Plan the lesson. If the student is new, prepare to ask simple questions about hobbies, interests or her progress in school. Ask how her former school is different than an American school and if she likes or dislikes reading and writing in her native language. If the student is returning, build on previous lessons by considering what she has already learned.
Assemble visual aids. Pointing at photographs or a drawing can help a student who is unable to express himself verbally. Have a pad and pencil ready or set up a computer so that you are ready to conduct an image search on the Internet.
Ask the student about himself when he arrives. Take a few minutes to talk to about his classes, hobbies and daily life. Casual conversation helps a student learn about you as well as giving you an idea of his abilities. This allows him to relax if he is nervous, too.
Begin the lesson by phrasing your questions and words carefully. Use leading questions (which demand more than "yes" or "no" answers) and do not talk louder than normal. Use short simple sentences until you are sure of a student's abilities. If the student does not understand, carefully rephrase your words.
Ask the student how her language is structured when an opportunity presents itself. For example, Asian languages do not use articles such as "the" or "a." In French, words are often masculine or feminine. Directly translated sentences may make no sense because of structural differences. With this knowledge, a tutor can better help the student spotlight recurring problems.
Assign homework according to the student's ability. She can read a few sentences, paragraphs or pages and be prepared to talk about what she does not understand. If she takes a class where homework is already assigned, ask her to plan what she wants to work on most.