There is typically no demand for specific credentialing. Classes are/have been taught by professors, graduate students, undergraduate students, professionals, and enthusiasts of all stripes. We strive to find people who are, yes, comfortable in a room full of teens and confident in offering instruction on a subject. However, what we look for most of all are people who are passionate about what they’re doing. Whether it’s Algebra or Art, we’re after people who ware willing to share their excitement about a topic with our participants. Most of our courses are offered 1 day/week on Tuesdays or Thursdays.
Most of our educational areas at TEEN DAY operate in a three-year rotation, allowing most participants to take most classes, regardless of when they enter the program. Our upper-level science rotation consists currently of Physics and Chemistry, with Earth Science being an overlapping year between our lower-level science courses. (There is consideration of adding Biology, A&P, Environmental Science, or other course into the upper-level rotation in 2025-2026.)
The ideal candidate will move through this rotation each year, teaching the relevant coursework. There is ample support for lesson planning for Physics and Chemistry, with syllabi, lab recommendations and instructions, and notes from previous instructors. There is a lot of room for creative interpretation and outside-the-box instruction in all areas. Instructor applications will also be accepted for next year’s Physics course without the intention of teaching for TEEN DAY for the full rotation. Contact admin@teendayithaca.org for more info or to apply.
PHYSICS:
**Though an instructor would be completely welcome to teach a more traditional Physics course, here is the course description from the last time this course was taught.** We live in a thrilling time of space exploration, and the effort to safely send a human to another world and back is one of the most difficult and exciting things humanity has attempted. Every step of that effort is dependent on an understanding of physics, the mathematical rules that govern the fundamental behavior of the universe. Understanding these rules gives us the ability to not only understand the world around us, but to make predictions about it, and ultimately to control it. We will learn about physics concepts evident in the world around us, as well as a special focus on how they apply to space exploration.
We will learn how rockets work, how to orbit a planet and get to another one, how to survive, navigate, and communicate in space, how to get down to the ground from space, and how to survive on another planet. In the process, we will learn about energy, forces, and momentum, describing and analyzing linear and circular motion, waves, electromagnetism, and thermodynamics, along with general scientific skills and concepts. Successful participants will have completed Algebra I or it’s equivalent prior to enrolling. NOTE: Though themed, this is a full, high-school level physics course.
Nuts-and-bolts info: Our classes meet 1x/wk for 1.25 hrs. This class is part of our full-day Tuesday program. It runs for 32 wks. Classes run roughly mid-Sept through mid-May. Compensation is $2200/yr. *The next rotation for this class is the 2024-2025 academic year.
CHEMISTRY:
In this class, students will develop an understanding of key chemical principles. Over the course of the year, we will explore fundamental topics in general chemistry through a combination of textbook study, in-class problem solving sessions, and biweekly labs. Topics of study will include atoms, molecules, chemical reactions, bonding, gases, liquids, solids, solutions, equilibrium, acids and bases, and organic chemistry. Successful participants will have completed Algebra I prior to enrollment. Text: Introductory Chemistry (4th edition) by Nivaldo J. Tro
Nuts-and-bolts info: Our classes meet 1x/wk for 1.25 hrs, though this course has a 1-hr lab component every other week. This class is part of our full-day Tuesday program. It runs for 32 wks. Classes run roughly mid-Sept through mid-May. Compensation is $3200/yr. *The next rotation for this class is the 2026-2027 academic year.
TEEN DAY Ithaca 