Teach One Person (TOP)
Educational Learning Consultant
Frequently Asked Questions
Helping Educational Institutions Support Students While Creating Professional Opportunities for B. Ed. Graduates
Teach One Person (TOP) is a professional model developed from extensive experience in providing learning services to educational institutions.
The objective is simple:
Identify what is preventing a student from learning effectively, provide an appropriate solution, and help the student become more independent.
TOP Educational Learning Consultants are trained to identify academic and study difficulties using the SASD-30-BE, understand the student's learning needs, select appropriate interventions from the 59 Secrets to Studying, work individually with students, monitor progress, and recognize situations requiring referral.
TOP is designed to address academic and study difficulties. It is not intended to replace clinical psychology, psychiatry, medical care, counselling, safeguarding services, or other specialized professional services.
PART A: FAQs FOR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
1. What is Teach One Person (TOP)?
TOP is a structured student-support model through which a trained TOP Educational Learning Consultant works individually with students to identify and address difficulties affecting their learning and academic performance.
The emphasis is not simply on teaching more content.
The emphasis is on asking:
"What is preventing this student from learning effectively?"
Once the difficulty is identified, the consultant selects an appropriate intervention and helps the student practice it.
2. Why would a school or college need TOP?
Educational institutions often have students who struggle with:
- concentration
- memory
- reading
- understanding
- study methods
- repeated mistakes
- examination performance
- organization
- effective practice
- other academic and study difficulties
A school may not have the resources or need to employ a specialist or a professional for this purpose.
TOP provides an alternative: access to a trained person who can provide structured, individual student support.
3. Is TOP a replacement for a school psychologist or counsellor?
No.
A TOP Educational Learning Consultant is a B.Ed.-qualified educational professional who has undergone TOP training.
TOP training does not confer a Psychology qualification, counselling qualification, clinical qualification or any regulated professional title.
The consultant must represent their qualifications accurately and work within the scope of their educational role.
TOP is designed specifically around academic and study difficulties.
It should complement, not replace existing school counselling, psychological, medical, safeguarding or mental-health services.
When a student's concerns fall outside the scope of TOP, the consultant should recommend or initiate appropriate referral according to the institution's procedures.
4. What kinds of student problems can a TOP Consultant address?
Examples include:
- "I study but cannot remember."
- "I cannot concentrate."
- "I read very slowly."
- "I have to read the same thing repeatedly."
- "I understand it today but forget it later."
- "I keep making the same mistakes."
- "I don't know how to study effectively."
- "I cannot understand difficult topics."
- "I don't know how to practice."
- "I study for long periods but achieve little."
The exact intervention depends on the individual student's difficulty.
5. How does a TOP Educational Learning Consultant identify a student's difficulty?
The consultant uses the SASD-30-BE — Student Academic & Study Difficulty Screener, B.Ed. Edition as a structured starting point for identifying areas of academic and study difficulty.
The SASD-30-BE covers five broad areas:
- Learning & Academic Skills
- Study Management & Attention
- Learning Attitude & Academic Performance
- Energy & Physical Factors
- Educational & Social Context
The screener helps identify areas that require further professional exploration. It is not, by itself, a diagnosis.
The screener is used to guide discussion and educational intervention. It is not a diagnostic test for psychological or psychiatric disorders.
6. What happens after the SASD-30-BE?
The consultant does not simply look at the score and prescribe a solution.
The process is:
Screen → Understand → Identify the difficulty → Select an intervention → Practice → Follow up
The consultant considers the student's responses together with discussion, observation, and educational context.
7. What are the "59 Secrets to Studying"?
The 59 Secrets to Studying are a collection of practical learning and study principles addressing problems such as reading, understanding, memory, concentration, practice, errors, speed, and examination performance.
The consultant does not necessarily use all 59 Secrets with every student.
One student does not need 59 Secrets.
The appropriate Secret is selected according to the student's particular difficulty.
8. Is TOP simply another form of tuition?
No.
Tuition primarily helps a student learn a particular subject or body of content.
TOP Educational Learning Consultants focus on the process of learning.
They help identify difficulties such as ineffective reading, poor retention, inefficient practice, distraction, repeated mistakes, or difficulty organizing study.
The consultant then helps the student develop a more effective way of learning.
TOP does not replace subject teaching. It addresses difficulties that interfere with effective study and learning.
9. Is an Educational Learning Consultant a psychologist or counsellor?
No.
A TOP Educational Learning Consultant is a B.Ed.-qualified educational professional who has undergone TOP training.
TOP training does not confer a Psychology qualification, counselling qualification, clinical qualification or any regulated professional title.
The consultant must represent their qualifications accurately and work within the scope of their educational role.
A consultant may encounter emotional, behavioral, family, social, health, or other concerns that are affecting a student's studies.
When those concerns appear to require services outside the scope of TOP, the consultant should not attempt to treat them through the 59 Secrets. The appropriate response is further assessment and/or referral.
10. Can TOP help students who have examination anxiety?
TOP may help address academic factors contributing to examination difficulties, such as inadequate preparation, repeated errors, ineffective practice or poor study methods.
However, TOP should not be represented as a treatment for a clinical anxiety disorder.
