I became a math teacher to change the way that students learn math. I had many poor math teachers growing up, and I have learned unique ways of presenting math so that students understand and remember how to solve difficult problems. I love teaching and the feeling when a student that "hates math" finally begins to enjoy math thrills me.

I typically like to ask a few questions about what they might be struggling with so that I can focus my efforts on what they need the most. I also usually like to ask some general math questions related to that topic to discover if I need to help them with any of the building blocks for that topic before we move forward.

By teaching them to how think, question and analyze the problems for themselves. My goal is that the student will no longer need my help and will learn to ask questions to themselves to guide them to the answer.

Positive encouragement and building their skills up slowly allows students to taste success through the struggle of understanding a difficult concept. I also like to challenge my students with problems that are "harder" than the ones they are working on, and often they don't even realize until they've solved it that they now know how to teach others more than what they were supposed to know in the first place. This tends to give a huge morale boost and confidence to students.

Usually if a student is having difficulty it is because they are missing a building block or some other piece of knowledge from before the unit/chapter. Going slow and building up their skills is the best way to address this. If that isn't the case - it may just require multiple ways of explaining how to do the problem. Math is amazing because there are many, many different ways to solve each problem, and they're all correct as long as you follow the "rules" of math and get the right answer. Showing students different paths to the solution will often give them the freedom to feel comfortable with what they are learning.

Going slow and asking guiding questions about what they are reading. Using context clues and tapping into their own personal experience will often help them understand something (without me telling them) that they didn't realize they could figure out on their own.

Getting to know them individually and discovering their own strengths and weaknesses often helps build a relationship that allows a teacher to help them more than you would imagine possible.

Make it fun and give them confidence boosts along the way. If they are experiencing success they will want to continue. If they are feeling confident, they will enjoy it more.

I like to check for understanding frequently by having a student explain to me what we are doing, how we are doing it, and then to teach me the problem. Additionally, as we go through a concept I like to give them problems to solve that increase in difficulty so that I can identify gaps and weaknesses to target for more help.

Positive motivation, building their skills up through problems of increasing difficulty and reassurance that they are smart and can do anything they put their mind to.

By asking them what they need help with and focusing on that topic, but also by asking them some math questions related to that topic and discovering what gaps in skills need to be addressed.

All tutoring is individual. I am comfortable teaching all different levels in math and can quickly identify what gaps and difficulties a student may have. Attacking those gaps and needs allows a student to not only be successful in their topic, but excel in math.

Only paper and pencil are necessary, but sample problems from the student or a textbook can be useful. Often just by the student telling me what topic they are working on, I can develop practice problems for them quickly and at their skill level for us to work through together.