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Different Types of Teaching Venues

So another thing that is really important when we're talking about planning planning our lessons is figuring out where to teach okay and this is a little bit like market research, right? So and the reason why I say that this is important because you want to know a few factors that we're gonna discuss but first and foremost you need to figure out more or less what is the time the general time range of classes that you could potentially teach right? So it's very different planning for a one hour workshop than it is planning an all day six hour workshop okay, so you need to know depending on the venue what that is going to be so we're going to spend some time thinking about potential venues and if you're in the online audience obviously we're all we're here in san francisco in the bay area but this is going to be very applicable to you as well in your area so I'm inviting everybody to you know, join in our conversation and throw up in the chat room throw out where you are and then you guy...

s could actually start talking about potential venues in your area if you guys are in similar areas, so the first obvious way is to do an internet search right? So I'm I want to teach sewing so I'm going to go on and set in in search for sewing classes in my area it's almost like pretending your student right? Maybe you've gone to some classes you've already been a student so you might already know ok, so pretend your student social media so what I what I always d'oh is I start following places on social media if they have social media or I go on their website I signed up to their newsletter or um you know, there's altars all sorts of ways of searching social media as well. So if you are active on twitter or you're active on instagram, you could tweet something like hey, where's a good place to teach sewing in, you know my area and you'd be surprised what you get back um look in local publications, right? So local newspapers, maybe your neighborhood even has a local publication I know in san francisco, but neighborhoods actually published things that list, especially the very local ones, right? They'll tell you when there's a craft something going on or like a pop up something and so those are really good don't overlook those free resource is near local publications um and then your local shops and guilds. So this is going to be very craft specific, but for example, for quilting there are guilds all over the world, right? So I was look for the local quote built and see what kind of classes they're offering already or go to your go to a shop where you know that they're offering classes and find out information about what kind of classes they're teaching okay so what are some places that come to mind like potential places where you could potentially teach susan community center strangely several weeks I think adult community center great this also goes for the online audience as well feel free dish to throw throw some things in the tower room kathy there's a local stationery shop in our town up in petaluma and I know they have a small classroom in the back so that would be a good place for someone who's teaching paper craft awesome yeah sometimes shops I'm going to mention this later sometimes shoppers don't currently offer classes but you have this you have this inclination that they could so what? Why not approach them say like looking you guys should be teaching classes this is I should be the one to do it right I know you have a back room come on so even even places there aren't currently offering classes a lot of people are teaching in their homes facing in your home yeah I'm going to mention that as well it's a really good way to start holly without your hand I was gonna say you're I have I have a big live work loft space which is pretty unique so that would be a good yeah yeah because um if you're having trouble finding places where they teach don't get discouraged right, you can create your own location or venue um I know for a fact that like when I just mentioned approach local shops that are yet holding classes and you can give classes anywhere I mean you have to obviously check for you know whether you have to rent them or whether you need permission etcetera, but there are places where you could have classes especially if your class is pretty small ok, so don't get discouraged if you can't find a venue by doing the searches ok? So I'm going to have everybody in the workbook there's a space think there's a huge space actually, so we have a lot of space to write down a couple of places and I'm going to ask our online if there's anybody is anybody shared venues would love to hear alison at flavors farm says local colleges, parks and rec centers. Yep, rory says I have a separate studio space in my property and when I teach classes I provide all the notions ruler rotary cutters and for new sewing machines for students to use that sounds like they have their own space that's amazing random random alive says I've seen tons of lettering, calligraphy classes at stationery shops and sandra glover clark says a new aid shop in toronto called wonder works asked her to do a coloring book class for adults and also somebody mentioned that there's a that they've seen classes at west elm's yeah, definitely definitely those are all wonderful wonderful things and you know it's funny because I I teach a lot of classes obviously that are based around sewing machines so that's a factor for me definitely when I consider where I can teach sewing classes and quilting class is right is is it a space that has sewing machines or are the students willing to bring their own sewing machines? Is there enough are there enough plugs space table space, et cetera to set up sewing spaces? Okay, so these are all going to be very um you know, kraft specific um do you guys in my audience here have anything have any other