Tutor

In addition to juggling jobs, kids, and households, Seeds student make the CHOICE to learn. No one forces them to attend.

Despite often difficult home lives, they are dedicated to their education. Tutor Ann shares a few anecdotes about working with adult learners, both in the physical classroom as well as the Virtual Classroom.

You can also read 3 Key Differences Between Adult & Youth Learners.

Monday through Thursday

• 9am – 11am ET Morning
• 1pm – 3pm ET Afternoon
• 6pm – 8pm ET Evening (West & Virtual only)

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Tutoring is not offered on Fridays or holidays. Click here for our holiday schedule.

Physical Classroom Tutors are asked to tutor at least one session a week, but you don’t have to schedule and you can come to whatever class session is most convenient to you in a given week.

Virtual Classroom Tutors are asked to please schedule a week at a time with our Virtual Classroom Site Coordinators.

Our tutors have the patience, kindness, passion, and skill to help change our community one adult learner at a time. Because we provide training, you don’t need to have any prior teaching or tutoring experience in order to volunteer, but at least a high school credential is required.

To get the most out of your tutoring experience, we hope tutors are available once a week for about a year. BUT we also know that you’re donating your time, and that it’s valuable. You have a life outside of Seeds, so if something comes up, we understand. We offer a flexible class schedule and you won’t be locked into a specific class day or time, so you may attend a class based on what is best for you in a given week.

Tutors need to be at least 18-years old and have at least a high school or high school equivalency degree.

Virtual Classroom tutors need to have access to a computer with a camera and internet access.

NEW DATES ARE ALWAYS BEING ADDED! Open the application to review the list.

Virtual Tutor Training

1. Complete the Volunteer Application Form.
2. You will receive an email invitation the week of Virtual Tutor Training.
3. You must attend BOTH DAYS of training and complete the self study.
   • Day 1: 90 minutes on Zoom, followed by self-guided study.
   • Day 2: (following week) less than an hour.

On-Site Tutor Training

• Training is one 6-hour session. 
• Complete the Volunteer Application to select your training date.
• If you think you will tutor in-person, or both virtual and in-person, please attend the ON-SITE TRAINING. 

PHYSICAL CLASSROOM TUTORS

Step 1: Complete the Volunteer Application above.

Step 2: Attend a tutor training session at Seeds East (Kinsman & 139th) or Seeds West (W 25th & Clark).  The training will provide the background information you’ll need to understand the adults we serve and how we enact our mission.

Step 3: After your training, you’ll complete an observation session. The observation is an opportunity for you to attend a class, shadow a current tutor, and see the information from the training in action. You’ll have the chance to get comfortable with the classroom and to ask any questions you may have before you work with the students.

Step 4: Once you’ve done your observation, you may begin tutoring at your convenience.

VIRTUAL CLASSROOM TUTORS

Step 1: Complete the Volunteer Application.

Step 2: Attend both virtual Tutor Training sessions.

Step 3: After the training session, you will receive a follow-up email from the trainer. The email will include the handouts discussed during training, and links to the curriculum drive and Virtual Classroom.

Step 4: Join the Virtual Classroom for an observation. Let the Site Coordinator know it is your first day and you would like to do your observation.

Step 5: Once you’ve completed your observations, you may begin tutoring! The Virtual Classroom prefers tutors schedule a time in advance, but you can attend any tutoring session at your convenience.

We have two on-site locations to serve our community. Our third location is Virtual.

Tutors typically pick a primary location to tutor, but we have several volunteers who enjoy tutoring at both locations, and some who intend to tutor both in-person and virtually when the classrooms are open. (Note: This option is not open to most Students. They need to select one location.)

Seeds West
3104 W. 25th Street, 3rd Floor
(corner of W. 25th & Clark Avenue)
Cleveland, OH 44109
Map

Seeds East
13815 Kinsman Road
(corner of Kinsman & E. 139th Street)
Cleveland, OH 44120
Map

Both of our locations have free, secure parking and are located on major bus lines. You can tutor at whichever location is more convenient for you, or at both if you’d like.

The Virtual Classroom (remote tutoring) started during our COVID-19 classroom closure. Now a permanent program offering, we provide the Zoom links for the Virtual Classroom.

Seeds offers tutoring year-round but everyone needs a break from time to time to celebrate the holidays! For a complete list of holiday closures, including our winter break, click here.

