I believe teachers should be mentors and advisers rather than lecturers. The best way to learn is to discover, and so teachers should provide resources and guide students in the right direction without actually handing them the answers to difficult problems.

Spend some time getting to know them as a person and understanding their likes, dislikes, and personality a bit. It's important to establish a rapport. From there we can choose material to practice and review, and dive in.

You learn more by doing things on your own than by watching someone else do it or having the answer handed to you. Students need resources and a guiding hand to move them in the right direction so they can reach the answer independently.

We have a tendency to forget why we're learning something when it doesn't immediately seem practical. Sometimes it's good to put things in context to show students why they're important. It's also a good idea to set small, achievable goals so that progress is visible and motivating.

First, we might take a break and come back to it later with a fresh outlook. We could also spend some time reviewing the fundamental skills or concepts that serve as building blocks with an eye towards making new connections.

Through a combination of listening to the student and diagnostic materials such as problems, short writing assignments, or simple questions.

Tutoring is by nature based on a student's needs, so everything--material, pacing, approach--changes depending on how the student learns best.

Reading comprehension is all about maintaining focus while reading and breaking things down into digestible pieces. Slowing things down, checking for understanding as we go, and summarizing at the end are all good strategies. Patience is definitely key.

Asking students what they want to work on and what they have done in the past helps lay the groundwork for successful sessions. We don't want to practice things they are already comfortable with or repeat old material that they've mastered.

Making the subject relevant and practical can get them excited. This can range from drawing connections to daily life to talking about what people can do with the subject.

Frequent checks for understanding. The "I do, we do, you do" method is very useful for making sure a student is comfortable with material on their own. Also, offering higher-level problems and questions that challenge a student's mastery.

Reminders of what the student has already learned and bringing everything back around to the basics can show a student that what seems complicated and unconquerable is doable.

Practice problems, writing samples, charts and guides to organize information, etc. It also helps if the student can share their materials in order to ensure we're hitting their goals.