9-month educator skills program

Being Tea Teacher Training

Just need the application? Visit here:

A groundbreaking program for developing skills as a tea educator, facilitator, and space holder.

Become a leader in inclusive education.

Being Tea Teacher Training is for knowledgeable tea folks who want to feel more comfortable leading tea experiences, but have little teaching experience.

An experience no other tea program offers.

This is a 9-month interactive online training. Meet and collaborate with trainees from all over the world, from a wide variety of backgrounds and disciplines.

Transform your tea study into a powerful skill set.

Being Tea Teacher Training is not another program to learn about tea. It’s about turning our knowledge into deep skills for sharing tea with others.

Hi! I’m Suzette Hammond, a tea trainer and teacher of 20+ years.

An enormous part of my work is studying how to teach people. How we anticipate and respond to someone’s needs and questions, their ways of expression, their learning goals, and their challenges.

These “soft skills” are as critical as the subject we teach itself – now more than ever. And tea is no different from any other discipline in that regard. Exploring education absolutely lights me up and I love being a mentor to other teachers.

Now I’m sharing this deep teaching experience with you!

– Our approach –

What’s unique about Being Tea Teacher Training?
Truly, everything.

1) This is a first-of-its-kind program focused on educator skills for tea.

Being Tea Teacher Training is the first program in the tea industry to focus entirely on better teaching.

Teaching and sharing tea with others is a direct outlet for all those years of dedicated study. And yet, even classroom teachers rarely get the chance to study their craft – teaching – in this kind of in-depth way.

Be on the leading edge of meaningful tea education.

2) Our curriculum is inclusive, trauma informed, equity centered.

We’re unique for centering experiential learning and mental health-aware teaching methods, not rigid structures.

Our program is distinctly student-centered, supporting the validation of someone’s lived experience. This is quite different from the conformity and assimilation of most educational structures.

Create genuinely safer spaces for people, in tea.

3) You get personal, interactive support. This is not a passive program.

This program is true mentorship with a live teacher, and rooted in peer support, every step of the way.

After graduation, join the Being Tea Graduate community for continuing mentorship, study, and support for your craft! Being Tea’s mission is supporting tea education as a relationship, not a transaction.

Be fully supported for your journey in education.

Read on to learn more about this extraordinary program – or apply today and save your spot!

REQUEST APPLICATION

Stephanie Samuels, founder of Sutras Tea and Wellness - Being Tea Teacher Training Graduate

I was looking for a tea mentor / teacher who approached tea holistically and not just as a commodity and I have found that and much more.“

Stephanie Samuels, founder of Sutras Tea & Wellness

What will you study in Teacher Training? Our program overview:

Module 1

What Calls You To Teach?

Understanding diverse audience types and learning needs, plus assessing your own strengths and interests as an educator. This is the module we return to again and again, as our journey to more deeply understand our own “Why?” progresses.

module 2

Creating A Sensory Playground

Why experiential learning matters; intro to adult learning theory and pedagogy (i.e., the study of learning); how to structure workshops for sensory supportive experiences; how to support diverse learners; creating spaces built for engagement and interactivity vs passive intake.

module 3

Presence and Presentation

Understanding the difference between energetic vs physical space; working with your environment as a public speaker; learning how to hold space for students; managing challenging moments, and the energy output of different groups.

Module 4 (two months)

“Stacking Your Show”: Time and Structure

Time management skills in the classroom; developing a more personally comfortable relationship with time; creating containers to keep activities from being too fast or too slow; building flexible and energetically balanced lesson plans.

Module 5

The Love of Logistics

Scalability for teaching work based on personal needs; exploring size and environment of classes, including indoor, outdoor, and online considerations; equipment management; creating safety nets for when things don’t go as planned.

Modules 6 + 7

Tea for Everybody: Psychologically Sensitive & Equity-Centered Teaching

Becoming trauma-informed and implementing psychologically sensitive teaching methods; working within window of safety for students; engaging equity and decolonizing your teaching; navigating your scope of practice as a teacher.

Module 8

Self-Care and Creating A Personal Practice

Navigating periods of growth vs periods of rest; building a personal practice for creative nourishment; self-care for teachers; avoiding burn-out and imposter syndrome; gathering resources and business support.

Tehmeena Manji, founder of Muthaiga Tea, a Being Tea Teacher Training graduate.

