Instructor Handbook

August 2024

Virtual Learning 24/7

Welcome
Whether you are a new instructor or have been teaching with us for many years, welcome!

Virtual Learning 24/7 is happy to have you on board, and we are looking forward to growing
as a school and as instructors together. As an instructor of VL247, you are very important,
and the value of your contribution cannot be overstated. Our goal is to provide the finest
quality instruction to our students. By satisfying our students’ needs, we ensure they will
continue to take classes with us and will recommend us to others. You are an important
part of this process because your work directly influences our company's reputation.

This Instructor Handbook provides new and continuing instructors ready access to
important information about the school’s policies and procedures.

This Handbook will be reviewed and updated annually. Any urgent changes needed outside
of that cycle will be incorporated as soon as possible.

If you have any questions about the Instructor Handbook, please contact your Instructor
Administrator.

Sincerely,

VL247 Instructors Management Team

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Table of Contents
Welcome ...................................................................................................................... 1
Virtual Learning 24/7 ..................................................................................................... 4
Our Mission............................................................................................................... 4
Company Culture ...................................................................................................... 4
Who’s Who................................................................................................................ 4
Legalities ...................................................................................................................... 4
Contract ................................................................................................................... 4
Subject to Change ..................................................................................................... 5
Acknowledgements ................................................................................................... 5
Company Policies ......................................................................................................... 6
Attendance ............................................................................................................... 6
Breaks ...................................................................................................................... 6
Code of Conduct ....................................................................................................... 7
Confidentiality........................................................................................................... 7
Dress Code ............................................................................................................... 7
Homeroom ............................................................................................................... 7
Hours ....................................................................................................................... 8
Materials................................................................................................................... 8
Methodology ............................................................................................................. 9
Non-Instructional Activities ........................................................................................ 9
School closures......................................................................................................... 9
Technology Use ....................................................................................................... 10
Work Product .......................................................................................................... 10
Procedures ................................................................................................................. 11
Absences ................................................................................................................ 11
Helpdesk contact................................................................................................. 11
Instructor absence ............................................................................................... 11
Student absence .................................................................................................. 11

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 Assessment ............................................................................................................ 12
Behavior and Discipline ........................................................................................... 12
Class Assignment .................................................................................................... 13
First Day ................................................................................................................. 13
Placement .............................................................................................................. 13
Schedule ................................................................................................................ 14
Performance ............................................................................................................... 15
Training ................................................................................................................... 15
Classroom Observations.......................................................................................... 15
Coaching / Mentoring ............................................................................................... 16
Continuing Development ......................................................................................... 16
Ratings ................................................................................................................... 16
Contact Information .................................................................................................... 17
Guard Language Helpdesk ....................................................................................... 17
Instructor Administrator ........................................................................................... 17
QA Team ................................................................................................................. 17
Appendix .................................................................................................................... 18
Instructor Performance Checklist ............................................................................. 18
Receipt of Instructor Handbook ................................................................................... 20

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Virtual Learning 24/7
Our Mission
Our Company is committed to delivering quality language instruction to a variety of
learners, providing a safe learning environment for continuous growth and experiences.

Company Culture
Our company prides itself on appreciating all talents that come on board and encourages
collaboration and communication throughout the entire company. To that e ect, all levels
of management maintain an “open-door” policy for all employees. Do not hesitate to reach
out to anybody if you have questions.

Who’s Who
VL247 is a subsidiary of “Progressive Experts Consulting, Inc.” (PEC, Inc). We are the
Curriculum & Instruction subdivision of PEC.

VL247 is organized as follows:

 The Director of Curriculum & Instruction leads the department projects, recruits
new instructors and oversees the schools’ organization.
 The Instructor Administrator oversees class assignments, materials access,
instructor absences and substitutes.
 The Quality Assurance Team provides training, coaching and mentoring to all
instructors. They observe classes for compliance with school requirements.
 Helpdesk is helping with students’ absences, technical troubleshooting, school
compliance.

Check the Contact Information page to find out who to contact and how.

Legalities
Contract
This Handbook does not represent a Contract. It does not replace the policies and
procedures outlined in the Employee Handbook.

