The safety of our students was one of our main priorities when we developed My Education Room. We require teachers to submit their identification and licensing credentials during the registration process to help verify their identity.

We’ve integrated ratings and reviews to create a feedback loop but, most importantly, parents/guardians are expected to supervise their children during lessons.

How can I get familiar with the platform?

Teachers/Parents - please contact us and we will setup an information session for you whereby we will display the platform and answer any questions or concerns.

To setup an information session please contact us at info@myeducationroom.com or call toll free (855) 615-3276.

Who can teach on My Education Room?

My Education Room only permits Canadian certified K-12 teachers that have had their identity & teaching qualifications vetted.

How does My Education Room verify the certification of K-12 teachers and do they have criminal record checks?

Only Canadian certified teachers possessing an active licence (Teaching Card) within their province or territory issued by their Teacher College/Branch may teach on the My Education Room platform. We decided at an early stage to go this route to ensure there was adequate quality control in the delivery of instruction.

To ensure security and compliance we ask that the following documentation be submitted by teacher applicants as part of the verification process prior to them becoming authorized to teach on our platform.

i. A copy of their active licence issued by their teacher college/branch (i.e. Teaching Card) within their province/territory. We cross reference the information provided with the Ministry of Education to ensure validity.

ii. A copy of their active Provincial or Canadian issued photo ID (drivers licence, passport etc.)

iii. A copy of the criminal record check or criminal record check “Sharing Form” issued by the Teachers college/branch.

EXAMPLE (BC): All BC certified K-12 teachers possessing an active licence to practice are required to have criminal record check (CRC) completed by the BC Ministry of Justice's Criminal Records Review Program. The BC Teachers branch does not issue copies of a teachers’ CRC. The teacher submits a copy of the CRC Sharing Form to the BC Teachers Branch (submitting a copy to My Education Room) which then gets processed by the Ministry of Justice. The Ministry then sends My Education Room a copy of the CRC.

Are you K-12 teachers yourselves?

No. Both founders actually worked in BC's post-secondary education system. One sixteen years as an instructor, department head (business), and director of private colleges around British Columbia and the other in advising at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. The BC education thread in the family runs deep with immediate family members working in the K-12 school system as a certified K-12 teacher, high school counselor, and administrative assistant.

My Education Room was initially designed for post-secondary, but when we looked at the education landscape it became apparent that the need for such services was far higher in the K-12 sector (public and private).

We noticed more and more kids graduating high school, but having to take upgrading courses to gain entry into the programs they wanted to attend at the college or university level. Some of these applicants simply gave up on the upgrading process which can sometimes take an extended period of time and add to student debt. We realized that many students who fell into this category came from families around BC who did not have the financial capacity to pay for K-12 private tutoring at the critical juncture in time when these students needed it most.

We sought to change that with My Education Room.

Have you had a criminal record check?

Yes. The criminal record check permits us to work with children and vulnerable adults.

Why are you raising funds for children literacy programs and teacher development? How is the money disbursed?

My Education Room was setup so that the majority of revenue earned flows back to the teachers providing the service. My Education Room retains a portion of revenue to offset costs associated with administering the website.

We allocate a portion of each paid lesson toward two initiatives that help drive high performance education outcomes - literacy and teacher development.

Education Providers (Teachers) FAQs:

4A: Lessons

What is the recommended length of time for a lesson?

 The time allotted for each lesson should be dependent on the complexity of the concepts being taught. Can the students absorb the material in the time frame chosen (30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours etc) or should you create multiple lessons to cover the material more in depth?

May I set the maximum class size?

Yes. Teachers determine the class size of each lesson. This may be done when creating each lesson or series of lessons. At this time the maximum class size is 30.

How would I conduct the lessons? From home? Using my home computer?

Lessons are conducted online using a web conferencing system (built in Canada) using any computer (tower or laptop) from any location with internet access - you not restricted to teaching from your home. Teachers, whose credentials are verified, create lessons, access to their dashboard on the day of the lesson, and login to their session up to one half-hour prior to the lessons' stated start time. 

That said we highly recommend the following:

1) Not to teach from a mobile device unless you are comfortable doing so and the device allows for full-fledged functionality. If using a mobile device please be sure to use the Puffin browser (paid version) with Adobe Flash built in.

The app can be purchased from the Apple iTunes or Google Play stores.

*If using a Microsoft tablet simply use your browser as the Puffin browser is not available in the Microsoft store.

2) Ensure the area you are teaching from is quiet to ensure there is excellent communication and sound between teacher and student.

If I am unable to teach the lesson can I have another teacher sub for me?

No. All teachers creating lessons on the website must be the ones that conduct the lesson.

