What is your teaching philosophy?

I firmly believe that all students have the ability to achieve the level of mastery they desire in their chosen subject. The relationship of teacher to learner should fluctuate continuously. The teacher shares knowledge and skills with a student but should also act as a learner, observing and adapting her style to fit the learning style and established strengths of the student. Students always strive and grow more when they are encouraged and feel an expert at least in some fields. Finding ways to connect their areas of expertise to the field they are seeking improvement is one of the best ways to help a struggling student. If a student is seeking to push from a solid base to a high level of mastery, or higher test scores, a more focused position will help them achieve their desire. In the end, a student’s ability to understand the subject or skill in question enough to teach it back will reveal both their established growth and ensure a continued growth in that field.

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

The initial three goals of a first session, despite the subject, will always be: communicating the condition, setting goals, and designing a blueprint. Communicating the condition will involve chatting about students areas of desired growth, seeing examples or work and any data they want to share concerning trends or patterns of success and struggles. Next, it's important for the student to have or develop an idea of where he or she wants to end up. Employing a tutor can be long term or short term, but the goal is ultimately to help the student reach a certain level where, whether it’s passing a test with ease or being able to write the next essay alone, the student remains high achieving even after the sessions have ended. Finally, the tutor should finish the first session with a basic blueprint based on the diagnostics and stated goals that give a solid picture of what sessions will be like and how many a student might expect to reach the desired results.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

好奇心、信心和批判性思维技能s are qualities present in every independent learner. Instilling those in another requires a passion for knowledge and the ability to help students find their own answers and eventually develop their own questions.