At its core, IDAL’s mission is the education and support of fellow decorative artists. We are always seeking talented teachers who carve time out of their busy schedules and travel to conventions to share their valuable skills and knowledge with our members. Our teachers are the vital key to making that happen.
Our membership, comprised of hard-working, dedicated professional artists – look forward to our cutting-edge convention classes, which enhance their portfolios and skills. IDAL members expend their time and money, sometimes traveling from great distances, and expect to leave the convention with new product knowledge, new skills, and business acumen. For many, it’s the highlight of their working year; frankly, the convention is a blast.
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Beth Schaefer and Luca Donati; instructors at the Novacolor Sampler Workshop.
Our talented instructors draw their students into the moment and leave them professionally fulfilled.
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Can you offer a class that enhances our members' business, skills, and knowledge?
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Do you have an innovative technique or topic you can teach thoroughly via a lecture, a hands-on skills class, or a demonstration of something special?
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If you are promoting a product, can you thoroughly teach its application's particulars (and drawbacks)
If so, please read the requirements below, and then fill out the form at the end of this page to create your class proposal with photos and a detailed description.
Please note: Proposals to teach at our 2024 Convention will be accepted between Dec 1, 2023, and February 29, 2024. Please submit your application during this period.
If you propose teaching more than one class at the convention, please submit a separate application for each class.
INSTRUCTOR MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENT
WORKSHOPS/SEMINARS
We are seeking workshops and lectures that are fresh, innovative, creative, and sellable. When you fill out the application, you will need to supply the following:
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An advertised price for the class (see the recommendations for determining the class fee under PAYMENT POLICY.)
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The minimum number of attendees that you will require to have registered before you can run the class.
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Also, please let us know the maximum number of attendees you can accommodate while giving each sufficient attention and instruction.
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All the workshop materials, tools, and supplies: a list of the materials you will supply and those that the students are required to bring to class. (These two lists need to include every item: i.e., rags, sample boards, scissors, markers, types of brushes, etc.) IDAL will provide the classroom with furniture, protected floors, tables, and chairs. In addition, if water is needed, IDAL will provide buckets daily with guidance on how to limit the amount of water used. IDAL incurs a disposal cost for used water and will follow environmentally safe practices.
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Teachers are encouraged to reach out to our many willing sponsors and industry vendors to solicit product and tool donations that will assist in keeping the class fees reasonable
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Any audiovisual or other special equipment you plan to use, such as slide projectors or screens. Sometimes these can be rented directly from the convention location. If you intend to supply your equipment, please note that.
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Contact information for the class attendees to use after the class concludes for any questions about the workshop.
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Photos: the five photos you attach to your application are essential. They should give us a window into the skills you will be teaching and be of the best quality you can provide. If the contract is accepted, you will be able to supply additional photos for advertising purposes at a later date.
MARKETING
After a contract is offered and finalized, IDAL will market your workshop/seminar on our website, E-newsletter, and social media: and as the teacher, you are expected to be actively involved in the marketing process.
Successful enrollment will involve diligent work in advertising your workshop on your website, blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and any newsletters or postcards you send to your followers. IDAL is always willing and available to offer marketing advice. By taking ownership of your workshop and finding ways to market it in a visually appealing manner, it will succeed with greater excitement, enrollment, and popularity.
We can make marketing videos, social media content, and blog posts if you provide videos and photos of the class material and process. These can be videos of you creating the decorative art finish on a job site, in previous classes, or in your home studio.
Here’s a promotion example of Tobey Sanders’ 2023 Convention Class. If you provide us with your social media info, we can link these posts to your social media accounts through hashtags and @ mentions.
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Ellie Ellis teaching Bas Relief plaster.
PAYMENT POLICY
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The instructor will retain 75% of the workshop/seminar fee. IDAL will retain 25% of the fee.
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Figure all your costs for the workshop (time, travel/hotel, materials) and determine the minimum number of students required to cover these expenses. Once you have calculated your costs add 25% for the IDAL portion.
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IDAL will calculate the class payment on the number of attendees enrolled in your class on the day after any incidentals (such as hotel-rented AV equipment, special accommodations from hotel staff, etc.) have been reviewed. The IDAL accountant will make payment within 30 days of the end of the convention.
WORKSHOP CANCELLATION POLICY
Once a contract is accepted and signed (provided the minimum number of students register), instructors may not cancel for reasons other than illness or personal tragedy after a specified date outlined in the Instructor Agreement.
Please remember that students incur the cost of travel, plane tickets (often non-refundable), hotel reservations, and work arrangements that affect them personally if a class is canceled.
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Michelle Molek; Geodes Workshop
Additional Terms of Agreement
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If you haven’t taught previously at IDAL, you will need to supply two reference letters discussing your previous teaching experience.
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Any damages incurred to the location property (walls, tables, carpet) due to your class are your responsibility.
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A liability waiver and a W-9 form will be required when an instructor contract is offered, accepted, and signed.
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You are required to provide each student with written class material notes-- this is a typed handout detailing methods, materials, material sources, and any other relevant notes that they will need to replicate the skills you’ve taught them.
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On the day of the class, you will receive evaluation forms to pass out to the students. At the end of class, students should be given a few minutes to fill out these forms and then have the forms collected by a student (someone other than the teacher) so that they can be returned to the convention desk. Future classes at IDAL will be considered partly on the results of these student evaluations.
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Teachers who are not members of IDAL may apply to teach, but membership is required upon acceptance of the Instructor Contract.
If you wish to apply to teach more than one class, please return to the Teach @ IDAL page after your first submission and create a separate application..
INSTRUCTOR APPLICATION
We will begin accepting applications on December 1, 2023.
Please make sure you are logged in before you fill out this form.
If this is your first time teaching, please send 2 PDF recommendation letters to education@decorativeartisans.org
CLASS DESCRIPTION
Please include all expenses, remuneration, and the 25% IDAL Convention fee.
Please upload up to five photos of the type of finish or process you propose teaching. These will be examples related to the process of your class and will be reviewed by our committee only. Please Note: If your proposal is accepted, additional high-quality photos may be required.
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