To provide a safe, nurturing environment where children can boost their grades and build their confidence.
The relationships we build at Tutor Tots are all very important to us. We promise to treat all children with the respect they deserve. We promise to provide an environment that puts the fun back into learning, gives children permission to express themselves, nurtures a child's learning journey, builds confidence, and celebrates the uniqueness of every child.
How to Prepare for Classes
You need access to a laptop, computer, iPad or tablet. The device needs to have a microphone built in along with a web cam. Please note that older laptops, computers, iPads or tablets may not support all the PDFs we use in the classroom.
Log in before your set time to ensure that your camera, mic, etcetera are in working order before class begins.
All students up to Grade 5 must have a small whiteboard along with the appropriate markers and an eraser (larger eraser…not the eraser on the back on the marker, as it is too small and takes the students a long time to erase their work). Grade 6+ students, who can fully manipulate the online tools, do not need to have a whiteboard.
Your child must work in a space that is quiet. If you cannot provide a quiet environment for your child to learn and for the tutor to teach then we do not recommend online tutoring for your child. Noisy classes will result in termination of the session
Ensure your child has a pencil and some paper available to work out math problems. Of course, younger students can use their whiteboard. Also, as we often play interactive games (more so for the younger students), please ensure your child has some dice available.
Your child must also be sitting at a desk or table ready to work. Lying on the couch or floor or sitting on the floor does not create a productive working environment for your child. Classes will be cancelled if your child is not at a table/desk.
If your child is young and needs help navigating the program, it is imperative that you be in close proximity to your child, so that your child does not have to look for you every time he/she needs help.
If we are tutoring two siblings at the same time, they must be in separate rooms to avoid the distraction of the background noise.
Important: It is imperative that you put your child's tutoring time on a calendar or that you create a phone alarm reminder, as you will not be reminded about your tutoring time.
Use Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox as your Internet browser.
If you notice that your child is restless or not paying attention, pleasedo not reprimand your child after class. By doing this, you are actually creating a negative tutoring experience. Any behaviours that Tutor Tots feels needs to be addressed, will be addressed with you. Often times what looks like inattentive behaviour to the parent is just the child releasing some anxiety, so the child seems tuned out, preoccupied or restless. For other children, there is a difference in the brain that affects focus. Children who are perfectionistic will also appear tuned out or might exhibit avoidance when things are tough because their brains are trained to do everything perfectly. Consequently, you need to let the tutors address the situations and correct the behaviours that need to be corrected because not all the behaviours need correction. Some of them are necessary for the child to destress.
If you reprimand your child after class, you are not only creating a negative tutoring experience for your child, but you are also undoing any progress the tutors are making to help your child with their anxiety, stress, low self-esteem or perfectionistic tendencies. Again, treat online learning as if your child was in the classroom. Their homeroom teacher at school does not report to you on everything about your child and neither do we because it's just not necessary. As mentioned, if something needs to be addressed or there is a major concern, you will be contacted.
Homework
Helping your child with homework from school is top priority. The programs designed by Tutor Tots will only be implemented, if your child does not have any homework from school. We are here to help your child with their schoolwork, and by helping your child with their schoolwork we will have a better understanding of their teacher's expectations. To get your child's homework to us, please follow the online tutoring instructions noted below. Please send any homework assigned by your child's teacher directly to the tutor, either via text or email (you will be given the tutor's information). Any homework assigned by Tutor Tots should be sent to Angela at angela@tutortots.ca. You can send the homework or schoolwork through pictures or creating PDFs (preferable). If there are several pages, please try to amalgamate the pages into one PDF.
Payment for Tutoring
Monthly payments are due on the first day of every month. To calculate your monthly payment, click on Calendarto determine your monthly fee.
NEW: If payment is not made on time, your child will not be tutored until the full monthly payment is made.
Payment Method: E-transfer to angela@tutortots.ca. Tutor Tots is registered for auto deposit.
Emails/Texts
Tutor Tots communicates primarily through email (especially for homework assignment and progress reports), so please check your emails frequently. In addition, our emails tend to go to Junk or Spam, so please check those too and then create a setting that prevents the emails from going to Junk or Spam. Just adding Tutor Tots to your Contact List can alleviate this problem.
Please text Angela at Tutor Tots for any cancellations (see Cancellation Policy below) at 416-433-4863. Please do not email me for any cancellations.
Please text Angela at Tutor Tots for any issue that requires immediate attention.
Cancellations
Cancellations must be made by 9:00 a.m. on the day of your child's tutoring session. Any cancellations after 9:00 a.m. will be charged for the full session and will not be eligible for a make up class. Please note that too many cancellations may result in a termination of tutoring services. Termination will be at the discretion of Tutor Tots.
No reimbursements will be given for make up classes that are not used by the student. We will give you the opportunity to chose from several different tutoring days and times for the make up classes, so it is important that you confirm one of them.
Any cancelled classes by Tutor Tots will be fulfilled with a make up class (other than those classes cancelled for statutory holidays, March break, et cetera) or a reimbursement of payment.
Important: Please text Tutor Tots at 416-433-4863 to cancel any classes. Please do not email.
June Classes: There are no cancellations permitted in June. If your child misses a class or you cancel a class, there will be no make up classes granted and no reimbursement of funds.
No-Shows/Emergencies
Any no-shows (cancellation notification not given at all or a cancellation given after your child's scheduled time has already begun) will be subject to the full class fee and will not be eligible for a make up class. In addition, tutors will remain online for 15 minutes. If a student does not show up for class, the tutor will end the class, and this will be considered a no-show. Emergency situations will be assessed by Tutor Tots, and whether a make up class is provided or not will be at the discretion of Tutor Tots.
Termination of Services
You may terminate tutoring at any time, except on the same day as your child is scheduled for tutoring. So, if your child tutors on Wednesdays, you cannot terminate tutoring on that day. You will be charged for the session, if you do. If you have prepaid for the month and terminate before the month is over, Tutor Tots will reimburse any paid fees.
Expectations
Tutor Tots prides itself on helping your child with their homework and creating personalized programs that will help your child boost his/her grades and build his/her confidence. Although we have a success rate that we are extremely proud of, we cannot guarantee this, so we ask that parents manage their expectations. If your child is attending once a week vs. twice a week, this makes a difference in the learning process. If your child is combining two subject areas into one class versus spending one hour on each subject, this too makes a difference in the learning process. If Tutor Tots is not provided with information on what is being taught in the child's school classroom, we cannot guarantee we will cover the same material. Of more importance, every child learns at a different pace, so it is not fair to compare your child to someone else's.
Make Up Classes
If your child qualifies for a make up class (see above conditions), then Tutor Tots will reach out with dates and times. Please note that no student is permitted to carry more than 2 make up classes.
Important: For the month of June, there are no class cancellations permitted, therefore, no make up classes will be conducted.
Progress Reports
In an effort to be as transparent as possible, all tutors are required to list the documents/school work that was completed during every tutoring class as well as the observations. These reports are located in Google Docs. All parents will receive a link so that they can look at their child's progress. For any questions or concerns, please contact Angela at 416-433-4863.
Forms to Complete
Please download the forms below, fill them out, scan, (or take a picture) and return them via email to angela@tutortots.ca. Even if you have already filled out the Personal Information form from the previous year, you must still fill out the form again. The law requires that I keep new records and get permission every school year.