Questions · First tutoring lesson

Questions for a first tutoring lesson that build trust fast

The first session with a new student is half lesson, half interview. These questions help a tutor learn what the student enjoys, how they like to be helped and what makes learning hard for them, without it feeling like an intake form.

  • 15 questions
  • EN + TL on every card
  • Free in the app
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Kumustahan is a bilingual conversation card app: 1,200 questions in English and Filipino across 7 decks, with a short reflection on the back of every card.

Getting to know№ 19

If you had one free hour every week, what hobby would you go back to?

Kung may isang free hour ka every week, anong hobby ang babalikan mo?

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A note

A hobby you miss can point to a part of you that still wants some space.

Yung hobby na nami-miss mo minsan tumuturo sa part ng sarili mo na gusto pa rin ng konting space.

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The questions

15 questions for a new student

Every question in English and Filipino/Tagalog, word for word from the Kumustahan decks. Open “Back of the card” for the reflection printed on the other side.

Getting to know them

4 questions

Interests you can use later in examples and topics.

  1. If you had one free hour every week, what hobby would you go back to?

    Kung may isang free hour ka every week, anong hobby ang babalikan mo?

    Back of the card

    A hobby you miss can point to a part of you that still wants some space.

    Yung hobby na nami-miss mo minsan tumuturo sa part ng sarili mo na gusto pa rin ng konting space.

  2. Recall the last time you tried something new just because you were curious.

    Ikuwento ang huling beses na sumubok ka ng bago dahil curious ka lang.

    Back of the card

    Would you try it again, or was once enough?

    Susubukan mo ba ulit, o sapat na ang minsan?

  3. Which kind of task makes you lose track of time?

    Anong klaseng task yung nakakalimutan mong oras kapag ginagawa mo?

    Back of the card

    The tasks that make time move fast can reveal what absorbs you, energizes you, or quietly fits how your mind works.

    Yung tasks na nagpapabilis ng oras pwedeng clue kung ano ang kumukuha ng focus mo, nagpapagana sa'yo, o bagay sa utak mo.

  4. Name one small, specific thing you enjoy more than people expect.

    Magbanggit ng isang maliit at specific na bagay na mas enjoy mo kaysa ina-expect ng iba.

    Back of the card

    Specific joys can be tiny clues about a person. They do not need to make sense to everyone to be real.

    Yung specific joys, maliit na clue tungkol sa tao. Hindi kailangan gets ng lahat para maging real.

How they learn

6 questions

The answers shape how you teach them.

  1. If someone worked or studied with you for one week, what would they notice about your style?

    Kung may makakasama ka sa work o school for one week, ano kaya ang mapapansin nila sa style mo?

    Back of the card

    Your style may show in pace, focus, questions, breaks, or how you handle pressure. People notice more than we think.

    Pwedeng lumabas ang style mo sa pace, focus, tanong, breaks, o paano ka humarap sa pressure. Marami palang napapansin ang tao.

  2. When learning something new, what help do you like from a friend?

    Kapag may bago kang inaaral, anong tulong ang gusto mo mula sa friend?

    Back of the card

    Show me once, let me try, or stay beside me — which help would you choose?

    Ipakita muna, hayaan akong sumubok, o samahan ako — alin ang pipiliin mong tulong?

  3. Who taught you a useful skill or habit you still use in daily life?

    Sino yung nagturo sa'yo ng useful skill o habit na gamit mo pa rin sa daily life?

    Back of the card

    Practical lessons are easy to overlook, but they stay close. They show up in the small ways you move through a day.

    Madaling ma-overlook ang practical lessons, pero dala-dala mo pala. Lumalabas sila sa maliliit mong galaw araw-araw.

  4. Who taught you a work or school habit you still use, and what was it?

    Sino yung nagturo sa'yo ng work o school habit na gamit mo pa rin, at ano yun?

    Back of the card

    Some habits come from people who modeled them first. Their way of doing things can quietly become part of yours.

    May habits na galing sa taong nauna lang magpakita. Tahimik mong nadadala yung style nila hanggang maging part na rin ng style mo.

  5. What helps you keep going when the next step is not clear?

    Ano ang tumutulong sa'yo magpatuloy kapag hindi pa clear ang next step?

