diff --git a/spacy/pipeline/tok2vec.py b/spacy/pipeline/tok2vec.py
index 99ed21a7c..fe768fb06 100644
--- a/spacy/pipeline/tok2vec.py
+++ b/spacy/pipeline/tok2vec.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
-from typing import Sequence, Iterable, Optional, Dict, Callable, List, Any
+from typing import Sequence, Iterable, Optional, Dict, Callable, List, Any, Tuple
 from thinc.api import Model, set_dropout_rate, Optimizer, Config
+from thinc.types import Floats2d
 from itertools import islice
 
 from .trainable_pipe import TrainablePipe
@@ -157,39 +158,9 @@ class Tok2Vec(TrainablePipe):
 
         DOCS: https://spacy.io/api/tok2vec#update
         """
-        if losses is None:
-            losses = {}
         validate_examples(examples, "Tok2Vec.update")
         docs = [eg.predicted for eg in examples]
-        set_dropout_rate(self.model, drop)
-        tokvecs, bp_tokvecs = self.model.begin_update(docs)
-        d_tokvecs = [self.model.ops.alloc2f(*t2v.shape) for t2v in tokvecs]
-        losses.setdefault(self.name, 0.0)
-
-        def accumulate_gradient(one_d_tokvecs):
-            """Accumulate tok2vec loss and gradient. This is passed as a callback
-            to all but the last listener. Only the last one does the backprop.
-            """
-            nonlocal d_tokvecs
-            for i in range(len(one_d_tokvecs)):
-                d_tokvecs[i] += one_d_tokvecs[i]
-                losses[self.name] += float((one_d_tokvecs[i] ** 2).sum())
-            return [self.model.ops.alloc2f(*t2v.shape) for t2v in tokvecs]
-
-        def backprop(one_d_tokvecs):
-            """Callback to actually do the backprop. Passed to last listener."""
-            accumulate_gradient(one_d_tokvecs)
-            d_docs = bp_tokvecs(d_tokvecs)
-            if sgd is not None:
-                self.finish_update(sgd)
-            return d_docs
-
-        batch_id = Tok2VecListener.get_batch_id(docs)
-        for listener in self.listeners[:-1]:
-            listener.receive(batch_id, tokvecs, accumulate_gradient)
-        if self.listeners:
-            self.listeners[-1].receive(batch_id, tokvecs, backprop)
-        return losses
+        return self._update_with_docs(docs, drop=drop, sgd=sgd, losses=losses)
 
     def get_loss(self, examples, scores) -> None:
         pass
@@ -229,9 +200,74 @@ class Tok2Vec(TrainablePipe):
         sgd: Optional[Optimizer] = None,
         losses: Optional[Dict[str, float]] = None,
     ) -> Dict[str, float]:
-        teacher_pipe.set_annotations(teacher_docs, teacher_pipe.predict(teacher_docs))
-        examples = [Example(doc, doc) for doc in student_docs]
-        return self.update(examples, drop=drop, sgd=sgd, losses=losses)
+        teacher_preds = teacher_pipe.predict(teacher_docs)
+        teacher_pipe.set_annotations(teacher_docs, teacher_preds)
+        return self._update_with_docs(student_docs, drop=drop, sgd=sgd, losses=losses)
+
+    def _update_with_docs(
+        self,
+        docs: Iterable[Doc],
+        *,
+        drop: float = 0.0,
+        sgd: Optional[Optimizer] = None,
+        losses: Optional[Dict[str, float]] = None,
+    ):
+        """Learn from a batch of documents and gold-standard information,
+        updating the pipe's model.
+
+        examples (Iterable[Example]): A batch of Example objects.
+        drop (float): The dropout rate.
+        sgd (thinc.api.Optimizer): The optimizer.
+        losses (Dict[str, float]): Optional record of the loss during training.
+            Updated using the component name as the key.
+        RETURNS (Dict[str, float]): The updated losses dictionary.
+
+        DOCS: https://spacy.io/api/tok2vec#update
+        """
+        if losses is None:
+            losses = {}
+        losses.setdefault(self.name, 0.0)
+        set_dropout_rate(self.model, drop)
+
+        tokvecs, accumulate_gradient, backprop = self._create_backprops(
+            docs, losses, sgd=sgd
+        )
+        batch_id = Tok2VecListener.get_batch_id(docs)
+        for listener in self.listeners[:-1]:
+            listener.receive(batch_id, tokvecs, accumulate_gradient)
+        if self.listeners:
+            self.listeners[-1].receive(batch_id, tokvecs, backprop)
+        return losses
+
+    def _create_backprops(
+        self,
+        docs: Iterable[Doc],
+        losses: Dict[str, float],
+        *,
+        sgd: Optional[Optimizer] = None,
+    ) -> Tuple[Floats2d, Callable, Callable]:
+        tokvecs, bp_tokvecs = self.model.begin_update(docs)
+        d_tokvecs = [self.model.ops.alloc2f(*t2v.shape) for t2v in tokvecs]
+
+        def accumulate_gradient(one_d_tokvecs):
+            """Accumulate tok2vec loss and gradient. This is passed as a callback
+            to all but the last listener. Only the last one does the backprop.
+            """
+            nonlocal d_tokvecs
+            for i in range(len(one_d_tokvecs)):
+                d_tokvecs[i] += one_d_tokvecs[i]
+                losses[self.name] += float((one_d_tokvecs[i] ** 2).sum())
+            return [self.model.ops.alloc2f(*t2v.shape) for t2v in tokvecs]
+
+        def backprop(one_d_tokvecs):
+            """Callback to actually do the backprop. Passed to last listener."""
+            accumulate_gradient(one_d_tokvecs)
+            d_docs = bp_tokvecs(d_tokvecs)
+            if sgd is not None:
+                self.finish_update(sgd)
+            return d_docs
+
+        return tokvecs, accumulate_gradient, backprop
 
 
 class Tok2VecListener(Model):