I first found myself tutoring in High School. I was very good in chemistry and my Teacher would point students in my direction. Meanwhile in math class my common routine was to listen to our 15-20 minute lecture, do the assignment, and then turn around and help my classmates complete the assignment. I always enjoyed seeing the light go on in my fellow classmates.
I went on to UC Berkeley and got a Mechanical Engineering degree with a minor in British Literature. After spending some time in the workforce as an engineer I decided to pursue Teaching as a career. While I enjoyed the actual teaching opportunities, I got tired of the lack of Administration support and the excessive amount of classroom time that was spent on discipline and management.
When it comes to the actual process of tutoring I try to first access how a student learns. Often I find students have trouble when the way something is being taught simply doesn't address their needs as a student or they need to see more of the in between steps. Time and attention will allow anyone to learn just about anything.
Currently I spend my non-tutoring time taking classes in Modern Machining in order to pursue my love of making things (that's where the whole Mechanical Engineering came from). So I can definitely relate to my students as I am a student myself.