PST Onboarding

Welcome to Planting Seeds Tutoring & Test Prep!

We're happy to have you on our team

Module I: About PST, Rules, Policies​, and Expectations

​About Planting Seeds

• We are excited to have your experience, knowledge, and passion added to this team and support students reach their goals. ​

• ​ Our mission is to empower students by providing a positive environment where they can master the skills needed to become successful independent lifelong learners.

• ​ Planting Seeds Tutoring believes that our tutors provide innovation, subject expertise, and mentorship to improve student's performance and develop a student's passion for learning and growth to apply in and outside the classroom.

​Chris - Owner and Founder

Welcome! My name is Chris Jones and I am the founder and owner of Planting Seeds Tutoring & Test Prep​. My envision of being a tutoring agency that helps students achieve academic success while building strong personal character and confidence is what Planting Seeds Tutoring thrives on. My passion for helping others improve academically while building character is a direct reflection of my upbringing and the impact from others throughout my journey.

​

​Favorite quote: "Genuine leaders have the ability to articulate, initiate, and follow-through on their vision."

​- Martin Luther King Jr.

​Noelle Brooks - Program Director

​Hello everyone! My name is Noelle and I am the Program Coordinator at Planting Seeds Tutoring. I am here to support you all as tutors! I have about 5 years of experience as a tutor and 4 years as a teacher. I began my teaching journey as a Fulbright ETA in Mexico where I was constantly challenged to adapt my teaching methods and style. I enjoy finding new and innovative ways to make sessions engaging and dynamic and sharing the best teaching methods and strategies with tutors. I strongly believe that it is our role as educators to create a personalized and supportive learning environment so that our students can achieve their goals.

​

​Favorite quote: "Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today."

​-Malcolm X

Danny Vieira - Director of Sales and Community Partnerships

Hello everyone, my name is Danny and I am the director of sales and community partnerships at Planting Seeds Tutoring. I studied Child Development Psychology and Spanish and I have worked in youth-based initiatives since the beginning of my career. I have previously worked as an after school teacher, soccer coach, ESL educator and non-profit professional. Now, I am excited to support all of you in reaching our kids and families across the United States! I look forward to helping our organization and its mission grow while connecting our phenomenal tutors to the opportunities where they are needed most.

​

Favorite quote: “Service to others leads to greatness” - Jim Rohn

​What we Offer

• ​Planting Seeds Tutoring offers tutoring and test prep courses in any subject to students of all ages from kindergarten to university and beyond.

• ​Types of tutoring sessions: (in-person & online)

  • ​1 on 1 tutoring sessions

  • ​School District tutoring

  • ​Enrichment Courses

• ​Subjects offered:

  • Core subjects

  • ​Test prep (ACT, SAT, GRE, AP, STAAR, GMAT, etc.)

  • ​Homework help

  • ​study skills

  • Enrichment: creative writing, foreign language, coding, drama, music, ASL etc

Our Focus

Planting Seeds Tutoring & Test Prep focuses on the big 3!

​

1. ​Building Relationships: getting to know each student as learners and people. This is a VITAL component of successful tutoring sessions. In addition, building positive relationships with parents and providing professionalism at ALL times.

2. ​Power of Adaptability: having flexible schedules and being able to agree on a convenient schedule that meets the needs of students. We are ready to assist at anytime.

3. ​Personalized learning: after assessment, create personalized learning plans based on your students needs and abilities. Our job is to make sessions, FUN, DYNAMIC, ENGAGING, and CHALLENGING.

What makes a GREAT tutor?

What skills are needed?

1. ​Willingness to LEARN!

2. ​Willingness to ADAPT!

3. ​Willingness to TEACH!

5 Qualities of a GREAT tutor:

1. Punctuality

2. ​Ability to listen

3. ​Approachability

4. ​Communication

5. ​Organization

Tutoring Session Rules and Policies

What to bring to sessions:

• Laptop / tablet (we prefer using a laptop/computer for online classes)

• ​pencils & pens

• ​paper / notebook

• ​Lesson plan

• ​calculator

• ​resources (worksheets, flashcards, etc.)

