OK it’s been a while since I’ve written anything exciting. It’s also bee a while since I’ve talked about training. It’s also about that time for the year end summary…..soooooo – Lets talk about training because it’s a slow day.
I taught one class (if I’m not mistaken) last year. I taught it for a conference. I had two thoughts walking out of that class. The first was I didn’t do that hot on the class (I didn’t think I had put together a decent offering). The second was – I sort of enjoy teaching the things I know. After a few spectacularly bad classes I took a break from instructing and tried to decide if I wanted to continue. I mostly have buried myself in work for the last year. I spent a few months trying to decide if I had enough info for a book of sorts – and really I can’t do any better than the books that are out and about already.
I’ve also installed QGIS 2.99 and have been working with that when and where I can. It’s exciting. I’ve also been working with a few people to reboot qgis.us . The original Intro to QGIS class has been around for almost 5 years. I’m not necessarily bored with teaching it but it does need a refresh.
I decided to do 3 things yesterday:
- Start rewriting the Introduction to QGIS for 3. Which means I’m going to change up the formatting just a bit and put more exercises in and remove a few other things in the class. Which during the rewrite I leave it open finally for Part 2 – which never quite worked right every time I tried it. I actually wrote a “part 2” and taught it a few years ago and didn’t enjoy it that much. I was going to do a Postgis class this year and decided I didn’t know enough to make that happen. I think I might be there now.
- Change the pricing model. So the biggest killer in teaching is finding a place to teach. I set up a class and declare “HEY I’M DOING A CLASS” and prepay for a facility and people bail and I’m lucky if I break even. So – I’m looking at organizations who want to do a training class in QGIS. Conference? Bar Mitzvahs? Weddings? I’ll work with you on a price and we will do it. It will change just a bit based on where you are – but – I think it gives me some flexibility. Of course it moves to prepay or pay a significant portion down for me to do the class.
- The final part is donating back to QGIS with the class. I’ve debated every way under the sun to hold a class and give a portion back to QGIS. I wouldn’t be doing this if not for all the hard work of a lot of people. So I think there is going to be a fee that gets donated back to the organization. I’m unsure if I do a percentage or money made or what – I expect this will be a bit experimental. I tried this one other time and failed miserably. Usually a class ends up with a few people in it and I’m literally breaking even or losing just a bit to do it. It takes everything I make and then I have nothing left. Which ends up with me being grouchy. I’m tired of being grouchy.
Anyway – I know if you look back on other posts you might go “Eh – no different than what he said last year” and that probably wouldn’t be far off the mark….BUT – it’s a new year and this year proved training wasn’t a necessity in my life. Other years it’s been “OMG I have to” and I don’t. I want to give this a good shot though. It’s fun and disruptive.
We will see if I get to the end of 2018 with more than 1 class under my belt. I’m hoping for 4 classes at least and a running account of what I was able to donate back to QGIS.
