What strategies have you found to be most successful when you start to work with a student?

At the start of any tutoring session, I take the time to listen to the goals and issues that the student is having with their particular assignment or a course as a whole. I find that understanding the expectations of the student in regards to what they wish to gain from our time spent together ensures that they will be pleased with the outcome of the tutoring session. Sometimes, it is necessary for me to intuit the issues that a student has with a particular assignment or course, so I adjust the manner in which we approach that issue to best meet the student's needs.

How would you help a student get excited/engaged with a subject that they are struggling in?

There is always some portion of a subject that can be understood by a given student, and that is the spark that lights the fire of excitement. I like to focus on what the student has already gleaned from the subject, discover any issues that they may be having, and work on the subject using their personal learning style to ensure that the student is interested and engaged in any work that we are doing on a given course. I also like to use "real world" examples of how the student could use the knowledge they are learning and apply it to their own lives, or perhaps even possible career aspirations!