First, I believe that every student is capable of learning. Every person has the right to a good education, and it is the responsibility of the teacher, whether classroom or private, to make sure they are prepared to provide said education. Also, a safe environment must be created in order for learning to occur, because learning can be hard, and learners of all ages fail before they succeed. I experience this daily in my own learning as I strive to be a better musician, and I try to instill the same joy of life-long learning in my students.

The first student is less about content and more about getting to know the student. Working with a private tutor is a personal relationship, so it is important to build this relationship from day 1. I would spend time getting to know the student's goals, how school is going, how life is going, are their any extrinsic learning barriers that I need to be aware of, and attempt to identify how best to work with the student. From there we would begin looking over the content for tutoring, and I would encourage the student to show me what they already know. That way, we can build upon the established foundation and not spend time going over previously learned information.

Independent learning is a skill that is built over time. Bloom's Taxonomy gives a framework for building independent learning. It is the teacher's responsibility to discover where the student is to help them grow into an independent learner.

Keeping the lessons upbeat and fun. Knowing when to move on and come back to a problem that is extra challenging.

Break the concept down into its smaller pieces. Work to build off of what the student already knows. Have patience; learning comes with time.