    Back of the card

    You do not need the whole map to keep moving carefully. Sometimes enough light for one step is still enough.

    Hindi mo kailangan ng buong mapa para gumalaw nang maingat. Minsan sapat na ang konting linaw para sa isang step.

  6. What have you been putting off that might bring relief once you start?

    Ano yung matagal mo nang pinapabukas na baka gumaan kapag nasimulan mo na?

    Back of the card

    Starting can be the hardest part because it makes the thing real. Relief may come before everything is finished.

    Minsan pinakamahirap magsimula kasi nagiging real na yung bagay. Pero minsan nauunang dumating ang relief bago matapos lahat.

Goals and nerves

5 questions

Ask near the end, once they’re comfortable.

  1. Name something you are nervous about that still feels worth trying.

    Magsabi ng isang bagay na kinakabahan ka pero parang worth it pa ring subukan.

    Back of the card

    Nerves and courage often show up together. The fear does not automatically mean the step is wrong.

    Madalas magkasama ang kaba at courage. Hindi porket may takot, mali na agad ang step.

  2. What would you like to make more time for this month?

    Ano ang gusto mong bigyan ng mas maraming oras ngayong buwan?

    Back of the card

    Imagine an extra afternoon opens up. Would you spend it all on this or leave some time free?

    Isipin na nabakante ang isang hapon. Ilalaan mo ba lahat ng oras dito o magtitira ka pa ng libreng oras?

  3. Finish this sentence: “In this next season, I hope I get to experience...”

    Tapusin mo yung sentence: “Sa next season, sana ma-experience ko...”

    Back of the card

    This sentence can stay small or open wide. Either way, it gives your hope a place to begin.

    Puwedeng maliit lang o biglang lumawak yung sentence. Either way, may starting point yung hope mo.

  4. How do you talk to yourself when you fall short?

    Paano ka makipag-usap sa sarili mo kapag nagkukulang ka?

    Back of the card

    The voice you use with yourself matters. It can either add weight or make room for a wiser next step.

    Mahalaga yung boses na gamit mo sa sarili mo. Puwede siyang magdagdag ng bigat o magbigay ng space para sa mas wise na next step.

  5. What have you done recently that you are pleased about?

    Anong nagawa mo kamakailan ang ikinatuwa mo?

    Back of the card

    If your win had a tiny trophy, what would be written on it?

    Kung may maliit na trophy ang nagawa mo, ano ang nakasulat dito?

How to use them

Before you ask

In a first tutoring lesson, the most useful questions find out what the student enjoys, how they like to be helped and what makes them anxious, because those three answers decide how every later lesson should go.

New tutors often spend the first session testing: a placement quiz, a worksheet, a list of errors. The student leaves feeling assessed, not helped. A few conversational questions first change that. You learn that they lose track of time drawing, that they hate being corrected mid-sentence, or that they want to be able to talk to a colleague without panicking. All of it is gold for planning.

For language tutoring, these questions double as a speaking sample: you hear their level while they talk about something they care about. For other subjects, ask them as an opener before the work begins. Either way, answer one yourself. Students trust tutors who share a little.

Good for

  • First sessions with a new English learner
  • Private tutors in any subject
  • Online tutoring platforms
  • Mentors meeting a new student
  • Parents setting up tutoring for a teen

Tips

  1. Ask, then listen for interests you can build lessons around.
  2. Ask how they like to be corrected, and respect the answer.
  3. Keep the goals question for the end, when they trust you a little.
  4. Write down two or three details and mention them next lesson. It shows you listened.
  5. Don’t test in the first ten minutes; talk first, assess later.

Decks for this

First tutoring lesson

Frequently asked questions

What should I ask a student in the first tutoring session?

Ask what they enjoy, how they like to get help when learning, what has worked for them before and what they would like to be able to do. Then ask what makes learning stressful for them.

How do I start a first tutoring lesson?

Introduce yourself briefly, ask two or three easy questions about their interests, and answer one yourself. Move to learning style and goals once the student is relaxed.

Do these questions work for language tutoring?

Yes. They give you a natural speaking sample, so you can judge level and vocabulary while getting to know the learner.

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