The Worker Educator Certificate is a two-part instructor development program for alumni of our Labor Leadership Certificate program and other experienced labor leaders from unions and worker centers. The goals of the program are to:

• train more women, BIPOC, and rank and file labor leaders to become educators in their unions, caucuses, community organizations, university centers like ours, and other labor related venues
• provide a developmental milestone for our Certificate students to continue their lifelong learning & further define their career path

Part 1 features six class meetings and assignments to prepare teaching skills and materials for a three-part workshop series. The skill set you will leave with is the ability to collect relevant teaching materials, put them together into a coherent curriculum, and prioritize, craft and measure relevant learning outcomes. The program will also focus on helping them improve on your presentation and facilitation skills.

 

Programs Associated with this Course

• Worker Educator Certificate Program

Who Should Attend

This program is targeted to union stewards and staff, as well as worker center and other labor-related nonprofit member leaders and staff. Level of education is not necessarily relevant if you have at least five years of experience or expertise in your relevant role. Particular recruitment focus is on women and BIPOC labor leaders, who are significantly underrepresented in teaching and leadership positions in the labor movement.

Benefits

Learning how to become educators will help participants feel more equipped and confident to share their experience and knowledge with others in the field. It will also expand job and leadership opportunities.

Topics/Syllabus

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of the program, participants will know how to:

• find reliable, relevant sources for teaching materials
• make a cohesive curriculum and workshop series outline
• design detailed teaching plans 
• prioritize, craft and measure relevant learning outcomes and then assess student learning
• facilitate interactive and informative classes both in person and virtually
• deal with challenges in the classes and with specific students
• take advantage of ongoing mentorship as they continue beyond the program

Class outline

• Meeting 1 - Introduction to instructing a course or workshop series for adult learners in union or worker centers settings
• Meeting 2 - Developing a comprehensive syllabus and curriculum plan 
• Meeting 3 - Putting together a detailed class lesson plan
• Meeting 4 - Public Speaking and class facilitation skills
• Meeting 5 - Online teaching tools  
• Meeting 6 - Assessing students' needs and measuring learning outcomes

 

FAQ

How do I obtain textbooks and materials?
DePaul will provide any required books or materials.

What is the grading scale?
Participants will be assessed on a pass/fail basis.