Teaching Blender on adult education center - instructor license needed?

General Forums Blender and CG Discussions
#1

(Why are my topic names always so long :D)

Hello everybody,

I could definitely need some extra money because you know … the salary of a trainee isn’t that high ;). So I got the idea: “Hey, why not teach Blender basics at the closest adult education center.”

Now I have one question left before I can go to the school and catch upon if teaching Blender basics would be possible: Do I need a instructor license for this? There is some instructor license for teaching Blender, I know but maybe it’s just for real academic studies?

It’s not like I want to make a big deal of it. Just a little extra cash. But what if I need such a license. Do I have to make the BFCT test at the Blender Foundation Institute? I guess I would be spending more money on the flight/test than I would earn ^^.

(I know I could just go to the school, ask about teaching and nobody would ever know it. I’m just a honest person :D.)

#2

The Certified Blender Instructor isn’t a requirement to teach blender, it just gives potential students more confidence in your abilities and might help you when you advertise.

LetterRip

#3

Thanks that’s all I needed to know :)!

#4

What LetterRip said applies to many applications and not only Blender. I work at TD College and we had an increase in interest and enrollments in our RealFlow course once we had advertised a certified RealFlow instructor is working for us (and wrote the course). If your courses go well (based on student feedback) it wouldn’t hurt to look into becoming a BFCT. It helps both the Foundation and yourself in the long run.

#5

+1 I’m not a BFCT but I’ve given a few seminars and one is still coming up.

Definitely agree with certification helping, but it’s not a must have, per say.
Mind you unless the school is specifically looking for a 3D/Blender(especially) trainer,
it won’t probably be easy to convince them to hire you, and even if they are,
the cert. definitely gives them confidence that your the right pick, if you will.

#6

Knowing is not Teaching. The certification process helps you cross from just knowing Blender to being able to teach it. I would recommend it. and yes, I am one.

#7

Could you concretize this? In which way does the certification process help people to be able to teach it? Is it like a course where you also get advice for good teaching methods or what exactly do you mean?

To be honest I’ve been always a good trainee teacher when it comes to topics I’m really passionate about. So if it’s just about knowing what to teach: I don’t need this in my opinion I have a good feeling for teaching stuff in an uncomplicated way.

I’d really like to get an insight from you how the whole certification process is going on.

#8

to get the BFCT you need to elaborate some tutorials, proving that you have some teaching skills… i agree with the above poster- knowing is not teaching, there is one thing to have the skill, and another to deal with students… in my opinion you should consider a BFCT on a long term… depending of your skills. why not? until then, put up some portofolio page and maybe some video tutorials, i don’t know…

#9

http://www.blender.org/education-help/certified-trainer/