Defining Terms. Tutoring. Mentoring.

TUTORING MENTORING
TUTOR/MENTOR
SAME WORDS/
DIFFERENT MEANINGS
This short presentation is part of a series of Power Point essays provided by the Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC. Each is
intended to illustrate a point in an education-to-career strategy that is based on Dan Bassill's own 35-year leadership
of a volunteer-based tutor/mentor program in Chicago. These are intended to introduce “concepts” rather than to
provide the full understanding of a concept. LINKS on the T/MI website and blog are intended to help a reader flesh
out his understanding of each topic. Readers are invited to send links to research papers and web sites that illustrate
the points offered in these presentations in greater detail.
Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present)– Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) - http://www.tutormentorexchange.net

TUTORING/MENTORING: SAME WORDS-DIFFERENT MEANINGS
As public education becomes a growing concern,

many solutions are being proposed. Some include
support for tutors and mentors.
However, the Tutor/Mentor Institute feels that

the different needs of youth from different
economic backgrounds, and with different
learning environments, are not being well-
served in the current debate.
SAME WORDS/ DIFFERENT MEANINGS

Hello. I'm Dan Bassill. I led volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs in
Chicago from 1975 to 2011. I created the Tutor/Mentor Connection
(T/MC) in 1993 and Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (T/MI) in 2011, to help
similar programs grow in every high poverty area of Chicago and other
cities. I hope you'll connect with me on social media and visit the
www.tutormentorexchange.net website to find more essays like this.
Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present)– Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) - http://www.tutormentorexchange.net Pg 2

One challenge that hinders the development of an

effective national education/learning policy is the
differing understandings various stakeholders have.
We EACH define the problem from our own lens of
experience and understanding.
This essay illustrates the various meanings of these

two common terms: Tutoring. Mentoring
SAME WORDS/ DIFFERENT

MEANINGS

All kinds of learning and teaching are needed to

help an infant grow into an educated adult.
Tutoring and Mentoring are just two parts of a
spectrum of learning support.
TUTORING/ MENTORING
These essays aim to stimulate growth of birth-to-work strategies.

The two primary influences on the education of a

child are K-12 teachers and parents.
TEACHING PARENTING
TUTORING/ MENTORING
The teacher is the primary tutor.
The parent is the primary mentor.

This map of Chicago shows areas

with 20% or higher concentrations
of poverty.
The flags are schools performing
below Illinois Board of Education
learning standards.
See maps at
https://tutormentorexchange.net/mapping-the-programs
TEACHING PARENTING
TUTORING/ MENTORING
Clearly, in these areas teaching and parenting are not

providing all the help a youth needs for effective learning.

This map shows cities in Illinois

with highest rates for youth not
finishing high school.
Urban areas and larger cities

have more severe problems.
Read more about drop out rates and find links to this map at
http://tutormentor.blogspot.com/search/label/drop%20out
TEACHING PARENTING
TUTORING/ MENTORING
Clearly, in these areas youth need more comprehensive

systems of support than what is now available.

The mission of the

Tutor/Mentor Connection
is to help comprehensive,
long-term, volunteer-based,
tutoring/ mentoring
programs grow in each
poverty neighborhood and
near each poorly
performing school.
This map shows locations of programs in the
Chicago region that offer various formats of
volunteer-based tutoring and mentoring.
See maps like this at https://tutormentorexchange.net/mapping-the-programs

The green stars on this

Chicago
map are sites of
programs in Chicago
that offer volunteer-
based tutoring and/or
mentoring.
The Tutor/Mentor Institute seeks

to help each program obtain the
resources needed for each site
to be a “best practice” in
helping kids succeed in school
and move to careers.
See maps like this at https://tutormentorexchange.net/mapping-the-programs

All youth need adult support. Youth living in high poverty don’t start out with the same
levels of support and community services as do youth in more affluent areas. Youth in
smaller communities have access to services that youth in large urban areas do not.
Youth living in Youth with social-

neighborhoods with high emotional needs
levels of poverty. Includes requiring professional
youth with incarcerated intervention. Youth
parent(s). in group homes, state
support systems, etc.
This group is where
T/MC focuses
its support.
System Involved
Youth – gangs, Youth with parents in
juvenile justice, the military, deployed
high risk of over seas, wounded
violence. and/or killed in
combat.
Read research articles at -https://tutormentorexchange.net/resource-links

Note: Kids who don't live in poverty need mentors, too. Read
https://tutormentor.blogspot.com/2022/05/kids-not-living-in-high-poverty-need.html

School-Time Programs: 9am - 3pm, 5 days a week, 9 months a year.

