What’s the Difference?
| Coaching | Tutoring | Therapy | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goal | Partner with students to become effective learners by exploring the tools, strategies and habits that can help them accomplish their goals as well as how their mindset impacts their learning. | Help students understand a specific subject and build academic skills so that they can perform well in that particular subject | There are many different types of therapy such as counselling. Generally speaking, the goal of therapy is to increase self-awareness, learn to understand interpersonal problems and manage them more constructively |
| Relationship | Teammate - both the student and the coach are experts working together to explore the systems, tools and strategies that work best to support their learning | Expert- the tutor has expertise in a specific area and knowledge of how to individualize instruction | Therapeutic - close, empathetic relationship where a student can openly share feelings and thoughts in a non-judgemental, safe space |
| Content of sessions | Global skills related to HOW students learn that impact all subject areas (i.e. planning, organizing, study habits, test-taking) | Subject-specific content that the student has difficulty with (i.e. math, English, science) | Social-emotional concerns interfering with learning (i.e. anxiety, stress, trauma) |
| Example based on a student having difficulty completing homework | Coach will help the student identify the root of the problem as well as the missing skills and suggest routines and tools to build their ability to complete their homework on their own | Tutor will help the student finish their homework on time | Therapist will help the student process feeling overwhelmed and anxious feelings about completing homework |
