[barry-cotter]

> Either I’m the better one in the pair, and I’m forced to waste my time doing the teacher’s job teaching simple concepts instead of learning anything new myself,

Nothing will expose the gaps in your own understanding faster than trying to teach another person. Just being forced to verbalise your own understanding helps you remember things better, even if you already had a good grasp of the material.

> or I’m the less knowledgeable in the pair, and instead of listening to a professional I’m stuck being tutored by an amateur who doesn’t know how to explain anything.

If they understand what they're talking about you can ask questions until you understand as well as they do.