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Online Tutoring Setup Checklist

Get the technology ready so your child can hear, see and share their work when the lesson begins.

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Editorial

  • Portrait of Robin GibbonsLead authorFounder & CEO·Latimer Tuition
  • Reviewed byHeather LatimerTutor Matching & Customer Service·Latimer Tuition

Set up the device and workspace

  • Get the joining details

    Save the lesson link, time and agreed contact method somewhere you can find without opening the call. Ask whether your child needs an account, an app or a particular browser. On a school-managed device, ask its administrator about blocked sites or installation restrictions; do not try to bypass them. For example, Microsoft’s Teams joining guidance documents joining in Edge or Chrome without installing the desktop app, but some meeting settings require email verification or an account.

  • Use the device you intend to use in lessons

    Open the platform in its supported browser or app and allow time for any required updates. Put the charger within reach. A larger screen may be easier for reading a worksheet beside the tutor’s video; a tablet may suit a different task. Test the activity before deciding whether to replace equipment.

  • Arrange a workable space

    Choose a place with room for the device and written work. Position the screen so your child can read it comfortably and place light in front of their face if video will be used. Reduce background noise and distractions as far as your home allows.

  • Test sound and microphone separately

    Play the platform’s test sound if available, then speak and use its microphone test if available. Teams for web does not offer the desktop “Make a test call” feature; arrange a brief sound check with another person instead. Select the intended speaker and microphone, especially when a headset is connected. Check the volume, mute control and browser permissions. If the setup is hard to hear clearly, ask the tutor whether trying a headset would help before buying one.

  • Prepare the lesson materials

    Open the relevant worksheet or save a local copy if allowed. Put pens, paper and any agreed subject equipment nearby. Ask how the tutor wants to see handwritten work: through the camera, an uploaded photo or a shared whiteboard. A graphics tablet or document camera is a possible tool, not a purchase to make without knowing the task.

  • Test access needs with your child

    Try the text size, contrast, keyboard controls and any assistive technology your child uses. Ask for the worksheet in advance and in a usable format where needed. If captions are needed, establish whether the platform supports them and test them with the intended account and device. Microsoft’s accessibility guidance recommends providing accessible materials in advance; agree the format that works for your child. Where live captions are available, test their usefulness for the subject rather than assuming every spoken term will be accurate.

Run a short pre-lesson test

Do this before the first lesson with your child using the intended setup. Where a tutor or another person needs to join the test, arrange that in advance; do not assume extra time is included.

  • Join and be heard

    Open the correct link. Make sure both people can hear a full sentence, rather than relying on a microphone icon. If video is part of the agreed lesson, test the camera preview and its permissions too.

  • Read and use a task

    Open a sample of the material your child will use. Can they read it at a comfortable size, type an answer or write on paper while keeping the call usable? Try switching between the lesson and the document.

  • Show the work

    Practise the agreed sharing method with a non-sensitive sample. Screen sharing shows what is on screen; it does not automatically give someone access to the file itself. If sharing a document link, ask the recipient to open it and confirm they have the access needed to view, comment or edit.

  • Agree the fallback

    Keep the tutor’s agreed contact route outside the call. Decide how you will say the connection has failed and what to do if rejoining does not work. Ask about the arrangement for lost lesson time before it becomes a problem; do not assume a refund or replacement lesson.

Fix common connection and sharing problems

Start with the symptom you can observe. These checks draw on Microsoft Teams, Google file-sharing and Ofcom guidance; menu names and available controls vary by platform. Use the help page for the service and device named by your tutor if the controls differ.

  • The tutor cannot hear your child

    Check the call’s mute button, then any physical headset mute switch. Select the correct microphone in the platform, allow microphone access in the browser and device settings, and try the test again. Rejoin after changing settings if needed.

  • Your child cannot hear the tutor

    Check device volume and the selected speaker or headphones. Sound may be going to a connected Bluetooth device elsewhere. Play a test sound to distinguish a local audio problem from a problem at the tutor’s end.

  • There is an echo

    Look for a second device in the same room connected to the call’s audio. Disconnect its audio or leave the call on that device, rather than only muting its microphone. Try headphones on the main device if speaker sound is feeding back into the microphone.

  • The camera is blank

    Select the intended camera, check any physical cover and allow camera access in the browser and device settings. Close other apps using the camera. Tell the tutor if video still fails so you can decide whether the planned activity can continue.

  • Speech breaks up or the call freezes

    Pause avoidable streaming, downloads and uploads on the household connection. Try nearer the router or a wired connection where practical. A speed test alone does not show that a lesson will run smoothly: repeat the actual call test. If agreed with the tutor, reducing video use may help preserve audio, but it may not suit a task that needs visual demonstration. See Ofcom’s connection advice for household broadband checks.

  • The tutor cannot open a shared file

    For a Google file, use the account the owner has granted access to, or ask the owner to share it with the correct address. Viewer, commenter and editor permissions allow different actions. With any sharing service, ask whether the recipient needs to read or change the file and test that action. If a managed account blocks external access, ask its administrator or use an agreed permitted alternative; do not make a private folder public.

  • A share button is missing or blocked

    Look at the platform’s help for the device and browser you are using. The host may need to allow sharing, or your browser or operating system may need permission. Tell the tutor exactly what is missing and ask which supported alternative fits the lesson.

Illustrative example

A backup plan for a worksheet lesson

When this applies

A pupil can join the call, but the worksheet link will not open.

Suggested wording

Before the lesson: Agree how the worksheet will be shared and, where permitted, save a readable copy. Keep paper and a pen ready.

When the link fails: Tell the tutor which account is signed in and what the error says. Ask them to check the intended permission.

While it is being resolved: If both people already have a copy, agree the page and question number and work from those copies. The pupil can explain their method aloud or show written work using the agreed method.

If the planned task is no longer workable: Use the agreed contact route to decide what happens next. Save the work completed so the next session can pick up at the right point.

Why this helps

This is an example to adapt with the tutor. It keeps the lesson task in view and avoids spending the whole session repeatedly opening the same broken link.

Support and clarity

Frequently asked questions

Straight answers to the questions people ask most often.

Do we need to buy a headset or graphics tablet?

Start with the tutor’s planned activity and test your existing equipment. A headset may help with listening or echo. Before buying a graphics tablet or document camera, ask which task it would help your child do and whether paper, the existing camera or another available tool would work.

Can my child use a phone?

Possibly, if the chosen platform and activity work on it. Test whether your child can read the task, hear the tutor and share work without constant switching or zooming. Joining the call on a phone does not establish that the whole lesson is practical on its small screen.

What should I send when asking for technical help?

Name the device, browser or app, the step that failed and the exact error text. Say whether audio, video and shared work are affected. If a screenshot is useful, crop or obscure names, messages and unrelated personal information; do not send passwords or account recovery codes.

Sources and references

Sources and references

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