How Can a Certified Teacher Make a Difference in Tutoring?

By Julie Diamond, a certified teacher in Ontario and British Columbia, Canada and the Founder & CEO of Diamond Teachers Group (a teachers-only online tutoring company in Canada)

In celebration of World Teachers’ Day on October 5. 

As a certified teacher and the Founder & CEO of Diamond Teachers Group, I have always believed that the teacher makes a difference.

Not just in what a student learns, but in how they feel about learning. Today, on World Teachers’ Day, I want to celebrate teachers and talk about something I believe is incredibly important when it comes to tutoring: the value of a certified teacher as a tutor.

When parents are looking for a tutor, they may simply be looking for some extra help with math, reading, writing, science or another subject. Maybe their child is struggling with a particular concept, falling behind, preparing for a test or just needs a little more confidence.

But tutoring can be so much more than helping with homework. A great teacher looks beyond the assignment in front of them and asks, "Why is this student struggling?"

Is there a gap in their understanding? Do they need the concept explained differently? Are they missing a foundational skill? Are they overwhelmed? Do they understand the material but lack the confidence to show what they know?

These are the questions that can make a real difference.

Every Student Learns Differently

One of the most important things I learned as a teacher is that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to learning. What works beautifully for one student may not work at all for another. Some students need to see something visually. Some need to talk through their thinking. Some need examples connected to real life before a concept makes sense. Some need to practise a skill several times before they feel comfortable with it.

Sometimes a student simply needs someone to slow down, meet them where they are at and help them feel comfortable asking questions and making mistakes. This can be especially valuable for students with special learning needs, who may benefit from a teacher who has the training and experience to understand their individual strengths, challenges and learning needs. Having a trained professional who knows how to adapt instruction and provide the right support can make a meaningful difference in both a student's learning and their confidence.

Certified teachers are trained to recognize these differences and adjust their teaching accordingly. If a student says they don't understand, a teacher doesn't necessarily just explain the same thing again. They can step back, figure out where the confusion is coming from and try another approach. That ability to adapt is one of the things that makes teaching so valuable.

Identify Learning Gaps

Sometimes, a student appears to be struggling with one particular skill, but the real gap goes back much further. This is where having a certified teacher can make a real difference because they understand the curriculum and skills they were expected to develop in previous grades, so they can often identify the missing pieces much more quickly.

For example, a student may be struggling with Grade 9 algebra, but the real challenge may be that they haven't fully mastered foundational math skills from earlier grades. Simply giving them more Grade 9 algebra questions isn't necessarily going to solve the problem. A teacher can recognize where the breakdown is happening, go back to the skills the student needs to strengthen and then gradually build them back up.

The goal isn't to make a student feel like they are "behind." It's about identifying what they need right now and giving them the right support, strategies and instruction to move forward with confidence and be successful.

Understand the Curriculum

Another important advantage of working with a certified teacher is their understanding of curriculum and learning expectations. At Diamond Teachers Group, we work with students across Canada, and our teachers understand the provincial curriculum they are teaching.

That means tutoring can be connected to what a student is actually learning at school. It isn't just about finding a worksheet online and working through it. A teacher can look at what the student is currently learning, identify where they need additional support and make connections between their classroom learning and their tutoring sessions.

This can be especially helpful when a student is preparing for an assessment, working toward a specific learning goal or trying to catch up on missed skills.

Build Confidence

For me, this is one of the biggest reasons a certified teacher can make a difference. I don't believe tutoring should only be about improving a mark. Of course, academic progress is important, but so is a student's confidence in their own ability to learn.

I've worked with students who have started to believe that they just aren't "good at math," that they aren't good writers or that they simply aren't capable of doing well in school. Once a student starts to believe those things about themselves, it can be really difficult to change that mindset.

Sometimes, what a student needs most is the opportunity to experience success again. A teacher can break a challenging task into smaller, more manageable steps, find an approach that works for that particular student, celebrate their progress and help them recognize what they are capable of.

