What is your teaching philosophy?

My biggest priority is to make learning more fun for the student. One of my favorite ways to accomplish this is by turning an assignment into a game. Aside from keeping the student engaged, gamifying an assignment also allows me to challenge the student to the fullest extent of her abilities.

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

To keep tutoring efficient, I would want to know the student’s starting level of proficiency in a subject. I might give a pre-test to see what the student already understands. Afterwards, I can construct a more accurate lesson plan for our tutoring sessions. I will also go over my expectations with the student and allow the student to go over her expectations with me.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Thinking critically about whether or not to intervene in any given situation is the most important. Sometimes intervention is important and sometimes its not.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

The first thing I want the student to understand is that I do not want her to easily solve problems without effort. No matter what the level, the effort put towards working through a problem, rather than solving the problem itself is what I will reward. Doing so should keep the student motivated to always try to solve the problem. The solution is just an added benefit.