What is your teaching philosophy?

I believe in working at something until you master whatever you are trying to learn. In my eyes, there's a big difference between "learning" something and "mastering" it. When we master a skill or an idea, we are able to use the concept for the rest of our lives, which is after all the goal of education.

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

First introduce myself, and then get to know my student so I can better suit myself to their needs.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Give them all the tools and skills necessary to being able to learn things on their own. It is of course their job to actually use those skills.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Constantly remind them of their end goal. I understand how frustrating it can be to have to write a ten-page paper over something you don't care about. However, if you remember why you're there, we are likely to become more motivated to achieve our goals.

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

First, start with a blank page. All annoyances aside and start fresh. From there we start with the basics until we master them, and after that we move on incorporating concepts that may be a little more challenging and work on them together.

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

I feel like it's a good idea to pretend that author is writing to you or talking to you. Just like any other person would.

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

Being able to change my strategies to suit my students. For example, if you are a visual learner, we do lessons that incorporate a visual aid.

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

I would remind them of the end goal and also try to find whatever motivates them personally, and use that to engage them.

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

Practice makes perfect, and therefore I believe that continuous work being done will eventually lead to success. If they can show me they have mastered a concept, then I would be satisfied.

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

Starting with the basics helps tremendously. We would work on smaller, easier things to build their confidence, and slowly incorporate harder material at the student's pace.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I would take into consideration their grades in a particular area and also their confidence level in that topic.

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

I would change my teaching technique. For example, if I had a student who was a visual learner, I'd include a visual aid.

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

I feel as though the materials I bring really depend on the student's needs. If I had a student having trouble in writing, all I would really need is a pen and paper to get my point across. However, additional supplies may be required in different cases.