Where significant anxiety or other psychological concerns are identified, appropriate professional referral should be considered.
11. What about bullying, family problems or serious emotional difficulties?
These concerns may emerge during the screening or consultation process.
They are important and should not be ignored.
However, they fall outside the primary scope of the 59 Secrets.
The TOP Consultant should follow the educational institution's appropriate safeguarding and referral procedures and involve the suitably qualified professional or authority where required.
12. How much time does a student need with a TOP Consultant?
There is no single fixed duration.
The amount of support depends on:
- the student's difficulties
- the number of areas requiring intervention
- the student's response to intervention
- the institution's requirements
- the consultant's agreed service arrangement
TOP is intended to be individualized rather than a one-size-fits-all program.
13. Can a school engage a TOP Consultant without employing one full-time?
Yes.
The TOP model is specifically designed to allow an educational institution to engage a consultant according to its needs.
The arrangement may be based on:
- hourly professional services, or
- a monthly retainer arrangement.
The exact scope, duration and professional fee are agreed between the institution and the consultant.
14. Who pays the TOP Consultant?
The educational institution engages the consultant directly and pays the consultant according to the agreed professional arrangement.
TOP does not require the consultant to surrender a percentage of the professional income.
15. Does TOP take a commission from the consultant?
No.
The model is designed to enable the TOP Educational Learning Consultant to develop an independent professional service.
The consultant retains 100% of the professional income earned from their institutional engagements.
16. Can TOP Consultants work with individual students as well as institutions?
The TOP model is primarily being developed around services to educational institutions.
A consultant may subsequently develop other services within their professional competence and applicable requirements, but TOP's institutional model is centered on student support within educational settings.
17. How does the school know whether TOP is working?
The consultant should establish an appropriate baseline, identify the specific difficulty, apply the intervention, and review the student's progress.
The focus is therefore not merely:
"Did the student attend the session?"
but:
"Did the student's identified difficulty change?"
The consultant should document the intervention and follow-up appropriately.
18. Will the school receive confidential information about students?
Student information should be handled with appropriate confidentiality and in accordance with the institution's policies and applicable requirements.
The consultant and institution should establish beforehand:
- what information will be collected
- who can access it
- what will be reported to the institution
- how records will be maintained
- what circumstances require disclosure or escalation
Student safety and safeguarding requirements take priority where applicable.
19. Does TOP guarantee improvement in marks?
No.
TOP does not promise a particular examination score or academic result.
The purpose is to identify and address specific academic and study difficulties.
Performance improvement may follow when those difficulties are successfully addressed, but individual outcomes depend on many factors.
20. How can our institution explore TOP?
The institution can begin by discussing its student-support requirements with a TOP Educational Learning Consultant.
The consultant can explain:
- the scope of TOP
- the student-support process
- the screening procedure
- intervention options
- reporting and follow-up
- the proposed professional arrangement
PART B: FAQs FOR PROSPECTIVE TOP EDUCATIONAL LEARNING CONSULTANTS
21. Who can become a TOP Educational Learning Consultant?
TOP Educational Learning Consultants are initially intended for B.Ed. graduates who are interested in helping students overcome academic and study difficulties.
A B.Ed. background provides a foundation in teaching, learning, and educational practice.
TOP adds a structured approach to identifying individual learning difficulties and selecting appropriate study interventions.
Applicants will be required to establish their B.Ed. qualification.
Acceptance into the TOP Consultant pathway is subject to the applicable eligibility and training requirements.
22. Why should a B.Ed. graduate become a TOP Educational Learning Consultant?
A B.Ed. prepares you to teach.
TOP helps you develop an additional capability:
identifying why an individual student is struggling to learn.
Instead of providing the same teaching to every student, you learn to identify the student's specific difficulty and select an appropriate learning intervention.
TOP therefore adds a problem-solving dimension to your educational expertise.
23. Do I need previous experience working in a school?
Not necessarily.
Previous educational experience may be useful, but the TOP training is intended to help qualified B. Ed. graduates learn how to apply the framework in educational settings.
24. What training will I receive?
The TOP training will introduce the consultant to:
- the philosophy and principles of TOP
- the SASD-30-BE
- interpretation and professional use of the screener
- the 59 Secrets to Studying
- one-to-one student intervention
- follow-up and outcome monitoring
- professional boundaries
- referral and escalation procedures
- working with educational institutions
The aim is not simply to teach information, but to develop practical competence.
25. Will I receive the SASD-30-BE?
Qualified TOP Educational Learning Consultants will be trained in the appropriate professional use of the SASD-30-BE as part of the TOP framework.
The instrument should be used within its defined purpose and scope.
The screener is used to guide discussion and educational intervention. It is not a diagnostic test for psychological or psychiatric disorders.
Screen → Explore → Identify → Intervene.
26. Will I have to use all 59 Secrets?
No.
The 59 Secrets are an intervention resource.
The consultant's job is to identify the student's particular difficulty and select the most appropriate intervention.
One student does not need 59 Secrets.
The objective is to find the right intervention for the right difficulty.
27. Will I be working for TOP?
No.
The intention is not to create an employer-employee relationship.
