Teaching a workshop

Workshops are the backbone of NBTSC, and it’s truly awesome to watch (and partake in) the incredible energy of 80-130 people teaching each other all kinds of stuff. We encourage you to teach a workshop, but it’s also fine if you don’t. We always have plenty going on, and you’ll have other ways to share yourself. Here are a few tidbits of advice we've accrued over the years.

• Teach something you love.
  
• You don’t have to be an expert to teach a workshop. As many campers have discovered, even if you are a beginner, you can be a good workshop teacher.
  
• Some workshop topics work well in our mostly-outdoor camp setting, and others don’t. If you need a table or a large floor space or a piano, we can provide that. Most workshops take place outside, people sitting in a circle on the ground. Sorry, no workshops in the kitchen.
  
• It's a really nice gesture to ask participants to introduce themselves at the beginning (and maybe again halfway through, if you have stragglers). We're always looking for more ways to help people learn each others' names and get to know each other a little better.
• It's important to begin on-time, or close to on-time (at least be in your announced location on time, so people who'd like to attend aren't confused).
• It's equally or even more important to end on time. You want your group to have the luxury of a relaxed transition from the end of your workshop to the next event they'll participate in. It's good to keep an eye on your watch so you can take the last 5 minutes to wind things up in a non-chaotic way.
• If you need supplies, we can provide ordinary and inexpensive art and office supplies (such as a stapler, paper, watercolor paint, crayons, glue, etc.), a boom box (plays CDs and ipods), basic sports equipment, small hand tools like screwdrivers, and a few other items, provided that you request them by July 1 (via the workshop tab in your online nbtsc account). If you need more extensive supplies, you’ll need to bring them yourself. Usually we also ask that you take any leftover supplies home with you, though we occasionally accept donated supplies for future years.
  
• Some people who bring their own workshop supplies charge a small fee ($5 or less) to participants, to help cut down their own costs. It’s fine to do this; usually at any given session of camp there aren’t more than 1 or 2 workshops with a fee. However, before announcing a fee, check with the logistics director (at camp) to see if we can write you a check to partially or fully cover your fees—sometimes we still have money available in our workshop supply budget.
  
• Workshops and games generally run one hour during the daytime (we also have some 25-minute spots available). Occasionally we can accommodate a request for something different -- an evening workshop or a longer event, especially if you contact us ahead of time. Many groups make plans to get together again later or to continue a discussion over lunch.
  
• You can limit your workshop to any number you wish. Some people limit their workshops to approximately 10-15 participants. And it’s OK to restrict your workshop to people who already have particular skills or knowledge. For example, you could teach a singing workshop for people who already know how to read music.
  
• Controversy is welcome, particularly since no one is required to attend your workshop. Basically, you can teach or lead whatever you want to as long as it works logistically and doesn’t violate camp agreements. You are welcome to discuss pretty much everything—for instance, smoking marijuana at NBTSC is not okay, but talking about it is fine.
  
• You may want to write your name and a description of your workshop on an index card, or make a poster advertising your workshop. At camp, you can add the date and time of the workshop and then post it in the dining hall.
  
• Don’t spend so much time preparing for your workshop that you’ll be devastated if only a few people (or even no one) decides to come. All of us take some risks at camp. No one is required to attend workshops, and although most people attend numerous workshops, sometimes people get worn out, or have a hard time choosing between all the options. Please don’t take it personally if it turns out people are more interested in playing in the water during your workshop slot. (Grace says: speaking for myself, I've taught many workshops at NBTSC, and the number of people attending has ranged from 0 to about 40.) If you put in a lot of preparation time, we suggest you give your workshop elsewhere before or after camp, perhaps to other homeschoolers, or in a school or at your church, so that you won’t feel your efforts are wasted if no one or only a few people attend at camp. Remember: it’s an experiment. Have fun getting ready.
  

Here are a few possibilities. Just about anything goes—as long as it will work in our camp setting, doesn’t require extravagant supplies (unless you are willing to buy and bring them), and doesn’t violate camp rules:

• any political or social issue (animal rights, education, poverty, whatever)
• foreign language stuff—songs, beginning conversational skills, etc.
• astronomy
• any kind of dance, yoga, martial art
• all kinds of inexpensive arts and crafts
• drama, magic tricks, other performance art
• all kinds of music, singing, drumming, etc.
• all kinds of writing, poetry, journaling
• massage, reiki, aromatherapy, other healing stuff
• math tricks/rapid math, alternative math
• science projects
• all kinds of nature/wilderness skills and exploration
• or coach/organize a sport—soccer, volleyball, basketball, softball, ultimate frisbee, etc.
• or organize a game: hide and seek, capture the flag, freeze tag, twister, a chess tournament…
• or facilitate an event—an art exhibit, a poetry slam, a dance jam, a spelling bee, a quilting bee…

A few past workshop topics: breakdancing, solar cooking, kung fu, orienteering, yoga, cob-oven building, Zimbabwean singing, college applications, web-page designing, surrealist games, co-counseling, VW engine fixing, drama, poetry, getting published and self-publishing, human digestion, origami, art booklets, swing dancing, youth rights, tree identification, conscious communication, beading, and photography.

Workshop fair

Before your workshop you’ll have the chance to advertise it to the whole group, so you may want to prepare a brief, relevant presentation or performance.

We encourage multimedia presentations, demonstrations, or brief, entertaining speeches—you can have about 1 minute.

If there is time available, you can also use the workshop fair as an opportunity to promote any other project you'd like to get people involved in during the week (talent show skit, informal knitting circles before breakfast, whatever).

 

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