This Instructor Handbook contains information about the policies and practices of the
company specific to the Curriculum and Instruction aspects. We expect each instructor to
read this Instructor Handbook carefully, as it is a valuable reference for understanding your

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job and the company. The policies outlined in this Instructor Handbook should be regarded
as management guidelines only, which will require changes from time to time. This
Instructor Handbook supersedes and replaces any and all prior Instructor Handbooks and
any inconsistent verbal or written policy statements.

Subject to Change
As previously mentioned, this Handbook will be reviewed and updated yearly. However, any
major change that requires immediate implementation will be communicated to all
instructors with information about the implementation.

Acknowledgements
Instructors need to sign and date the final page of this Handbook, acknowledging they have
read the Handbook, understood its content, and will follow the policies and procedures
outlined.

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Company Policies
Attendance
Attendance and punctuality are important factors for the instructor’s success within our
company.

Instructors are expected to attend all their scheduled sessions. In case of unavoidable
absences, instructors will follow the procedure outlined below to notify the Company of
their absence.

Instructors are expected to be ready to teach on time. This means logging in a few
minutes early to check audio and video and prepare the materials for the lesson.
Instructors will then be expected to teach for the entire session (minus the break), with
their camera on.

Instructors will respect both the students and the monitor’s time and finish the class on
time.

Note that, except for the break, the instructor is expected to be on camera at all times in
order to be paid.

Breaks
Here is a table showing how long breaks can be, depending on the length of the session.

Class session length Break

1 hour None
1.5 hours 7 min
2 hours 10 min

It is the instructor’s responsibility to

1) Notify students of the return time (“It is now 13:55, so we come back at 14:05”).
2) Be back on time, with the camera on, even if students are late.

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Code of Conduct
Instructors are expected to always conduct themselves in a professional and courteous
way, with students as well as with company personnel.

Instructors should follow the Company Policies and direct any question to the Instructor
Administrator.

Confidentiality
Our Company supports the highest standards of ethical conduct and behavior on a daily
basis.

Due to their situation, it is important for all instructors to keep any student information
(work, location) confidential. They will not disclose student information to other students,
other instructors, family and friends.

Dress Code
Instructors are expected to always present a neat and professional appearance, as they
represent the company in front of students. The properly attired individual helps to create a
favorable image for the company. When in class, instructors should not wear any of the
following:

 Sleeveless top, tank top or spaghetti straps

 Swimwear or beach attire
 Caps or hat

Homeroom
Instructors are expected to keep their Homeroom up to date in the following ways:

 The syllabus must be adjusted for the class and posted PRIOR to the start date of
the course.
 Lesson plans must be adjusted to each lesson and posted PRIOR to the beginning of
each session.
 Materials for the class (PowerPoint) must match the Lesson Plan for that session
AND be posted PRIOR to the session starting.

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  Assignments must be posted for each session.
 Web Links and additional documents must be posted as needed.

Hours
Each class lasts a total of 48 hours. These hours are generally divided into 24 2-hour
sessions. Classes usually meet twice a week.

The schedule can be di erent based on students’ requests.

Note that, unless specified, these are NOT FLEX schedules

Since our classes take place 24/7, instructors are encouraged to be flexible in their
availability.

Once an instructor has accepted a class, they are committed to completing the class.

Materials
Instructors will receive the following files prior to the start of their class:

 A generic curriculum listing the topics to be taught for each lesson.

 A generic lesson plan for each lesson, listing the objectives, as well as suggested
activities for each part of the lesson.

Instructors are expected to complete the following:

 Create a PowerPoint for each lesson, following the method taught during training,
using the lesson plan to get ideas of activities.
 Modify the lesson plan so that it reflects the PowerPoint.
 Post both documents into the Homeroom.

For some languages, there are PowerPoints already available. In that case, instructors are
expected to:

 Check that the PowerPoints and the lesson plans match.

 Check all documents for spelling and language mistakes.
 Check all documents to see that all links still work. Replace those links if they do
not.
 Post the documents into the Homeroom.

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Methodology
Instructors will use a task-based approach to their teaching, using interactive activities
to accomplish their goal.

Instructors will encourage students to speak as much as possible during class, facilitating
the learning, instead of lecturing.

