Call for proposals:
Thursdays on the Stoop

Thursdays on the Stoop (TOTS) sessions are free, 1-hour sessions led for and by our community. We prioritize local writers. You do not need formal teaching experience to apply. If selected, facilitators will be offered a $75 honorarium. TOTS takes place on Thursdays from 4:00–5:00pm ET on Zoom.

These workshops are a great way to get practice facilitating, test out a new lesson plan, and connect with other writers. They’re also a great way to show us you’re ready to teach a full-length class. Watch this brief info session on pitching a successful TOTS session. If you'd like to see some examples, you can watch past sessions on our YouTube channel.

At the beginning of each semester, we review proposals and select several months’ worth of sessions. We will reach out if we'd like to move forward. If we do not reach out, please assume that we are unable to run your session at this time. We keep all past proposals on file, and will contact you if we decide to book your session. If you have a new idea, you are welcome to submit a new proposal at any time.

If you have questions not addressed here, or need help filling out the form, please contact us at info@bluestoop.org

Full-length classes

Blue Stoop hires skilled instructors with a passion for the craft and business of writing, and a deliberate anti-oppressive pedagogy. We prioritize teachers in the Greater Philadelphia Area (Philadelphia County, Montgomery County, Chester County, Delaware County, Bucks County, and Camden County) and are open to those with grassroots, community-based experience as well as those trained in academic settings. We care more about your expertise in a given topic and your teaching style than we do about degrees.

We also place a high value on our teachers’ ability to support our diverse student body. Instructors should have the cultural competency required to effectively work with people of color, disabled people, queer and trans people, low-income people, and other marginalized populations.

Our instructors have

  • Fluency in English; fluency and comfort teaching in additional languages is a plus.

  • Broad knowledge of the contemporary literary world, with expertise in at least one specific topic.

  • Previously taught at least two creative writing classes/workshops for adults.

  • Experience working with marginalized populations.

  • Comfort teaching over Zoom and/or managing an in-person classroom.

  • Comfort using Google Drive and the Google app suite (Docs, Sheets, etc).

  • The ability to respond to student and staff emails in a timely manner.

  • Willingness to help market classes via social media, newsletters, or other platforms.

  • Patience, openness to feedback, a sense of humor, a warm and encouraging personality

Next steps

Applications for class proposals are currently closed. In the meantime, feel free to propose a Thursdays on the Stoop session at the top of this page.