Plain Friendly Talk

"He received me with an offhand cordiality, like and old acquaintance... and we sat down together. In a somewhat high-pitched but pleasant voice... [he] talked in so simple and familiar a strain, and his manner and homely phrase were so absolutely free from any semblance of self-consciousness or pretension of superiority, that I soon felt as if I had known him all my life, and we had very long been close friends." - Carl Schurz, recalling his introduction to Abraham Lincoln

In my tutoring relationships I find humility and plain talk to be nearly as important tools of the trade as formulas and pencils. There's often a shorter, simpler, more understandable way to explain a term. Students already have a knowledge gap; if they sense an intelligence gap, or that math should be fun, from the tutor then it can drain the confidence out of the hour. Plain, friendly talk makes a student better, and the tutor.