Non-Instructional Activities
Instructors will look and sound professional while in class and shall refrain from doing any
activity that is not related to teaching: drinking alcohol, eating, reading emails, smoking,
surfing the internet or watching TV, etc.

School closures
On specific holidays, the school will be closed, and no classes will take place. To know
when the next school closure is, check the announcements at the top of your lobby page.
Note that all students see the same announcement. The school schedule follows the US
schedule, even if instructors or students are located in a di erent country.

Holidays (subject to change):

 Martin Luther King Day

 President’s day
 Memorial Day
 Juneteenth
 Independence Day
 Labor Day
 Columbus Day
 Veterans Day
 Thanksgiving weekend
 Winter break (2 weeks)

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Technology Use
Instructors should not be using their cell phone, tablet, or computer for any reason besides
instruction during class, as it would take away instructional time.

Acceptable use of technology during class:

 Looking up a word, a fact, additional information related to the lesson

 Contacting Helpdesk (if unable to do it through the classroom chat)

Work Product
As stated in the Employee Handbook, “all work product of every kind solely or jointly
created, developed, conceived, designed, discovered, improved upon or performed by an
employee on behalf of the company shall be the sole and exclusive property of the
company. The decision whether or not to commercialize or market any work product of the
employee, developed by the employee solely or jointly with others, is within the company’s
sole discretion and for the company’s sole benefit and that no royalty will be due to the
employee as a result of the company’s e orts to commercialize or market any such work
product.”

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Procedures
Absences
Helpdesk contact
At the beginning of each session, if instructor or students are late, Helpdesk will try to
reach them by phone and communicate with the rest of the class.

Instructor absence
If… Then…
The instructor will be absent Contact Instructor Administrator to request a substitute.
(planned absence) Provide class name, as well as materials for that class.
The instructor will be absent Call Helpdesk to let them know of the absence
(unplanned)

A planned absence would be an absence due to an appointment, a trip, etc. It usually

gives enough time for the Instructor Administrator to schedule a substitute.

An unplanned absence is due to unforeseen circumstances: loss of power/internet,

caught in tra ic, accident, sudden illness. They are usually last minute.

Whenever possible, the instructor should give as early advance notice as possible.

Instructors will not be paid for absences.

Tip: Add Helpdesk’s phone number to your phone contacts to ensure you are always able
to contact them when you cannot make it to class.

Student absence
If… Then…
A student brings up a future Ask the student to contact Helpdesk, specifying the class
absence in class name and the dates of absence.
A student requests the class Ask the student to contact Helpdesk, specifying the class
be extended name and the dates of absence.

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Instructors will remind students to go through Helpdesk for each absence. Nothing is
o icial until the Helpdesk and Instructor Administrator have confirmed it.

If all students in a class will be absent:

 If the instructor has received at least 24-hour notice, the class will be canceled, the
instructor will not log in and will not get paid.
 If the instructor has received less than 24-hour notice (including when the session
has started), they have the choice:
o They can login in and spend the time in the classroom, working on materials.
Note that the camera MUST BE ON at all times, in order for the instructor to
be paid for that time.
o They can choose not to login (or leave the room). They will not be paid for the
time.
o If the instructor was in class and on camera when they found out all students
would be absent, and they decide to leave, they will be paid for the time they
were on camera.

Assessment
At the end of each course, instructors are expected to assess students. There are two parts
to this assessment:

 Student feedback: instructors will provide feedback to each individual student,

listing both the progress made and areas that need improvement. If there is more
than one student in the class, instructors will use the breakout rooms to address
students individually.
 Scores: instructors will submit a score form that explains how each student has
been doing in each of the modalities, using the level descriptors for the ILR level.
They will then assign an ILR score for each of the modalities and recommend the
next placement for each student. The instructor WILL NOT share these scores with
students.

Behavior and Discipline

All students are expected to behave in a professional manner and give their full attention to
the class.

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If instructors encounter behavior issues, they need to address them in a polite manner,
with a private message to the student for example. If the issues persist, instructors can
send a private message to Helpdesk.

Helpdesk will flag and address serious issues, bringing them up with students and their
superiors alike.

