It is no secret or surprise that education comes differently to different people, and thus the unique challenge of how best to educate students is the perpetual difficulty in Canada’s educational landscape. This challenge has led to groundbreaking paths in education: enter Large Tutoring, founded by University of British Columbia alumnus Clinton Large, a graduate of their Chemical & Biological Engineering program. Like most enterprises, Large Tutoring started off modest, with Large himself tutoring just a few people in between his other jobs. Now, however, this enterprise has grown into a thriving and continually expanding educational nexus that offers personalized one-on-one tutoring both in-person and virtually all across the Greater Vancouver area, and online for the entire province. What was once one person tutoring a few select students now manages an impressive roster of over 25 capable, experienced, and dedicated tutors for subjects ranging all across STEM and the humanities; has helped over 1000 total students achieve their desired goals for their subjects; and regularly holds over 200 lessons each week across their tutoring base. Since the business’ founding, Clinton Large has proven no slouch in his business acumen; having gained a spot on BC Business’ 30 Under 30, as well as twice being a Canadian G20 Delegate for the Young Entrepreneur Summit.
“One of my favourite success stories is a student who started with us in grade 8 saying they were ‘naturally bad at math.’
Turns out, they had a turbulent math career up until that point. Switching schools, inconsistent teachers, missed parts of the curriculum lead to years of frustration. Now, this same student has graduated with honours and is studying at one of the country’s best schools for Math and Science! They want to become a doctor and just finished their first year of undergraduate studies – I couldn’t be prouder.”
One reason Large Tutoring has attracted so much success is that its core ethos extends beyond merely “making the grade”. While Large Tutoring is committed to assisting students in reaching their practical academic goals, it holds true and confident understanding of a given subject paramount. This ethos started with Large, who as an engineering alum learned that the “why” of an answer is just as important as the answer itself. This pedagogical approach focuses on the student’s comprehension of their work rather than simple memorization and regurgitation. By prioritizing the understanding of “why”, students foster a genuine appreciation for the mechanics behind an answer: a vital tool in their critical thinking and application of their knowledge which they can then use to solve much more than just the one problem posed to them. It may seem strange that a tutor’s goal would ultimately be to render themselves obsolete, and yet this goal of helping students achieve both self-confidence and self-sufficiency in their academic aspirations is precisely why Large Tutoring has maintained its successful trajectory. By proving itself to be committed to long-term development rather than short-term success (though it is committed to that as well), its mission is one that resonates with learners and motivates them towards their goals.
A crucial aspect of Large Tutoring’s principles is its commitment to the individual. Large and many other educators have recognized the dangers of homogenized “one-size-fits-all” learning models which have caused many students to erroneously believe they were incapable of learning effectively. This has a cascading effect, where discouraged students do not seek to improve their abilities as they believe themselves to be lost causes. Large recognizes this problem area in pedagogy, and structures his business accordingly:
“There’s no one perfect teacher for every student, every step of the way. That’s why we’ve built a team of over 25”.
None of Large Tutoring’s 25+ tutors has a mandatory or prescriptive learning method. Rather, each tutor talks with the student and their families to understand what learning looks like to that student; identifying any potential shortcomings or possible ways to engage the student in the learning process. This is central to Large Tutoring’s methods, and not one they forget even as the business grows. Every potential new tutor must show an openness and adaptability to educating in different ways. An attitude of collaboration and facilitation is a must-have for the tutors: they are not filling empty vessels, but rather working alongside their students to bring the knowledge and methods they already have or have yet to discover to the fore.
“I get asked a lot about whether I feel threatened by AI – and the answer is no. I compare it a lot to self-checkout lines. If your order is small and easy, you go to self-checkout. As soon as it’s big or complicated, you go to a person.”
Large Tutoring’s continued growth and success has also allowed Large to redouble his commitment to shrinking the education gap. As a queer business owner himself, he ensures that Large Tutoring provides high-quality education assistance to queer and trans students, Indigenous students and students of colour, as well as those with learning differences or neurodivergent students. The company additionally maintains sliding scale and pro-bono lessons for some students. With Large being active in human rights advocacy outside of Large Tutoring, it should come as no surprise that within the business as well every student is welcomed into a safe learning environment and encouraged to discover their own learning capabilities and methodologies that suit them and their lived experience. Many tutors are experienced in working with students with various learning differences both suspected and diagnosed. These differences are not seen as barriers to education or learning, but rather opportunities both for the tutors to improve their pedagogical practices and for the students to recognize their true potential. In the chaotic, information-dense world of today, it is more important than ever for students to be capable and driven in their learning. Large Tutoring is one of these institutions at the vanguard of personalized learning in ways that support and encourage the students to strive and achieve their goals. By promoting deeper, intuitive understanding of subjects, they are not only assisting students in their academic goals, but bolstering their ability to think critically, ask questions, and solve problems: skills that will travel with them far beyond the classroom.
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Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available information intended only for informational purposes. CanadianSME Small Business Magazine does not endorse or guarantee any products or services mentioned. Readers are advised to conduct their research and due diligence before making business decisions.
