As an educator, my aim is always to meet students wherever they are in life and to find creative solutions to help them understand new concepts and materials, as well as find value in the learning process itself. It is my goal to create student-centered classes that give all students multiple opportunities to develop their creativity and communication, leadership, and management skills that will be necessary throughout their lives. My teaching philosophy is centered on encouraging students to use all of their senses in the learning process. I know from professional and personal experiences that experiential learning is critical in order for students to process, retain, and synthesize new information.

In Macedonia, for two years, I had the freedom to take calculated and creative risks in the classroom without fear of consequences from colleagues or supervisors, and because of the freedoms I had as an educator, my teaching philosophy is also rooted in empowering students to feel comfortable making mistakes and learning from those mistakes in the classroom environment. If students learn something new and if they improve, even incrementally, then I have succeeded as an educator.

I would take the time to ask questions like the following: What do you like about this subject? What is most challenging about this subject? What are your goals for this time period? How can I help you to achieve your goals?

I can be patient with students and share with them free and useful resources that they can use on their own time.

I would assess a student to determine how they learn.

I would experiment with different techniques to teach the skill or concept.

I use multiple resources and approaches to help students who are struggling with reading comprehension.

I have found success in getting to know the personality, interests, and values when starting to work with a new student.

I would use examples that are relevant to the student. I would help them recognize small accomplishments so they feel motivated during the learning process.

It depends on the materials and the learning goals of each student. I may need to give a fill-in-the-blank test or a multiple-choice test, or have the student explain to me different vocabulary.

Positive reinforcement. I recognize the success a student has even if it is a small success. I give a student regular opportunities to succeed.

I ask a student a series of questions. What are your hobbies? What specifically do you want to learn? What is your motivation for learning this? What do you hope to gain from working with me? What kind of learner do you think you are?

Similar to the previous question I answered, I ask a series of questions to get a better understanding of my student's background and their learning objectives.

It will depend on the student, but I typically use pictures, songs, videos, and a textbook to teach English or Japanese.