Applications Now Open for Carpentries Instructor Trainer Training Starting August 2024

This blogpost has been updated to extend the application deadline

Do you look back fondly on your Instructor Training and think, “I would love to teach that!”? Do you want to help people learn to be more effective teachers, while continuing to develop your own teaching skill through regular engagement with our Instructor Training curriculum? Maybe you are looking for another way to get involved and give back to The Carpentries community. If any of these describe you, consider joining our vibrant community of Instructor Trainers!

We are pleased to announce that applications are now open for anyone wishing to become a Carpentries Instructor Trainer!

What is an Instructor Trainer?

A flow chart of our Instructor Training program, from Instructor Trainers to Instructors to Learners.

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

What is involved in Instructor Trainer Training?

Trainer Training consists of 10 weekly 1-hour meetings. This cohort will start meetings in July on the earliest date available for all.

In addition to the weekly meetings, trainees are asked to sit in on part of an online Instructor Training event, 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: Eight Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching (2nd edition) by Norman 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 the end of Tuesday, June 18 AoE.

Selection Priorities

All are welcome to apply for Trainer Training! Several factors can influence acceptance, and these are good to know about before you apply.

Purchased vs. Sponsored Seats

We have two tiers for admission to this program. We offer seats for purchase through Membership as well as Carpentries-sponsored admission with no cost (beyond textbook purchase) to trainees. Applicants for purchased seats are still subject to review and must be approved by our panel of current Instructor Trainers.

All applicants must meet our basic expectations for Instructor Trainers with regard to philosophy and skill in training and community-based work. Teaching new Instructors about The Carpentries approach to training and community plays a vital role that shapes the character and culture of our global community. For this reason, we aim to select applicants who will model our practices with care and engage thoughtfully with our growing community of Instructor Trainers as we continue to develop this program. Your application will help our panelists get to know you and appreciate the ways in which you are prepared to support our program.

Applicants for Carpentries-sponsored seats will be subject to competitive selection based on our panel’s ranking of application responses. In addition, we consider the following criteria during our final selection process:

1. Regional Training Opportunities.

   When we bring on new Instructor Trainers, we want to be able to provide opportunities for you to teach! However, Instructor Training is a limited program. We therefore prioritize applicants who are located in time zones or geographic areas where we have established training needs or sponsorship goals. At present, this includes The Americas, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, and Europe.

2. Support for Existing Carpentries Communities.

   Instructor Trainers often play important roles beyond teaching Instructor Training, and this can be particularly valuable at the local level. A local Carpentries community may benefit from having someone in the region who can consult on training practices and support new Instructor trainees through the checkout process and beyond. Furthermore, Instructor Trainers from established communities can share their community practices with other regional and global Carpentries communities through this role. For these reasons, we prioritize applicants who aim to support existing local communities.

Our selection priorities do change each round, and qualified applicants may be declined as we strive to distribute available seats across institutions and geographic areas. In these cases, repeat applications may be successful in subsequent rounds.

Instructor Trainer FAQ

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

No. Many applicants are certified Instructors with experience teaching Carpentries 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.

If you are not a certified Instructor, the application will direct you to apply for Instructor Training and complete it concurrently.

What responsibilities will I have as an Instructor Trainer?

Instructor Trainers are asked to:

• co-teach 2-day (or 4-half-day) Carpentries Instructor Training (1 per year)
• host 1-hr online teaching demonstration sessions (2 per year)
• follow curriculum updates on GitHub, and either attend monthly meetings or otherwise keep up on our asynchronous community channels.

Other participation and service to the Instructor Trainers and broader Carpentries communities can contribute towards meeting the expectations for continuing engagement as an active Instructor Trainer.

Instructor Trainers are asked to renew their certification annually by participating in the community as outlined above, and may choose to take leave from their role if they are not able to remain active. Expectations and certification renewal procedures are determined by the Instructor Trainer community and updates are supported by the Instructor Trainers Leadership Committee. For more details on current expectations, see the Trainer Agreement in The Carpentries Handbook.

What impact will I have as an Instructor Trainer?

The Carpentries is a community-led organisation. In addition to training and welcoming our future Carpentries Instructors, Instructor Trainers are asked to guide the development of The Carpentries Instructor Training curriculum and program more broadly. There are many ways to take on leadership both formally and informally, and the voice of new Instructor Trainers is especially important to making the community welcoming for all. Bring your voice to the table, and help us create the future of The Carpentries!

Instructor Trainers often also lead within their home communities, spearheading institutional memberships and supporting community organisation efforts. Instructor Trainers may share knowledge and expertise with their home communities in many ways. It is important to note, however, that Instructor Trainers cannot self-organise Instructor Training events or send trainees for Instructor certification outside of official channels.

Any questions?

We want to hear from you! Please send your questions to The Carpentries Instructor Training Team at instructor.training@carpentries.org.

Help us spread the word!

If you know someone who you think would make a really great Carpentries Instructor Trainer, please help us be sure that they see this announcement!