Homework Hub Session Guidelines 

Please read the following guidelines below carefully. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us (text Homework Hub at 516-423-2543).

On-Time and Prepared:  Please come on time and be prepared for your classes. If you are late, it throws off the schedule and creates a domino effect for the rest of the day.

Tags:  Please remember to wear a Homework Hub tag at all times.

Mailboxes:  Before going to your assigned classroom please get your “mail.” You should find a manila folder for each student you will be seeing and any other pertinent information.

Manila Office Folder:  At the start of each lesson the manila office folder, located in your mailbox, for each child should be reviewed. This folder stays at the Hub. After each session, please fill out the sheet stapled inside this folder. (If you need a new sheet, please let the front desk know). The manila office folder stays at the Hub and must be returned at the end of the lesson. This folder is not only a way to track students’ progress, but also proof that you worked during that time.

Smile:  Please make sure you are smiling! These kids are tired and have been in school all day. Yelling and hurtful sarcasm are unacceptable! A firm, enthusiastic, and caring, environment always works best. (Ticket rewards may be used for pre-K— 5th-grade students. (No more than 2-3 tickets per session. Ten tickets earns a pick from the treasure box.) We want our students to love coming to the Homework Hub!

Goal:  Always keep in mind that one of our goals at Homework Hub is to teach students independence and avoid becoming a crutch for them. Students love to bring their homework to class to complete, however try to encourage them to do their homework independetly at home, so class time can be used to review the homework problems they were struggling with. This allows us to make the most use of our time by focusing on areas students are having difficuly with.

60-Minute Session:  A student's work is never finished until the 60-minute (or longer) session is over. You should be able to extend the learning whether you are introducing the next topic or reviewing past topics. Start concluding the class a few minutes before dismissal to allow for the orderly transition of students leaving and arriving. However, do not dismiss your student/s early. (Parents and students know and will complain if you let them out even 1 minute earlier.)

Extending Lessons:  If a student needs additional time after their 60 minutes are up, you can extend the lesson only with parental permission! Otherwise, session must end on time unless you choose to extend without additional charge.

Teaching Strategies: Although you may find one technique easier than another, please adapt your tutoring using the same methods as the student's classroom teacher. Communication with the student on how they are being taught at school is key. Often students go back to their classrooms having learned a different strategy at Homework Hub than what the classroom teacher has taught. This confuses the students and frustrates the classroom teachers. In addition, it causes district teachers to recommend using tutors from their child's school district only. (An exception to this policy is if the student completely understands the teacher’s goal and is capable of learning a "trick" or faster way to solve a problem and won’t confuse the information.)

Checking Work:  Very Important! All work needs to be checked before the student leaves class!!! We do  NOT want children going home with wrong answers! If it is not possible to get through all the work, then a lesson summary card should go home with the student and state that.

Parent/Teacher Communication Form:  In order to facilitate communication between parents and teachers, we use the Parent/Teacher Communication Form. This form is kept at the front desk and is used if parents have any questions or concerns they’d like to discuss directly with the teacher. Our front desk will notify you if you get such a request. It is the responsibility of the teacher to contact the parent to answer any questions within 48 hours.
 

Student Red Flag Form:  There is also a form at the front desk titled Student Red Flag Form. This form should be filled out when you feel a student is not meeting the goals set for himself/herself, is struggling with the material, or is in danger of failing an exam. This way there are no surprises for the parents and they are aware their child is struggling. If a parent is not made aware, then it makes the Homework Hub look bad. The parent(s) will blame us for the student’s poor performance.

Daily Priority Form:  This form is located on the students' registration page. It is a way for parents to communicate with us about their students needs. The front desk will send this form to you by text as well as placing it in your mailbox.

Behavior: If a child's behavior is inappropriate, interfering or dangerous, please contact the front desk  immediately so we can determine the most appropriate course of action. For group classes, the student may be asked to sit out if they are distrubing others.

Noise:  If a teacher notices any outside noise disturbing the session, please notify the front desk immediately!

Pocket Folders:  For classes that require work to be brought back and forth from home please use our colored, pocket folders located at the front desk. Let's impress the parents and show them what their children are learning!

Homework Hub Lesson Summary Cards:  These cards are located in each classroom. They must be  filled out for students grades Pre K-7th grade and sent home with them. For 8th-12th grade, it is optional based on need. Parents want to know what subject matter was covered and how their child performed. Try to make the parents feel as though they were part of the lesson. Please do not write anything that will scare or upset a parent… such concerns should be discussed with Tracy.

Materials:  Please let the front desk know if we are running low on anything or if there is something you need for your students.

