What is your teaching philosophy?

In a teacher-student relationship, no one is superior. I am learning along with my student, and discovering the subject through his or her eyes. My personal philosophy is that the moment you stop learning, you stop living. Teaching is learning.

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

The first session should be about getting to know each other. I will want to learn the student's goals, and develop a plan for achieving them together.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I will guide students without doing the work for them. Using my knowledge base, I will provide tips and tools for help them to help them learn the concepts they'll need to succeed.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

It's all about attitude. I'll stay upbeat, encouraging, and positive. I will be a mentor, a coach, and a friend. I will keep sessions fun!

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

Keep trying! Some concepts take repetition and time to learn. Anything worth having or knowing takes work, and I will try to ingrain that philosophy into my students.

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

Break it down. There is an emphasis in our society that faster is better, but that's not necessarily the case with reading. Breaking down sentences and words can help with comprehension.

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

I like to be genuine with students. I was in their place at one point in my life. I'm not perfect, and I know they're not either. Let's put pride and ego aside and get real. Let's do the hard work and see the rewards.

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

I'll try to figure out what the student is passionate about, and then see if the lesson can be integrated that way. For example, there's no harm in comparing and contrasting the movie and the book if films are more interesting to the student. They'll still have to read the book though!

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

Verbal and written quizzes, discussion, presentations, and practice essays if appropriate.

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

I meet the student at his or her level. Everyone is different, and progress must be measured accordingly. I think confidence can be built by celebrating the small victories.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

A delicate blend of communication, observation, and intuition. I am a very perceptive person, and I enjoy helping others. I will mostly rely on students to converse with me about their desired outcomes.

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

I'm flexible, and I have many tricks in my hat. I keep in mind that people have different learning styles, and then I try to utilize those varying styles in my teaching.

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

The student's textbooks, my own books, scholarly journals, film clips, songs, poems, flashcards, and really anything that might help.