Teachers unable to conduct a lesson (i.e. sick, emergency etc.) must login into the website to access their dashboard and cancel the lesson. That triggers automatic refunds for all registrants of that lesson.

Please provide adequate notice to lesson registrants by canceling lessons at least 12-24 hours in advance.

How do I schedule a lesson?

Once you login into your account, update your profile, and your credentials have been verified you may be permitted to upload documents for students to download and create lessons.

Simply click "Create Lesson" to set the lesson date, lesson time, cost of lesson and the maximum class size.

Would material/supplies be supplied? Would I need to supply my own?

No. My Education Room supplies the platform from which to teach online. Teachers are expected to utilize their own resources to teach the lessons while ensuring (as in the classroom) they do not violate Canadian copyright laws.

For information about downloadable materials and providing these items to students free of charge are at a minimal cost please read the following question and answer.

May I assign reading and homework prior to (or after) the lesson and charge for content I create?

Yes. Our goal is to allow teachers to assess their students skills and knowledge by providing downloadable learning material. Please ensure to remind registrants (i.e. in your lesson synopsis) that there are downloadable materials and to have these documents open during the web conference. In case attendees forget teachers may post links in the chat (not main) window of the web conference for students to click on and open. Teachers are responsible for any material they post and must not violate copyright laws.

Will I be matched with students?

No. This is an open platform such that any student registered may enrol in a lesson. Teachers currently offering private lessons may have their students enrol in their online lessons.

How can I attract students to take my lessons? How much should I charge per lesson?

To attract more students to your lessons we suggest the following:

1. Complete your profile - include a cover image and list your qualifications, experience, and subject matter expertise.

2. Set a competitive hourly rate - Know what the going rate is by browsing the cost of other lessons and compare what teachers with similar backgrounds and expertise are charging. Charging higher rates ($45-$75) will garner fewer requests than lower rates ($25-$40). You may also set rates based on the time allotted per lesson (charge less for 30 minute lessons and more for longer sessions or vice versa) or on the complexity of the topic discussed (charging more for more in depth or complex lessons).

• Teachers retain 75% of the revenue earned with the remaining 25% allocated toward covering the administrating, development, and IT costs
  

3. Social Media - Post your lessons on Social Media to advertise to parents. When you create a lesson there are social media buttons allowing you to select and choose which social media platforms to advertise your lesson on. We are using social media to promote the site, our teachers, lessons, and to post information relevant to our K-12 community.
   

4. Positive ratings and reviews - The more lessons you provide the more opportunity to garner positive feedback from your students. The highest rated teachers are usually those most sought after by parents and students. Be well prepared and deliver great lessons so your students positive feedback help you rise through the ranks.

5. Lesson times - If your lesson times don’t match up with the times your students are available then your lessons may not get booked in what is a competitive marketplace. Also be mindful of time zone differences when setting lesson times.

6. Lesson Requests - If students do not see a lesson offered on the site they may request a lesson on the "Request Lesson" page that is accessible to all members. We will notify teachers once a lesson has been requested. You may quickly open up lessons to respond to such demand. We are building in new functionality to automate this process. Stay tuned!
   

7. Your K-12 community- Diligently contact local and regional parent advisory council's, school districts, the teachers union and other organizations in the province to notify them of your services on the myeducationroom platform. Our goal is create awareness. Should you have parents, members of a PAC, or school/district officials wishing to learn more about myeducationroom.com please have ask them to Contact US via the form, email, or by phone.  

What is expected of me in the session? - Augmenting the learning taking place in the classroom

A lesson on myeducationroom.com is meant to augment learning taking place in the classroom. Your goal is to help students master concepts they are struggling to comprehend, extend learning in topics they are interested in, and provide constructive feedback allowing them to grow academically.

What online materials may I use in the lesson? What of copyright infringement?

Just as in a K-12 classroom environment teachers should always check the copyright status of materials they want to use within a lesson to ensure it's legal to do so and always reference the materials (i.e. APA style) in their lesson synopsis.

If you are not sure of the copyright status of the materials you intend to use please contact (phone/email) the owners for permission (in writing) to use their copyrighted materials before you incorporate them into the lesson.

All costs and liability associated with using copyrighted material within a lesson are the responsibility of the teacher who created the lesson.

For more on Canadian copyright laws please CLICK HERE

My Education Room regulations related to copyright can be found in the Terms of Service. Please be sure to reference sections 18-20 & 29.2 (copyright section)

May I set recurring lessons?

Yes. This may be done when you set up each lesson or series of lessons.

How do I start a lesson?

You may start a lesson from within your account when you login to myeducationroom.com or you may click on the link sent to your email address to launch into the learning platform. Teachers may enter the learning platform up to thirty minutes prior to the lesson to upload documents to share and prep.