In their notes, useful for end-of-course assessment, instructors can note how the behavior
has impacted the student’s learning.

Class Assignment
If you have specific days/times of availability (or black-out days/times), advise the
Instructor Administrator who can then work to find classes within your availability.

When a class has been created, the Instructor Administrator will contact you to o er the
class, ensuring there is no conflict with other classes.

If you agree, the class is assigned to you, and access to materials in the Resource Library is
granted.

If you are not available for the class, the o er is made to the next instructor.

First Day
On the first day of class, instructors will conduct the classroom orientation, explaining the
various tools of the platform as well as the various sections of the Homeroom. They will
also assess whether students are placed at the correct level (see below).

Placement
During the first and second class, instructors are expected to evaluate their students’ level
of proficiency based on the ILR descriptors for the class level, by providing activities to
assess them.

If the instructor finds out a student is placed too low or too high, they will notify the
Instructor Administrator. Whenever possible, the school will try to accommodate the
student.

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Schedule
All our classes’ schedules are based on students’ requests. The schedule therefore cannot
be changed, except in exceptional cases. If a student wishes to change the schedule of a
class, they need to submit a written request to Helpdesk, who will then need to approve it.
Both instructor and student will be notified when a change of schedule is made.

If a student cannot attend a class (and they are the only student), the class can be
canceled and extended, but only if su icient notice is provided.

If an instructor cannot attend a class, the Administrator tries to find a substitute. If no

substitute is available, students are given the choice of canceling and extending the class.

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Performance
To ensure quality education, VL247 relies on several factors:

 Training
 Classroom observations + feedback
 Mentoring / Coaching
 Professional Development

Training
Training is conducted by the members of the Quality Assurance Team. It includes training
on the platform and homeroom, as well as training on all instructional aspects:
methodology and approach, curriculum and lesson plans, materials development, student
assessment. The training ends with the trainee showing their teaching skills in a
demonstration to the QA Team.

Technical Training
 Video 1: CLE / Homeroom 15 min
 Video 2: Platform 15 min
 Practice (on your own) Varies
 Meeting: Technical Evaluation (knowledge of the tools) 60-120 min
and Online Check (checking the computer specs)
Instructional Training
 Meeting 1: methodology and materials 60-120 min
 Meeting 2: building lessons and assessment 60-120 min
Demo
 Demo preparation (on your own) Varies
 Pre-Demo Meeting (optional) 60-120 min
 Demo with trainer 60-90 min
 Post-Demo Meeting (optional) ~ 60 min

Total: between 8-15 hours.

Classroom Observations
During the cycle of a course, QA Team members will observe the class. Observations have
several purposes:

 Check that the Homeroom is maintained per the requirements explained above.

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  Check that procedures for the first day of class and the last day of class are being
followed.
 Check that the materials follow the curriculum and lesson plan, as well as the
methodology described during training.
 Evaluate the instructor’s performance through their lesson delivery.
 Provide feedback to the instructor for the purpose of improvement.

Coaching / Mentoring
After completion of the training, each instructor will be assigned to a QA Team member
who will be their mentor and coach. QA Team members are there to o er help, coaching,
suggestions, and general support to instructors, before, during and after the course.

Continuing Development
At regular intervals, instructors will have the opportunity to participate in continuing
development sessions. There is usually a specific topic determined. If instructors are not
able to attend the session, a recording will be made available in the Resource Library.

Ratings
When receiving feedback for their performance, instructors will be given scores:

0 = Unsatisfactory – does not meet the requirements

1 = Needs Improvement – meets some of the requirements but needs to work on other
aspects

2 = Satisfactory - meets all the requirements

3 = Excellent – exceeds all requirements

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Contact Information
Guard Language Helpdesk
 Phone number: 315-214-7389
 Email: [email protected]

Instructor Administrator
 Email: instructoradmin@vflconline.org

QA Team
 Email: instructorQA@vflconline.org
 OR individual email to your coach/mentor

WHO WHAT
Helpdesk  Technical issues
 Student absence
 Instructor absence (unplanned)
 Class schedule
Instructor Administrator  Instructor absence (planned)
 Student proficiency discrepancy
 Class assignment
 Substitute request
 Resource Library access
QA Team  Homeroom maintenance
 Teaching and lesson planning
 Materials development
 Student evaluation and ILR

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Appendix
Instructor Performance Checklist
Use this checklist to see if you are in compliance with the school requirements. These criteria will
be used to observe your performance.

