I believe that teaching needs to be individualized to the student's needs. Some people love lectures and taking their own notes, while other students need an element of play. I like to find out what works for each student, no one-size-fits-all molds.

In a first session, I would want to sit down and discuss what we will be doing in the future. If this is for a semester, I want to break down the syllabus so both of us are prepared. If it is one essay, I want to plan out what the student will have done by each session. I then want to learn more about them and their interests and find ways to apply this to the assignments they will be working on soon.

Any student can be an independent learner if they have the right tools in their toolkit. It is my job to provide them with these tools. I wish to provide study tips, easy outlines, and other techniques to struggling students so that they have the tools they need to dig their way out of any rut.

I would give them something to be motivated about! By relating the subject back to their own life or by giving them an end-goal for success, any student will feel more driven. This could be a college acceptance for older students, but for younger students, sometimes a good cookie or a temporary tattoo is motivation enough.

I always break it down to the basics. If a student is struggling while writing a persuasive essay, they may not understand what persuasion really means. If they have errors in punctuation, then it is time to study what each component is used for again. Instead of trying to explain just the concept at hand, I like to break it down to make sure no other valuable information has been skipped.

I try to get students to break it into bite-sized chunks. If an eight-year-old is having difficulty understanding full sentences, then we break it down into words; if an AP student is having difficulties understanding 18th-century literature, then we find the components they do understand and build.

Most students seeking a tutor are doing this because they do not respond well to classroom style teaching. The first thing I do is figure out which teaching style they do respond to, and then I cater each lesson to that style. Do they like visual cues? Bring a whiteboard. Tactile? Bring flashcards, beans, Play-Doh, or whatever else helps.

I would make each question relate back to their life. If a student hates a piece about working men in France in the 1700s, I would have them read it again in a silly accent, switch the words around to make it relate to their own life, or write it out in their own words so that it sounds like fun to them. I want each lesson to feel more personal.

I would want to have some additional questions or pieces on hand to guarantee that they will comprehend future assignments. Most of my teaching is question-based, so I would continue reviewing information until the student can answer each question with ease.

When a student is struggling, it helps to hear validation. As they master each point, I would give a lot of positive reinforcement. If they cannot master the full assignment, I would break it down into basics, and then congratulate them as they master those.

I listen. I ask the student what they need, go over an assignment, and write out my own notes as well. If a student seemed to not understand their own needs, I would ask questions to observe if they fully comprehend each element and keep tabs on the sections that cause them to struggle.

Each student learns differently, so I must have different approaches to teaching. I would try out a few approaches - writing, grouping, talking out loud - and then ask with which the student is the most comfortable.

I typically like having a lot of paper, flashcards, a whiteboard, and something representative like Play-Doh or colored pencils on hand. Each student learns differently, so I like being prepared for every method of learning.