the understanding of the skill/concept as well as clear up complications that may arise in future situations in which this basic function of, or the skill/concept itself may be utilized.

I have found that finding auditory or pictorial ways to present the same information may be helpful in those that struggle with reading comprehension. If these resources are not available, then reading aloud, taking written notes after sections/page/chapters can also help an individual retain the information that he or she may read but have trouble comprehending information in the form of text. I also have found for myself that as I used these strategies myself, as I read, my reading comprehension became easier and more fluent, much like almost any other activity.

Finding ways to tie into existing interests is the most successful strategy to work with a student. If you can spark a genuine interest in a subject through a recognition that although superficially the subject has no relation to an interest, upon further inspection you may find ways in which it is an integral part of what may draw one to the interest in the first place. One very popular example is math and its relation to nearly any subject.

Sparking an interest in a subject is finding a way for an individual to connect their previous experiences with the new information. If this can be tied to something of interest already, it is a huge step in the right direction in engaging a student in a subject.

I would use problems that require the use of not only the new subject that is under review, but incorporates previous lessons and concepts necessary to truly understand how a particular system or concept may work.

I would help build a student's confidence in a subject through positive reinforcement upon demonstration of comprehension, patience when comprehension is difficult, persistence to ensure goals are met, and inventiveness to keep students engaged.

I evaluate what a student's needs may be by first allowing them to describe what they understand about the lesson that we are trying to go over, as I expect that they have some sort of conception of what they are learning. From this initial exchange I would then do some deeper questioning about what they seem to understand to get a better idea of what exactly they do and don't understand about the material. Using this combination I believe I am able to create a decent feel of what the student does and does not understand about the lesson at hand, giving me a starting point as well as a set of goals necessary to achieve the student's comprehension of the information that is being reviewed.

I adapt my tutoring to the student's needs by first assessing what are necessary for true understanding of a concept. I then adapt the way I communicate the information to the student, using interests and common daily experiences as a way to bridge gaps in logic or mental conception. I would also use a variety of ways to present the information such as using relevant videos, graphs/charts, auditory readings, or other modes of transmission that may be more impressing in the memory than simply text or conversation. I may also ask students to do a bit of homework in finding their favorite way to learn by assessing how the information that they remember with ease is presented to them. This may be a key to creating engagement and interest in subjects by presenting a new perspective.

I typically use the materials to which the student has easy access. I generally start with the given material that a student may have, such as Textbooks, homework lessons, and notes from lecture/class. Using these materials, I would try to get as far as I could in the lesson until I found the aspect of the lesson that may be giving the student trouble, sometimes this may be the entire lesson. In this case I then begin to use relevant information from internet sources, such as videos, various articles, and interactive websites that may present the information in a way that may make more sense to a student struggling to understand the information using the given material that may present it in a dry, technical fashion.