High Career
Pre-K K - 5th 5th - 6th 6th - 8th
School Track
3-5 PM Non-School Programs After 5 PM and Weekend Programs
We focus on the non-school hours

Because of the potential that exists to develop strategies that
help more inner-city youth come to school each day better
prepared to learn.
Because so many public leaders are focused on what happens at

the school during the school day, we seek to recruit leaders who
make it their 100% commitment to fill the non-school hours with
quality learning opportunities.
And, because in big cities the after-work hours are times when more
workplace volunteers are available to build long-term connections with
kids in high poverty areas.
Many leaders, including the Presidents Bush,

Obama, and Biden have called on volunteers to
serve as tutors and mentors so that youth have
more help in learning.
TEACHING PARENTING
TUTORING/ MENTORING
This over simplifies the different learning needs

of youth in different learning environments.

Policy and leadership impact are diminished by the

lack of distinction between different forms of
tutoring/mentoring.
IN-SCHOOL NON-SCHOOL
VOLUNTEER VOLUNTEER
TEACHING TUTOR TUTOR MENTORING
PROFESSIONAL VOLUNTEER
PARENTING
TUTOR TUTOR/MENTOR
THESE ARE NOT THE SAME.

Most public debate simplifies how easy it is to

teach. This oversimplifies how much a tutor can
accomplish in a short time to correct learning
disabilities, or to change learning patterns.
VOLUNTEER VOLUNTEER
PARENTING
TUTOR TUTOR/MENTOR
For profit tutoring centers such as Sylvan, Huntington, etc. offer fee-for-service
tutoring. Many individuals offer private fee-for-tutoring. It takes tremendous
professional expertise to correctly diagnose a learning problem, develop a
strategy to overcome it, then to implement that strategy with support from
teachers, parents and the student. The high costs of these service make them
unaffordable for large numbers of students, or as long-term solutions. Yet, they
offer the best hope for improved short-term results.

Many leaders promote peer tutoring and programs

like AmeriCorps as a strategy for increasing the
number of youth who are tutored.
VOLUNTEER VOLUNTEER
PARENTING
TUTOR TUTOR/MENTOR
Developing effective teaching and professional tutoring skills takes

years of learning and experience. Expecting youth volunteers to
accomplish as much with less training and time on task is creating
misleading expectations. Yet, the volunteer and peer tutor can have a
considerable impact if they are well supported by professional
educators who are skilled at maximizing the contributions of volunteers.
Visit the Proven Tutoring website to learn more about academic tutoring
https://proventutoring.org/

The non-school hours offer opportunities to support

learning and to supplement the role parents fill in
most families. In many 3-5pm programs a variety of
volunteers offer tutoring and homework help.
VOLUNTEER VOLUNTEER
PARENTING
TUTOR TUTOR/MENTOR
3-5pm, weekend and evening homework and tutoring centers offer a safe
environment for learning, and are critically important for children with
working parents, or who are exposed to multiple-negative risk factors during
the non-school hours. Yet, these volunteers usually are not professionally-
trained teachers. Without adequate support their impact on short-term or
long-term learning outcomes will miss expectations.

A mentor is an adult who, along with

parents, provides young people with
support, counsel, friendship, reinforcement
and constructive example.
VOLUNTEER VOLUNTEER
PARENTING
TUTOR TUTOR/MENTOR
The National Mentoring partnership defines a mentor as “a guide, a friend, a

listener a coach, a responsive adult”. They do not include “a tutor” in this list
and in many pure mentoring programs the focus is not on academics.