​

​**If tutors need any materials for tutoring sessions, please let the program director know and we will provide you with the resources

Dress Code Policy:

Dress code for tutors is casual while also maintaining a professional and appropriate appearance. Our appearance is a direct reflection of our character and what we represent. Here is a breakdown of what is appropriate for male and females:

​

Men:

​- Nice shirt, polo, collared button-up

​- Blue jean pants/shorts and/or khaki pants/shorts

​- Closed toe shoes

​

​Women:

​- Nice shirt, blouse, polo, button-up

​- Blue jean pants/shorts and/or khaki pants/shorts, black pants

​- closed toe shoes/sandals

Payment & Time off Request

• Tutors receive payment every 2 weeks on Tuesdays through direct deposit only (this may vary if you are working with a school district)

• ​If you need to request time off, fill out the form located in the curriculum folder and then send it to the owner and program director.

• ​Time off requests should be submitted 4 weeks in advance

If you have any questions, please reach out to

your Program Director and/or Program Coordinators

Multiple Select

PST offers tutoring to what academic levels?

• Elementary school

• Middle School

• High school

• University

Multiple Choice

How many sessions per month can a tutor miss or reschedule for 1:1 sessions?

• 0

• 1 per student

• 3

• 1

Multiple Choice

How many sessions per semester can a tutor be late to when working with a school district?

• 0

• 2

• 3

• 1

Multiple Choice

What is considered a passing score for the monthly quality review?

• 50% or higher

• 95%

• 80%

• 75%

Multiple Choice

When are session notes and attendance due?

• Every Saturday by midnight

• Directly after the session

• At the end of the month

• Every Monday

Multiple Choice

Tutors are responsible for contacting clients if they are sick and cannot make a session

• TRUE

• FALSE

Multiple Choice

Who should be the first person you contact if you have questions, doubts, concerns, etc.?

• Another tutor

• The program director or coordinator

• The owner

Module II: Clients and Sessions

Common Core Standards & TEKS

Depending on the state(s) that your students are in, it is essential to know how to check the specific standardized knowledge and skills that the students must know in each subject. Most states follow common core, but some states have their own adapted standards. This link below shows a map of the states and provides links to websites with more details. These websites usually have resources such as sample standardized exams that you can use during sessions. ​

http://www.corestandards.org/standards-in-your-state/​

​

​FOR TEXAS** Texas follows TEKS:

https://tea.texas.gov/academics/curriculum-standards/teks/texas-essential-knowledge-and-skills

​

These links outline the curriculum for each grade level and subject

Resources for Sessions

• ​There are a multitude of resources on the internet that teachers can use for both online and in-person sessions

• ​We also have a curriculum folder with resources and links

• ​Here are a couple of our favorite resources online:

  • ​IXL: has practice questions for subjects and grade levels. Also has common core standards for each grade & subject

  • ​Kahoot! Great way to check students progress and comprehension

  • ​Quizizz: similar to Kahoot but allows you to incorporate slides to teach and also evaluate

  • ​Wizer.Me: interactive worksheets--great for homwork!

  • ​Khan Academy: interactive videos that explain a variety of themes within subjects

​This is the curriculum folder in Google Drive

​Here you can find resources categorized by subject and grade level, test prep material, standardized assessments, lesson plan template, planning resources, time off request, Oases information, and more!

​

​If you have any resources that you think should be added, please let us know!

504 & IEP

• A 504 is a plan for how a school will support and remove barriers for a student with a disability. It provides accommodations and changes to the learning environment to enable students to learn alongside their peers. It has no cost for families

• ​An IEP is similar and stands for Individualized Education Program. This focuses on supporting students that have disabilities with specialized instruction.

In-Home Tutoring Sessions

General Rules:

• ​If student is 16 years and younger, the parents MUST BE HOME during the entire session.

• ​Open door policy: no doors should be closed during the session

• ​Wear protective gear (facemasks and gloves) and maintain social distancing recommendation to avoid COVID-19 (PST is not liable for any sicknesses or injuries from tutors meeting students in-person)

• ​Parents should NOT be sitting in on tutoring sessions as this can cause the student to be distracted and not fully participate

• ​If the client has pets and you are allergic, please let us know ASAP

• ​If there is any illegal activity happening OR if you feel uncomfortable for any reason PLEASE let us know ASAP.

