Become a Community Educator Working From Home: Luis Valentino "The test and the use of man's education is that he finds pleasure in the exercise of his mind." -Jacques Martin Barzum.
Community educators play an important role in healthy towns and cities. Almost anyone who has developed a skill in a particular area or subject can become a community educator. Community education is a vital part of just about every mid to large town or city. It allows people who live in a particular city to take semi-formal or informal training in a variety of subjects and skills. Hundreds of thousands of cities around North America offer some form of community education, making the demand for community educators an ongoing one.
What is a community educator? He or she is a teacher who conducts a class or course in his/her area of expertise. Just about anyone who has excelled in a particular field, job, skill or hobby can potentially become a community educator. Community educators are freelance teachers/instructors. Rather than being employed by a particular school or other entity, they work on a contract basis. They may be hired by a community center, a school, a college, a recreational program/league, a club or a business to develop and teach a class or course.
What do I need to become a community educator? As already stated, almost anyone who has excelled in something, like a skill or a particular subject, can probably become a community educator. To do so, you must: 1) Be able to show a demonstrated ability in your area of expertise. For example, someone who is skilled at wood carving should be able to demonstrate that ability. He/she should have a number of finished projects to display.
2) Be a good communicator. It's okay if you're not a great orator, or even if you're a little bit nervous about speaking in front of people. Community education classes are typically small and in relatively informal. All you need is to be able to share your knowledge in a way that is easily understood by others. Your natural passion for your subject matter will be enough to motivate others to become inspired by what you teach.
3) Have an entrepreneurial spirit. You're already good at what you do, whether it's writing stories, creating hand-made jewelry, ethnic cooking or fashion designing. Now you have to do a bit of leg work and find places that you can contract with to teach your skill(s).
Think of some places that might be interested in featuring a class with you as the instructor. Maybe it's the local recreation center or league, a business that is related to your field of expertise, a school or school district or a college.
How do I sell myself as a community educator to potential employers/partners? Some helpful tips for selling yourself and your service include: 1) Create a resume. This should contain basic biographical and educational information and employment history. It should detail your expertise in your skill or subject specialty and include accomplishments in your field, awards, professional credits or recognition and other pertinent information.
2) Create a portfolio. This is especially crucial if your specialty is something tangible, like art, photography or writing. A portfolio should contain samples or pictures of past works. The portfolio is even more important than your resume, because this is what will prove to a potential hirer that you know how to do what you claim to do.
3) Print business cards. Always leave a business card with contacts and/or potential hirers.
No matter what you're good at, chances are, there's a town or city full of people who want to learn that same skill or subject. Becoming a community educator is one of the best ways to share your passion for your subject matter, as well as a way to make a significant income.
My name is Luis Valentino and I am Publisher at Valgar Institute: A Publishing Company, and possesses the necessary skills to build, grow and maintain strong academic programs based on successful leadership, broad interdisciplinary background and team participation. Visit my blog www.valentino.org Click here for more