Here are some things to consider and do before the class starts. It does not include preparations that are specific to the first week of class.
Getting there to actually be students:
This is technically Publicity Coordinator's job, but Class Coordinator often helps with it. Someone should make sure that tech-squares-interest has been updated with emails for people who signed up at the midway. It's a good idea to announce to the club that if they know anyone who would be interested they should add them to the mailing list. If you get any email addresses this way, add them too.
Someone should email tech-squares-interest a week or two before Intro Night or Week 1, and then email again a day or two ahead.
Other Publicity Techniques are covered under Publicity Coordinator.
Price:
Talk with the treasurer and find out what the prices for the class will be.
Having enough help for the class:
Running the class is a lot of work, and the Class Coordinator should make sure they have enough help. It's possible to run the class basically by oneself, but try to have at least one assistant to help keep track of students. Getting more people to help with the first week of class would be nice. Walkthrus also needs some angels, and while you often can find people in the club room and get them to come up, lining people up ahead of time makes things easier. Of course, if you want more help, you can try to get more Class Assistants.
Supplies to Prepare:
Supplies for the class are kept in the locker. Check on the levels of the following, so you can order more if needed (Get the Treasurer to order office supplies through ecat):
- T-shirts (we give this out for free to MIT students for Intro night and the first week of class) They also are sold to the club and periodically redesigned. If there aren't enough, either order more of an existing design or make a new one. This can also be delegated to someone else who's excited to do it. As we give them away for free, try to keep the costs down on those, but make them something people would want to wear. After all, it's only free advertising if people actually wear it. (see more under T-shirts)
- Name stickers; there are usually some of these in the gate box, and more in the class supply area; you'll only need them for the first couple weeks, so a pack or two should be enough
- Pens & Sharpies
- Handouts for weeks 1-13, list of call taught, and formations
- (optional) direction signs
- Badge holders- we use these for the class badges and reuse them semester to semester; there are probably enough, but check anyway. If there aren't order more (try pinless.com)
Decisions to make:
While classes are usually basically the same semester to semester, you should still confirm that things will be the same. You should confirm with the officers and Ted that you're using the normal teaching order, and you should write up the schedule (see Tuesday class Schedules) and confirm this with the officers and Ted.
Email:
Clear the contents of the tech-squares-class list (except for class-coordinator, class-committee mailing lists). This is a moderated email list. You want to make sure that whatever addresses you're sending for are either white-listed or will be held for moderation. Make sure you and any other relevant people are on tech-squares-class-coordinator.