The Class

The requirements of teaching are usually two-fold: a course that lasts for 10 meetings, for example from October to December, or January to March, or a longer course of 22 meetings that will cover the whole of that period. Classes are usually two hours in length and held in the evening. The two hour class is usually split by a 15 minute break, with the first hour being a presentation by the tutor, and the second hour, ideally, being a combination of tutor presentation and discussion with the group. This format can be more difficult to achieve when the class is not accredited. Students on an accredited course tend to be more involved in the subject and have a greater willingness to discuss the subject in the group.

If you teach an accredited course, for example a Certificate or Diploma in Archaeology, or your class is a module of a part-time degree you will be required to set work that will be assessed for the qualification. Normally this requires essay questions to be set, with appropriate reading being suggested, for which you will then be required to mark/assess the students work. Some organisations will present you with some training for this, whilst others will simply leave you to it. As long as you know your subject however, you will quickly realise that this is not as daunting a task as you may imagine. Either way, it is a great learning experience and one from which you will benefit.