My biggest concern is the success of my students. This is never one size fits all: Some have issues with confidence; some need a review of the basics; some need someone who can take large abstract questions apart, break them into their smallest component, and help them put the question back together again. Whatever it is that you or your student needs, I will work to develop a solution or supplement.

Talk to the student about their goals and aspirations. No matter whether you learn for pleasure or in pursuit of a career, it is important to know what's on the other end of a taxing struggle.

As a teacher, it is important to make sure you aren't simply stating the answers. The most important part of learning is developing a link from a question to the correct answer; a path the student can follow on their own terms to reach the correct answer choice. This isn't something that comes with forced repetition and no explanation. I try to help a student master a set of tools so that they have a path to follow and aren't left to grope around in the dark.

It's important for me to understand the way the student's mind works. If they are having trouble understanding a problem, I do my best to walk through the processes they are trying out. Once I understand how the student sees the problem, I can identify what tool they need to fix it.