The TArTs Toolkit: 3 Tools I Use Every Day as a Teaching Artist

Work smarter not harder, friends!

Welcome Back to TArTs!

How did your last Sweet Assignment go? Did you learn something new about yourself and your journey to becoming a teaching artist? I hope so! Today, I want to share a bit about the tools that have become daily staples on my teaching artist path. I’ve tried many that didn’t work out and others that did, but these three are pretty much the foundation of it all.

Notion

First up: Notion. I’m such a nerd for this platform! I started off using OneNote to house all my ideas, but then Notion came along and we’ve been inseparable ever since.

So, what is Notion? Notion is a productivity and collaboration platform that helps users organize their work, manage projects, and take notes. It’s free (with paid options available, but the free version has done so much for me for years). I use it to organize my workshops and keep a running database of poems I want to potentially use. I also track submissions here to stay clear on which pieces have been accepted or rejected. As I work to divest from Google, Notion has become my primary way to present workshop materials to participants—and honestly, I don’t think I could ever go back!

Notion can be a little overwhelming at first, so I recommend starting with templates. That’s how I began, tweaking them over time to fit my workflow, and now I’m comfortable creating my own from scratch. If you’re curious, go ahead and sign up and start exploring. My friend Marissa over at The Setup also has a ton of great articles to help you get started and demystify the platform—I highly recommend her work!

Squarespace

Maybe it’s just me, but when I discover a new poet or teaching artist, the first thing I do is search for their website. It’s a great way to read their work, confirm pronouns, and see what else they’re offering. A website isn’t necessary to be a teaching artist, but I do think it adds a layer of credibility.

I use my Squarespace website to guide people to my publications, run a shop for my books, and host workshop sign-ups. When I first started, I had a free WordPress blog, but as I scaled up, I switched to a paid Squarespace account. I also offer free resources there, like workshop packets and a calendar featuring virtual poetry workshops worldwide—something for everyone, no matter where they’re at. If you’re not ready for a website yet, a Substack can also be a great option to showcase your work and let people know about your events.

Canva

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not naturally gifted with visuals the way I am with words. Canva’s user-friendly interface has been a lifesaver for promoting my workshops and keeping my branding cohesive. They offer tons of customizable templates, and I’ve used them to create everything from quote posts and mini lessons to slideshow presentations for workshops. I even designed my style guide here, so whenever I use a template, I can quickly apply my brand colors, fonts, and layouts.

I eventually upgraded to Canva’s paid version because it offers more features, but you can do plenty with the free version. This is something you can scale up to paying for once it makes sense for your workflow.

These aren’t the only tools I use, but they’re my core three. My advice is to lean toward free options at first—get familiar with each platform, understand your brand and workflow, and see what truly fits before committing to any paid versions. I’ll share more tools in future posts, so stay tuned!

Sweet Assignment: Mapping Your Teaching Toolkit

Ready to explore which tools will be most helpful on your journey? Here’s your homework to help you get clear on what you may need:

1. What platforms or tools are you already using that could support your teaching?

   Think about any apps, websites, or notebooks you already rely on for organization, creativity, or planning.

2. Who do you imagine attending your workshops, and how might that shape the tools you’ll need?

   Visualizing your ideal participants can help guide you toward tools that would best serve your workshop environment. And remember how you thought of whether you’d do in-person, virtual or both? Well the setting may shape the kinds of tools you’ll need. For example, a virtual setup might call for digital tools, while in-person may mean printed materials.

3. What’s one aspect of your teaching you’d like to make easier?

   Reflect on where you’d like more support—whether it’s organizing your content, promoting your events, tracking your participants, or something else. The right tool can make a big difference here!

Take some time to reflect on these questions. You might even want to start experimenting with a tool or two to see what feels right. And remember, you don’t need every fancy tool out there to be a great teaching artist—just the ones that truly support your work and make the process smoother for you.

Have any questions or a suggestion for what I should write about in future posts? Let me know in the comments!

SWEET TArTs will be released every other Tuesday! That’s the plan, at least—sometimes life happens. In the event I’m unable to get a new TArTs out on schedule, I’ll make a quick note on my Substack to keep you in the loop. Looking forward to sharing tools, tips, and insights with you every other week as we grow together in the art of teaching!

About me:

Talicha J. is a Black queer poet and teaching artist, nominated twice for the Pushcart Prize. She was a 2024 Collaborating Fellow and now serves as the Curriculum Coordinator at The Poetry Lab. Her debut collection, Falling in Love with Picking Myself Up (2015), led to a national tour and helped grow her presence as a poet.

In June 2024, she released her chapbook, Taking Back the Body, which won the Beyond the Veil Press chapbook contest. She also curates writing and editing sprints, leads online generative workshops, and hosts a monthly publication submission space. Her work has appeared in or is forthcoming with Plenitude, Fahmidan, Peach Fuzz, Lucky Jefferson, Just Femme and Dandy, Button Poetry, and more.