What is your teaching philosophy?

No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.

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

I like to introduce myself and get to know the student as a person. I would ask questions to determine the best method of learning for the individual student.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

I would teach the student memorization and learning skills to help them with future subjects and areas of concern. Understanding the basics is important to establishing the foundation for success.

How would you help a student stay motivated?

Constant encouragement. Any student can be successful if they are willing to work hard and stay positive.

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

I would try to create an analogy that the student can relate to. Something that will help the student mentally connect something they do understand to a more difficult topic that they struggle with.

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

I would offer practice material and work on breaking down paragraphs into simple chunks so the student does not feel as overwhelmed by long articles.

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

I like making flash cards for students so they can work on skills even when I am not there. I also enjoy creating riddles and rhymes for each topic to help the student easily remember subjects that they otherwise would have trouble understanding.

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

I would look to the topic's vocabulary and find a way to make each word into a game. That way the student can be more hands-on and entertained, rather than just reading straight from a book.

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

I would administer a short quiz at the end of each chapter to assess how well the student is understanding each topic. Then I would go back through the quiz with the student and go over the questions to confirm that they understand the answers they selected or should have selected.

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

The more you review a subject, the more comfortable the student becomes in that subject. I would remind the student that they can accomplish their goals and show them how much they have progressed at the end of each session.

How do you evaluate a student's needs?

I analyze the student as they read, explain concepts, interpret vocabulary, etc., so that I can pinpoint the exact area of struggle. Once I have determined the student's needs, I would focus on that area and reinforce skills to aid in the student's comprehension of subjects.

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

I evaluate the student each session to determine which learning style works best for them. I would try different learning techniques and see which one they respond to best.

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

Textbooks, graphs/pictures, computers, and flashcards.