We provide instruction for all areas currently on the GED® exam: Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies.

Because we pair students with tutors based on the tutor’s strengths and preferences, you never have to help a student with a subject with which you’re not comfortable.

We also help students at a range of skill levels, so if, for example, you’re wary of upper-level math, you may still be able to help other students with division or fractions if you’re comfortable doing so.

No.

Seeds tests each student regularly to determine the level of work he or she will receive. Our curriculum comes from a variety of best-practice sources and is given to the student in the form of packets.

These packets have been digitized for the Virtual Classroom.

Although the curriculum is in a packet, the focus should always be concept mastery, NOT  packet completion.

Our program is specially designed to meet the varying needs of each individual student. Every student is learning a subject at their own skill level and at their own pace, and we extend the same flexible class schedule to our students as we do to our tutors.

Because of this, you won’t necessarily be seeing the same students at each class session working on the same thing every time. Our Site Coordinator, who oversees the class session, will pair up a student looking for a help with an available tutor who is comfortable working on that subject.

Virtual Classroom operates similarly, but if a student/tutor pair works well together, our Site Coordinators may plan for them to work together.

Sometimes students and tutors plan to work together by sharing the sessions they plan to attend.

With our non-traditional class structure, it can be tricky to visualize what tutoring with Seeds of Literacy will actually look like. That’s why we’ve put together a brief video of a real class session. You’ll notice that some students are choosing to work on their own, while others are working one-to-one with a volunteer tutor (who could be you!).

How does the Virtual Classroom work?

The Virtual Classroom was created to allow for remote tutoring using Zoom.

Video tutoring using Zoom is similar to our physical classrooms. 

1. Students and Tutors both “enter” the Virtual Classroom.
2. Everyone gathers in the central Zoom room first.
3. The site coordinator will then pair students and tutors based on ability and send them to Zoom “breakout rooms” for one-to-one tutoring and sends our electronic study materials for that student’s lessons that day.
4. You can share screens, use digital whiteboards, and more. You can return to the central room at any time to check in with a site coordinator, ask questions, etc.

How will I know what the student is working on?

When they are in the classroom, students work from packets provided by site coordinators.

In the virtual classroom, we use these same packets, but as electronic pdfs. We can email them to students or mail hardcopies by request.

Is Zoom training provided? 

Seeds offers Zoom training for tutors who have already completed tutor training.  These sessions are to help you improve on the technical aspects of tutoring and cover the following skills:

• Renaming yourself on the Zoom screen
• Opening a link from the chat box
• Sharing your screen / instructing a student how to share their screen
• Enlarging packets in the browser
• Annotate on Shared screen
• Share your whiteboard
• Exit the breakout room and return on your own

TUTOR REQUIREMENTS

• Be at least 18 years of age.
• Be able to communicate clearly in English. (Bilingual in Spanish a plus)
• Have at least a high school diploma or equivalent
• Accept the Seeds of Literacy policy of non-discrimination:
• Seeds of Literacy does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, physical appearance, sexual orientation, familial status, or disability.

THE FOLLOWING BEHAVIORS ARE PROHIBITED.

• Showing disrespect or insensitivity
• Using offensive language
• Harassment (any behavior perceived as offensive or inappropriate)
• Showing disregard for personal hygiene
• Possessing a weapon in the building or threatening violence
• Being under the influence of alcohol, illegal drugs, or smoking during the session

SEEDS’ COMMITMENT to you includes:

• A suitable assignment based upon your interests, skills, and availability.
• Initial orientation and ongoing professional development workshops to help you successfully help students.
• The assistance you need to do your task, including necessary materials, workspace, and supportive supervision.
• The opportunity to learn new skills and grow in areas of problem solving.
• The opportunity to contribute to the well-being of individuals, the community, and the organization.
• The opportunity to be recognized for your contribution.

YOUR COMMITMENT to Seeds includes:

• Being reliable and on time.
• Respecting confidentiality and showing discretion.
• Performing your specified responsibilities.
• Attending orientation and additional trainings as necessary.
• Acting in a courteous and professional manner to students, staff, and other volunteers.
• Asking for support when you need it.
• Providing as much advance notice as possible if you intend to end your volunteer time with Seeds.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact the Volunteer Coordinator at volunteering@seedsofliteracy.org.