TUTORIAL APPROACH/CLASS FORMAT
Our group tutorial offers a unique challenge and opportunity to tutors, students and parents. Our primary goal is to help provide the resources for a quality college preparatory education for select homeschooling families. To accomplish this goal, we must have families who are cooperative and supportive of our policies. We are not equipped to provide solutions for every family’s educational challenges. Neither are we attempting to be all things for all people. We, the board members of RTA of MTHEA, are homeschooling families as well, and we do not have the desire nor resources to deal with high-maintenance or combative families. Should you be perceived as such, this program is not for you. If you are desiring to unload your educational responsibility on our shoulders, this program is not for you. Much parental involvement is required in order for success in this program.
We provide tutors who require academic work at a level that will allow our students to be prepared for college. The limited access to tutors in a one day program will not work for all students. It provides no remedial assistance for students who are struggling. Students who lack self-discipline will not survive in this setting. Good study habits are assumed to be in place, not taught here at this tutorial. Should a student be unable to keep at least a “C” average, he/she will be reviewed and possibly be recommended to seek an educational alternative. Our tutors can not slow the class down for struggling students.
· TESTING: Our tutors require written exams at least once every eight weeks. We ask tutors to limit the amount of class time used for testing. Anything longer than a five-minute quiz on a weekly basis will detract from instruction time. Tests should be sent home to be administered by parents. A system of self-addressed stamped envelopes can be helpful. Open book tests require less supervision. Tests should be teaching tools, not merely regurgitation of facts. Tests should be varied in format so that one learning style/deficiency is not unfairly penalized.
· HOMEWORK: Students will have assignments in every class for the four days that classes do not meet. Even if parents do not teach, they must ensure that their student does what is required. The minimum commitment for a class is 4-6 hours a week. Because every tutor is required to supply a 32-week syllabus for every class, parents always know what is assigned.
· ABSENCES: Because of the nature of our program, there is no way to offer make-up classes following student absences. Follow the syllabus. If the absence is planned, let the tutor know ahead of time that you will not be there and ask a friend to tape the class for you. DO NOT MAKE THE TUTOR RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS TASK. Check with the tutor outside of class about missed quizzes and assignments.
· EXTRA TUTORIAL FEES: Remember that our tutors are paid only for their classroom time. They do not get reimbursed for class preparation, travel time or grading papers or tests. If you ask a tutor for a lot of extra help, offer to pay their hourly tutorial rate.
· STUDY HALL: There will be a study hall available for students who need to wait out for an hour before their next class at a charge of $50 per study hall for the year. This class is limited to two study hall hours per student per week. We have a monitor in the class at all times. Study hall requirements will be determined by the monitor.
· REPORT CARDS: We will issue report cards that indicate absences, tardies, preparation, participation and academic grades. Reports will be sent home every eight weeks, four times a year. Parents should sign the cards and return them to the tutor. Parents have a calendar of the dates the report cards will be distributed. Lost report cards will be replaced for a $5 fee paid to the tutor who must redo the card.
· MONDAY PHONE PROTOCOL: Do Not call the church office and ask them to relay messages except in the direst emergencies. NO ONE IN OUR PROGRAM IS TO EVER USE THE OFFICE PHONE. We have a cell phone available for any necessary calls, and for parents to contact us. The # will be given out at orientation.
· POLICY OF DISCIPLINARY ACTION: Our students should know what is appropriate behavior. We will address problems as they arise. Any inappropriate behavior that disrupts precious classroom time will receive a warning. The second offense will result in the student being sent to the office and the parent will be contacted. Re-entrance into the class will require parental supervision. Third offense will receive dismissal with no refund of tuition. Please keep in mind, we are a group of moms with families of our own. We are not and do not want to be in the position of student police. Should any child become as we perceive a high-maintenance student, we reserve the right to dismiss them from the program with no right to any tuition refund. We do not have the desire to deal with any type of combative or high-maintenance children – this includes attitudes, failure to keep up with required assignments, disrespect, sloppy dress, immodest dress, destructive and/or disruptive behavior, ungodly conversation, foul language, etc. As the saying goes, “One bad apple spoils the whole batch.”
· Part of the value of these classes is having our students learn to adapt to the style and personalities of so many tutors. We ask our tutors to hold our students to a high standard of social behavior as well as a high standard of academic work. Learning self discipline is of primary importance in any course of study.
· AUDITING: Parents may choose to have a student audit a class. A student who audits a class pays the full tuition, but submits all tests, written assignments and homework to the parent, not to the tutor and receives all grades from the parent, not the tutor. In other words, the student gets to glean all he/she can from the class day but has the parent, not the classroom tutor, as the primary teacher. (*The student MUST keep up with the class assignments and be able to participate in the class discussion.) Request to audit a class should be submitted in writing to the tutor before the first day of class.
· CLEANING: We ask that all students and parents pitch in to help keep the church building clean and presentable to the church members each week. We have a student/member hired to take care of our set-up on a weekly basis. We do require the students, on a weekly basis, under the supervision of each tutor, to clean up the classrooms at the end of each class day, including possibly folding up chairs, emptying trash, and replacing all classroom supplies to the cabinets. Each student will be assigned a task to be completed weekly. We also ask the parent-of-the-day to see to a few small tasks throughout the day. Everyone working together helps us to show good stewardship in return for this church's generous hospitality. (We also have a "Mandatory Cleaning Day" the last Saturday after the last day of classes and before Monday's Registration Day.)