What does Software Training for Students care about? What can you expect and what is expected of you as a trainer? What should be avoided at all costs?
This document will walk through all of these questions and more.
This section covers what we think is important here at STS, as well as what is expected of you as part of the STS team.
Your main job as an STS trainer is help other people learn new things. A great way to get better at this is to always be learning new things yourself. Knowing what it's like to be a learner is one of the best skills you can have as a trainer.
This means staying curious, taking the initiative to try out new things, and being willing to ask for help when you need it.
Nobody is an expert at everything, and even experts had to start somewhere. You may feel like unless you're a design major, you can't figure out Illustrator, or because you're not taking computer science classes, coding is too complicated for you to understand. Not true! Anything we teach at STS is within your reach as learner.
Even a little bit of familiarity with a software program or technology tool is better than none at all.
A good STS trainer will realize that learning new tech skills is virtually always a net positive, and even if you're not an expert in a particular program or technology, just knowing the basics is beneficial.
Having experience putting brochures together in InDesign or building simple scripts Python could be the thing that gives you an edge over another candidate when applying for a job or internship.
We know everyone's situation is different, and some students have more time to work on STS work than others, and that's totally okay. You're a student first.
As a general guideline, we ask that you try to become familiar with at least one new program or workshop manual each semester. This doesn't mean you're an expert, or even necessarily that you're able to teach a workshop on it - just that you've spent some time learning the basics and have an introductory level of knowledge about it.
A big part of life as STS is being able to work independently. It's expected that you'll be able to take initiative to learn material for a workshop, find answers to questions (including by asking other STSers, the managers, and Google), and troubleshoot technical issues.
But remember that initiative doesn't always mean doing everything on your own. We know that some people prefer more direction and guidance on what they should be doing, and that is okay! In those cases, initiative means asking the managers what you should be working on and then taking steps to do it.
If you don't know how to do something or are curious about why something is the way it is, often the best thing you can do is to ask other people.
Asking questions isn't a sign of weakness or inexperience - it means that you're trying to learn. Especially as a newer trainer, there will be many, many things you don't know (yet), and the only way you'll learn them is to ask.
As a trainer, an employee, and just as a person in general, we care about your experience at STS. If you are not happy with any part of your experience as a trainer with STS, you are encouraged to let the managers know so they can take steps to improve it (or, if it can't be changed, provide an explanation for why not).
If you have ideas for ways things could be improved or have feedback about something that you think could be better, don't hesitate to bring it up to the managers.
Sometimes there is a good reason things are done a certain way, and sometimes the reason is just that that's how they have always been done and no one has thought to change them.
This includes:
Don't disrespect or otherwise mistreat customers or coworkers.
This includes:
Variety is the spice of life, and diversity makes life more interesting and richer. Part of your job is to respect the ways we may differ from one another.
These include but are not limited to the following:
You are entitled to your opinion, and it’s fine if you don’t understand something or if you think something is weird, but it is an expectation of your job that you will accept, tolerate, and respect the ways your fellow trainers and customers may be different from you.
Please note that tolerance of differing opinions does not extend to bigotry, hate speech, or other forms of discrimination.
Exhibiting any of these behaviors will not be tolerated and may be grounds for immediate termination at the managers' discretion.
It’s OK to be curious and ask questions about cultures, backgrounds, styles of teaching, majors, etc. that are unfamiliar to you. BUT: if you ask about something and the person doesn’t feel like sharing, they are under no obligation to answer you, and it is your responsibility to respect their choice.
It should go without saying that you are expected not to harass, stalk, or otherwise behave inappropriately towards customers and co-workers.
This has not been an issue at STS in the past, and we’d like to keep it that way.
Conversely, if a customer or fellow trainer is behaving inappropriately towards you or otherwise making you feel uncomfortable, let the STS managers know right away. This also applies if you see a fellow STSer behaving inappropriately towards a student/coworker, or if you see a student behaving inappropriately to a fellow trainer.
STS does not have a particularly strict dress code, but we do have certain expectations about how our trainers present themselves while working in an STS-focused capacity. We expect STS trainers to look reasonably professional while on the job, but we also grant a lot of flexibility in what that means.
Things to avoid:
Wondering what you should do when you aren't teaching or prepping for workshops? Look no further!
Here are some of the ways you can use your time at STS.
STS runs best when we have trainers who are comfortable with a wide range of software and technology and who are able to train lots of different workshop topics.
To ensure we have a staff who are able to rise to the challenge, part of the job at STS is to gain new technology skills and to improve your breadth of knowledge as a trainer and as a technology user in general. Trainers aren't expected to know everything, but the goal is for trainers to gain new knowledge and skills so they can increase their range of training possibilities over time.
Some ways to do this include:
If you're going to be teaching a given topic, you're obviously going to want to know all of the exercises and information in that workshop's manual, but having background information and additional context beyond just what is in the manual can be helpful when teaching.
The only real way to become an expert in something is to practice. When it comes to software and technology, the best way to do that is usually to work on real-world projects or problems using the tools and techniques you've learned.
