While I spent years in the classroom, I had far fewer experiences in one-on-one tutoring. The tutoring I did was entirely schooled by empathizing with students and following common sense. This list is derived from my experience and from various websites.
1. Put yourself in your tutee's shoes. Relate to him/her as a person who's struggling as bravely as he/she can. Understand the frustration. Let him/her know it's totally normal to feel "stuck" sometimes.
2. Be sure you understand the student's background before you begin. If he/she's an "eye learner" or an "ear learner," orient yourself appropriately. Much of this can be derived from the orientation info, but pay attention to speech patterns that may signal a tendency to write in a style influenced by native language, including use of false cognates.
3. Implement the Socratic method. Rather than push the student to understand his weaknesses, lead him through questioning. Wait for agreement. Begin with what the student knows and move on to less familiar material.
4. Know your material. Keep resource materials handy for explanation. If you don't know the answer to a question, say, "I'll have to get back to you on that."
5. Be flexible. Be ready to present different approaches to explain a point.
6. Be patient. If the tutee keeps drawing a blank, ask what he/she doesn't understand. If he/she isn't responding, it could be the tutee is thinking deeply, about to arrive at the answer independently, so allow "quiet time" as necessary.
7. Be creative. After you've explained a point, be ready to think up a few practice cases for your tutee to work out by him/herself, explaining how he/she arrived at the answer.
8. Give credit where credit is due. Most people are motivated by the carrot, not the stick.
9. Stay upbeat. Smile. When you and your tutee reach a dead-end, stay positive. Keep a sense of humor. Try to enjoy the moment, regardless of the difficulties.
10. Believe in your tutee. Let him/her know his/her efforts will definitely pay off; it will all be worth the work.
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