I encourage my students to ask questions and engage in discussion. Not only will they learn from me, but I will learn from them their learning style and insights. Talking is key to learning especially in subjects like English and Social Studies.

Gauge their interests and strengths and weaknesses. Obviously we will need to tackle all areas but getting a good sense of what type of learner they are will be crucial to future success.

Find subjects that they are interested in. I have learned from experience that the best students in each subject are those often most interested in that subject. Obviously other subjects need not be neglected but being personally motivated requires interest. I hope to help all my students be interested in all subjects that I teach.

I am a strong believer in positive reinforcement. There is no need to admonish or pressure students if their results are coming back positive. It is much easier to keep a good student on track than it is to push a bad student on track. If you are with Varsity Tutors you are probably at least personally motivated, so my job is easy from there on out!

Ask them questions as to why they find it difficult. There are more than a few ways to learn a subject and I will try to find more ways to bring the knowledge to them.

I find the biggest struggle with reading comprehension is the type of passages that are being read. Often they are boring, but that doesn't need to be the case. There are ways to make boring passages engaging and thoughtful, such as pointing out interesting excerpts and overall conclusions that blend into everyday life.

Discussion, find out their interests, what type of subjects they find fascinating, what makes them ask questions. Asking questions is the key to learning and the more questions from them, the better the teacher I become.

I always try to connect subjects to real life. If a student is struggling in math, we can put away the pen and paper and look for real-world applications of math to the areas they are struggling in. The same applies to English and Social Studies, not all subjects are compelling and I understand that. Being able to understand their real-life effects and consequences may motivate students to achieve more.

I do believe in testing/quizzing students. But there are a variety of ways to test that material, from pencil/paper tests to oral exams. Being able to talk intelligently about a subject is just as good as being able to answer a multiple choice question. Essay writing is also crucial.

Building confidence comes at one's own pace. Eventually I would ask my students to explain the subject to me. Being able to teach a subject to others is key to mastering a subject. Confidence comes from being able to speak concisely and directly about a subject.

The obvious ones are there in that they would ask me if they need help. But I would also try to be in tune with how familiar they are with the subjects I am teaching them. It is not difficult to spot frustration.

Again this comes back to a discourse with the student. If they are inattentive, there are always other methods of teaching to make the subject more engaging. If they are struggling with a subject they are interested in, then the issue is not motivation but something else. It is a constant give and take.

Pencil/paper, books, I also think the internet is a great tool to use especially in the modern world. I have no problem with looking up interesting facts or methods from Google.