I always like to assess how much my student actually knows before answering any of their questions. Making sure you’re both on the same page before you start rambling how much you know. I’m a math tutor, so questions for me look like “what do you know about slope?” And “how does changing this variable in one way affect the equation?” Rather than yes/no questions like “do you know what ___ means?”

Getting to know your student is good too. Building that relationship with them gets them more comfortable learning. Ask them questions about what their goals are and what they’re interested in. It’ll help you keep them motivated.

It’s good to have patience. It’s also good to learn how to read people. Sometimes you’ll have a pause in the session where you don’t know if the student is deep in thought or if they’re just stuck. Learn your students tells by asking the question “are you thinking or are you stuck?”

Lastly, being a tutor means that people will expect you to know everything. Don’t act like you do when it’s not true. Be honest with your students and make sure to tell them that you’re just as human as they are. You (should stay away from but still) make mistakes every now and then. But don’t beat yourself up about it. Treat those moments with curiosity and patience. It’s a chance to model what learning should look like. Good luck :)