Watch: Wyzant Webinar with CEO Andrew Geant - 3/26/2020

Wyzant recently hosted a live webinar on March 26th, 2020. CEO Andrew Geant was joined by nearly 600 tutors to discuss educational challenges brought about by COVID-19, best practices for tutors making the switch to online lessons, and what Wyzant is doing to better equip students and tutors to succeed in a new - perhaps unfamiliar - online learning environment.

During the webinar, tutors chatted directly with Andrew, posing questions and offering valuable feedback. Those in attendance during the live feed got the chance to hear firsthand how Wyzant is working to help underprivileged students and low-income families get access to tutoring, ways in which tutors can best help their existing students moving to online, and discussed our decision to waive the service fee for new referred students from March 24, 2020, through June 30, 2020, in an effort to provide access to our powerful online learning platform to the most students possible.

You can watch the webinar at Wyzant’s YouTube channel, or just hit play on the video below.

Most-asked questions from our live webinar

Hundreds of questions were posed by tutors during the live webinar, so we’ve compiled those most-asked below.

​Has Wyzant considered reaching out to k-12 districts for partnership programs?

As a Chicago-based company, we’ve reached out directly to Chicago Public Schools and a number of charter schools in the city. We’d be happy to do more, and believe that local tutors probably have the best knowledge and relationships to identify these opportunities.

How can I learn about online tutoring?

There are several resources available to learn more about online tutoring on Wyzant. A Getting Started section for tutors in the Help Center outlines how to become certified, how to prepare for an online lesson, and how to support students throughout the process. There’s also a demo room available to explore the tools and features of the online platform before a first lesson with a student. Should any issues arise, this troubleshooting guide can help. Customer Support is also available to provide information and answer questions.

We are currently creating a new, updated “how to” tutorial to walk users through how to access and use Wyzant’s online tool. We will share the video when it’s available!

Can we use other platforms (Zoom, Skype) for online lessons?

Other online platforms such as Zoom or Skype can be used if necessary; however Wyzant’s tool offers a host of powerful features such as lesson recordings, a code editor, the ability to upload documents and images, and an interactive whiteboard. By using Wyzant’s platform your students will receive important reminders to join their lessons, as well as an easy way to reliably communicate and stay connected with you via Wyzant messaging. If you need help getting started or have difficulty, please contact Customer Support. There are also several articles in the Help Center that can provide guidance.

How do free online demo lessons work, and how can tutors offer it to prospective students?

An online demo can be completed with any student with billing information on their account. You can discuss the benefits of the online tool with a student and offer to connect free of charge.

A demo can be provided via 2 avenues:

1) Go to the desired student in your Messages and click the computer icon at the bottom of the screen. A pop up will appear that allows you to send a link to the student to join a demo room.

2) You can schedule an online lesson with the student and meet to explore the tool with the student.

This article provides some helpful information to help prepare students for their first online lesson.

What’s being done to bring more students to the platform during this period?

While we have seen a drop in demand from our normal marketing channels due to COVID-19, we’re continuing to explore other marketing avenues to help offset changes in volume. With school closures, the “normal’ pressures like tests and quizzes, which typically drive students to tutoring, have been reduced. However, we expect this to change as parents and students turn to available, straightforward resources like tutoring to help them with educational goals at home.

We’re also working hard to bring new students to the Wyzant platform via our social media channels, and would love your support in getting the message out about online tutoring. You can follow Wyzant on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn, where we post tons of useful information and resources for both tutors and students.

Can we use Wyzant to tutor outside the USA?

Definitely! Assistance can be provided to students who do not reside in the United States. Please keep in mind (and communicate) about time zone differences when scheduling to avoid any confusion. Also, Wyzant’s payment processor does not currently support international credit cards, but these students can use PayPal as a payment method.

Currently, Wyzant cannot list or host accounts for tutors who do not reside within the United States.

I have been getting new student requests on Wyzant asking for direct help with tests and quizzes. How can tutors address this?

Wyzant takes academic honesty very seriously and errs on the side of caution in these situations. While we do our best to identify and intercept these inquiries, given the volume of communication through the site (as well as the sheer determination of some students…), at times unethical requests may slip through. If you ever receive a request that may be in violation of Wyzant’s or a school’s honesty policy, please contact Customer Support for review and action.

​I’ve been noticing from time to time that fake students contact me. What is Wyzant doing to stop spam?

While Wyzant has measures in place to combat this type of activity, it is impossible to monitor all email correspondence in real-time. We’re continuously assessing and adjusting our interventions as spam evolves.

We posted some information about how to spot spam requests and how to stay safe while using our platform. This page will also show you how to mark a student request as spam, which will remove the message from your inbox and ensure that your response rate and time are not affected.

Why can’t students search tutors by name?

For privacy reasons, full user names are not listed on the site and as a result, are not searchable. If looking for a specific tutor, students can contact Customer Support for assistance.

It would be great to have a chat on the site just for tutors.

The Wyzant Tutor Forums are a great place to connect with fellow tutors. Tutors listed on Wyzant can exchange ideas, share what they’re experiencing during this unpredictable time, and chat with their fellow educators.