Astronius Collective Teacher

The Astronius Collective is a large organization that travels the sector aboard a pre-tech colony ship called the Hope. Their goal is to explore the stars, gather information to further human knowledge, and find potential sites for new human colonies. The ship has every amenity necessary for everyday life, including schools.
Teachers for the Collective's children perform the expected role while the ship is in transit. Once it reaches a destination, however, field work begins, and teachers take their classes outside to comets, asteroids, planets, and other stellar bodies no human has ever set foot on. The biggest lesson to learn, is that no plan survives contact with an excited teenager on an alien planet.

While on the Hope

Life as a teacher aboard the Hope is much like their planetary counterparts. They plan their lessons, teach in classrooms, ran various after-school programs, and often spend evenings grading over a bottle of whiskey. The key differences are being locked aboard a high-tech ship, having varied wake-up times to sync with the next stop, and living within a culture that focuses on learning and exploration. Educators in general are highly valued aboard the Hope.

Responsibilities

Planning and teaching lessons
Ensuring the wellbeing of students
Running after-school programs

Schedule

Time varies as the ship travels
8-hour school days and 1-hour breaks
4-day week with 3-day weekends

While in the Field

The goal of the Collective is to traverse the stars and explore the unexplored. The ship travels to various stellar bodies where they stop for days or weeks at a time to research and investigate. For teachers, this involves creating lesson plans that include some degree of field work. Younger students remain within protected vehicles either driving or flying over the alien surface, while older students may be allowed unique labs or vacsuit-protected walks.
Numerous safety protocols are required for these field trips. Roll calls occur at regular intervals to ensure nobody has gotten lost or left behind. Safety hazards or irresponsible students can always cut lessons short or cancel them entirely. All teachers are prepared to handle everything from suit punctures to allergic reactions. Field experts accompany classes, sometimes to provide instruction or guidance, and other times to help in case of emergencies.
Despite the risks, field trips often provide the most useful lessons of all. They give students hands-on experience they wouldn't otherwise get, and reignite curiosity worn down by months in the classroom. Over the years, there hasn't been a single death associated with a field trip, though there have been close calls and some serious injuries. These events provide their own lesson: that space is dangerous and deadly, and the human body a fragile shell, easily broken.

Responsibilities

Planning and running field lessons
Ensuring the safe return of students
Handling potential emergencies

Schedule

Time and duration vary

Lessons can be cut short due to unexpected hazards or injuries

Information

Qualifications

For non-Collective members, prior experience teaching is required, along with the usual interview and screening process. For existing members, certification through the educator work program is required.

Type

Education

Used By

• Astronius Collective

Related

The Hope by Annie Stein