5 Key Differences Between Tutoring and Teaching

If you are considering tutoring or teaching, here are 5 key differences that you should keep in mind.

1. As a tutor, you don't get to make up the lesson plan.

As a tutor, you do not get to choose the material you cover. It is completely up to the student to direct your session. Questions need to be answered and topics covered by the student's instructor need to be clarified.

2. Teachers have to present information in such a way that students who learn in a variety of ways can retain the material.

While tutors only need to ensure that the one or two students they are helping, teachers have a much larger task. They must present a wide-variety of material in a manner that is accessible to a wide-range of learning styles. If the material presented in the classroom isn't presented in a way that allows for differences in learning styles, the teacher will end up with a large portion of the class not understanding the lessons.

3. Tutors need to hone in on the learning style of their students.

Tutors, on the other hand, have the luxury of tailoring the information to the learning style of their individual student or couple of students. They don't have to take potentially twenty different learning styles into consideration.

4. Teachers have to adjust their pace in order to compensate for the pace of their class as a whole; tutors only have to adjust to the pace of one student, or at most, a handful.

Teachers, in order to ensure that most of the class understands the information, need to adjust the pace of their class from time to time. In cases where most, if not all, of the class, understands the information, the teacher can move ahead faster than anticipated. On the other hand, if a large portion of the class appears to be struggling with a concept, the teacher can slow down and approach the subject from another angle.

Tutors, however, by the very nature of their work, are forced to advance at the pace of the students they are assisting. It is hard to move forward when the student, or small group, you are tutoring doesn't get it. There is simply no way to move forward until the concept is mastered.

5. Tutors can help fill in the gaps.

Instructors at all levels are so busy that there are times when they have to skim over certain aspects of a subject. While most students might be able to follow along, others might need someone to help fill in the gaps. That is exactly where tutor come in. Tutors can help more fully explain the method the teacher was trying to get across.

By better understanding the roles of both teacher/professor/instructor and tutor, students can better utilize the services of both, getting the most out of the educational experience. When instructors, students, and tutors work together to cover the necessary material, it becomes exceedingly difficult for students to fall through the cracks.