What great tutors do

If there was a hall of fame for tutoring, the tutors who were enshrined would be the ones who were great communicators, flexible and creative in their tutoring approach, and skilled in developing connection with all different types of students. Let's take these elements of great tutoring one at a time:

Great communicators
Great tutors explain things well, and they have a knack for knowing when students truly understand, and when students are just saying they understand so they can move on. Catching this distinction is important, and the ability to slow the student down so they "get it" is important as well. Great tutors know they may have to explain things from a few different angles, and they are prepared to offer examples that illustrate their explanations.

Flexible and creative
Tutors need to be flexible and creative in their approach to helping students reach their goals. Not all students respond to the same approach, and having multiple strategies on hand is essential. Also, the ability to switch on the fly when an approach is not working is important, because the sooner the tutor switches to a method that is effective, the more likely the student stays on board and doesn't check out. Sometimes framing the explanations with real world examples are effective, sometimes using pictures and diagrams do the trick. Sometimes, finding an item on the table to demonstrate will help, other times just simplifying the terminology will give the student the fundamental understanding that is needed. The tutor who can flick between these methods will be able to help more students more quickly.

Skilled in rapport
Tutors who are affective are well versed in developing rapport. Rapport is essential to the tutoring relationship. There is no substitute for a true respectful and friendly relationship between the student and the tutor. The student who trusts the tutor is far more likely to reveal the true reasons for his or her academic shortcomings. A student who feels comfortable with the tutor is far more likely to be honest about whether or not he/she understands, and is far more likely to ask questions that help the tutor move towards a solution.

In summary, great tutors are more than just smart people who have learned a lot about a topic. They are skilled teachers, have developed strong teaching skills, and they are genuinely interested in connecting with their students.