Tutor Vs Teacher: Meaning And Responsibilities

Have you ever wondered why do we call the educators at school teachers and the ones that provide education privately tutors? Both teachers and tutors help students expand their knowledge, and although both have the same goal, which is to teach students new things, there are several important differences between them.

Learning and studying come in many forms. Children can benefit from both types of instructors depending on their schooling and education needs. Teachers are an essential part of education for most kids, as are tutors for those that don’t listen to conventional classes but are homeschooled instead.

Roles of tutors

Tutors are private education teachers who do one-on-one learning sessions with a student or with a small group of students. As a result, the tutors can concentrate on the student’s different learning styles and adjust the class to their learning abilities. They can work remotely, from a library, or from any public location through webcams. Tutors can work with students to help them with the material they already had in school with the national curriculum. 

Private tutors can help students of any age to fill in gaps in their learning process or techniques. They can explain complex matters and concepts in a tailored way for students of all educational levels. For example, they can help a high school student with their understanding of basic organic chemistry, or provide advanced physics help and tutoring for college students.

A difference between tutors and teachers is that a tutor will help you with your homework and projects on a specific subject – something a teacher wouldn’t quite do.

Tutors provide flexible learning schedules, so you can make an appointment whenever you’re free – unlike with teachers, where you must go to their class at a specific time in the day. The best thing about tutors is that they encourage and provoke students to think independently and ask important questions.

Some private tutors are trained to support children with special educational needs and can provide help with communication barriers. They can also nurture the learning capabilities of kids who are considered gifted learners.

You can find tutors trained to help you with any subject on any educational level and you will surely be serviced with a special approach of tailored learning approach for you. No matter if you need help with homework, understanding a difficult subject, or simply if you need a different approach than your default classroom learning.

Roles of teachers

Teachers are educators that must have a bachelor’s degree in the subject they teach and proper pedagogical training. They teach at schools of every education level and more often than not, to a larger group of more than 20 students.

Due to the larger groups, teachers may find it challenging to pay the required attention to each student individually. They must follow a strict curriculum in a set period, that’s why they can’t give much time to a specific topic that may be more complex than the others. 

The lesson plans they provide must follow a standard and strict procedure with little to no exceptions, which is the main reason for their inflexibility. Teachers use teaching methods that work for the greater percentage of the students, and because of the strict time they have, they can’t focus much on the ones that need more explaining than most.

Most of the teachers use the same teaching strategies they were taught in their educational facilities. They provide learning at a pace that suits the curriculum and is found suitable for the greater part of students.

They provide teaching only during working school hours, although some of the teachers provide consultation and assistance in a preset time. Teachers are responsible for managing the behavior of the students in the classroom, as they teach students of every age that may need help with their manners.

Another difference between teachers and tutors is that teachers give tests to grade the students. Most of them also give frequent homework and projects to encourage students to read the material at home. Some tutors also give homework to their students, but since grading is not something tutors usually do, the pressure factor is not present.

Final thoughts

Both tutors and teachers want the greatest education available for their students. A teacher’s occupation ensures consistent employment and salary, whereas tutoring offers greater flexibility and the ability to work remotely. In one-on-one sessions, tutors could also use group study approaches to foster social connection.

The comparison provided in this article is not meant for deciding which one is better or worse. If tutors and teachers collaborate to make the student’s progress apparent, the greatest potential can be achieved.