The 4-6 week pilot is the right move. The biggest mistake first-time education founders make is designing the full curriculum before they've sat in a room with the students. What you think the problem is in week one almost never matches what's actually happening by week three, and the more you build upfront the harder it is to change direction.
On credentials versus demonstrated ability: for a math circle, the gap is real but bridgeable. A few olympiad problems solved in writing, maybe a short video of you working through something difficult out loud. Parents making decisions about their kids want to see how you think, not a teaching certificate. The first cohort is almost always recruited through personal trust anyway.
What age range are you targeting for the pilot, and do you already have a handful of parents in your network who'd let their kids be your first group?
Great idea, I would start by speaking with a trained educator at a university or similar.
Maybe also get some other people on board to create a certified program so if your program doesn’t work out for the student, they can get some credit for spending/wasting time with your group.
Other thing is safety, if you’re dealing with young people and involve other adults, you want proper and lawful mechanisms to protect the kids and yourself.
Besides that, teaching is a skill by itself, and teaching poorly can have the opposite of the intended effect.
The 4-6 week pilot is the right move. The biggest mistake first-time education founders make is designing the full curriculum before they've sat in a room with the students. What you think the problem is in week one almost never matches what's actually happening by week three, and the more you build upfront the harder it is to change direction.
On credentials versus demonstrated ability: for a math circle, the gap is real but bridgeable. A few olympiad problems solved in writing, maybe a short video of you working through something difficult out loud. Parents making decisions about their kids want to see how you think, not a teaching certificate. The first cohort is almost always recruited through personal trust anyway.
What age range are you targeting for the pilot, and do you already have a handful of parents in your network who'd let their kids be your first group?
Great idea, I would start by speaking with a trained educator at a university or similar.
Maybe also get some other people on board to create a certified program so if your program doesn’t work out for the student, they can get some credit for spending/wasting time with your group.
Other thing is safety, if you’re dealing with young people and involve other adults, you want proper and lawful mechanisms to protect the kids and yourself.
Besides that, teaching is a skill by itself, and teaching poorly can have the opposite of the intended effect.
I would think a non-profit corporation.
I would first acquire the necessary documents to prove I was eligible to work with kids