Being Tea Teacher Training
Inclusivity Statement + Program Policies
Thank you for your interest in Being Tea Teacher Training!
If you are planning to enroll in our program, please review our Statement of Inclusivity and Program Policies below.
Your acceptance into our program means you are agreeing to these terms. Feel free to contact me with any questions.
Inclusivity and Community Care Policy
The work of being a trauma-informed and equity-centered educator demands that we look at what we teach beyond subject expertise. We must see and deeply value the people in our spaces. To quote Brooklyn-based school educator and social justice activist, Cornelius Minor, “I cannot be spiritually awakened and doing work that is vocationally dead.”
All applicants are asked to respect that while in this program, you may hear ideas and information that challenge your own previously held views. Education is not neutral, and Being Tea is not neutral, either.
– About this space –
Being Tea’s Community Values
We ask teachers to commit to supporting and valuing students and fellow teachers specifically for – not “regardless of” – their unique differences across race; country of origin; gender and sexual identity; age; body form and/or disability; mental health; religious and cultural heritage; and socioeconomic status.
BIPOC and LQBTQIA+ persons comprise nearly 50% of each cohort. Please also note that your program director, Sooz, is an Autistic person, non-binary, and sober; their partner is also disabled, immunocompromised, and non-binary Trans.
Racism, misogyny, anti-queer or anti-Trans, xenophobia, ableism, anti-science, anti-Indigenous, and other similarly dangerous statements (ie: anti-immigrant, anti-vax) or behavior are not welcome here.
This is for the protection of our diverse teacher trainee cohort, the Being Tea community itself, and the students our teacher trainees and graduates also serve in their own communities. As program director, at my discretion, trainees may be asked to leave the program in the event of violations of this policy.
Teacher Training Program Policies
Note: Policies are subject to additions, changes and review, as needs emerge with each training cycle.
Basic Participation Requirements
The Being Tea Teacher Training program is a combination of a “flipped classroom” – students study material ahead of time, then come to class prepared for discussion – and a “blended classroom”, which includes the use of videos and other supports. This program is interactive, collaborative, and inherently participatory. Our program is not self-paced or unsupported.
As the program director, I reserve the ability to make a determination that this program is not suited for a student if they choose to no longer actively participate without prior communication. (ie: “ghosting” or No Call–No Show more than twice, no communication for over a month, etc.)
Participation includes: reviewing monthly lecture videos and course workbook; coming to live group workshops on time and prepared; making time for homework or other engagement options on a regular basis; and staying in communication with me about your study, progress, and needs for support.
Attendance for Group Workshops
Students are required to attend and actively participate in our monthly group workshops. Students need to attend at least six out of the nine monthly workshops in our program in order to maintain good standing. Emergency situations are an exception to this attendance requirement.
This requirement is to maintain cohesion and consistency within a relatively small cohort. Having folks drift in and out is disruptive to the group dynamic. Non-punitive (ie: beneficial rather than penalizing) make-up assignments may be required for missed group sessions, depending on the module. Emergency situations are an exception to this attendance requirement.
Homework and Communication
Homework assignments are created for the student’s benefit and build on skills necessary to complete the graduate project. These assignments are ungraded; instead, they include personal feedback and comments from me. Homework is optional for students who are not intending to graduate or teach right away upon finishing the program. Not every month’s module will have a homework assignment.
My policy on homework:
– I ask students to keep me informed if they need to be late. Homework is still required, but modest lateness on assignments is generally not an issue with the pace that we keep here.
– All homework assignments are due within 3-months from the start of that module. Ex: The final deadline to turn in Module 1 homework from September is December 1.
– If a student goes more than two months with no submitted assignment of any sort, and no communication with me otherwise about it, I will arrange a check-in meeting to ensure the training program is still serving their needs.
Graduate Project and Graduation Requirements
To graduate from Being Tea Teacher Training, students complete a capstone project: leading a practice tea class for our teacher cohort and friends or family they wish to invite. (note: This is a private session, not ticketed or advertised to the general public.)
Our training program itself prepares the student for assembling and refining this graduate project.
The graduate project is not a requirement for participation in Being Tea Teacher Training. It is completely welcome to take this course for personal or professional enjoyment and study! (ie: to audit the course) There are numerous life, social, and professional skills to be gained in this program, just as it is.
Students in good standing who complete the training portion, but not their graduate project, within the term may return in the future and complete their project – whenever the time is right for them to step into teaching work.
Tuition, Cancellation, and Refunds
Tuition for Being Tea Teacher Training is paid monthly across 12-months, starting in September. If monthly payments are not a good option for a student, and they would prefer one sum, we can arrange that option.
Students are responsible for the full amount of their tuition once we reach December and/or Module 4 of the program. This represents 50% of the study material, which is ample time to experience the course. After December 1st, the full tuition is due for the program, as originally scheduled to be paid. This includes instances where a student needs to depart the program early; the full tuition is still due as scheduled.
If a student in good standing needs to depart due to circumstances outside of their control (emergencies, relocation, job change, etc), they are warmly invited to rejoin us the following year, with no additional fees. They are considered “pre-paid” for the upcoming cohort, and can start with us fresh in September.
I fully recognize that a lot of life happens over the course of a year. My goal as program director is to support you all the way to the finish line – whenever that happens for you.
As a small business owner, I am unable to offer refunds of any sort, whether for used or unused tuition. (ie: a student pays but does not show up) This includes if a student is asked to leave the program due to violation of our Community Care Policy.