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

Introduce myself, find out more information about my student and their studies, and begin working.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

To help a student stay motivated, I would use things that they are interested in, i.e. money, cars, games, etc. Relating subjects to personal interest keeps them wanting to learn more.

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

I try to explain it in a different context. Every person learns differently, so saying the same thing to everyone may not be beneficial to that person's learning.

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

Relate the subject to hobbies and interest.

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

By helping them work out the steps on their own once they have seen me do them. Also, some professors and tutors like to tell students they just didn't get it right. I let them know the parts they may need to revisit and the steps they got completely right.

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

I get to know the student as I tutor them. If I realize that one way isn't working, I try to redirect or restructure what I am saying or doing in order to help them understand.

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

It depends on where I am. When I tutored at my college, I used my Expo markers (because we had whiteboards), my laptop (usually for the e-book), and a calculator. I would work out some problems and then let the students do it on their own, so that they can get a feel and be hands-on with what they are learning, and not just copying notes.

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

I help them sound it out.

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

Just to be open to them. Don't get frustrated or upset when they aren't comprehending. Try to take a different approach at the problem.

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

I would use a "follow the leader" approach. I do the problems first, then they do different problems with the same formula or technique to see how to do it themselves.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

By having them do work on their own, and by me checking it once they are done. It is sort of like a quiz without the actual grading.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

By asking them how they feel with certain subjects that their teacher has gone over. From there, we work on what was taught in class and understanding the material, versus just memorizing information.