Copy Machine:  Staff may use copy machine as needed. Please use the white Canon machine (located in the main office) if a lot of copies need to be made. Please do not use the paper with the holes for copying unless you are creating a binder. Try to make your copies on your own time. Obviously, if something comes up during your lesson and you need a copy, you may ask the front desk for assistance.

Clean up:  Clean up is a must! Whiteboards and tables should be wiped clean at the end of each class. If you take material or supplies from a different room, please put them back when you are finished. Please let the front desk know if we are running low on anything or if there is something you need for your students. Everything has a spot and rooms should be kept organized. Please leave the rooms organized and ready for the next class.

Video Cameras:  Smile! Cameras are installed in every room for the children's and our own protection.

Confidentiality:  Student information is confidential and cannot be shared with anyone except Tracy. 

Cell Phones:  There is a no cell phone policy unless being used for educational purposes. This is one of the biggest complaints we get. Students will tell their parents if you are texting or talking on the phone during the lesson.

Food:  There is no food allowed in the classrooms during a session without permission due to allergies.

Bathroom: Please escort students pre-K - 3rd grade to the bathroom, get a drink, or pick out a reward from the treasure box. If you have a group of children, please ask the office manager to assist.

Dismissal:  Please dismiss your pre-K - 7th-grade students to a parent or guardian only! If the parent is not there on time, notify the office manager and he/she will take over.

Dress Code:  All teachers must present themselves in a casual but professional manner.

Smoking:  Smoking is not permitted in or directly outside the Hub. If you smoke, please take care to eliminate any odor of smoke and use gum if necessary. Students have complained when teachers smell like smoke.

Group Tutoring Sessions:  Please make sure to spend an adequate amount of time with each child during a group lesson. You need to be skilled enough to keep each child working while meeting with each one individually in a continuous circle. Often, you will be able to teach them as a whole since the groups are created based on school and academic level.

Review Classes:  This is for teachers who sign up to do review classes for students in grades 6-12. Overall we find review season to be very successful, however, we cannot control what students will sign up for. Many factors contribute to class enrollment, such as extracurricular schedules, exam popularity, class difficulty, etc. For a class to run as scheduled, we need a minimum of 4 students for (12:1) classes or 2 students for (3:1) classes. We often see a rush of enrollment the day before the class starts. Therefore, it is Homework Hub policy to keep classes open for enrollment until the morning of the class. If you have a class with no students enrolled, and you do not want to keep the time reserved, you can choose to close out the class up to 3 days before the start date. If a class has fewer than the minimum number of students enrolled, we will likely shorten the class time given the parents' agreement. Often, these decisions are made on the morning of the class. We will do everything in our power to fill all classes. The last thing we want to do is cancel or shorten a review. You can help by promoting Homework Hub by sharing the classes with your colleagues, friends, and students. 

Cancellations:  Teachers will be paid for any session cancelled after 10am (late cancellation) on the day of their scheduled lesson, provided they notify Tracy immediately that they will be charging for the cancelled session and that they will use that hour to help in the office. If a teacher chooses to not work at the hub during that time slot, he/she will not be paid for the class. If a student cancels at the last second or does not show up to class (no show) please contact the front desk ASAP and then text Tracy and let her know within the first 5-8 minutes if you are charging for the missed lesson. Tracy will then assign you work to be done. (Most of the time she will ask you to spend the hour contacting colleagues and finding teachers to work for HwH). If you can't reach her, then please do that for us. Keep in mind that parents are not happy when we charge them. If the student has a legitimate reason and is usually reliable you may not want to charge. It can often result in the loss of a client.

Text Messaging:  The office uses text messaging to schedule students and teachers. The amount of messages is staggering! If you don’t receive an answer, please confirm your text with “?” until answered. That will bring your message to the top.

Database:  All staff should have access to the database. Through the database, you can view your upcoming classes, and keep track of your hours and pay. (Please note all online and at-home classes may take a few days to process before showing up in the database.) If you notice a class is “grayed out” that means the class is not running. It is a lot of work to track all of the students and teachers, so if something seems wrong or missing, let us know! The database should email you your classes during the week, let you know what room you will be in, and keep you updated on your schedule.

Pay:  We do not currently offer direct deposit. If you want your check mailed to you please notify the office, otherwise it will be available for pick up at Homework Hub. Payroll is every 2 weeks. Please be aware there is a 9-day processing period prior to receiving your 1st paycheck. The pay period will be indicated on your check for reference. You will receive payroll reminders where you will be asked to confirm your hours through the database. If there are any discrepancies please email Ivy at igreenberg.hwh@gmail.com.