Online Tutoring and Technology Policy

Purpose Tutoring offers online sessions through Google Meet so that students can receive high quality support from home. To keep sessions smooth, productive, and respectful of everyone’s time, families are asked to follow the guidelines below.

1. Technology and Setup Requirements

For all online sessions, students are expected to have:

  • A reliable internet connection

  • A device that can run Google Meet (laptop, desktop, tablet, or Chromebook)

  • A working camera, microphone, and speakers or headphones

  • A quiet space with minimal background noise

Using the Chrome browser is strongly recommended for the best experience.

Students should join the Google Meet link 5 minutes early for their first session to test audio, video, and screen sharing.

2. Materials and Screen Sharing

In order for tutoring to be effective, the tutor must be able to clearly see the student’s assignments and work.

For online sessions, families agree to:

  • Email any worksheets, assignments, practice tests, or notes that may be used in the session at least 6 hours in advance

  • If the student only has a paper copy, send clear, well lit photos or a scanned PDF

  • If work is on a school website or online portal, provide the name of the site and which unit, topic, or section the student is working on

  • Have any relevant websites or assignments open at the start of the session so the student can easily share their screen

If a school device does not allow screen sharing, the family agrees to either:

  • Send all materials ahead of time as described above, or

  • Join the session from a personal device that does allow screen sharing

3. Helping the Tutor See the Student’s Work

For math and science especially, it is important that the tutor can see the student’s work in real time. Families agree to use one of the following setups:

  • The student writes on paper that is visible on camera, and holds their work up to the camera when asked, or

  • The student joins the Google Meet from a second device, such as a phone, pointed at their notebook like a simple document camera, with the phone muted and volume turned down, or

  • The student uses a tablet or touchscreen device with a stylus to write directly on a shared online whiteboard

The tutor will work with each family to find the option that fits their technology and still allows the tutor to see the student’s thinking process.

4. Minimum Session Length and Technical Issues

Sessions are scheduled with the intent to meet for the full agreed upon time, usually 60 minutes.

If technical issues prevent the tutor and the student from meeting for at least 40 minutes of a 60 minute session, it may be treated as a “tech failure” and handled as follows.

If the issue is on the tutor’s side
Examples include the tutor’s internet failure, platform errors, or hardware problems that prevent the session from continuing.

  • The family will not be charged for that session

  • The session will be rescheduled at no cost

  • At the tutor’s discretion, extra time may be added to a rescheduled session as a courtesy

If the issue is on the student or family’s side
Examples include device problems, lack of required software, repeated inability to connect, or unstable internet on the family’s side that prevents the session from continuing.

  • For a first occurrence, the tutor may offer one courtesy reschedule at no charge

  • If similar issues continue, the missed time may be treated as a late cancellation or no show and billed in full according to the standard cancellation policy

Families are encouraged to follow the setup instructions carefully to avoid preventable problems.

If the source of the issue is unclear

Sometimes technical issues are shared or difficult to assign to one side. In these situations, the tutor will make a good faith judgment based on what was observed.

  • For a first ambiguous tech failure, the tutor will generally offer a free reschedule

  • For repeated issues, the tutor may offer a discounted reschedule or treat the session as billable in part or in full, depending on the circumstances

5. Communication During Tech Problems

If there are any problems connecting at the start of a session, families agree to:

  • Check their email and phone within the first 5 to 10 minutes for updates from the tutor

  • Be available by text or call at the contact number provided during booking

If tech issues arise during the session, the tutor may suggest switching audio to a phone call while keeping video on Google Meet, using an alternate device, or rescheduling if the issues cannot be resolved quickly.