My years of experience as an independent tutor, as well as my own education, have shaped my approach and strategy for helping students. While it is essential to recognize that each student may understand a topic in a different way and to adapt accordingly, there are certain guiding principles I follow to help them all reach mastery in a subject.
Focus on process, not just answers
Often students are in a rush to simply hear the right answer to a question that they missed and then move on. I encourage my students to slow down, explain their thought process, and show their work. I help them break down problem solving into smaller, more manageable steps. This approach increases a student’s engagement and demystifies even the most complex subjects.
Use targeted practice
By focusing on process and breaking down problem solving into steps, I can pinpoint exactly where a student is stumbling. Sometimes I discover that there are prior weaknesses or gaps in foundational skills for a subject (e.g., a student is struggling to read Vergil’s Aeneid in AP Latin because they never quite mastered noun declension charts in their Latin 2 course). Once we have identified these gaps, we can fix them quickly and efficiently by drilling specific skills. I craft my own practice problems and tests, as needed, according to my student’s individual requirements and curriculum.
Build confidence
If a child deeply lacks confidence in a subject, they sometimes spiral downward and cannot find the motivation or will to learn and improve. It can turn into a negative cycle where their low confidence leads to poorer performance which then leads to even lower confidence. I work to break this cycle through encouragement and positive reinforcement with my students. I genuinely believe that they are all capable of making significant progress, and I share that positivity with them. We celebrate their hard work every day as much as their success and achievements. The results are greater confidence, a stronger work ethic, and a happier student!