We are often asked about the difference between tutoring and, what we have created and called “Student Mastery”.

Tutoring is much needed for many students. Tutoring helps students understand concepts.

Tutoring usually fails, however, in teaching students to become self-directed and skilled students.

For example, when students have a general tutor for their homework – which is what some of the larger tutoring organizations try to sell – then the student necessarily becomes dependent on the tutor. From a business perspective, the large organization delights in these long term relationships because it helps keep clients.

We have the opposite approach: we try to get rid of our clients as soon as possible by making them as self-directed and skilled as possible.

If we can shift their motivation and teach them best practices for students, then we give them long-lasting abilities that can make them successful in all their classes without our help.

Isn’t that the goal?