Your First Session: What to Cover and How to Run It

Do Not Teach in the First 20 Minutes

Use the opening of session one to assess, not to instruct. Ask the student directly: What do you find hardest? Where do you feel confident? What are you working on right now in school? This information shapes every session that follows.

Run a Diagnostic

A short, low-stakes diagnostic task — five to ten questions across the main topic areas — tells you far more than any self-assessment. Students rarely know what they do not know.

Set Expectations Together

Cover the following before you start teaching:

• How often you will meet
• What preparation you expect from them between sessions
• How they should flag confusion or difficulty
• How you will measure progress

Get One Win

By the end of session one, make sure the student understands something they did not understand before. One clear, satisfying breakthrough builds the trust and motivation that keeps them coming back.

Send a Follow-Up Summary

After the session, send a short message summarising what you covered, what you will focus on next time, and one thing for the student to practise before you meet again. This small habit differentiates you from tutors who simply show up and teach.

Review Your Own Performance

Ask yourself: Did I talk too much? Did the student seem engaged? Was the pace right? Session one is as much data-gathering for you as it is for the student.