Is there a minimum time commitment per lesson?

All teachers are expected to cover in depth all the material listed on the lesson synopsis and allow time to answer questions. Teachers are expected to work with the student(s) until the end of that scheduled time. When there is one minute remaining the timer will begin flashing red for all users to see.

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4B: Accounts

How may I create a teacher account?

1. Go to myeducationroom.com

2. Click the "Teacher Sign Up" button in the top right corner

3. Complete the "Join My Education Room" form on the right side of the webpage
   

4. Under member type choose "Teacher"

5. Read and review the Terms of Service

6. Check the "I agree to the My Education Room terms and conditions" box
   
   
7. Enter the security word

8. Click SUBMIT

9. You will receive an email. Click on the link within the email to activate your account

May I open an account as a teacher and a student/parent?

No. If this situation were to occur please create one account as a parent and one as a teacher.

How do I get my credentials verified?

When creating your profile you will be asked to submit a copy of government issued photo ID, copies of your education credentials (diplomas, certifications etc.), teachers licence, and criminal record check (a requirement of the Teacher Regulation Branch licence registration process). This is to ensure the safety of the students and trust for those using the platform.

What does it mean to be verified?

Once verified, teachers are permitted to launch lessons and upload documents for students to download. Teachers are responsible for any material they post and must not violate copyright laws.

How long will it take to have my credentials verified and my account active so I may start creating lessons?

Verification time frames will depend on the volume of such requests received on any given day or in any given week.

Why was my verification denied?

If your verification was denied it was likely due to the following:

1. You failed to submit all the documents required to process your application
   
   
   1. Government issued ID
   2. Copies of your education credentials (i.e. University degree and teaching certificate)
   3. Copy of your active teacher licence
   4. Copy of your most recent criminal record check or criminal record check sharing form
      
2. Your licence is no longer active. Please renew.

Where is my information stored? What information do you retain?

As a critical component of our platform we have ensured that all personal information collected is properly stored and secured in British Columbia and Quebec.

The information we do collect is meant only to verify the identity of the teachers and ensure their licence is active.

We do not collect or retain credit card or banking details.   

What type of criminal record check must I submit to teach on myeducationroom.com?

For criminal record checks we adhere to the following BC Teacher Regulation Branch guidelines, but do accept criminal record checks from out-of-province RCMP/police detachments for teachers living in other province and territories.

The criminal record check is not intended for any use other than meeting My Education Room's legal requirement to ensure that the records check has been done, meets Teachers Branch guidelines (completed within the past five years), and that the certificate holder does not present a risk to children or vulnerable adults.

TEACHERS IN BC - Given that the Teachers Branch in BC does NOT provide paper or electronic copies of the Criminal Records Check to teachers we therefore ask that you complete and submit the Criminal Records Review Program Sharing Form to the Ministry of Justice authorizing them to share the results of your last criminal record check with My Education Room. Please scan and upload a copy of this form in your teachers dashboard upon registration. 

If you have submitted all your documents - and they are approved - you may begin creating lessons. Full status approval will be granted once we receive a copy of the Criminal Record Check from the Ministry.

Please note that your status may be suspended or revoked should there be a significant delay (i.e. months) in receiving a copy of the record check or if the results of the records check may preclude you from working with children and vulnerable adults

Please use the following information in the following ORGANIZATION section of the form:

Organization that I request to share the results of my previous Criminal Record Check with:

Organization name: My Education Room
Mailing Address: 1015 Austin Avenue
Office Phone (Toll Free): (855) 61LEARN or (855) 615-3276
City: Coquitlam
Country: Canada
Province: BC
Postal Code: V3K3N9

Works With: Select Children and Vulnerable Adults

CRIMINAL RECORD CHECK SHARING FORM EXAMPLE: Click Here

May I make my profile private and only visible to students who are logged in?

No. All instructor profiles are publicly visible on myeducationroom.com

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4C: Billing & Payments

How much are teachers paid?

My Education Room operates on an open marketplace approach. Teachers set their own rates for each lesson taught. All rates and payments are in Canadian dollars (CAD).

How often are teachers paid?

As soon as you have reached a minimum of $50 CAD in earnings you will receive a payout. Payouts are scheduled for the 15th and last day of each month

How are teachers paid?

Teachers are paid electronically via their PayPal accounts.

This is to avoid My Education Room from having to collect personal bank information from each teacher to issue payments.

Teachers can transfer the money in their PayPal accounts directly into their bank accounts (FREE) depending on the teacher's bank account and banking institution.

My Education Room does not issue cheques.

You may sign up for a free PayPal account at www.paypal.com.

Where can I find the history of my prior payouts and overall earnings?

You may view the history of your earnings and payouts in your account dashboard.