Does tutoring in school work the same as mentoring?

No

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by Gary Maclean

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As we grow up we all face a myriad of different challenges. Some of the challenges are problems, some are perceived problems, and others are merely bumps in the road. All of us have been through it; we have all grown up. We have an idea of what may have helped us or what we could have had that we didn't; we know where we went wrong. This has been true since kids first started growing up, which has been forever.

Today we want our kids to learn. We want them to have what we didn't. We want them to be able to get over the bumps in the road easier than we did. We want them to have good grades, an education and the required skills to go further in life than we did. We want them to learn and to understand things. They need to grasp the concepts and techniques being taught so they can progress and succeed.

To understand all the information our kids are being faced with today they often need or could use extra help. Their teacher can do just so much in the allotted time given for certain classes. The student may study after school, in study hour, or even in the evening at home. But study sometimes doesn't do everything. There are some concepts being taught that simply must be explained before the student will ever grasp them. For this added assistance we use tutors.

A tutor is a private instructor who provides additional, special, or remedial instruction. A tutor can concentrate the teaching and instruction directly at one individual, which may expedite the learning process. Tutors are educated and experienced in the field being tutored. They have met the challenges already and have conquered them. They are employed to share that information, not only on the subject matter itself but also on the techniques used to master the topic. Tutors are an excellent way to give your child a helping hand in any subject that seems to be giving your student problems.

We also want our children to have good role models. We know there is more to life than bookwork. We want our students to be able to look up to other adults and imagine that's where they could be if they beat the struggle. Our kids need a trusted friend, a counselor maybe even a life teacher. They need someone who is more experienced at what they would like to do or be. Someone they can learn from by watching.

Some professions even have "mentoring programs" where new employees or graduates are paired with more experienced people in order to obtain the best "hands-on" training, examples and advice as they advance. Schools also have mentoring programs for new students or students who are having difficulties. Mentors provide their expertise to less experienced individuals in order to help them advance their careers, enhance their education, and build confidence.

Tutors and mentors are different while they are also similar. A tutor concentrates on specific subjects and how to master them. Mentors generally don't deliver anything physical, they perform in a positive way and the "mentee" simply observes. A tutor actively reaches out to a specific individual, discovers that individual's needs and zeroes in on it to help enforce the required learning.

A mentor doesn't concentrate on any topic in particular. A mentor will go about their normal activities in a manner they have become accustomed to but one that will act as a positive example for the mentee. Without even realizing it the mentor is acting as a teacher for the student.

We could say that tutors are active in the child's educational development while a mentor is passive in the student's social growth. One shows the student the mechanics behind solving the difficult math equation the other allows the student to watch him as he solves it and learn how best to approach problems, analyze them and then solve them.

Tutors become tutors on purpose; they want to share their thinking ability. Mentors usually become mentors by selection. Society watches them perform and decides if that individual is a good mentor or not. Many sports figures are considered good mentors due to their usual good sportsmanship and clean living styles. When a famous sportsman goes bad, though, they have dropped out of the league of mentor.

Not all famous or well-known people can be mentors; it takes more than being recognizable to be classified as a mentor. Famous people who are in prison for hideous crimes may have been mentors at one time but they have fallen from grace and are no longer a mentor. A mentor must be a positive example, someone who is successful and has gotten there in an honest and upright manner.

Not every graduate is a tutor. Many people can learn and perfect techniques but not everyone is a teacher. A tutor is a specific teacher. A tutor is someone who knows their subject, excels in it, and can also successfully transfer their knowledge to their student.

A mentor can easily resemble a teacher by example. In that sense they are like a tutor. A tutor can become a mentor without really trying just by excelling in their task. I think the best way to differentiate between the two is that a tutor is active and a mentor is passive.

Our children today need both tutors and mentors. Both approaches work in similar manners but both address different aspects of our children's lives. We are making tutors everyday by educating them. Mentors make themselves by performance.

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