In my GCSEs I received five grade 9s, three grade 8s and one 7, as well as an A* in Italian in an external exam.
In my A Levels, I received three A*s and an A (I studied English Literature, Music, Art and Italian).

In my GCSE lessons, I'd first address specific current issues the student would be struggling with, eg. essay structure, music analysis, italian translation etc...
I would make sure to prioritise removing any anxieties revolving these areas of study by focusing on them in a wide varieties of methods, in order to work through them from all angles. For example, starting off with mind maps, then colour coding and expansion of ideas, paragraph writing practice and finally drafting segments of essays.

In my guitar lessons, depending on skillset as well as the individual student's specific requests and preferences, I'd focus on a variety of different areas of the instrument such as technical skills like scales and chords, improvisation, learning real songs and even working on writing own pieces, using factors taught in previous lessons.

I'd be happy to alter my teaching methods to suit specific ways of learning (for example, if a student prefers visual aid, then colour coding would take priority over verbal debates).

:)