TOP provides the framework, tools, training and guidance.
The consultant develops their own professional relationships with educational institutions and provides services independently, subject to the applicable professional and legal requirements.
28. How do I earn from TOP?
A TOP Consultant may offer services to educational institutions on an agreed:
- hourly basis, or
- monthly retainer basis.
The consultant negotiates the professional arrangement directly with the institution.
29. How much can I charge?
TOP does not prescribe a universal professional fee.
Fees may depend on:
- location
- institution
- number of students
- frequency of service
- consultant's experience
- scope of work
- time commitment
The consultant and institution determine the professional arrangement.
30. Does TOP take part of my income?
No.
The TOP model is deliberately designed so that the consultant can retain 100% of the professional income from their independent institutional work.
31. Is TOP a franchise?
No.
TOP is not intended to operate as a conventional franchise in which consultants pay a fee or percentage to use a business brand.
The objective is to transfer knowledge and experience to qualified educational professionals so that they can develop independent services.
32. What is the Gurukula principle behind TOP?
TOP is inspired by the principle of learning through guided practice and a continuing teacher–learner relationship.
The idea is:
Learn → Practice → Demonstrate competence → Serve → Prosper → Give back
Training is offered without a mandatory training fee.
33. What is Guru Kanike?
Guru Kanike is a voluntary expression of gratitude from a consultant who, after learning and becoming successful, wishes to offer something back.
It is:
- not a training fee
- not a commission
- not a condition for becoming a TOP Consultant
- not a percentage of professional income
A consultant may choose whether and how to express gratitude.
Guru Kanike may take the form of a financial offering, service to another student, helping another professional learn, adopting a government school/college, or another meaningful contribution.
34. If I do not give Guru Kanike, can I remain a TOP Consultant?
Yes.
Guru Kanike is voluntary.
The professional obligations of a TOP Consultant arise from their commitment to responsible practice, not from any expectation of financial return to the founder.
35. What are my responsibilities as a TOP Consultant?
A TOP Consultant is expected to:
- work within the defined scope of TOP
- respect student confidentiality
- use the SASD-30-BE responsibly
- avoid unsupported diagnosis
- select interventions appropriately
- document and review interventions
- recognize the limits of their competence
- refer when necessary
- maintain professional conduct
- put the student's welfare first
36. What should I do if a student reveals a serious personal or psychological problem?
Do not
attempt to solve it using the 59 Secrets.
The
consultant should follow the agreed TOP referral and escalation procedure and
the educational institution's relevant safeguarding procedures.
TOP is
designed primarily for academic and study difficulties. It does not replace
appropriately qualified clinical, psychiatric, medical, counselling or
safeguarding services.
37. Am I a "Clinical Psychologist" after completing TOP training?
No.
TOP training does not confer a regulated professional title or qualification.
A TOP Educational Learning Consultant should represent themselves accurately according to their actual academic and professional qualifications and any applicable registration requirements.
38. Does completing TOP guarantee that I will get schools as clients?
No.
TOP provides a framework and professional preparation.
The consultant is responsible for developing institutional relationships and providing the agreed service professionally.
The success of an independent practice depends on the consultant's competence, communication, professional reputation, institutional relationships, and the value provided to students and institutions.
39. What is outside the scope of a TOP Educational Learning Consultant?
A TOP Educational Learning Consultant should not use TOP training to:
- diagnose mental disorders
- diagnose psychological conditions
- provide psychotherapy
- claim to be a psychologist
- treat psychiatric or medical conditions
- independently investigate serious family or safeguarding problems
- provide clinical assessments
- interpret psychological tests outside their qualification and authorization
- present SASD-30-BE as a clinical or diagnostic instrument
Instead:
Recognize → Document appropriately → Refer
when a student's needs fall outside the educational scope of TOP.
40. What is the ultimate purpose of TOP?
TOP has two interconnected purposes:
Help students.
Identify what is preventing them from learning effectively and provide appropriate support.
Empower Education professionals.
Help qualified B. Ed. graduates convert their knowledge and experience into an independent professional service.
The larger philosophy is:
Use Your Educational Skills.
Help a Student.
Build a Professional Service.
Or, even better:
Teach Less. Understand More. Help Better.
Teach One Person (TOP)
Identify the difficulty.
Teach the solution.
Help the student become independent.
PART C: THE TOP PHILOSOPHY
TOP is based on a simple goal:
Every student deserves the opportunity to understand what is preventing them from learning effectively.
And every qualified professional deserves the opportunity to put their knowledge to meaningful use.
The founder's experience with more than 50 educational institutions has provided the practical foundation for developing the TOP model.
The purpose now is to make that experience replicable.
One professional can help only so many students.
A network of trained professionals can help many more.
Teach One Person (TOP)
One professional.
One student at a time.
One problem at a time.
Interested in becoming a TOP Educational Learning Consultant?
If you are a B. Ed. graduate and would like to explore the opportunity, complete the:
TOP Educational Learning Consultant
Expression of Interest Form
Are you an educational institution?
If you would like to explore how TOP could complement your existing student-support system,
contact us
Reference:
Please do not include any spam links in the comment box.