A table outside of a classroom at Michaels displays samples of the current knitting and crochet projects being taught.
Photos by Abby Glassenberg
“It’s true these big box craft stores are the ‘entrance’ into a variety of crafts for many,” she explains. “I took my first knitting class at Michaels on a day off of my residency. The lady was so patient and even though no one else showed up she taught me and I think I even went in the store a week later to get some help from her.”
Today Malik is an eye surgeon and she’s still knitting. “It introduced me to a hobby that is portable and perfect for long airplane rides. I travel a lot and do international medical relief camps. I always pack a project in a Ziplock bag and it’s great for the plane or doing a few rows after a hectic day in the operating room,” she says.
Malik is not alone in turning to a big box craft store to learn a new skill. Last year more than 1 million people attended a craft class or in-store crafting event at a Michaels store, the nation’s largest craft store chain. Michaels offers classes on painting, drawing, making jewelry, scrapbooking, cake decorating*, knitting and crochet. Mallory Smith, public relations manager for Michaels, explains, “At Michaels, we believe anyone can make, and we strive to make it easier for customers to try something new or learn a new skill.”
But what is it like to teach those classes? Being a knitting or crochet instructor in such a large, corporate environment comes with particular challenges.
CYC certification costs $85 for each of the two levels offered. Michaels employees receive a $15 discount, but must fund the certification on their own. “I don’t even make $70 in a week,” says Patti Courville who has been working part-time in the framing department at a Michaels store in Long Island. She applied for certification when her manager requested that she begin teaching crochet classes.
Theoretically, the CYC is supposed to match certified teachers with Michaels stores in need of instructors. In reality it’s not always so straightforward. Courville’s manager told her that she could begin teaching as soon as she’d filed her application with the CYC, even before beginning any of the correspondence-course lessons, a situation Courville found curious. “What if I fail my test?” she wonders. “I’ll have been teaching all this time.”
The yarn aisle at a Michaels store.
When I contacted the CYC’s executive director, Jenny Bessonette, to learn more about Michaels’s relationship with the organization she explained that a representative from the Michaels corporate office had called her in advance of our conversation and told her not to answer my questions directly. “We have to be very careful,” she said.
Beyond certification, the CYC also creates the knitting and crochet curriculum for Michaels stores, refreshing the projects every few months. Instructors are supposed teach the current project, but some find students prefer to choose from a range of projects. The New Jersey instructor keeps past projects on hand to ensure that her students can find something they’re excited about.
Most Michaels stores have just one classroom. If the room is occupied, as it always is on Saturday mornings when the Kids Club classes meets, the knitting and crochet teachers must set up their classroom in the middle of the store. Although good for visibility, this can prove challenging for teachers who find themselves frequently interrupted by customers asking for assistance.
Knitting and crochet classes at Michaels are two and a half hours long and typically cost $25. There’s a two-student minimum for enrollment. Yet, even with such a low tuition fee and small minimum enrollment, many Michaels teachers struggle to fill their classes. “Nobody came, week after week,” Courville recalls of the crochet classes she’s offered since the new year. “It’s cancelled every week.” Much of the problem seems to stem from the lack of local advertising for classes. For several years, teachers were encouraged to do two-hour in-store demonstrations to attract new students (for which teachers were paid minimum wage), but recently those were done away with.
The interior of a Michaels classroom.
After struggling with low enrollment and cancellations, the New Jersey instructor invented her own systems to fill her classes. “I figured out that it’s best to schedule all three classes (Beginner 1, Beginner 2, and the open knit class called Discover Time) simultaneously,” she explains. Combining all three classes helps her to meet the enrollment minimum.
The New Jersey instructor has also taken other measures to work around the Michaels system and make her classes succeed. “I really see myself as an independent business within Michaels,” she explains. She collects email addresses from her students so that she can advertise her classes to them and she even uses her own scheduling software so that her students can schedule themselves to attend her classes.
Teachers at Michaels are part-time employees. They’re paid their state’s minimum wage plus 90% of each student’s enrollment fee (at full price even if the class is on bought on sale). In New Jersey that translates to $180 for a class of eight students. For a class of two she earns $45.
“The changes in our compensation package have diminished the amount of my pay and also have reduced the recognition of my expertise,” an instructor at an Ontario, Canada store who wished to remain anonymous told me. She plans to quit in April.
The New Jersey instructor has also decided to quit. She’s realized that students attend her classes for the sense of joyful community she’s able to convey and that she can take that community elsewhere. She’s now also teaching knitting in a church basement where she charges $20 for a two-hour class with no overhead costs, and at a local yarn shop where she’s able to charge $100 an hour.
