Improve/expand instructor notes

[lexnederbragt]

As per the March 2nd 1st meeting, here are some thoughts about the Instructor Notes. The goal would be to make it easier for all of us, but especially new instructor trainers, to get started teaching TTT workshops.

• split into different pages
  • per-episode advice/tips (how to teach this theoretical thing) (this I need most :-) )
  • the 'Big Picture' stuff as general background
  • checklists before and after workshops, checkout procedures
  • general advice on technical issues with online teaching, etherpad, how to do exercises etc
• maybe split it out of the lesson repo/website

[ChristinaLK]

We've got a lot of this information in the instructor's notes already, I think the initial task will be reorganizing + then adding.

Personally, I like the idea of having a parallel set of "episodes" that have the exact same formatting/etc as the episode pages but under a different heading (like "teaching notes"). I want to say that it shouldn't be more than 1-2 days work with the current template but I don't have enough time to promise that I could make that happen. ;)

If we really figure this out, this might be a good model to pass on to the regular lessons, because this is a common request for those as well.

[raynamharris]

Thanks for the suggestions @lexnederbragt and @ChristinaLK.

I think I mostly agree. Here's my two cents:

1. Keep on the instructors notes page: checklists, links to messages or other resources, logistics section
2. Move elsewhere: episode-specific notes. I personally think they should be moved to the corresponding episodes, maybe in a call out box called "instructor notes" or incorporated into the main text body, but I'm okay with a whole other section of documents
3. New content: I think we could add a section called "Our Trainer's Notes" where every single certified trainer could link to a single mardown file or repo of markdown files containing their own personal teaching notes. This would give everyone a place to store and share teaching notes. This may not be ideal for everyone, but my notes are here

[lexnederbragt]

Thanks for your note, @raynamharris, this is going to be very useful.

2. Not sure a callout box per episode is a good solution as we kind-of want to hide these notes (at least initially) from trainees (I think).

[ChristinaLK]

Agree w/ @lexnederbragt re: hiding notes (hence my initial suggestion) but I like the proposed division of material.

[ErinBecker]

Similar discussion here: https://github.com/ErinBecker/instructor-training-reorg/issues/17

[ErinBecker]

Some of this is in progress here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TadkK6IhqhfxbCBxkDVtAmIx1rtdA0tDMIP9PsF0Bro/edit. To be incorporated as instructor notes in this repo or as a Trainer manual in the Trainers repo. Closing this issue here and added to checklist.