1. Students’ names
Get to know students’ names. Use them when greeting your students.
This may sound trivial, but it is amazing how many tutors don’t do it. Learning and remembering names is not always easy, particularly for students that you see only occasionally. Back when the LSC used to require that tutors carried a student log (which all tutors hated), we did get to see the names of our students. Now, you have to make a point of asking, and the best way of doing that is by introducing yourself when you first meet a student, after which they will normally tell you their name.
There is a pseudo-privacy issue here. While students are required to provide their student ID at the check-in desk in order to receive tutoring services, there is the undeniable fact that some students are uncomfortable about being in the LSC, and would prefer that they did not have to be there. To some, disclosing their name to every random tutor who walks up to them might be a source of discomfort or even embarrassment. As tutors, we have to be aware of this. For our purposes – greeting our students – first names are sufficient, and using only first names provides a slightly more anonymous experience than providing first and last name.