I hope to foster independent learning and a passion for the topic. I will guide students through the mechanics of learning and encourage critical thinking, which will eventually lead to mastery.

I will listen as the student explains what they are struggling with. I will have them walk me through how they would approach solving a problem. Based on this assessment, I would come up with practice problems and specific topics to focus on.

Students would demonstrate their mastery by explaining a topic to me. They should be able to logically explain any concept I quiz them on. They should demonstrate not just memorization but a higher analysis of how why the topic is important, and how subtopics fit into the greater picture.

Students are motivated when they can see their progress. I would encourage students by identifying areas they've progressed in during each session. I would also show why mastery of the topic is important, on a practical level, to motivate students.

I would help students develop reading tactics. Students can improve their reading ability by understanding the structure of the article or book, thereby identifying important details more easily. I would also have students visualize while they read, thereby developing a stronger foundation as they continue reading.

When I have corrected essays in the past, I have added comments to help the student develop their own ideas. These comments encourage students to think through what they wrote instead of relying on my corrections.

If a student practices, they will eventually demonstrate improvement in some area(s). I would identify the student's improvements and use these as encouragement. I would also give them practice problems that reinforce their new skill set.

I would have them walk through the topics they are struggling with. I would also have them take an assessment that would identify what knowledge they are missing. Based on the distribution of answers, I would see how the student can improve, be it memorization or application or something else. I would also listen to the student describe what areas of the assessment they had difficulties thinking through.

I would identify what type of learning the student is best adapted for, be it visual or auditory or kinesthetic. Based on their learning style, I would use different materials (for example slides for visual learners, songs and mnemonics for auditory learners, models for kinesthetic learners, etc.).

I have used more visual material in the past. When I correct essays, I use Microsoft Word's "track changes" option to allow students to see what I added or deleted. This allows them to see specific changes themselves and to eventually reason out how they might want to make changes.

Students become more engaged in a topic when they develop confidence in their own abilities with respect to it. I would show the student what they had improved on. I would also use material that targets the student's learning style so that they can understand and retain lessons better.

I would have the student teach the material back to me. If they can teach material to me effectively, it shows that they have mastered the topic. I would also ask challenging questions that require more critical thinking to test the student's synthesis of the topic.