It started with a comment on one of my YouTube videos. A viewer felt I was diminishing tutors by uplifting teachers. That wasn’t my intention — not even close. But the exchange got me thinking: why is this conversation so touchy? And why does it matter so much?
Here's what I believe: tutors and teachers both play important roles in the learning process of their students. But they are not the same. And when we blur the line between them, we unintentionally undervalue the work, training, and responsibility that goes into teaching.
What’s the difference?
Tutoring is important. It’s targeted, often short-term support meant to help a student succeed in a course or subject they’re already enrolled in. It fills gaps, builds confidence, and reinforces concepts and skills that students may struggle with. Anyone with an aptitude for a specific content area and a desire to help others can become a tutor — and many do a fantastic job.
But teaching? Teaching is something else entirely.
Teaching means being the primary instructor. It means developing curriculum, designing assessments, managing learning outcomes, and creating a full instructional plan tailored to the learner. It pulls on your understanding of pedagogy, developmental psychology, and often specialized training in areas like literacy, differentiation, and special education.
In my own private practice, I do both. As a private tutor, I provide support for a course someone else designed. I don’t determine the learning goals or assessments. I help students meet someone else’s expectations.
As a private teacher, I am the course. I create the framework, set the goals, design the instruction, and guide the learning from start to finish.
Both are valuable. But they are not the same.
Why this matters—especially for teachers
Most people don’t really know what teachers do. They know what it felt like to be a student, or what they see during parent-teacher conferences. But they don’t see the lesson planning, the data analysis, the behavioral and academic differentiation, the scaffolding, the ongoing assessment, the professional development, the hours of invisible labor.
So when teachers leave the classroom and say they’re now “tutoring,” it creates a disconnect. Not because tutoring is less-than — but because calling it that fails to communicate what’s actually happening. And that misunderstanding contributes to the devaluation of the entire teaching profession.
It’s the same reason we differentiate between a physician and a physician's assistant. Both are educated professionals. Both help people. But they aren’t interchangeable – at least not in all areas.
The private practice teaching model
When I started my own teaching business, I didn’t want to be seen as a "homework helper". Not because that work doesn't matter, but because I wanted to be recognized for the depth of skill and experience I brought with me. So I took inspiration from other licensed professionals who go into private practice—therapists, doctors, occupational therapists, and more.
That’s how The Private Practice Teacher® was born.
I do all the things a classroom teacher does, minus the bureaucracy:
I design the learning experience
I teach face-to-face or asynchronously
I build curriculum, assessments, and support materials
I communicate with families and track student growth
I pursue professional development and reflective practice
The only difference? I work for myself, not a district.
And just like other private practice professionals, I get to decide:
Who I work with
What I charge
How I structure my time
What kind of learning I facilitate
Words matter
If you're a trained educator providing a full-service learning experience for your students, I believe you deserve to call yourself a teacher. Especially if you're doing the work of teaching. Calling it tutoring because that’s the common term only reinforces the idea that teaching isn't worth much outside of schools.
Let’s flip that.
Let’s start using language that reflects the full value of our training, experience, and impact.
Let’s make teaching something that can thrive inside and outside of the classroom.
Let’s make it visible, viable, and valued.
And if you’re not sure whether what you’re doing is teaching or tutoring, I’ve created a guide to help you decide—plus tips on how to price your services accordingly.
🔗 Click here to access the free resource: Are You Teaching or Tutoring?
Want to hear more on this topic? Explore related posts like 'What is Private Practice Teaching?' or 'Stop Undervaluing Your Teaching Expertise' on my blog to dive deeper. Watch my free Pricing Strategies Mini-Course on YouTube.