Over time, those small moments of success can begin to change how a student sees themselves as a learner. They start to take more risks, ask more questions and believe that they can figure things out, even when something is difficult.

And to me, that is just as important as the mark on the report card.

Develop Independence

Another thing I think is really important when choosing a tutor is asking yourself: Is this tutor helping my child become more independent?

I don't believe the goal of tutoring should be for a student to rely on their tutor for every assignment, question or difficult task. The goal should be to help them build the skills, strategies and confidence they need to eventually do more on their own.

A certified teacher can intentionally build these skills into tutoring sessions. This might mean teaching a student how to break down a large assignment, organize their work, prepare for a test, approach a challenging math problem, use reading strategies or check their own work before asking for help.

These are skills that go beyond one tutoring session or one subject. They are skills students can take with them into the classroom, future grades and eventually into life beyond school. To me, helping a student become a more confident and independent learner is one of the most valuable things tutoring can provide.

Build Meaningful Relationships

At the end of the day, I believe teaching is about relationships. Students need to feel comfortable making mistakes, asking questions and saying they don’t understand without feeling embarrassed or judged. They need someone who will encourage them when something feels difficult and celebrate with them when something finally clicks.

That relationship can be especially important for students who have struggled academically or have lost confidence in themselves as learners. Sometimes, having a teacher who believes in them can be the first step toward believing in themselves again.

When a student starts a tutoring session saying, "I can't do this," and eventually says, "Wait, I think I understand now," that's a win. When they start attempting something challenging without immediately saying, "I'm going to get this wrong," that's progress.

And when they eventually say, "I figured it out myself," that's even better because that's when you know they aren't just learning the material. They're starting to believe in what they can do and that’s a beautiful thing! 

Connecting Tutoring With the Classroom 

Another benefit of having a teacher as a tutor is that it can make communication with your child's classroom teacher much easier. Teachers understand the language, curriculum expectations and assessment practices that classroom teachers use every day, so they can often communicate with them in a kind of professional shorthand. 

A teacher who tutors can understand what a classroom teacher is looking for when assessing a student's work and can better interpret feedback, rubrics and learning expectations. This creates a stronger connection between the classroom and tutoring and helps ensure that everyone is working toward the same goals and supporting the student in a consistent way. 

Why DTG Uses Certified Teachers

This is one of the reasons I founded Diamond Teachers Group. I wanted to create a tutoring company where families could connect with qualified Canadian teachers who could do more than simply help students get through their homework.

Our teachers support students in K–12 across all subjects and learning levels. They take the time to get to know each student, understand how they learn and adapt their teaching to meet their individual needs.

I believe students need more than information. They need connection, encouragement and someone who recognizes their strengths while also helping them work through the areas they find challenging.

Most importantly, they need to feel empowered.

That's what I believe great teachers do. They don't just teach a student a concept or help them get through an assignment. They help students understand how they learn, build confidence in their abilities and see what they are capable of.

And that is what we strive to do at Diamond Teachers Group, one student and one lesson at a time.

Celebrating Teachers

On World Teachers’ Day, I want to say thank you to the teachers who make a difference every day.

To the teachers who explain something for the third time because they know the student hasn't quite got it yet. To the teachers who find a creative way to explain a challenging concept by connecting it to something their student loves. I've seen teachers use Minecraft and TikTok to make math more engaging, and I've seen a teacher take a student's love of Super Mario and turn it into a writing activity where they created a script together and practiced using descriptive language.

That's what great teaching looks like to me. It's knowing your student well enough to understand what will make something click for them, and then finding a way to bring learning to life. Teaching is about so much more than delivering a lesson. It's about relationships, trust, creativity, encouragement, patience, knowledge and helping students recognize their own potential.

And that is why I believe a certified teacher can make such a difference in tutoring.

Happy World Teachers’ Day to all of the teachers who continue to help students learn, grow and shine bright.