What is your teaching philosophy?

In my experience, students learn best when the tutor is really excited about the material and encourages students by praising them when they do well. It eventually makes the subject less tedious and the student more willing to do the work.

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

Ask them questions about their academic background, what subjects they like/are interested in, what they have covered in their course and what they are having difficulty with, if any.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Being an independent learner is a very important skill and something that I try to teach when I tutor. I do it by making the student try and solve the problem on their own, and then ask questions when they become stuck or don't properly understand a concept.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I believe that being really excited about the subject as the tutor and providing praise when the student does something right helps keep students motivated.

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

Try to figure out why they are having difficulty, and find a different way to explain the idea so that it might become clearer to the student.

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

I like to make students present what they have learned to me or anyone else who is around, in the form of an educational lesson. If there is a whiteboard available, they need to draw relevant diagrams. It really reinforces the material, helps the student practice presenting under pressure and shows the student how much they have learned.