"The most important feature that distinguishes effective tutors is not the depth of their knowledge of the subject matter; it is important, but a majority of tutors already know their material much better than their students. What really makes them effective in helping their students is their ability to probe deeply each student and identify unique deficits that need to be addressed in each particular case.

A school/university teacher working with a class has no choice, but to broadcast a lecture. A tutor, having a luxury to work with a student one on one, can potentially communicate the subject material much more effectively. To fully realize this potential, a tutor must continuously "read" the student, get into his/her shoes to identify stumbling blocks and be able to adjust material presentation accordingly.

Tutoring is essentially a two-way communication, where "one size fits all" is a cardinal sin." less...