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In the complex Italian educational landscape, marked by challenges like early school leaving and the need for effective guidance, a key figure is emerging: the tutor teacher. Introduced as part of the PNRR reforms, this role aims to be a beacon guiding students on their personal and professional growth journey. Through an approach that combines tradition and innovation, the tutor teacher becomes a catalyst for change, capable of transforming uncertain academic paths into success stories. This article explores, through an emblematic case study, how a tutor’s targeted intervention can make a real difference, reshaping a student’s future and reigniting their passion for learning.
The story of Marco (a fictional name), a fourth-year student at a science-focused high school, is a concrete example of how personal difficulties and a sense of being lost can undermine even the most promising students’ paths. Despite good intellectual potential, Marco was showing a decline in performance, apathy, and growing demotivation. His class participation was minimal, and his once-brilliant results had become mediocre. This scenario, unfortunately common in many schools, highlights one of the system’s main critical issues: the difficulty in identifying and supporting students who, for various reasons, lose their way, risking to swell the ranks of early school leavers, a phenomenon for which Italy still shows worrying data.
The introduction of the tutor teacher figure, starting from the 2023/2024 school year, represented a strategic turning point to address these issues. This professional, a specially trained teacher from the same school, is tasked with supporting small groups of students, helping them develop awareness of their potential and overcome difficulties. In Marco’s case, being assigned a tutor teacher proved decisive. The tutor is not just a “super-professor” but a mentor who, in collaboration with the class council and the family, builds a personalized path. The goal is not only to improve grades but to help the student rediscover motivation and build a life project. This approach aligns perfectly with the new guidelines on orientation, which aim to move beyond the mere transmission of knowledge to embrace a more guidance-oriented teaching style.
The tutor teacher’s first step was to build a relationship of trust with Marco. Through one-on-one conversations, conducted with empathy and without judgment, the roots of his distress emerged: a deep uncertainty about the future, the pressure of family expectations, and the feeling of not being understood. The tutor used innovative tools like the E-portfolio, a digital platform where Marco could collect and reflect on his experiences, not just academic ones. This self-narrative process helped him recognize skills and passions he thought he didn’t have or didn’t consider important. The tutor acted as a facilitator, asking the right questions rather than providing ready-made answers, stimulating the student’s intrinsic motivation.
At the same time, the tutor worked in synergy with other teachers and involved the family in a constructive educational alliance. He explained the goals of his intervention to the parents, helping them understand their son’s anxieties and recalibrate their expectations. This constant dialogue helped create a cohesive support environment around Marco, which was crucial for his recovery. The specific training the teacher received, focused on relational skills and guidance methodologies, proved essential for managing the complexity of the situation.
The turning point for Marco came when, guided by his tutor, he began to explore post-high school paths that combined his logical-mathematical skills with a newfound interest in design and technology. Discovering ITS (Higher Technical Institutes) courses and professional degrees in these fields opened up a new and concrete horizon. Seeing a realistic and exciting goal reignited his desire to apply himself. The tutor teacher supported him in researching information, analyzing study plans, and even contacting students already enrolled in those courses, making the choice more informed and conscious.
The results were not long in coming. Over the last year, Marco’s academic performance improved significantly in all subjects. But the most important change was on a personal level: from an apathetic and insecure boy, he transformed into a proactive, curious student aware of his own worth. He learned to recognize his skills, value his experiences, and plan for his future. His story shows how a well-structured tutoring intervention not only counters academic failure but also lays the foundation for a person’s educational and professional success, in line with the goal of a school that leaves no one behind.
Marco’s case is not an isolated one, but it exemplifies the positive impact that tutor teachers can have on the Italian school system. This figure, introduced to combat early school leaving and improve guidance, is proving to be a strategic tool for personalizing education. Acting as a “pedagogical glue,” the tutor fosters dialogue among students, families, and the teaching staff, promoting a collaborative climate essential for the well-being and success of every student. For this model to work, it is crucial to invest in the continuous training of teachers and in the recognition of their role, including through adequate compensation.
Experience shows that effective tutoring significantly reduces the risk of dropping out, helping students overcome blocks and rediscover motivation. It also promotes more conscious post-high school choices, aligning individual aspirations with labor market opportunities and helping to reduce the mismatch between education and employment. In a Mediterranean context that balances tradition with a drive for innovation, the tutor teacher emerges as a modern “maestro,” a bridge between theoretical knowledge and its practical application, capable of guiding young people in an increasingly complex world.