Homeroom
 Is the Syllabus posted PRIOR to the first class?
 Do you post your Lesson Plans, Materials, and Assignments prior to each class?

Lesson Development
 Did you modify the Lesson Plan, so it matches your language, culture, and the lesson itself?
 Do the Materials match the Lesson Plan (topic, activities, assignments…)?
 Do you use a variety of activities?
 Are they sca olded (they progress from easier to more complex)?
 Are they interactive?
 Do they make sense in the context of the lesson?
 Do you use Authentic Documents? Are they level-appropriate?
 Do you teach the language structure in the context of the lesson?
 Do you teach all 4 modalities (Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing)?
 Do you take into account your students’ learning style?
 Do your review lessons include assessment activities for all 4 modalities?

Lesson Delivery
 Do you draw on students’ prior knowledge and experience to introduce the lesson’s topic?
 Do you review assignments? Address issues? Answer questions about previous lessons?
 Do you go over the objectives of the lesson? Telling students what they will be able to
accomplish at the end of class?
 Do you present the new material in a manner that is engaging and interactive? Do you make
sure it does not rely on translation?
 Do you o er activities for students to practice the new material, with a lot of help and
support?
 Do you o er activities for students to apply what they just learned in a real-life situation?
 Do you use the Target Language at least 75% of the time? Do you redirect students when
they speak English? Do you give them tools to function in the classroom in the Target
Language?
 Do you provide feedback (positive and negative) throughout the lesson? Do you avoid
interrupting students when they talk, giving your feedback after they finish their thought? Do
you recast what they say, encouraging them to listen to you when you repeat something?
 At the end of the course, do you assess the students’ level and fill in the score form? Do you
provide one-on-one feedback and recommendations to each student? Do you send the
score form?

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Classroom Management & Atmosphere
 Do you give all students plenty of opportunities to speak in the Target Language?
 Do you encourage your students to participate?
 Do you adjust your teaching to your students’ needs?
 Do you provide a friendly and accepting atmosphere in class?
 Do you manage your time wisely so you can complete the lesson within the allotted time?
 Are you comfortable using all the tools in the classroom (sharing documents, audio/video,
breakout rooms…)?

Professionalism
 Do you have a strong knowledge of the language and culture of the Target Country?
 Do you start teaching on time, keep the break to the required time, and teach for the
duration of the lesson? Do you dismiss the students on time?
 Do you have all the materials ready to use?
 Are you familiar with the materials?
 Are you in a professional setting? Do you remove distractions and interruptions?
 Are you dressed appropriately?
 Do you show appropriate behavior (friendly, but not familiar)? Do you avoid any
inappropriate behavior (eating, drinking alcohol, on the phone…)?

Score yourself:
0 = unsatisfactory -- consistently below the requirements
1 = needs improvement -- improvement is necessary and expected.
2 = proficient -- fully meets the requirements. This is the expected, rigorous, yet
attainable level of performance for most instructors.
3 = exemplary -- exceeds requirements and consistently demonstrates high-quality
practice.

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Receipt of Instructor Handbook
This is to acknowledge that I have received a copy of the VL247 LLC Instructor Handbook
and I understand that it contains information about the policies and practices of the
company.

I agree to read and comply with this Instructor Handbook. I understand that the policies
outlined in this Instructor Handbook are management guidelines only, which will require
changes from time to time.

I understand that this Instructor Handbook supersedes and replaces any and all prior
Instructor Handbooks and any inconsistent verbal or written policy statements.

I understand that this Instructor Handbook is not intended to create contractual

obligations with respect to any matters it covers and that the Instructor Handbook does not
create a contract guaranteeing that I will be employed for any specific time period.

If I have questions regarding the content or interpretation of this Instructor Handbook, I will
ask my supervisor or a member of management.

Iris Fernández
NAME __________________________________________________

DATE ___________________________________________________
24/10
EMPLOYEE SIGNATURE __________________________________

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