What is your teaching philosophy?

在我眼里,每个学生都是一个人unique learning strategy. Because we have the luxury of working together one-on-one, I like to take advantage of the opportunity to tailor my teaching to each student's specific needs. Usually this involves figuring out which learning methods work best for you, helping you to determine which areas you need to develop most, and designing the most effective study strategies for you to keep your learning fresh. I also believe strongly in the value of your questions. While studying, you may find that certain principles are more challenging for you, and my goal is to provide an answer to any questions you may have, clarify confusing ideas, and challenge you to grow in the subject.

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

In the first session, I typically get to know the student a bit - I like to know what motivates my students to learn, why they are here for tutoring, and what I can do as a tutor to most effectively walk alongside them on the path to success.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I tutor by primarily asking questions. In this way, both the student and I are more capable of assessing the student's current abilities. This allows me to tailor the information I present during the lesson to that student's most prominent needs, and the student then knows what to study most closely after our session. It also allows the student to take a more autonomous, confident approach to learning by recognizing what he or she is capable of.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Encouragement. I get really excited when my students do well, which motivates both of us. I'm incredibly passionate about what I do, and I don't shield this from my students in any way. Sharing my interest in what they're studying and letting them know that their success in the subject matter is important to me can help them find their own excitement about it.

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

Work it out. If something is difficult, it takes more effort, time, and repetition, so that's what we do. On the front end, we do work on the concept from a variety of angles until the student gets that lightbulb moment. Then, we reinforce that learning. I'm not one for doing a lesson on a topic and then forgetting about it, especially if it's initially challenging. I bring old topics back into play once I observe sufficient mastery on new ones, which allows the student to keep those skills strong and bring the same kind of thinking into new concepts, making them more digestible.