Programs that connect youth with workplace adults,

ranging in age from 20 to over 70, provide long-term
surrogate parenting, model work experiences and
aspirations, and provide differing degrees of
tutoring expertise.
VOLUNTEER VOLUNTEER
PARENTING
TUTOR TUTOR/MENTOR
Volunteers drawn from professions and the workplace often have college and
advanced degrees. Many are former teachers who have entered the workplace.
Programs that offer services at a time when the volunteer is more available can
keep volunteers involved longer, creating a bond that turns the volunteer into a
surrogate parent who is willing to do many things to see that a child reaches
his/her full potential.

Tutor/Mentor Programs are a long term strategy.

The impact on youth and volunteers grows the
longer the involvement is sustained.
VOLUNTEER VOLUNTEER
PARENTING
TUTOR TUTOR/MENTOR
Funding for such programs is not included in the Federal

legislation. On-going funding to support such programs is not
readily available from private philanthropy.
Read philanthropy articles on Tutor/Mentor blog

https://tutormentor.blogspot.com/search/label/philanthropy-a Pg 19
Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present)– Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) - http://www.tutormentorexchange.net

America needs to understand the different intensity

of tutoring/mentoring support needed for different
economic areas.
If a youth lives
in an area with
If a youth lives
chronic poverty
near good
and consistently
schools and in
poor schools,
non-poverty
he/she needs
areas, his need
support from a
for tutoring and
full range of
after-school
tutors and
programs is far
mentors.
different.
Chicago
View maps at https://tutormentorexchange.net/mapping-the-programs

If our goal is to help more youth living in poverty reach jobs and careers…
Career Pipeline map

- http://tinyurl.com/TMI-Career-Pipeline
See more maps like this at

http://tutormentor.blogspot.com/search/label/workforce
Chicago
In areas with chronic poverty and

consistently poor schools, children need
support from a full range of tutors and
mentors.
VOLUNTEER VOLUNTEER
PROFESSIONAL VOLUNTEER PARENTING

TUTOR TUTOR/MENTOR
Volunteers are needed to expand the

number of youth served, and to
The professional tutor is reinforce changed learning habits as
the child continues through school.
needed to help overcome
learning barriers.

For volunteers to succeed, programs must have

resources to provide training and support staff who
support the on-going connection of tutors, mentors,
youth and learning opportunities.
VOLUNTEER VOLUNTEER

TUTOR TUTOR/MENTOR
Volunteers are needed to expand the

number of youth served, and to
reinforce changed learning habits as
the child continues through school.

If a strategy draws volunteers from the workplace or

other adult groups (alumni, church, college, etc.), it
can lead to greater private sector funding of these
important services.
VOLUNTEER VOLUNTEER

TUTOR TUTOR/MENTOR
LEADERSHIP is needed to develop and sustain such a strategy.

Public funds should be dedicated to expanding the tutor/mentor
capacity in every city.
Read Leadership articles at http://tutormentor.blogspot.com/search/label/leadership

Mentoring as part of Workforce Development: a structure and a strategy.
To SUCCEED
T/MC Goal: We must recruit business
leaders who will use their
Create structures that resources in PULLING
Youth to Careers
recruit workplace volunteers
to help inner-city youth
reach Careers.
School-Time Programs
High Career
Pre-K K - 5th 5th - 6th 6th - 8th
School Track
3-5 PM Non-School Programs After 5 PM and Weekend Programs
We call this
To SUCCEED
MENTORING YOUTH
We must help tutor/mentor
program leaders, volunteers, TO CAREERS
schools and parents be more Learn more about these concepts at
effective in PUSHING www.tutormentorexchage.net
Youth to Careers

Tutor/Mentor Programs Needed in Many Cities
Mentor-rich youth programs are needed in every city with

areas of concentrated poverty. A strategy like the
Tutor/Mentor Connection is also needed.
See this map at https://mappingforjustice.blogspot.com/2022/09/neighborhoods-of-concentrated-poverty.html

