What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe that helping students help themselves is more valuable than simply feeding information to them. I also believe in being tough but fair, so a student really knows they earned a good grade.

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

I would take a minute to get a sense of his/her comfort level with the subject. I would also make sure I understand what the teacher is asking for and the question the student is asking.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Usually I would guide a student, rather than simply giving an answer. A student becomes independent when they are able to figure things out, which can't be done if they are merely fed answers.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

One of the best ways to motivate a student is to help them understand why the subject or question matters and how it can have value for them.

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

I would be patient and continue working with them. But, I would also work on finding other ways of explaining or demonstrating a problem to offer a different perspective.

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

Practice! I would keep giving them practice passages and walk them through the passage, sentence by sentence. I would then help them put those sentences together to get the overall meaning of the passage. I would have them do this a lot.

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

Being patient and friendly is probably most important when beginning to work with a student. A student needs to feel comfortable in order to learn.