TEEN DAY Ithaca is in the process of hiring teaching staff for 2025-2026, and we’d love to connect with YOU!
There is 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 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 writing rotation consists currently of Academic Writing, Creative Writing, and Journalism.
The ideal candidate will move through this rotation each year, teaching the relevant coursework. 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 Academic Writing course without the intention of teaching the full rotation of courses. Contact admin@teendayithaca.org for more info or to apply.
Academic Writing (Dual Enrollment)
Academic Writing I: This is the first of a two-course sequence of academic writing. Students learn how to write a variety of essays, usually in response to readings. They review grammar and basic writing skills, learn an effective writing process, begin to engage and respond to academic texts, and are introduced to research and documentation of sources appropriate for introductory-level college essays.
Academic Writing II: This course develops and refines student writing in an academic context. Students engage and respond to challenging texts as they develop critical thinking skills. They learn to support their ideas with credible, authoritative information from academic sources and to recognize audience, purpose, and bias.
**NOTE: This class has the option for dual enrollment. When enrolling, participants will be asked to select whether or not they would like to take this course for college credit. If taking the course for credit, a fee will be charged to offset the costs associated with accreditation, though we estimate these fees at near a third the cost to take the course independently. Additional assignments may be required of those opting to take it for college credit and traditional numeric grades will be given. College credit will be through Tompkins Cortland Community College for ENGL100 and ENGL101. This also fulfills the SUNY General Education Basic Communication requirement.**
Nuts-and-bolts info: This class meets 2x/wk for 1.25 hrs, in order to get all the hours in needed to meet the dual-enrollment requirements of both courses. This class will run on Tuesday AND Thursday, 9-10:25am. It runs for 32 wks. Classes run roughly mid-Sept through mid-May. Compensation is $4400/yr. Instructors for this course need a Master’s degree in English, English Education, Composition/Rhetoric, or a related degree with 18 credit hours in relevant coursework. (This requirement is imposed by TC3 for accreditation purposes and is therefore not negotiable by TEEN DAY.) *The next rotation for this class is the 2025-2026 academic year. Class is scheduled Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9-10:25am.
Creative Writing
This course invites students to explore the possibilities of creative writing. In the Fall semester, we will draw from the NaNoWriMo curriculum that introduces students to creative writing craft elements—character, plot, dialogue, imagery, and scene—while also scaffolding students as they pursue a long-form creative writing project of their own design. In the Spring semester, students will engage in various writing workshops that feature writing exercises and prompts and methods for research and revision. Students can expect weekly writing and reading assignments. This course is intended for students who have an interest in learning more about creative writing. Students need not have prior creative writing experience, only curiosity and a willingness to explore and imagine. Text: In a Field of Words: A Creative Writing Text
Nuts-and-bolts info: Our classes meet 1x/wk for 1.25 hrs. This class may run on Tuesday OR Thursday, depending on the schedule and instructor availability. 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 2027-2028 academic year.
Journalism
Journalism presents students with the skills and information that are essential for reliable, accurate, and independent news reporting. This course addresses the fundamental skills associated with journalistic writing, and presents students with the essential issues facing journalism today. In addition to writing, this course addresses the laws, ethics, and fundamentals of news literacy, with a keen focus on the critical thinking skills required for news judgment. This class will explore many different forms of journalism, including print, video, audio, digital, and photojournalism by consuming different kinds of media as well as producing their own.
Nuts-and-bolts info: Our classes meet 1x/wk for 1.25 hrs. This class may run on Tuesday OR Thursday, depending on the schedule and instructor availability. 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 2026-2027 academic year.
TEEN DAY Ithaca 