Q: How do I access Educator Onboarding?
A: The Educator Onboarding Program can be found in the Onboarding Resources section of your Dashboard.
Please note - You must be logged in to your Open Parachute account in order to access this content.
Q: What grade levels are talked about in each onboarding group?
A: We focus on elementary, middle, and high school groups for our onboarding. The grades at various schools fluctuate from District to District, so please use your discretion when selecting the onboarding that suits your needs best. The grades that we are aiming to target with each of these groups are:
Elementary School Pre-K - Grade 6
Middle School Grades 6 - 9
High School Grades 8 - 12
Mental Health Practitioners Pre-K - Grade 12
Q: What is the difference in content between the different onboarding groups?
A: Session 1: Introduction:
Similar overall program goals/focus, but different specific goals based on age ranges.
Session 2: Exploring the Platform & Navigating the Program:
Different platform elements are focused on based on the differing goals of the programs across the age ranges.
Elementary: Lesson library focus
Middle school: Transitions program focus
High school: Student-led initiatives focus
Mental Health Practitioners: Counselor Collection focus
Session 3: Tips for Running Open Parachute:
The same video-based content is shown for elementary school, middle school, and mental health practitioners (observing an educator running lessons), whereas high school is discussion-based.
Session 4: Additional Resources & Support:
The content is the same for all groups, except for a reiteration of the program goals that differ across the age ranges.
Q: What if we only have one block of time to do all our onboarding?
A: While we recommend spacing out the onboarding sessions for maximum retention and learning, we also know that logistics in schools can be tough! You are welcome to run the sessions back-to-back if that is best for your schedule.
Q: What if we are unable to separate grade levels (Elementary, Middle, High) for onboarding?
A: If everyone is in the room together, you can have them sit in teams or groups, and each log in and watch their video privately, followed by discussions within their grade-level groups.
Q: Can teachers onboard themselves asynchronously?
A: Our recommendation is to run onboarding in groups for maximum collaboration between educators, but if that is not possible, educators may engage with this content on their own. We recommend directing Educators to the Asynchronous Onboarding Lesson (located in the Educator Onboarding Program) if you choose this path.
Q: I’m a grade 7 teacher - which onboarding session should I choose?
A: You are welcome to choose whichever onboarding group makes the most sense for you (e.g., if you are in a middle school, choose the middle school group; if you are in an elementary school, choose the elementary school group). If you are in a K-12 school or a District with no middle schools, we would recommend choosing the middle school group, as this will focus on content that is helpful for the transition years between childhood and adolescence.
Q: I’m a mental health practitioner - how should I onboard?
A: We have a targeted onboarding pathway for school-based mental health practitioners that prepares you to push into classes to run lessons (Tier 1) and support your students in small groups (Tier 2) or one-on-one settings (Tier 3). You will have the option of focusing on lessons for certain grades or preparing to support students at any grade.
Q: I want the onboarding to be live. Is that possible?
A: If you're an OP Administrator, please contact our team at [email protected] if you have any requests for live presentations or Q&A.