What is your teaching philosophy?

Before learning can begin, one must first must be interested.

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

Find out what their motivations are to succeed in this subject.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Hold them accountable to putting in time and effort before they come in for tutoring.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Identify their key motivating factors, and spend time discovering more reasons why succeeding in this class will benefit their life.

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

Identify where their difficulties come from, and spend the majority of the time working on their weaknesses rather than their strengths.

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

During tutoring sessions, I would assist them with reading in order to make the best use of time, but would require them to take the time on their own to improve their reading comprehension. I would have them read before our session, and then have them explain to me what they understand.

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

Take a little time to get to know and connect with the student. A foundation of trust and empathy creates a better learning environment.

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

Demonstrate a connection between the subject they are struggling with, with a subject they are excited about.

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

Have the student walk through each step as if they were teaching it to someone else.

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

Track their progress and show them problems they could not solve in the past and can solve now.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

Ask the student how they feel about their work and how they define success. Identify the difference between where they are now and where they need to be to be successful.

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

Watch for interest and frustration levels in the student. I change my pace and presentation based on the student’s ability to process the new information and their attention span.

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

Pencil Calculator Blank White Paper.