MMSD+ Volunteer Tutor Connection
Dane County neighbors helping parents and students in need
Please read through our health and safety warnings.
Our Goal: Connect Madison students with questions to neighbors with answers during COVID-19
Thank you!
So, you have decided to donate your expertise to your community. What's next?
Be proud! You are doing your part to help your neighbors! That being said, we should cover a few guidelines and recommendations. First off, you should read the Health & Safety Warnings page. After that, check out the topics below.
Taking a Tutoring Request
When parents sign up their students for tutoring, that request will go onto a google sheet. As a volunteer, you will have access to that sheet and be able to see all the tutoring requests that have been made. There will be a column on that form for you to put your name to sign up to take that request. Put your name there before you contact the parent about scheduling tutoring.

After You Have Signed up to Tutor
Once you take a tutoring request, it is YOUR responsibility to contact the email address in the form to schedule your tutoring appointment. Please do so in a timely manner. After you have met with the student, mark "Y" in the "Tutoring Complete?" column of the form (last column).

How Should I Meet With the Student?
Our first priority is keeping everyone safe and healthy. As such, we ask that tutoring only be done over video chat, and never in person. There are several free video chat services available, such as Zoom. The free version of Zoom does have a time limit, but some tutors may find this useful for ensuring that your sessions do not go too long. When working through problems, you may find it useful to screen share an app where it is easy to type or write out problems, and have the student annotate on the screen so you can work together. Some students may not have access to a computer and may need to use a parent/guardian's phone. Please try to work with whatever students have available to them.
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Follow-up Sessions
While this site is not meant for regular weekly sessions, some students may want to work with you again in the future next time they need help. You may choose to either ask them to have their parent/guardian contact you directly if you want/have time to work with them again, or tell them to use the normal sign up form (in which case their next tutoring request may be filled by any tutor).
Student Safety
Remember that you are tutoring minors. Never ask for personal or contact information from a student. Do not look up a student on social media. Arrange tutoring appointments through a parent/guardian so you are not contacting the student directly outside of tutoring appointments. Do not meet with the student alone (i.e. have a parent/guardian present) and do not meet in person. Do not give your personal or contact information to students. Never show, say, or do anything inappropriate during tutoring appointments. Keep conversations focused on academics rather than personal matters. Never share contact or personal information you get from tutoring with anyone else.

Tutor Safety
Tutoring scams are very common. Do not share personal information with anyone you contact through tutoring. Though you are volunteering your tutoring for free, some parents may ask to pay you something for your time. We encourage you not to take them up on that offer in order to protect yourself from possible scams. Do not meet with students or parents in person. MMSD Volunteer Tutor Connection cannot be held liable for the behavior of anyone you contact as part of your volunteer tutoring.