Hi Jack, first of all I would say I'm the opposite than you in the aspect where I think 1 on 1 is more fun than group sessions hahahhha since from my own experience of handling kids, they can be as attentive as they are chaotic. But I think I can speak from both sides of the coin here since I am currently receiving coaching from a GM as well as coaching a few students now. On the former, he explained on intricacies and was even vulnerable to me to show his losses, weaknesses in what he fears and things like that which I personally find very inspiring since a 2600+ peak GM would actually admit what he fears, lacks and things like that which is surprising to say the least when we think of them as super strong almost always. He broke down simple themes into details which were very easy to understand and the diagrams/problems he gave and is giving me for homework is very instructive.
On the coaching side, I'd usually approach my students for one on one by pinpointing their own lackings without being critical. For instance I'd say this move/sequence is bad so if you play this, what do you think here etc. In a way its good because you pose them problems as well as get to know their thoughts on that type of position/setup etc which is good since we dont need to expect right answers in the first place, we just want them to speak up and say what they think to understand where they're at in terms of comprehension in it. I'd also provide notes to them which outlines a summary of what was taught and was commended for it by some students/parents of students since it provides reference on what they could/should do and applying it. One thing I personally like to do is elaborate on the lessons with relating to relatable things (like a doubled pawns are like traffic jams since when one pawn is unable to move, the whole line comes to a standstill for the rest). This gives them something to relate on than purely technical chess terms.
Hopefully this provided some insight for you in this, happy improving and stay safe! 
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Hi all,
I'm an aspiring and relatively new chess coach (have done one on one coaching for a couple of players for about 4 months).
I have plenty of experience with group lessons, having taught groups of schoolkids for years, but one on one is a different beast I find.
Teaching is a skill like any other, and I'm hoping to expand my teaching abilities.
To players who have received beneficial coaching: what did your coach do that helped you most?
To coaches: what approach and methods do you find work best when approaching one on one coaching?
So far, the important things I've learned are:
1) Preparedness. The more prepared you are for the lesson, the better it will go. No brainer, but important nonetheless.
2) Clarity. Make sure there are a few illustrated key points the student can actually take home and use in their own chess. Of course, chess can be difficult, and principles have their exceptions, but one must know them before learning how to break them.
3) Goals. It's pretty important that the student has a goal to keep their eyes on as they put in the work, something to strive towards and a way to measure progress.
Those are a few I can think of.
Would like to hear about your experiences
All the best,
~ Jack