4 ms·

Ask HN: Mall School – take a break from your normal M-F routine and teach

2 points by andrewfromx 10y ago

I've been teaching programming at the mall for a few months now. Idea: compete with big schools like: https://generalassemb.ly By using the mall (free space) and hiring teachers that work for free. i.e. there are lots of programmers like me earning big salaries that would love to take a break from their normal M-F routine and teach one or two days a week. But trying to schedule students and find serious students is a lot of work. I'm emailing people all the time and often they don't show up. Mall School will charge the students a small fee (so they take it seriously) and have an admin handle all the scheduling. Teachers just show up at the mall with their laptop and a student is there waiting for them with their laptop. The Mall has: Bathrooms, wifi, table with power outlets, food court Feedback welcome. Where do you think this idea falls apart if it does? https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CzkhVIHUUAAAi9Y.jpg Picture all across USA at every mall, 1000's of people learning programming and 1000's of teachers getting a lot of satisfaction teaching and helping new people get into this industry.

analogwzrd 10y ago
I think it's going to fall apart when the mall realizes you're running a small business out of their food court. You might also find that some parents would resist letting their kids go to the mall to meet some people with computers. Maybe try to find a local high school(s) that are trying to get a CS program off the ground? A high school would have bathrooms, wifi, power, and maybe even an actual computer lab. You could schedule coding lectures after school on certain days of the week. You'd probably need something like a faculty sponsor though.
- andrewfromx 10y ago
  well look at this table: http://higher.team/assets/6000_office-8f65a06e12b1ed7007b8c540528af8d4525f0a220b1ae27ee213ba1aa20b0e7e.jpg http://higher.team/assets/6000_office-8f65a06e12b1ed7007b8c5... it's saying "please come to the mall with your laptop and work here" and I always buy something at the mall on the days I'm here. I don't think the mall would have a problem with it as long as it's not 100s of people crowding the table all at once. Just two people with laptops looks normal not "running a business".

2 points by andrewfromx 10y ago

analogwzrd 10y ago

I think it's going to fall apart when the mall realizes you're running a small business out of their food court. You might also find that some parents would resist letting their kids go to the mall to meet some people with computers. Maybe try to find a local high school(s) that are trying to get a CS program off the ground? A high school would have bathrooms, wifi, power, and maybe even an actual computer lab. You could schedule coding lectures after school on certain days of the week. You'd probably need something like a faculty sponsor though.

andrewfromx 10y ago
well look at this table: http://higher.team/assets/6000_office-8f65a06e12b1ed7007b8c540528af8d4525f0a220b1ae27ee213ba1aa20b0e7e.jpg http://higher.team/assets/6000_office-8f65a06e12b1ed7007b8c5... it's saying "please come to the mall with your laptop and work here" and I always buy something at the mall on the days I'm here. I don't think the mall would have a problem with it as long as it's not 100s of people crowding the table all at once. Just two people with laptops looks normal not "running a business".