Guidelines for Teaching for the TLA NetworkThe TLA Network seeks experienced transformative language artists to teach online classes for us. We currently offer 12+ classes each year, and will be expanding offerings over the future. We envision our online classes as one way we can support TLAers making a living and cultivating Right Livelihood – creating work of meaning that serves the community. At the same time, the classes greatly serve the TLA community, which is rather dispersed, by allowing people to make community while learning about TLA. The TLA Network is an Equal Opportunity Employer and
welcomes proposals and applications from individuals of color, PGBTQ
people, people living with serious illness or disability, and others
marginalized at times in our culture. QualificationsTeachers need to be seasoned TLAers, which means they would have some or all of these qualifications:
We seek to bring into the fold teachers with a social change focus, internationally-experienced teachers, and others to complement our current course offerings and help us grow TLA for many populations and communities around the world. Class FormatTimeframe: Classes are usually 6-week sessions but may in some circumstances be shorter or longer. Online Platform: We use Moodle as our main platform, which allows students to work on the class at any time, day or night, and which allows you a lot of flexibility as to what you post. Moodle is very flexible and, once you get the hang of it, user-friendly. Conference Calls: You are also welcome to do phone conferences (we have a phone conference number you can use) or, if it works for you, Zoom (we have an account you can use), Skype or Google Hang-Out, although we strongly encourage teachers to make the bulk of the class on Moodle. Setup: Our executive director will orient you and provide technical support for you and the students — you’ll be oriented to Moodle through a video call with our staff, able to contact us for help (especially when getting started), and students will be oriented and have an email to write to if they run into issues. We’re not available to upload your class for you, provide daily assistance, or setup too technically complicated structures. We can also help set up conference call lines, Dropbox, etc. Once your class is approved we can give you a “sand box,” a Moodle page on which to play with building your class way in advance so to put together the class with greater spaciousness and less stress. Grading: We don’t require grades to be assigned, however there are some requirements for people doing the TLAN certification. Class Focuses & CertificationWe actively seek classes on a variety of TLA genres – writing, storytelling, theatre-making, expressive arts, etc., as well as mixed-mediums (such as storytelling and writing) – and on a variety of topics, such as health and healing, social transformation, right livelihood, engaged spirituality, and ecological literacy. Take a look at past classes here. Our introductory certification, TLA Foundations, requires people to take 2-4 classes (depending on whether they attend the annual conference). For people counting a class as part of fulfilling their certification requirements, teachers must assess whether students have completed at least 80% of the assignments (we have an easy way to do this that requires minimal work). Money & MarketingMarketing: If you want to teach for us, you need to participate strongly in helping market your class. We meet you half-way: we will promote your class through emailings, our newsletter, our website and facebook page, and we’ll even meet with you to brainstorm ways you can reach your audience. But what we’ve found is that successful classes always have one major thing in common: the teacher is cultivating a solid following through regular outreach (via facebook, website, twitter, other social media, in-person presentations, word-of-mouth, etc.). We require a marketing plan in which you can list your ideas for getting started on outreach. We also find that teachers who teach successful classes often then get a following among our people for future classes. Money: After extensive research into pay scales of other non-profits that offer online classes, and after looking at how we can use the classes to both enhance our teachers’ right livelihood and sustain the TLA Network, we came up with a simple formula. We split all net proceeds for each class with the teacher. This comes out to be the same amount as many organizations offering on-line classes with more complex formulas (such as $13/week per student). How this works out is that if you’re doing a 6-week class, for which we charge $250 members/ $270 non-members, and 10 people register (half of whom are members), you will make approximately $1,300 (minus Paypal fees). Apply to Teach a ClassPlease submit this form, Teach for the TLA Network, and email your resume or CV (no more than 4 pages) to director@tlanetwork.org. The form will include areas for:
Submit your class proposal today! Please do not hesitate to contact us with questions at director@tlanetwork.org. We look forward to hearing from you! |