I initially used to despise Biology and Chemistry, and I was even denied the chance to take separate sciences at GCSE due to my abysmal grades. In years 8 and 9, I was achieving poor and failing grades. However, by year 10, my grades had changed completely, as did my teacher. I realised that having a teacher who cares and shows you alternative solutions was the way to combat failing grades.
I haven't been a private tutor for long, but I can say that the students I have worked with have responded positively to my approaches, which is quite visible in their grades now. I find that talking to my students, understanding their concerns and working towards a resolution is the best way to help them learn. Acknowledging their strengths and weaknesses and feedback in assessments was the best way for me to understand which areas needed improvement. I like to spend some time going through content and answering questions and concerns students may have. I also help with exam practice and exam technique. In a lot of situations, students may know the content exceptionally well but struggle in exams due to harsh mark schemes and incorrect wording. As most GCSE exam questions are similar to previous years, with the exception to a few, it becomes easier to revise for Biology and Chemistry by learning key techniques and keywords to gain marks easily.
I can also set homework if the student/guardian desires. I find homework to be an excellent way to lead into following lessons, whether it be exam practice or just learning content. It can set the scene for the next tutoring lesson easily. Sometimes an hour or two isn't enough to cover a full topic, so I expect that the student is prepared to an extent by reading up on content/doing exam practice beforehand. Whether this preparation is 24 hours before or 24 minutes before, both are an ample foundation for us to build upon and improve.
Active recall remains the best way for a student to consolidate their knowledge. By repeatedly learning and re-learning prior knowledge, information has a higher chance of being stored for longer. I like to spend a few minutes at the beginning of a session recapping topics covered 1-4 weeks ago. In doing so, it allows a student to cast their mind back, remember, and confirm knowledge.
I also can make flashcards as per a student's request to help them with active recall and revision. Though, I am open to covering revision techniques with a student to determine what works best for them. No two brains are the same, and understanding how a student processes information is the best way to help a student long term.
Overall, I care about my students, their grades, and their emotional wellbeing. I hope to challenge all my students within limits to ensure that they are prepared for examinations.