To me, one of the most important things about tutoring is establishing rapport with a student, which can often enable them to fully engage with their learning. Particularly in a new environment, and when meeting a new person, and in the context of external tutoring (often to address academic weaknesses) it makes total sense for students to feel uncertain, anxious, or clammed up when it comes to tutoring. I can certainly remember the exact same feeling when I started tutoring, or a new school, or a new job - it’s only human!!
But if a student doesn’t feel comfortable and secure, it can be extremely difficult for them to ask questions, admit when they do not understand something, or take risks with their learning.
For me, establishing rapport starts with making the student feel that they are being seen as a person. This can be as simple as remembering things they have told me, like the names of their pets, their favourite subjects/games at school, or their interests/hobbies. This usually means having a conversation before, after, and even during the work, but I find this is time well spent getting to know each other as human beings, not academic robots who spend all their time maximising marks. Part of this is also about creating an environment where mistakes are treated as a normal, human part of learning! Similarly, I try to give specific praise like “Wow! I’m impressed with that level of analysis, and great work remembering to use a connecting word!” rather than simply saying “Good job”, so that students understand what they are actually doing well, and what I’m looking for in their work.
Ultimately, I think rapport is built through consistency. A student needs to repeatedly experience an adult who is patient, encouraging and genuinely interested in helping them - once that trust is established, they are much more likely to feel safe enough to make mistakes, ask for help and engage more confidently with their learning.