Marco’s success story, made possible by the targeted intervention of a tutor teacher, highlights the invaluable worth of this new figure in the Italian educational landscape. The personalized approach, empathetic listening, and use of innovative tools proved fundamental in transforming a crisis situation into a growth opportunity. This case study is not just the story of an individual journey, but a concrete demonstration that investing in guidance and personalized support is the main path to combatting early school leaving and nurturing every student’s talents. The tutor teacher emerges as a pillar of a more inclusive and attentive school, capable of combining the rich Mediterranean cultural tradition with the necessary drive for innovation, preparing young people to build their life projects with confidence and awareness in the European market.
The tutor teacher is a strategic figure introduced in Italian upper secondary schools starting from the 2023/2024 school year, as part of the reforms planned by the PNRR. Their main role is to support a group of students (usually between 30 and 50) in their educational and personal journey. Specifically, the tutor helps each student develop greater awareness of their potential, value their talents, and overcome any learning difficulties. They work closely with the class council to personalize educational paths and act as a point of reference for students and their families, facilitating dialogue and creating an educational alliance. A central task is to guide students in completing the E-portfolio, a digital tool that documents acquired skills and educational experiences, helping them make more informed choices for their future.
The tutor teacher and the guidance teacher are two distinct but complementary figures, created to strengthen the school guidance system. While the tutor teacher works closely with a small group of students to support their daily personal and academic growth, the guidance teacher has a more strategic and cross-cutting role within the institution. The guidance teacher is responsible for collecting and organizing data on post-high school educational opportunities (universities, ITS, the world of work) and on the demands of the local area, then making this information available to tutor teachers and students. In practice, the guidance teacher provides the “macro” tools and information, while the tutor uses them to personalize the “micro” path of each of their students, helping them connect their aspirations with real opportunities. Their collaboration is essential to ensure comprehensive and effective guidance.
To become a tutor teacher, a teacher should preferably be a permanent staff member with at least five years of service and express their willingness to take on the role for a three-year period. The selection is made on a voluntary basis within the school, and preference is given to those who have already gained experience in areas such as guidance, combating early school leaving, or managing Pathways for Transversal Skills and Orientation (PCTO). Once selected, teachers must complete a mandatory 20-hour training course, organized by INDIRE on a dedicated online platform (“Scuola Futura”). This training aims to provide the necessary skills to manage the helping relationship with students, use guidance tools like the E-portfolio, and develop personalized paths. The goal is to prepare tutors to become true facilitators of students’ learning and personal growth.
No, the tutor teacher’s intervention is designed for all students, not just those in difficulty. The primary goal, as emphasized by the Ministry of Education and Merit, is to nurture the talents of every student. For students facing obstacles on their path, the tutor offers personalized support to help them overcome challenges and prevent dropping out. For students who are already performing well, the tutor acts as an “accelerator,” helping them to excel, explore their passions more deeply, and set even more ambitious goals. In both cases, the tutor works to increase self-awareness, transversal skills, and the ability to make thoughtful choices—skills that are fundamental for the educational and professional success of every young person.
The tutor teacher is a professional figure introduced in Italian schools to guide and support students on their journey. Their task is to help each young person become aware of their potential, overcome difficulties, and make thoughtful choices for their educational and professional future. In practice, they work alongside the student and their family, acting as a point of reference to nurture talents and prevent early school leaving.
A tutor helps a student in difficulty through personalized support. First, they establish a relationship of trust to understand the causes of the distress, which can be academic, motivational, or relational. Then, they work with the student to highlight their strengths and passions, which are often hidden behind failure. They help set small, achievable goals to rebuild self-esteem and provide strategies to improve study methods and organization, turning a path of failure into an opportunity for growth.
Yes, the systemic introduction of the tutor teacher and the guidance teacher is a relatively recent innovation, formalized starting from the 2023/2024 school year. This innovation is part of a broader guidance reform under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), aimed at modernizing the school system and aligning it with contemporary needs. Although tutoring projects existed in the past, this reform makes the tutor’s role structural and central to the student’s journey, especially in the final three years of secondary school.
The fundamental difference lies in the role and focus. A subject teacher specializes in teaching a specific discipline and evaluating learning in that field. The tutor teacher, on the other hand, has a transversal role: they don’t focus on a single subject but on the student’s personal and educational growth as a whole. They are a coordinator who collaborates with other teachers and the family to help the student develop transversal skills, find their direction, and build their own life project.
The tutor teacher is an institutional figure within the school. To get in touch, the easiest way is to contact the school’s administrative office or the class coordinator, who can provide the name of the tutor assigned to a specific group of students. Schools generally communicate at the beginning of the school year how to interact with tutor teachers, whose functions are an integral part of the educational offering for students in the final three years of secondary school.