Poll: Where Do You Teach? Teachers Wanted!

[kiramdear]

I've noticed that a lot of our members have cited having teaching jobs. I believe an above-average percentage of teachers exists here compared with other social or fan groups, etc. Even I myself was an instructor in Sculpture at a large art school in San Francisco for some years after I finished my studies, so this poll can apply to former teaching jobs as well as current employment.

Please tell us where you teach (taught) and as much as you want to about your job. And don't forget to represent yourself in the poll You can vote for up to 2 options.

[jps]

I taught a Theatre Sound class at the University Of Stuckup Children Southern California back in '87-'88. It was a small class but it did include undergrad and graduate level students.

[whojamfan]

I always wanted to have a second guitar player for my band when I was a teenager, but everyone I taught went on and formed other bands. That's gratitude for you. I had planned to be a teacher where I live, but there isn't enough biz where I live pay for restringing all of my guitars once a month, less my bills.

[jimk]

I checked Other because the Americana Music Academy doesn't qualify, I feel as a Trade or Art School. I've been teaching there since '02, I believe. I started out teaching banjo, and have recently added guitar and fiddle to my teaching load.

Last October, I began a songwriters' group which meets every first Saturday evening of the month at the Academy. You can see some of our new songs at songpull.com (Be kind, these videos were made of songs some of which were only written a few days before the event.)

I'm also a student at the Academy as well. I have been studying drums since '04. Related to that, I direct a fife and drum corps which is sponsored by the Academy called The Kaw Valley Fife & Drum Corps I have in the past taught fife at the Academy, as well.

I'm not sure whether I should be called a musical renaissance man, or a musical schizophrenic.

JimK

[goofyfoot]

I teach middle-school math and science in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Diggin' it, too. The rapscallions just returned today from three weeks of vacation. We had good sessions throughout the day. Man, I missed 'em during the break. It really is all about the Young Peeps.

Keep on keepin' on.....Goofyfoot.

[sloop_john_b]

I teach guitar, bass, piano, and songwriting at a local music shop, pretty much full-time. I really like it - when I was in college, I had this apprehension about being a music teacher, but teaching at the shop has made me far more confident in my teaching ability. I'm considering going the high school route now.

What's cool is that the shop has a recital once a year (a BIG deal), where every teacher chooses a few of their best students to perform. Being pretty much the only teacher there who teaches songwriting techniques, I have my students perform their own songs, which IMO gives them the edge over the kids who are doing "Highway Star" and the like.

[jingle_jangle]

As I've said before, I'm a full-time faculty member and department manager (Industrial Design) here in SF.

My employer is the largest private design university in the USA, called The Academy of Art University. Odd name, which many of us are uncomfortable with, but it looks OK on a paycheck! http://www.academyart.edu We have about 11,000 students and run the second largest bus service in SF, after MUNI. We're accredited by all the organizations that count and my department places about 80+% of grads in real-world design jobs.

I've been at this for almost six years at this school. Prior to this, I taught part-time for two years, at the Otis College of Design in LA. I was the first teacher hired for their then-new Toy Design program, which had about 25 students back then. My Department at AAU had 215 students when I started back in mid-'03, and has 660 now, divided 60% Transportation Design, 30% product design, 5% Toy Design and 5% Furniture Design. I teach between three and six full-time classes each semester, besides running the workshops, managing a teaching and technician staff, and writing and producing online classes.

It's the first job I've had that continues to challenge me daily. Never a dull moment.

[kiramdear]

No kidding, Paul? That's my old alma mater and former employer. Mention my name around the Fine Arts department and watch everyone's eyes narrow. Loved the students, loved my colleagues, hated the admin

[jingle_jangle]

I am insulated from the admin by a very politically-savvy department director who's an old friend and terrific guy. But I get along with the Powers That Be just fine, the little I have to do with them. I just say, "Yes, Ma'am" a lot.

Just like at home...

[kiramdear]

Yeah, but your wife is nice.

That's hilarious - all the art school jokes I've been making all along are about the place where you work

[kenposurf]

I taught Kenpo Karate 12 years at The Redwood Empire Martial Arts Center which was the oldest dojo in Santa Rosa. When the owner (and NoM first drummer) moved to Kansas (?) I left the school and now teach a few former students from that school.

[octagon]

I taught EFL(english as a foreign language) in Kyoto and Osaka in the 80's and 90's.

[doctorwho]

Besides being a TA during my Ph.D. work at the U of I, I was part-time faculty at Bradley in my second year of my Master's work ... the chem department did not have TA or RA positions, so I was actually part-time staff.

[kiramdear]

I taught EFL(english as a foreign language) in Kyoto and Osaka in the 80's and 90's.

Ah, so I guess that would explain this?

[hjarnett]

i teach sex ed to my wife