What’s the difference between a tutor and a teacher?

Classroom teachers are responsible for planning lessons, delivering new content, and assessing students according to the provincial curriculum set by the BC Ministry of Education and Child Care. They introduce new concepts, design lesson plans, and prepare materials to meet the curriculum goals within a structured school year.

Tutors, on the other hand, typically do not introduce brand-new curriculum content. Their primary role is to reinforce the content that has already been taught in class. Tutors focus on the specific challenges a student is experiencing . That said, they will work with the questions and content the student brings.

In most cases, they do not create independent lesson plans or worksheets unless there is a specific arrangement with the family. Their goal is targeted support, clarification, and practice.

Teachers are highly skilled professionals who manage classrooms of many students at once. They must balance diverse learning needs, classroom dynamics, behaviour management, and strict academic timelines. While teachers strive to support every learner, the reality of a classroom setting means time is limited.

Every child learns differently and at their own pace. In a busy classroom, some students may need more time, repetition, or a different explanation style to fully understand a concept.

This is where tutoring makes a meaningful difference.

When you hire a tutor, you provide your child with individualized attention in a distraction-free environment. Students receive:

• A second explanation of challenging concepts
• The freedom to ask questions without hesitation
• The time they need to process and practice
• Lessons tailored to their specific learning style

This personalized support often helps students rebuild confidence in subjects they once considered “too difficult.” Not only that, tutoring also helps students build study skills, organization habits and independent learning strategies that will carry along well beyond the tutoring sessions themselves.

The BC certificate is a requirement for all teachers who intend to work in the BC school system. This certification ensures they meet professional and ethical standards to teach in BC schools.

Tutors, however, don’t necessarily need to hold a BC certificate to tutor. In fact, many tutoring agencies across the lower mainland hire undergraduate students to provide academic support.

At TTS, we take a different approach.

Most of our tutors are certified BC teachers. For the few who are not, they bring significant qualifications such as a Master’s degree and/or PhD, along with tutoring experience. All tutors undergo a criminal record check.

As a non-profit organization, our priority is quality, integrity, and student success. We carefully select experienced professionals committed to supporting your child’s academic journey.