Online Tutoring

PST offers online tutoring sessions to all students as well.

• ​Online sessions are carried out through zoom

• ​Use of the whiteboard application and annotate resources are required

• ​Tutors must abide by the dress code policy for online sessions

• ​Tutors must be in a quiet and well-lit area preferably with a neutral background.

• ​Avoid a high-traffic area of your home and avoid having a door in the background to avoid distractions

• ​Tutors must have a reliable camera and microphone for sessions

• ​A solid internet connection is IMPERATIVE

It is required to assign homework after each session!

Homework should not be too overwhelming and can be as little as 5 problems or a couple of pages depending on the subject and frequency of sessions i.e. if you meet your student 3 times a week then maybe just a couple of problems or questions is enough. If you meet once a week, then more homework would be necessary.

Multiple Choice

PST only offers in-person tutoring

• TRUE

• FALSE

Multiple Choice

For In-Home tutoring: if the parents are not home, the tutor should...

• carry on with the class as normal

• do the tutoring session outside

• not continue with the tutoring session

Multiple Choice

504 and IEP plans...

• to support students with disabilities

• to support students whose first language is not English

• are personalized lesson plans in core subjects

New Client Process

When PST receives a new student, these are the steps that the client goes through before the first tutoring session:

• ​Consultation: student meets with supervisors to discuss their particular needs, goals, and availability

• ​Student Assessment: during the consultation, the student will be given an assessment test via our database OASES (if applicable).

• ​Assessment Results: through the database students assessment will be graded to evaluate the areas/concepts the student struggles with

• ​Tutor Assigned: tutors will be assigned by supervisors to the available student.

• ​Lesson Plans for Sessions: tutor will then create personalized lesson plans for student each week.

How do Clients Pay?

• ​Clients purchase our monthly tutoring packages

• ​Clients have set amount of hours per month--this is why it is important to not miss any hours

• ​Hours do NOT rollover to the next month

• If you or the client has to cancel a session, please reschedule ASAP (within 7 days)​

• ​All payments are made on our website (plantingseedstutoring.com)

• ​Tutors are NOT allowed to accept direct payment from the clients.

First Session with a New Client

• Tutor will contact the client before the first session.

• ​If it is online, tutor will send an email introducing themself, send the zoom link, and ask parent/student if they have a syllabus, worksheets, or any other material that they could send before the first session.

• ​IF IT IS A TRIAL SESSION: at the end of the first session, please speak with the parent of the student and ask how you can continue lessons. Ask about their availability and create a schedule.

24 Hour Cancellation Policy

PST has a 24 hour cancellation policy for clients. This policy states that clients must let tutors know of a tutoring session cancellation at least 24 hours in advance.

• ​If clients fail to notify their assigned tutor they will be charged the full session fee

• ​It is the tutors responsibility to let clients know that we will be charging them for the full session fee if they break the policy

• ​Example: Charlie has a tutoring session at 5pm with his tutor Marcos. That same day at 8am, Charlie decides to cancel the session with Marcos. Since it is within 24 hours of the session, Marcos lets Charlie know that Planting Seeds Tutoring will charge for the full session that was scheduled at 5pm.

• ​**EXCEPTION**: the only exception is if there's an emergency or if the student is sick.

Multiple Choice

Clients pay the tutors directly

• TRUE

• FALSE

Multiple Select

Check the statements that are TRUE

• Unused hours in a package do NOT rollover to the next month

• Tutors do not have access to clients' package information

• PST does not offer trial sessions to new clients

• There are 30, 60, and 90 day packages

• Clients will still be charged if they cancel within 24 hours of their session

Multiple Select

The only exceptions to the 24 hour cancellation policy is if...

• The student is tired

• The student is sick

• They have a really good excuse

• If there's an emergency

Before you go! Did you receive a 100% on this quiz? If not, please go back and review your answers

Thank you and Welcome to the TEAM!