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Frequently
Asked Questions
About Our Workshop Facilitator Program
Is this a paid position? How will I be paid?
Workshop Facilitators are paid on a percentage basis. You will collect 60% of the total workshop fees paid by attendees for each session you facilitate. Checks will be sent 2 weeks after the close of enrollment for each session. (Workshop fees paid by attendees are non-refundable after 5 days.)
Am I an employee of Coffeehouse for Writers?
No. You are an independent workshop provider paying Coffeehouse a portion of
workshop fees to host, administer and publicize the workshop. Reporting and filing of income tax information is your sole responsibility.
How many classes will I be asked to teach?
We schedule each year's start dates toward the end of the previous year,
and all facilitators are given a copy of the schedule. You may choose on
which starting dates you would like to offer your your workshop. Breaks and
vacations are fine, but we require that you notify us if you'd like to skip
a session before registration for that session begins.
How many students will I be responsible for?
You will be contacted after the close of registrations if your workshop has fewer than four enrollments, at which time you may decide whether you would like to teach the workshop or not.
We will also contact the registered students to see if they are averse to
attending a smaller class (some are). You will be required to teach any class that has four or more enrollments. The maximum enrollment in any given class is 10
students, or more at the facilitator's discretion. If enrollment is
higher than ten, you will be contacted and given the option to accept more
than ten students if you so desire.
What sort of format is used to conduct these classes?
Our classes are conducted through a mailing list system. When attendees enroll in a workshop, an administrator from Coffeehouse for Writers subscribes the students to a private email list. Coffeehouse for Writers administers all functions related to enrollment--this is not the facilitator's responsibility.
You will send your workshop materials to a special mailing list address for distribution to the attendees. They will respond by posting their assignments, questions and comments to the list. You will be expected to respond to each individual message by posting your public response to the list.
Will I have training?
Yes. New Workshop Facilitators will be asked to audit a workshop free of charge. This will serve as an example of how the workshops are conducted. You will also be subscribed to our special moderators/facilitators mailing list, where you will be able to ask questions of fellow Workshop Facilitators and receive feedback and support.
Who handles marketing of the workshops?
Coffeehouse for Writers does, but you are encouraged to promote your course whenever the opportunity presents itself. You may post information to newsgroups, email potentially interested friends and family, and encourage workshop attendees to
continue with other workshops offered by Coffeehouse. Always include your Coffeehouse for Writers affiliation in any bios you receive with published articles or stories.
We do not allow spamming (unsolicited mass emailing or newsgroup
postings) for the promotion of any workshop. The contracts of facilitators
using unethical methods to promote their workshops will be terminated.
Who provides materials for leading my workshop?
You do. Once you have chosen your topic and provided a syllabus, you must create the workshop materials provided to your attendees. While you may quote small segments of your material from reputable
sources (being sure to give proper credit), the majority of your materials must be written by you. You may require a printed text for your course (a writing book or instructional manual) but the text
must be readily available (preferably through Amazon.com), reasonably priced, and essential to the course. You may not rely solely on a printed text as instructional material for your workshop. You may also recommend reading materials without requiring them. Again, recommended reading materials must be readily available and reasonably priced.
How many lessons do I have to provide?
That depends on the length of your workshop. We require no less than one
lesson per week, but we strongly prefer at least two.
How long will each lesson be?
It's important to remember that most of your students will read lesson
materials online, instead of printed out. Online reading is more difficult,
so your lessons should be short and precise, not long and rambling. 800-1200
words is ideal. If you feel you have more material to present than a 1200
word lesson will cover, you should consider breaking your lessons up into
segments, posted on different days throughout the week. Or, if some of your
lesson material isn't essential to completing the assignment you'll be
issuing with the lesson, offer the material as a separate handout.
What's the difference between a lesson and a handout?
For our purposes, lessons always provide material essential to completing
an assignment and meeting the course objective. Handouts are non-essential
yet helpful and informative materials you may wish to provide to your
students as a supplement.
How many assignments will I have to issue?
No less than one per week. We prefer two if the
assignments are rather short and won't require much of the student's time.
Assignments are the "meat" of our workshops. By giving your students
assignments, you will be afforded the opportunity to interact with them
through feedback and critique.
How will my performance be evaluated?
We want to work with each of our facilitators toward a common goal of helping new writers achieve success, and we will do our best to help
you achieve success as long as you continue to prove your dedication and sincerity.
Workshops generating a number of complaints and/or drop-outs or those which do not follow the guidelines provided by Coffeehouse for Writers will be dropped from the workshop schedule and their facilitators dismissed.
How do I get started?
Send us a proposal.
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