Forging Folk School Teachers: Instructor

Whether you're a seasoned instructor or interested in teaching your first class, this Instructor Development Workshop offers practical tools, strategies, and ideas for leading successful craft classes. Led by craft educator and blacksmith Elizabeth Belz, this workshop draws on her years of experience teaching, mentoring instructors, and developing craft education programs. Using blacksmithing as a working example, we’ll explore the fundamentals of teaching hands-on classes in a Folk School–style setting. Topics include welcoming and engaging students, delivering effective safety briefings, using handouts and storyboards to support learning, breaking projects into manageable steps, maintaining classroom control, managing class time, and adapting instruction to meet the needs of different learners. We’ll also talk about reading the room, pivoting when plans change, and developing a sample syllabus for a successful class. Just as importantly, this is a chance to spend a day with other Folk School instructors! Bring your questions, experiences, successes, and challenges to share. We’ll have plenty of time to swap ideas, compare approaches, troubleshoot teaching dilemmas, and get to know the people who make our classes happen. Bring your lunch! We’ll take a generous midday break to relax, connect, and network with fellow instructors.