ideas? I'd love to get as many as we can the like a holiday crafts fair festival maybe offer a class where they can make something and walk take it home that same day definitely were chopped love though yeah, like I've seen those those things set up but crawford's that's a great, great venue. Katie do you have any idea there's a bunch of hackers faces local way and there's some that air specifically for kids and I know they're always looking for people to teach workshops yeah, the you know the kid the kid market is it is extremely popular so there are always going, we're going to talk a lot about like the advantages I think of teaching kids but it's definitely not to be overlooked because as katie said, they're all theirs so many opportunities to teach workshops for kids and so we definitely want toe include that in our search and consider as an option even if we kind of may be on first impulse or like I want to teach kids I have noticed on I think it's volunteer dot or ge and if you put in your zip code it's not really necessarily a paying gig but it's certainly something that can give you practice teaching kids or even at the senior center tons of really good idea we find your skills that is a really good idea thank you for that we can we're going to talk about that later when we talk about practicing to it's a really good way of building some practice it's a volunteer based activity it's low pressure right that's great really? Yeah there's also a question for you, ashleigh from sarah. What about online classes? Oh that's a great question so online classes are going to be a very similar we're not going to talk a lot about online classes on in this cost, but all of the tools and lesson planning and development that we're going to learn here can be applied tio online classes as well in terms of pitches and proposals and you know, approaching an online platform to teach a class I hope that answers yeah, I think that's a great answer and so they'll be learning the same skills yeah it's all the same and you know what I what I have to say is that if you do end up working for doing an online class knowing all of the stuff you're going to learn is going to make everybody's life so much easier your your producers they're going to love you because you're gonna have you know you're going to know what to say your explanations they're going to be clear okay? So it's going to be super helpful, what we're going to learn and here even though an online platform is slightly different, you know class format because you're not technically in front of a class right? Right? So there are there are a few other recommendations on venues great people have brought up jolene leno says local veteran club they almost always have a kitchen and a big banquet or meeting rooms and alison if labor flavors farm says unrated storefronts for papa classes oh yeah, I love that idea yes see there's so many there's so many different there's so many different ideas so we're gonna say this because it's obvious one that hasn't been brought up yet but our supply stores are supply source oh my gosh and what a better way of of getting your supply list right be like. Well, you can just buy it all here on the shop will love you for that to um so great and I would love it if people had more ideas as the day goes on to share, especially if you our meeting people in your local areas, in the chat room or on the online audience and you guys here in the audience I mean, the more ideas you have for places to teach the more successful increase, it will increase your chances of finding the the place for you to teach. Kathy I spent several years looking for venues until I looked on our property in a barn. What? You know, my husband stuff on it talked him out of it. So that's actually where I teach now that's amazing. He had it right in front of you. Yeah, well, I had to negotiate had given about fifteen years with it, then took it over that's great and that's what's called we called the inspired inspired barn such a cool name. I love that. Thank you. Thanks. Holly, did you have your hand up for our british audience? Pubs are always a great place e did you hear that british audience because they don't pressure you to like that you could hang out as long as you want it and it's a great social environment to a lot of times I know in the bay area a lot of classes or in the evenings you know people come after work and they want to you know, kick back maybe have a a beverage while they're working and that's a great that's a great way to get that that going in our area through meetup dot com a lot of people use that find craft workshop something made up is in the risk groups or meets at the one at a wine bar and I don't know so much that it's a teaching event is it is just to come together event but that I think made up that comes a really great place to look for some and then working away into those venues yeah, it is a great that's a great place to find like like minded people a swell like maybe you just want to start a club or something I mean sort of related to teaching but meet up is a great resource for that anybody else want to throw something out? Well, I know that when I was a volunteer at my kid's school um the pita would would welcome all these different ideas from the community for assemblies sometimes you know I was the court near side higher people there bring in workshops for family night events and those could be very popular and they were paid many cases, that is a great idea. And I know there's places in the bay area that also do family family style workshops, which is a great. So not just teaching, because not just teaching to adults, but a project that families can come to together when we talk about project based classes. That's. A really good one to keep in mind the really especially like in the summer time or thanksgiving break or something where parents might be looking for something to do with their children.