Just found out about a neat new technique in Photoshop? Try making an exercise, project, or activity prompt for it.
Have an idea for a way to learn for loops or conditionals in JavaScript? Write an exercise for it.
Having more example projects, activity prompts, and exercises is better for trainers and learners alike, so don't hesitate to try your hand at putting together new ones.
If you learn about a cool new tool or software, feel free to start creating a manual or workshop about it.
If you start working on a new workshop or updating an existing manual, be sure to let the managers know (a quick message on Slack is fine).
There may be existing STS materials you can reference, other trainers could be interested in helping (or possibly are even working on it already),
There is a lot to know about any given software/tech topic - usually far more than what is in the manual. When you are going to be teaching a workshop, knowing the basics of the manual is good and is the minimum of what's expected. Knowing more, and being able to answer questions and explain things in more detail, is better.
Learn the topics and flow of a given workshop's manual as they are written, but also explore and play around with the material and exercises beyond what's explicitly written. It's helpful to know what it looks like when things DON'T go as expected, as well as when they do.
You should also be able to explain why a given exercise exists and why that skill/technique/information is useful for learners. If you aren't sure why something is there, ask one of the managers or a fellow trainer.
Remember that the manual is more of a rough guide to the material covered in the workshop and not a script you should follow word-for-word. Part of the reason you were hired is that you are good at presenting and teaching other people - workshops are a chance to flex those teaching muscles.
Teaching workshops is a primary role of a trainer. When you are scheduled for a training session, it is your responsibility to either teach the session yourself or find a replacement trainer if you are not able to due to illness, family emergency, etc.
Missing a workshop that you are expected to teach is a cardinal sin of STS and should be avoided at all costs.
Missing a workshop means there is no trainer from STS at that workshop at the scheduled time and you have not let the STS managers and the workshop requestor know what is happening. If you are scheduled for a workshop and you get someone else to cover for you, that does not count as missing a workshop.
We understand that everyone is human, and sometimes we make mistakes. Our job is to minimize the chances of those mistakes happening, correct them when they do, and learn from them so we can avoid them in the future. A big mistake you can make at STS (arguably the biggest) is missing a workshop that you're scheduled for.
When it comes to missed workshops, we follow a three-strikes rule.
First Missed Workshop:
Mistakes happen, but be sure not to let that same mistake happen in the future. Missing one workshop is bad, but as long as you own up to the error and connect with the managers (and if it's a custom workshop, the person who requested it) to figure out a solution, it's not the end of the world.
Second Missed Workshop:
Eek. Substantially not good. Managers will be on you to make sure you don’t miss any future events/workshops/AATs that you are scheduled for, and you may be asked to let the managers know when you are on your way to your workshops and AAT appointments. Reduced autonomy/increased oversight from managers.
Third Missed Workshop:
Seriously bad news. Unless there is a very good reason (e.g. a documented medical emergency, etc.) you’ll most likely be terminated as an STS employee.
Funny images/videos and memes are great, and we encourage using them to keep a training fun and lively.
That being said, it's important to remember that not everybody will share the same sense of humor, and some people may be bothered by things that do not bother you.
Use good judgment in choosing what you show in class, and be responsive to students who appear uncomfortable with anything you may be showing or talking about. Just because someone doesn't get up and leave doesn't mean they are OK with what they are seeing or hearing, and part of your job is to be aware of how the learners in your sessions are doing.
If you're unsure whether something is acceptable or not, a handy guideline is to consider STS workshops and consultations a PG-13 space in terms of language and content. Gratuitous profanity, sexual content, and gore/violence should be avoided.
When you come into the office and other people are around, say hi to the other people in the office!
If you aren't feeling social that day, don't feel like you have stop and chat, but it is expected that you will at least say hello or otherwise acknowledge the other people in the space.
Similarly, if you're leaving the office and other STS trainers or managers are around, give a quick goodbye on your way out to let people know you're leaving.
We have made this one of a few official rules at STS, and fortunately one that is very easy to follow.
It's part of the job!
If you aren't sure what to do during your office hours, check in with the STS managers. They can offer guidance on good ways to use your time.
It's one of the best parts of the job!
Getting to know more about your fellow trainers, learn what you have in common, etc. goes a long way towards your job being an enjoyable part of your day rather than just an obligation you do for money.
You don't have to be best friends with your co-workers, but you are expected to be civil and at least minimally social with them.
Slack is a primary communication tool at STS, but it's also kind of a digital office space.
If you find something cool, share it - chances are, other trainers will want to see it too!
If a co-worker or student customer expresses discomfort with something you are doing, stop doing that thing. You don't get to decide how your actions make others feel, and it is expected that you will respect the feelings of the people around you.
Similarly, if you are asked to do something that you don't feel comfortable doing, you are not under any obligation to do so.
If you are feeling overwhelmed by class, personal issues, student org matters, or any of the other things that can make life hard sometimes, be sure to take steps to keep yourself healthy, well, and feeling good.
The following things will not be tolerated and may be grounds for immediate termination at the discretion of STS management: