Talk with your learner and discover what he's passionate about as well as what his background is. It may take him time to open up about any personal issues. Remain patient and don't push for information early on. Tell the learner about your own background to find out what similarities exist between the two of you.
Establish goals with your learner concerning what the learner wants to accomplish in life combined with what you want to accomplish as a team. This helps build rapport as you determine what you should be most helping your learner with.
Set rules regarding what is expected from the learner. This includes agreeing on a regular meeting schedule and setting guidelines for academic performance as well as personal behavior. For example, you can require a troubled teenager to maintain a C average and to not use profanity during the course of your interactions.
Listen to what the learner tells you. Even an off-handed comment can have a deeper meaning and it's vital for the learner to have someone who truly listens to her. She may not have that type of nurturing environment at home. Allow the learner to finish speaking before interjecting and encourage her to continue if she hesitates but you think she has more to say.
Choose activities that you and the learner can do together. They don't all have to be education-based since it is important to have fun together. Even simple experiences like going to a baseball game can give the learner life experience and give you something to bond over. Determine what type of communication works best for you both such as email or phone conversation.
Encourage the learner to take the lead during activities and then react to what the learner does. This helps the learner build confidence and you will learn more about the her through observation.
Discuss school progress on a regular basis so you can assist in the learner meeting deadlines, preparing for tests and performing to his best ability. While it is useful for you to assist with assignments and projects, you should not be doing the work for the learner because then he isn't gaining anything valuable from the experience.
Initiate contact if the learner stops responding to phone calls or emails. Personally visit if necessary to see what the situation is and to make sure the learner is okay.