Mentor vs. Tutor

I have a confession.

In my Junior year of high school, I got a C on my first honors math test. I broke down crying, my confidence shattered. Instead of my math teacher or math tutor (or anyone, really) encouraging or giving me hope, they caved to my fears… so I dropped to regular math where I could confidently cruise to an easy A. Dropping out of honors math is my biggest regret from back then. I was absolutely capable of succeeding in the harder class; I just lacked the confidence to face that moment of adversity.

Imagine if I'd had a cool, slightly older mentor: a social, STEM-majoring girl who could have snapped me out of my anxious spiral: "Audrey, get out of your head. You've got this." Unlike my math tutor or teacher at the time, a mentor would have recognized my capability and helped me overcome my fears and anxiety — living proof that I could do it too.

That’s why at Curious Cardinals, we don't use the "T-word" (tutoring). We call it academic mentorship. Tutoring often feels transactional — a quick, impersonal fix for Friday's test. We're so much more than that. Our transformative results come from consistent, weekly mentorship that compounds over time.

So, what does academic mentorship at Curious Cardinals look like? An important combination of 2 areas:

• Subject-specific support: Similar to traditional tutoring, but with personalized weekly meetings to identify and address struggles and progress.
• Executive function coaching: Just as important as mastering academic subjects, mentorship also strengthens organizational and time management skills. (No more nagging from mom!)

In practice, this approach to mentorship looks something like:

• A structured session that starts with goal-setting and ends with reflection
• Teaching principles like the Socratic method and anchoring learning in the 'why'
• Clear documentation of progress and next steps
  
  

So, my advice? Don't wait for that first failed test like I did. Start the year with support that builds confidence and independence from day one. Let's chat about how we can help your child become the most confident version of themselves.

Lastly, our “Mentor That Changed Your Life” campaign is still going strong! Tag your mentor (or just thank them) after you check out Eve Rodsky’s story.

Stay Curious,

Audrey and the Curious Cardinals team 💛