Teach for us (full-length classes)

Blue Stoop hires skilled instructors with a passion for the craft and business of writing, and a deliberate anti-oppressive pedagogy. We prioritize teachers in the Greater Philadelphia Area (Philadelphia County, Montgomery County, Chester County, Delaware County, Bucks County, and Camden County) and are open to those with grassroots, community-based experience as well as those trained in academic settings. We care more about your expertise in a given topic and your teaching style than we do about degrees.

We also place a high value on our teachers’ ability to support our diverse student body. Instructors should have the cultural competency required to effectively work with people of color, disabled people, queer and trans people, low-income people, and other marginalized populations.

Our expectations

Students take our classes not only to develop their craft skills but to connect with peers and mentors in a welcoming, supportive, and inclusive environment. As such, we expect our teachers to:

• Develop, distribute, and adhere to a detailed syllabus with a clear theme, logic, and strategy

• If applicable, provide readings by authors who are diverse in race, gender, etc. that reject or challenge oppressive tropes

• Practice good time management: arriving to class prepared and on-time, responding to student questions in a reasonable time frame, reserving enough time for everyone to get workshopped, etc.

• Intervene if students make inappropriate or harmful comments, with support from Blue Stoop staff, if needed

• Accommodate disabled students, with support from Blue Stoop staff, if needed

• Provide a short mid-session break for students to get a glass of water, use the restroom, etc.

• For multi-week classes: Assign at least 1 hour of homework per week (writing exercises, podcasts, readings, etc.)

• For virtual classes: Add variety to the student experience with screen share, breakout rooms, writing time, and group discussions. Our best practices for Zoom teaching can be found here.

Our students expect a level of quality and preparation comparable to that of a course at an accredited college. Blue Stoop staff members may periodically observe your classes to provide constructive feedback and compliments.

Our code of conduct

Blue Stoop strives to create an environment that is anti-racist and free of other forms of bias and discrimination, where all people can learn the craft of writing and bring their whole selves to the classroom. Harassment or disrespect of community members on the basis of race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, or disability is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Consequences of engaging in these prohibited behaviors may include, but are not limited, to dismissal from the class and/or ineligibility for future Blue Stoop activities. Read the full code of conduct and student policies here.

Our instructors have

• Fluency in English; fluency and comfort teaching in additional languages is a plus.

• Broad knowledge of the contemporary literary world, with expertise in at least one specific topic.

• Previously taught at least two creative writing classes/workshops for adults.

• Experience working with marginalized populations.

• Comfort teaching over Zoom and/or managing an in-person classroom.

• Comfort using Google Drive and the Google app suite (Docs, Sheets, etc).

• The ability to respond to student and staff emails in a timely manner.

• Willingness to help market your class via social media, newsletters, or other platforms.

• Patience, openness to feedback, a sense of humor, a warm and encouraging personality

Compensation

We have factored local adjunct rates, prep hours, ad hoc student support, and varying class sizes into our compensation model. The base rate covers classes of 6–12 students; in most cases, 13–15 student classes will receive an additional stipend. Our teachers are classified as independent contractors (1099) and will be paid 50% at the midpoint of the class and 50% upon completion of the course.

• Single-session class (masterclass/lecture): $150 (flat rate) for 90 minutes of instruction. No maximum enrollment.

• Single-session class (interactive/generative): $250-300 for 3 hours of instruction. 15 students max.

• Three-week class: $750-900 for 2 hours of instruction per week. 15 students max.

• Six-week class: $1500-1800 for 2 hours of instruction per week. 15 students max.

• Nine-week class: $2250-2700 for 2 hours of instruction per week. 15 students max.

Next steps

Applications for class proposals are currently closed while we work through a backlog of applications received in 2024. In the meantime, feel free to propose a Thursdays on the Stoop session at the top of this page.