Carpentries Trainer Training Fall 2020

We are pleased to announce that our second and final round of applications is now open for anyone wishing to become a Carpentries Instructor Trainer in 2020!

A diagram of our Instructor Training program. Instructor Trainers are trained through Instructor Trainer Training and themselves teach Instructor Training to new Instructors. New Instructors teach Carpentries Workshops to learners.

Instructor Trainer Training is the process by which we on-board new Instructor Trainers. Instructor Trainers teach Instructor Training workshops to bring on new Instructors, and Instructors teach Carpentries workshops (Data Carpentry, Library Carpentry, and Software Carpentry) to learners worldwide.

Want to support The Carpentries by training new Instructors? Read on!

This Trainer Training event is open to everyone! We do have a few priorities that might be helpful in guiding your choice to apply. These are:

1. Meeting demand for Instructor Training in North American time zones.

   In looking to expand our Instructor Training program, we have begun by evaluating current demand. Memberships have grown rapidly in North American time zones, and previous calls for Instructor Trainers have prioritized global expansion over increased representation in active areas. For this round of applications, we will be reserving several seats for Trainers who can help us support the high demand for training in North America.

2. Fulfilling membership contracts.

   Did you know that Platinum member agreements can be negotiated to include the service of a local Instructor Trainer? We reserve seats for member agreements, so these applications are not compared in a pool, but they are still subject to review and approval by our panel of current Trainers.

3. Training Carpentries Core Team Members. Carpentries Core Team members are the ‘glue’ that holds our community of volunteers together! In addition to bringing deep knowledge of The Carpentries to our Trainer community, Core Team members can be called upon in times of upheaval, when volunteers may have difficulty finding time to share. A small number of seats will be reserved for approved applicants from The Carpentries Core Team.

4. Bringing on more wonderful, enthusiastic, amazing new Instructor Trainers!

   Remaining seats for our “general pool” will include candidates from existing communities, individuals looking to participate in our global community without being connected to a local group, and pioneers hoping to leverage the Trainer role as they launch new local communities. Note that because launching a new community demands more than Instructor Training, accepted applicants in this last category may be invited to an informational interview before beginning training to be sure that the Trainer role is the best way to support their work.

Do I need to be a certified Carpentries Instructor to apply?

Many applicants are already certified Instructors with experience teaching workshops. However, this is not always the case — many otherwise strong applicants have not had an opportunity to be involved as an Instructor yet. Applicants who are not certified Instructors should have some prior training in educational best practices, and should be informed and excited about being involved with The Carpentries. Our application will also direct you to apply as an Instructor along with your application as an Instructor Trainer, and we will expect you to complete that certification concurrently if accepted.

What responsibilities will I have as an Instructor Trainer?

Instructor Trainers co-teach 2-day Carpentries Instructor Training workshops (recommended 2 per year), host 1-hr online teaching demonstration sessions (recommended 4 per year), follow curriculum updates on GitHub, and either attend monthly meetings or otherwise keep up on our asynchronous community channels. Other opportunities for participation and service to the Trainers community and to the broader Carpentries community can contribute towards meeting the expectations for continuing engagement as an active Instructor Trainer. For more details on service expectations, please review the Trainer Agreement in The Carpentries Handbook.

What impact will I have as an Instructor Trainer?

In addition to training and welcoming our future Instructors (!), Trainers are empowered as a community to guide the development of The Carpentries Instructor Training program. This program will be undergoing major changes as we scale up with the support of a large grant from Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and the Trainer community will play a central role in determining the form and direction of that growth. There will also be opportunities to take on leadership within this community as it grows. Bring your voice to the table, and help us create the future of The Carpentries!

Trainers often also play leadership roles in their home communities, spearheading institutional memberships and supporting community organisation. Trainers share their knowledge and expertise with their home communities in many ways. It is important to note, however, that Trainers cannot host official Instructor Training workshops or send any trainees for Instructor certification without prior approval from The Carpentries. This is because the number of Instructors that we can support depends on the growth of our other programmes. Trainers are encouraged to explore membership or inquire about scholarship opportunities on behalf of any groups they would like to train as Carpentries Instructors.

What is involved in Instructor Trainer Training?

This training consists of 10 weekly 1-hour meetings scheduled at two alternative times by polling the group. This cohort will start meetings in September on the earliest date available for all. Trainees who are accepted but are unable to attend either of the best-fit meeting times will have to defer to a future training round.

In addition to the weekly meetings, trainees are asked to sit in on part or all of an online Instructor Training workshop (depending on whether they are already certified Instructors), observe a Teaching Demonstration session, and complete weekly reading and homework assignments from The Carpentries Instructor Training Curriculum as well as our text, How Learning Works by Ambrose et al. Trainees will need to purchase or borrow a copy of the text to use during the training. For more details, have a look at the Becoming a Trainer section in The Carpentries Handbook.

How do I apply?

We are so happy you want to join us as an Instructor Trainer! The application is here. Please apply by August 4, 2020.

Any questions?

We want to hear from you! Please direct questions to The Carpentries Core Team at team@carpentries.org.

Help us spread the word!

If you know someone who you think would make a really great Carpentries Instructor Trainer, please be sure they have seen this announcement!