Teaching crafts

[cuttingcreations]

I'm after some advice please I've been making cards now for a few years and have been making jewellery for a short time and would like to be teach people and run workshops and was wondering do you need any qualifications.

I would appreciate any advice.

Thanks
Louise

[Bea]

I've done one to one jewellery making classes a couple of years ago but I don't have any qual. It depends who you are teaching, it's quite regulated to teach kids for instance (I believe).

You need to make sure you have a plan well laid out, and a plan B in case the student is quick to learn etc. Offer a wide enough choice of what you can teach, various projects using different tools/threads/findings, in jewellery making it's quite easy I find. One of my friends did a 2 week course at a Uni with a project a day. I actually gave her some ideas, as she was mainly into seed beads.

If you have a local craft shop, get in touch, they might already have teachers but show them what you can offer, you never know. Or else, run workshops yourself, but you will have to advertise. (you might need public liability insurance)

[Caroleecrafts]

You don't need a qualification but I did the certificated course at the local college years ago to teach adults. It helps to plan lessons and also suggestions how to deal with certain pupils etc. May be worth looking into or go along to a course to see how it is run. Don't think I have my paperwork now or could have let you have a copy. They came to my studio to see me run a course as an observer, they then discuss how it went and if you should make any changes. The actual course was good fun and it builds up a network of like minded individuals.

Good Luck

[Ashbee]

Sorry, long reply!

If you want to teach you need to decide what age group and where, this will then help you work out what (if any) qualifications you will need. i.e:

on to one at home - probably just experience!

Private group tuition at a centre - no quals necessary but looks good! You would need public liability insurance for this also

Adult learning (via local authority) - you would need an Initial teacher training certificate at least.

FE college - as above but to teach longer Qualification based courses you would need more experience also.

Primary & secondary schools - need a PGCE or degree.

Might be worth finding out if you have any local schools who have an adult learning programme, they sometimes take on newer tutors, or contact the Extended Schools team at your local council - their staff plan after school and holiday activities for kids/parents.

A point to note: all government funding is being pushed towards adult literacy and numeracy and crafts are being sidelined rapidly. You may have better luck teaching your craft as 'family learning' opportunity - loads of funds available for that!

Sorry to go on but this is my area of expertise, lost count of how many tutors I've recruited (and got rid of!) in my time. If you want to PM me for more details I am happy to help.

[robin wood]

If you want to teach you need to decide what age group and where, this will then help you work out what (if any) qualifications you will need. i.e:

on to one at home - probably just experience!

Private group tuition at a centre - no quals necessary but looks good! You would need public liability insurance for this also

Adult learning (via local authority) - you would need an Initial teacher training certificate at least.

FE college - as above but to teach longer Qualification based courses you would need more experience also.

Primary & secondary schools - need a PGCE or degree.

Might be worth finding out if you have any local schools who have an adult learning programme, they sometimes take on newer tutors, or contact the Extended Schools team at your local council - their staff plan after school and holiday activities for kids/parents.

A point to note: all government funding is being pushed towards adult literacy and numeracy and crafts are being sidelined rapidly. You may have better luck teaching your craft as 'family learning' opportunity - loads of funds available for that!

Sorry to go on but this is my area of expertise, lost count of how many tutors I've recruited (and got rid of!) in my time. If you want to PM me for more details I am happy to help.

Excellent advice there. I would suggest even for 1 to 1 at home think about insurance. Ian Wallace does a craftsman policy for less than £100 which covers that sort of teaching.

Also spend as much time as you can planning and writing down what you are going to do, check to see if there are any risks involved and how you will minimise them, write that down too (that's a non jargon way of saying do a risk assessment) This may seem like its taking the fun out of it but at the end of the day it is about making sure your students have a great time.

I run courses in my local village hall which is comparatively cheap, not too precious, has toilets and kitchen and they are very glad of the money.

[cuttingcreations]

Thank you

Thanks for all your replies they are very helpful.

I currently run a craft group but this is for more of a get to get with other crafters.

I'm intending to teach adults and have contacted a local trust so we will have to see what happens, hope it comes off though I would be nice to share something I really love doing (how corny ).

If I don't manage to get to teach at least I might have windeled my way onto a photography course which will help with my scrapbooking :-)

I'm trying to find a way to get a teaching certificate, do you know if there are any night time courses or what I can search to help me, as I work full time and I'm a mummy and need to fit any courses I do into the evening/weekend.

Thanks again everyone.

[Caroleecrafts]

do you mean teaching adults (city and Guilds at your local college is done in the evenings) or do you mean children, the only one that is mainly home study based but with day workshops and exams is Montessorri. Check if there are any around near you and speak to them direct. A full teaching certificate I think involves Uni etc.

[Art n Crafts]

You have to be working towards a Cert Ed within 2 years of tutoring/lecturing at College/Uni.

[Kay]

I wanted to run my own workshops so I am volunteering at my locol beneficiary centre to get some experiance and also helping them too.

[Kiamyka]

The City and Guilds qualification is the 730 . It generally runs one evening per week for a year. When I did mine back in the early 80s it was over 2 years so much better now. I would recommend it to anyone thinking of doing workshops - it will help you focus on planning not just single workshops but a course of them too. What is also very valuable is the theory of learning styles cos we all have our own ways of learning. Having the qualification also makes you look more professional too (so make sure if you ar you say so in your ads)

[jenig12]

Hi

Just to say that this is a thread I was thinking of starting as I have been approached to do some teaching. I found this site yesterday that may be of help for the practicalities but not legal side of things. Good luck if you do decide to go down this road
www.home-jewelry-business-success-tips.com/teaching-jewelry-making-workshops.html

[Dollyrocker]

im hoping to do something like this it would be my dream job.

[wendy]

I'm trying to find a way to get a teaching certificate, do you know if there are any night time courses or what I can search to help me, as I work full time and I'm a mummy and need to fit any courses I do into the evening/weekend.

Most City and Guilds and Cert Ed courses are designed as part time to fit around existing commitments. If you ask for teacher training courses at your local college, they'll be able to help. They may even be able to help with some (probably unpaid) teaching practice. To continue into the course past the introductory stage you'll need teaching hours (not many).

A previous poster mentioned funding being put into Adult Literacy/Numeracy and Crafts being sidelined (I teach Adult Lit and Crafts) - at my college, there seems to be sufficient funding for crafts, although a lot of people (students) do now have to pay for the course, whereas all AdultLit/Num courses are free. I've not had a problem getting teaching hours and they are happy to pay for my materials too.

Good luck, teaching crafts is really enjoyable. If you can get work through a local college, you have no real outlay or risk either.

[HappySheep]

I used to teach with Adult Learning but the funding is being cut so much, the numbers and types of courses are reducing every year. However, saturday workshops seem to be popular (I suppose as people don't have to commit to 10 weeks every term). As far as qualifications go, my local authority is now insisting that everyone has at least a basic qualification but they will sponsor to you to get it (6 saturdays in the year attending the tutor course). All the things like insurance are taken care of by them, so it can be a good way to get experienced in running workshops before striking out on your own.

Judith

[Dollyrocker]

good luck to all those trying to get into this will like to know if any of you do manage to get some work. x