I don’t think I can aptly describe just how much each module has shaped me or challenged me in a way that I did not think was possible.“

Tehmeena Manji, founder of Muthaiga Tea, Nairobi

What’s included when you enroll? You’ll receive:

Nine months of live online training sessions

Held monthly (3-hours each) for group discussion and workshop of the material.

Personal coaching on your own practice class (ie: graduate project)

Topic of your choice, plus group feedback. Required to graduate.

Monthly self-paced module videos

3-4 hours of rich content per month. Great for folks who enjoy quiet, personal learning.

Three months of continued support and coaching

This makes our program one full year, with nine months of core training + extra support.

Eight module workbooks

Filled with exercises, homework assignments, and guided journaling prompts for integration.

Certificate of Completion

Available upon request for folks who need certificates for employment. PDF or hard copy.

Access to weekly Office Hours

For one-on-one check-ins, coaching, and personalized assistance.

Bonus! Being Tea class membership

Take all the tea classes you like during your term! ($240 value) Great as inspiration and role-modeling.

Anna Ye Tea, a Being Tea Teacher Training Graduate — Anna Ye

Nicole Wilson Being Tea Teacher Training — Nicole Wilson

What Our Graduates Say

Folks share incredibly moving experiences about their journey with Being Tea Teacher Training.

Here are just a few, and you can read more here:
Teacher graduate testimonials >

“To say my experience in Teacher Training has been transformative, is an understatement. Enrolling in Being Tea’s Teacher Training Program was hands down one of the best decisions I made in my tea journey.”

Anna Ye Founder of Anna Ye Tea

“Most of the programs I came across talked more about the terroir and types of tea, which is important, but I was after something different. I didn’t quite know what until I came across Being Tea’s Teacher Training program.”

Taniya GuptaYogaTeaPoetry, author of “What Will People Say?”

“I got to know Sooz’s highly professional and sensitive teaching style at various tea industry workshops, and when I discovered her online Teacher Training, I was immediately thrilled.”

Sabine GullatzUK Tea Academy sommelier and trainer

“I cannot recommend this tea teacher training enough if you are interested in facilitating or teaching about tea in any way.”

Nicole WilsonFounder, Tea For Me Please

Where do you see yourself sharing tea?

Maybe you’ll host staff training workshops? Offer tea experiences at festivals or yoga studios? Teach for community organizations? Host online sessions? Create a school or workplace tea club? Bring tea experiences to support other programming needs in your area?

Wherever you want to share tea, Being Tea Teacher Training can help you bring those ideas to life.

To apply for Being Tea Teacher Training

The deadline to apply for the next term is August 15, 2026. This is one week before our Orientation Day session.

Review our tuition rates below, then contact me using the form to request an application. An application will be sent to you after I’ve had a chance to review your email.

Note: This program is offered only once a year, and runs September to May. Enrollment officially opens in March, although I interview candidates for “early bird” acceptance year-round. These folks receive the first spots for the upcoming term.

For our 2026 / 2027 program

Tuition rates for Being Tea Teacher Training

Tuition is divided into 12 monthly payments. It is not pay upfront. Rates are set on a sliding scale for financial accessibility. You’ll select your intended tuition rate on your application.

* $1,888 total *

Reduced, $99/mo

Reserved for these under-served groups:

– BIPOC applicants

– LGBTQ+ applicants

– Disabled or chronically ill persons; older persons on limited income; immigrants with financial hardship.

Limited spots available for Reduced tuition.

* $1,500 total *

Standard, $125/mo

This level is my “fair exchange” rate – what it takes for me to support students, produce material, and sustain this highly unique program.

We rely on most applicants joining at this tier. If you are able to pay tuition on the Standard tier, you’re encouraged to do so.

* $1,800 total *

Sustaining, $150/mo

Pay for yourself while supporting a fellow trainee!

This level directly offsets the cost to run our Reduced rate tier, and makes a difference within your specific cohort.

The more people who join on the Sustaining tier, the more Reduced spots we can offer!

Private instruction is also available!

Tuition for private students is $4200 total for the year ($350 per month) and includes one-on-one classes each month, based on your schedule. This is a good option for folks with less flexible schedules, or for applicants in time zones that we can’t accommodate in group scheduling that term.

Got questions? Visit our program FAQ here.

You can also ask questions in the contact form below, but definitely check out the FAQ first. You can also view our Program Policies and Inclusivity Statement here.

Request an application for Being Tea Teacher Training!

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“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

– Howard Thurman