What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe students can be taught writing. Some teachers don't believe that, but I do. There's a whole world out there to write about. With direction from a tutor, student writers can shape their experiences into words, they can learn basic skills, and they can be successful.

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

I think it is important to understand how the student learns, and what is the most effective way to bring about results for her or him. I also think it's important to get to know a bit about each other. I would discuss aspects of the subject they want help in and find out where they need help the most.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I think good guidance and practice help students become independent learners. I also think I need to understand what most motivates a student to learn, because that is what will help them become independent.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

I would provide positive feedback and set goals. Setting and reaching goals is a structure that helps most human beings accomplish what they want to.

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

I would analyze the skill or concept into its smallest parts so that I cover and discuss each aspect of the skill or concept. This provides a context for learning, which helps students be successful.

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

Together, we work on concentration and memory devices. We would also work on developing vocabulary.

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

I let the student ask me questions about my background. I ask the student questions in order to find out what kind of learning needs to take place.

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

This is where positive feedback plays a role. If a student is struggling in a subject, in order for them to get excited about it, they need to see what they like about it-- what is fun about it. If they like their subject, it makes a world of difference. I would help a student discover what they like in the subject.

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

Practice is important. So is discussion and question and answer sessions. I would ask the student to write and draw about what they're learning.

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

Positive feedback is important in building a student's confidence in a subject. I think the student also needs to understand that I genuinely care and want them to succeed.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I ask them questions about their subject to find out what puzzles them the most or where they need the most help. I would ask them to write their answers or give me a writing sample of some of their classwork.

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

I try to find out the kind of learner the student is. A student could be a verbal learner, a visual learner, or a hands-on learner, to name a few ways of learning. Then, I tutor to their strength.

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

When I tutor in literature, it's important to have a copy of a text. This is for reading, analyzing, and taking notes. It's also important to have a list of literary terms to make the analysis more meaningful. When I tutor in writing, I give a student exposure to the different stages of the writing process, based on a writing prompt I give them. I also give lessons in grammar, sentence structure, and spelling.