How Idea Lab Kids trains outstanding teachers

Ghazal Qu
3 min readFeb 16, 2018

--

Winter rain drizzles outside, but inside Idea Lab Kids Spring Branch’s spacious orange classroom 12 students focus on discovering how to code.

Samuel is asking a question about end tags, Mayra wants help changing font colors, and Catherine wonders what is the biggest computer ever made.

How does a teacher manage to give each student individualized, high-tech instruction?

It starts before she ever steps foot in the classroom.

We believe in hands-on learning for kids — so that’s exactly how our instructors train.

Orientation

We find instructors passionate about our mission, high-tech education and hands-on fun. Instructors share our excitement about educating children and bring their tech-savvy and experience. (Safety note: They also must pass CPR training, fingerprinting and background checks.)

Teachers get tips on looking for children who are older and love to lead and those who are younger and may need a bit of extra help. They get advice gleaned from our years of experience.

On to the learning platform

New hires explore our professional instructional videos filmed at corporate headquarters to discover more about Idea Lab Kids curriculum in science, technology, engineering, art and math. They learn Idea Lab Kids methods, expertise and thorough, detailed curriculum in topics from robotics to drones.

Plus, teachers get hands-on, corporate training with Kris, our resident technical guru, about Arduinos, Minecraft, 3D printing, LEGOs, JavaScript and laser cutting. Teachers-in-training discuss their thoughts, benefit from his experience and discover the ins and outs of the technology firsthand.

Put it to the test

Finally, we give future instructors the curriculum and supplies to complete a project on their own! They learn Idea Lab Kids methodology, finish their masterpiece and get set to change children’s lives in the classroom.

There’s no better way to learn than to explore hands-on, no matter your age, and that starts with your first, unique project.

Why we’re different

Our high-quality instructors, cutting-edge equipment and innovative curriculum make us stand out. We combine science, tech, engineering, art and math learning to give each child the best head start for his or her future. Whether a student chooses to be a scientist, artist or lawyer, he’s learning the creative, critical-thinking and problem-solving skills he’ll need to succeed in his career and in life.

What you can do

This summer we’re offering more camp and workshop options for first through eighth graders than ever.

Want to complete a wizard science class, explore Jedi training or cook your way through a storybook?

This is your summer to do it! View the complete list of camps at www.idealabkids.com/camps.

--

--