TUTORING/MENTORING: LEARN MORE. VISIT THE TUTOR/MENTOR CONNECTION WEB SITES
Learn more about how you

and others can add your
LEARNING and
LEADERSHIP to this effort.
Visit these web sites:
* http://www.tutormentorexchange.net
• http://tutormentor.blogspot.com
• Http://mappingforjustice.blogspot.com
Connect with Dan Bassill on-line at these

locations on social media
https://tutormentorexchange.net/social-media
Email: tutormentor2@earthlink.net
“I have been collecting this information and learning these ideas for 50
years. Set up a learning group and build your own understanding. Share
what you learn through your own blog and website so I and others can
learn from you.

Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC

Tutor/Mentor Connection
http://www.tutormentorexchange.net
Add Your Support.

https://tutormentorexchange.net/helptmi

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TUTORING MENTORING

Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present)– Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) - http://www.tutormentorexchange.net

As public education becomes a growing concern,

However, the Tutor/Mentor Institute feels that

SAME WORDS/ DIFFERENT MEANINGS

Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present)– Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) - http://www.tutormentorexchange.net Pg 2

One challenge that hinders the development of an

This essay illustrates the various meanings of these

SAME WORDS/ DIFFERENT

Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present)– Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) - http://www.tutormentorexchange.net Pg 3

All kinds of learning and teaching are needed to

Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present)– Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) - http://www.tutormentorexchange.net Pg 4

The two primary influences on the education of a

The teacher is the primary tutor.

The parent is the primary mentor.

Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present)– Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) - http://www.tutormentorexchange.net Pg 5

This map of Chicago shows areas

Clearly, in these areas teaching and parenting are not

Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present)– Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) - http://www.tutormentorexchange.net Pg 6

This map shows cities in Illinois

Urban areas and larger cities

Clearly, in these areas youth need more comprehensive

Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present)– Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) - http://www.tutormentorexchange.net Pg 7

The mission of the

See maps like this at https://tutormentorexchange.net/mapping-the-programs

Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present)– Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) - http://www.tutormentorexchange.net Pg 8

The green stars on this

The Tutor/Mentor Institute seeks

See maps like this at https://tutormentorexchange.net/mapping-the-programs

Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present)– Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) - http://www.tutormentorexchange.net Pg 9

Youth living in Youth with social-

Read research articles at -https://tutormentorexchange.net/resource-links

Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present)– Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) - http://www.tutormentorexchange.net Pg 10

School-Time Programs: 9am - 3pm, 5 days a week, 9 months a year.

3-5 PM Non-School Programs After 5 PM and Weekend Programs

We focus on the non-school hours

Because so many public leaders are focused on what happens at

Many leaders, including the Presidents Bush,

This over simplifies the different learning needs

Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present)– Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) - http://www.tutormentorexchange.net Pg 12

Policy and leadership impact are diminished by the

THESE ARE NOT THE SAME.

Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present)– Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) - http://www.tutormentorexchange.net Pg 13

Most public debate simplifies how easy it is to

Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present)– Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) - http://www.tutormentorexchange.net Pg 14

Many leaders promote peer tutoring and programs

Developing effective teaching and professional tutoring skills takes

Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present)– Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) - http://www.tutormentorexchange.net Pg 15

The non-school hours offer opportunities to support

Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present)– Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) - http://www.tutormentorexchange.net Pg 16

A mentor is an adult who, along with

The National Mentoring partnership defines a mentor as “a guide, a friend, a

Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present)– Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) - http://www.tutormentorexchange.net Pg 17

Programs that connect youth with workplace adults,

Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present)– Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) - http://www.tutormentorexchange.net Pg 18

Tutor/Mentor Programs are a long term strategy.

Funding for such programs is not included in the Federal

Read philanthropy articles on Tutor/Mentor blog

Tutor/Mentor Connection (1993-present)– Tutor/Mentor Institute, LLC (2011-present) - http://www.tutormentorexchange.net

America needs to understand the different intensity

View maps at https://tutormentorexchange.net/mapping-the-programs

Career Pipeline map

See more maps like this at