Information for Prospective Instructors of
Writing and Language Arts Courses

CTYOnline is recruiting instructors for its mid summer intensive session. These middle school-level, high school-level, and college-level courses are offered to verbally gifted elementary and secondary students.

Note: New in 2008, the early summer session will not be an intensive session, but rather a more relaxed 12-week session for the Writing Series and 10-week session for Language Arts Short Courses. We are hiring for the early summer session. Information below is for the mid summer intensive session.

Which Courses Can I Teach?

Writing Series courses run 6 weeks in summer.

Language Arts courses run 5 weeks in summer.

Advanced Placement English Language & Composition runs 12 weeks in summer.

When Does It Begin and End?

Instructors may request work, contingent on enrollment, for

• the six-week mid summer session, or

• the twelve-week session, or

• the five-week mid-summer session

Web-based courses require a training session to familiarize instructors with the WebCT or Moodle course management system and with the writing program's operating procedures. This training takes about 2 hours and happens during a week in late May or early June.

Instructors with more than 7 students cannot hold another job while working in this intensive program.

The Intensive Summer Program courses are

• 12 weeks long for students, 14 weeks for instructors (AP Language & Composition),
• 6 weeks long for students, 8 weeks for instructors (Writing Series), and
• 4 weeks long for students, 6 weeks for instructors (Language Arts).

For Levels 1 & 2

Typically, instructors average 1 hour and 10 minutes per student per assignment. With 15 students that's 29+ hours each week. Those hours are distributed in three ways.

1. Instructors respond to 10 assignments. CTY distributes assignments to students. Typically, instructors spend 1 hour per assignment per student writing a lengthy critique. Assignments and critiques are due every three to four days. With 15 students, this is approximately 25 hours a week.
2. Students must check in with instructors by phone between assignments. Instructors must keep phone office hours for 4 hours between each due date. Note that this involves weekend time. If students have not checked in by the final hour, instructors phone students.
3. Students in this level are very young and need frequent feedback. Instructors must check their email at least twice a day, but more often is better.

For Levels 3 through 5

Typically, instructors average 1 hour and 20 minutes per student per lesson. With 15 students, that's 33+ hours each week. Instructors spend about 6 hours a day responding to student work, managing workshops and classrooms, and responding to emails.

Instructors respond to 10 essays in addition to several short exercises. However, some lessons are more demanding than others. Instructors must turn around responses to short exercises in one day. For example, students need a response to a 100 word exercise before they can go on to the lesson's final writing assignment. If it takes 15 minutes to respond to each 100 words, that's almost 4 hours that must be dedicated on a specific day. An instructor with 15 students will have 15 final writing assignments that need to be turned around in 2 to 4 days. If it takes 40 minutes to respond to each assignment, that's 10 hours of critiquing (translation: almost 2 working days).

For Language Arts

Instructors spend 1 hour and 20 minutes per student per lesson. There are 5 lessons spread over 5 weeks, with short exercises building to a final writing assignment and a peer workshop to manage. Time committment is very similar to Levels 3 through 5, above.

For All Levels

Composing final evaluations takes an average of 45-60 minutes per student. The first few can take almost twice that. Instructors may also be asked to revise final evaluations.

Instructors cannot teach a CTY summer programs course and a CTY Distance Writing Summer Intensive Program course simultaneously.

Please review the intensive summer session student calendars.

How Much Does It Pay?

Writing Series Courses
New instructors receive $250 per student. 15 students is the maximum load. That means $3,750 for 15 students over the 8 weeks with approximately 200 contact hours. Add 15 more hours for final evaluations.

Short Courses
Starting pay is $125 per student. Maximum load is 19 students. That means $2,375 for 19 students over the 7 weeks with approximately 126 contact hours. Add 19 more hours for final evaluations.

Compare academic year paychecks.

We hire the majority of our instructors during the spring, and those instructors typically begin work during our summer sessions. To be included in the first round of consideration, it is best to return your complete application to us by March 15. We occasionally hire at other times and will keep all applications on file in case other hiring needs arise. You will be notified of a decision on a rolling basis. A criminal background check is part of our employment process.

• Internet Explorer 6+/Netscape 7+ web browser (not AOL), Windows 98 or higher / MacOS X or higher, 16x CD-ROM drive, 233 MHz, 64 MB RAM free, 100 MB hard drive free, sound card, 16 bit display
• email and Internet access
• at least the same tech skills required of students; our primary mode of communication with instructors is through email. We expect instructors to check their email at least twice a day.
• familiarity with course management systems such as WebCT or BlackBoard a plus, but training is provided. (Takes about 2 hours in May or June.)

HOW TO APPLY:

Please see http://cty.jhu.edu/cde/writing/applytoteach.html for instructions. All applicants new to CTY Distance Education must write the student critique.

Questions? Contact the Administrators 

Once you've read the application materials and course descriptions, email questions to writingadmin@jhu.edu.