Incentive Proposal: the more you teach, the more you reach, and vice-versa

Thinking out loud about a way to directly incentivize new members to teach classes.
Not a committee-centric system, but something that will encourage members with similar interests to collaborate so they reach the maximum number of people long-term.
Anyone who teaches 300 minutes or more of classes per month will be given an additional incentive of $1 per unique class visitor during that month.
The more classes you teach, and the more popular the classes, the more funds you have available in your individual fund to spend on class materials, etc.
The funds will add up over time and the funds will help the instructor get more materials, etc. and organically grow their group.
Keeping this discussion within the rails of what constraints need to be in place to make this happen rather than an “Oh no technically a nightmare discussion” would be more productive because ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE AT DMS.
Fiber Arts, Science, and Jewelry could benefit immensely from this incentive program.
I see this as very beneficial to the marketing side of DMS because it turns every member into a potential instructor when they hit the door of DMS.
Puts the incentive directly under the control of the member and turns every member with ambition into a marketing machine for DMS.

Isn’t this what being able to choose the committee to receive honorarium is for?

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What happens when classroom space is exhausted? Classes are great, but if you exhaust space on a regular basis the makers get frustrated because they can’t use the space or tools.

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As far as actual classroom space, I’m not sure that is an issue. We have talked about giving priority to some classes during prime times and an instructor rating system. I don’t know if we ever came up with any real solution. As far as classes taking up tools for extended periods of time, classes always have priority over events and member use. If classes are constantly being taught and taking up the tool all the time, then we should have enough money to get another tool or more space.

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The expansion will help with the classroom issue

Glass and printmaking will have their own areas, some committee areas will be able to hold a couple
of small classes at the same time

Well lets think about this for a bit …

For the month of December 2018 for those that have 300 minutes or more of classes

Name Minutes Attended Event Ids
Hans Schwalm 480 19 8634,8635,8636,8637
john a. gorman 4220 103 8534,8820,8823,8835,8902,8903,8905,8906,8914,8927,8928,8929,8930,9000,9009,9017,9034,9056,9057,9058,9081,9084,9085,9087,9088,9111,9112,9113,9117,9120,9174,9284,9310,9313
Steve Edwards 1440 0 6309,7033,7034,7035,7036
Nicolas Silva 420 19 8801,8802
Chris Ghaly 1680 27 8805,8806,8807,8809,8951,9011,9012
Max Kirkland 2130 102 8678,8679,8680,8681,8682,8684,8685,8688,8689,8690,8691,8693,8694,8704,8705,8706,8707,8708,8894,9072,9073,9074,9076,9077,9078,9162,9164,9165,9166
Jennifer Goss 360 9 8737,8952,8953
bob karnaugh 300 5 8877,8878,8879
Joshua Melnick 300 12 8180,8181,8182,8183
Paul Wilson 929 15 8218,8219,8220,9090,9091,9092
Cairenn Day 360 7 9059,9060,9116
Tommy Thomas 2490 82 7794,7802,7803,7804,7805,7810,7811,7816,7823,7824,7863,7868,7872,7873,7874,8546,8547,8548,8863,8872,8873,8883,9105,9108
Richard Martin 680 31 8840,8841,8842,8843,8938,8939,8940,8941,9148,9149,9238,9239,9240
Brenda Villafuerte 300 8 8627,8671,8724,8725
Joe King 360 12 9026,9027,9028
Jason Zimmermann 720 10 8890,9002,9121,9249
Brad Sims 330 19 8713,8715
Lance Puig 1620 104 8838,8851,8853,8868,8870,8871,8934,8935,8937,8954,9013,9014,9021,9022,9064,9065,9093,9094,9095,9109,9110,9232,9233,9243,9288,9289
Shayla Galland 315 16 8827,8830,8831,8832
Mark Salas 3360 94 8955,8956,8957,8958,8960,8961,8963,8964,8966,8967,8969,8972,8973,8974,8975,8976,8978,8979,8980,8981,8983,9054,9070,9241,9242,9244,9245
Daniel Wynne 810 48 8730,8731,8732,8733,8747,9114,9206,9207
Matthew Hawes 540 15 8773,8919,8920,8921
Adnan Chahbandar 1950 96 8854,8856,8857,8896,8897,8898,8943,8944,8945,8947,8948,8949,8988,8989,8990,8993,8994,8995,9036,9044,9045,9046
Peter Ngo 300 17 8574,8986,9069

This disregards honorariums
And I think I have the SQL right …

Does the Attendees value in this report represent unique attendees? Or gross?

It is gross not unique people

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Also, keep in mind that people generally do not count attendance unless it is for honorarium. And there may be some that miscategorize their event as a class such as Steve Edwards and the robotics meetup.

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In my short time at DMS, I have also seen where a member may sign up for some classes when logged in and others with an email address, like a non-member. The system does not seem to reconcile these entries to the same unique person very well.

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Thank you Draco - - that is exactly what we need to know!
I was thinking 300 minutes as the minimum bar since that would be one class per week, but maybe that is too strict?
Some members might only have enough spare time for a couple of classes per month?
WOW - - not sure how far off these numbers might be if attendance is not marked exactly - - this might work!

Some things to consider:

  • Many of these classes have limits on size. Should it apply to classes that have a limit?
  • Do we want to incentivize those that are already teaching a full schedule and getting paid much more through honorarium?
  • How would teacher ratings come in to play?
  • Would it only be for honorarium approved classes or anything marked as a class?
  • What approval process would be required, if not?
  • Where should the money come from?
  • It seems to me that it would incentivize getting unique people in classes each time (ie public) rather than the same members. In other words, it wouldn’t incentivize a series of classes for the same students.

And how would it apply to classes that are one-on-one proficiency checks?

Many of the jewelry classes are limited by the tools we have We have one anodizer, if I spend an hour explaining
ad showing how to use the several tools, then there is very limited time for folks to actually get to use it
We only have 3 bench blocks for hammering Many of my forming and forging classes often end up as 3 hour plus classes and that is with only 3-4 students