What might you do in a typical first session with a student?

My plans for the first session would be to complete a "getting to know you activity" with the student and complete assessments with the student. I would also like to see any assessments the school may have done as well as some examples of classwork and homework. These items will help me to gauge where skill deficiencies and strengths may be, and also see what the expectations of the student's teacher are.

How can you help a student become an independent learner?

Independent learners are able to complete their work with minimal support and do so without needing constant affirmations from their teacher, tutor, or parent. To be an independent learner, one must have the background skills necessary to complete the current assignments. One of my goals would be to assess the student to find any "holes" in his or her skills and work on those skills, filling in those learning gaps. This would help the student to be able to work independently.

How do you help students who are struggling with reading comprehension?

If a student is struggling with reading comprehension, we first must figure out if one of the causes may be the difficulty of the text. If it takes too long to read through the passage or story, or if the student stumbles frequently on unknown words, that student can not be expected to comprehend that level of material. I would teach and practice reading comprehension skills at the student's independent reading level.

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

Positive reactions and praise will go a long way with a student who may not be used to hearing that. It is human nature to want to please others. As the tutor, I would find a way to make the content relate. Finding reading material on a subject that interests the child may help, or if the student is having trouble with the concept of counting by 5's and you know the student loves chocolate, practice with M&M's as manipulatives!

What techniques would you use to be sure that a student understands the material?

Mini-assessments along the way will help judge if the student is "getting it". Asking questions where the answer is more than a "yes" or a "no" will help to gauge the student's understanding as well.