“Some people in the industry look down on big box craft stores and the yarn they sell,” she says, “but for many people that’s their introduction to the craft. That’s all they have.” After five years, she’s sorry to say goodbye.
*Cake decorating classes are offered through Wilton and have a separate certification program. Wilton instructors are independent contractors.
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Wow. I had no idea about the volume of folks taking classes at Michael’s. The compensation? It was pretty bad to start what with all the extracurricular work, and now it’s getting worse.
How disappointing it is indeed to hear that things have not improved for these Wonderful Craft Teachers at Michaels. My experience with these craft teachers started over 25 years ago with my own children was exactly the same – for the most part these people gave their all to the event and the students. After talking with one of the teachers after class (testing the waters – employment wise) I was told the same story as far as compensation. I would have thought that given the amount of custom that these classes bring into Michaels in the form of revenue that the company would have the good sense to recognize the value of a good teacher. Michaels and their customers will be the losers.
I was a painting instructor. The amount of prep work for our classes and sending painted image for approval were time consuming. We also didn’t get paid for all the research painting at home, however we did get free paints, brushes and canvas from grumbacher. It was a fun job at first than with all the corporate changes it became a drag. I worked for them for about 3 years never had to many students and honestly stayed because I love teaching. The pay cut was just too much and decided to give my resignation.
How do I take the class
If they still do it at the checkout register you have to ask for the book for classes. It’s not on display. Then the cashier will tell you the classes available if any and cost involved which vary.
I have always been curious about this. My local Michaels has a really nice classroom with big windows which looks like a lovely space to teach in. But I have literally never seen a person in it. That makes me really sad. But for $10 an hour I would even be tempted to talk to them about it.
Becka, I was thinking about you when I visited my local Michaels store on Saturday. The classroom is really lovely. It’s big and clean and well-equipped for a craft class. I’m part of a local artists group here in Wellesley and we meet to make art together periodically, but we don’t have a great space in town to do it. The classroom at Michaels would be ideal. And you teach such interesting and inventive classes. It would be really neat if Michaels would allow local groups and local instructors to rent out the space at a reasonable fee and use it for arts classes of all kinds. We’d still be bringing people into the store where they’d likely buy things, the classroom would be filled more often, and the goodwill in the community would increase.
You are totally right and I would love to be able to rent it out. I am always looking for classroom space and the Michaels is walking distance from my house. It’s really a shame. I’d be happy to even try to use things in my classes from the store. A win for everyone. But there it sits, an empty classroom.
(** And that should be “wouldn’t even be tempted to talk to them” in my comment above. Darn typos.)
I really admire how West Elm has reached out to local artists. They have in-store popup shops for local artists and makers every weekend in all of their stores. Instead of operating from a place of fear, operate from a place of openness and inventiveness. There’s a lot to be gained!
The room is also a party room. I have seen women groups using it for their get-togethers being charge the same rate as a birthday party would charge to use room. Then they split the cost of the room rental.
The classroom is available for free to anyone who wants to use it as long as it’s available but you are not able to charge people. I’ve taught cake decorating at Michaels for over 15 yrs – since its change of hands a couple of years ago us Wilton instructors have had to endure curriculum changes that had us do more prep at home (bake cake/make icing) at greater expense with the same compensation. We were then made independent contractors with corporate dictating not only what we could teach but when we could teach it. As someone who works a full time job elsewhere, that was not at all feasible; my manager allowed me to keep my regular schedule or there would not have been a Wilton instructor at his store. Now all courses have been reduced from 4-week 2-hr courses to a single 2-hr class. Neither my students nor I are happy at not being able to learn/teach all that are in the course books and we are not to teach anything more than what is in our class guideline that barely covers 25% of what we used to teach. I’ll give it one more chance but I doubt I’ll see my 16th anniversary.
It sounds to me that Michaels has therefore gone from a place where someone could really learn to decorate cakes to a place where someone could get a brief introduction and then have to go elsewhere to really learn. Perhaps to Craftsy since Michaels is now partnering with Craftsy.
Most people dont know but you are allowed to reserve the space for a 2 hr timeslot (if theres no class running) for free if its a meetup, class or craft-in type thing. Ask for a manager to book it.
As an instructor I can tell you that they will not let you use the classroom for free for any classes. Only to do personal crafts.
Our store rents it for $50, just like the birthday parties… even for me their art instructor who brought in a meetup group. I chose to do it as a Michael’s class instead.
I’ve asked about this and my CEM and (interim) store manager inquired with the regional manager to get answers about the optional use of the room.. the answer is ‘no’ .. the room can ONLY be used outside the curriculum for “kids birthday patries”.. not even for adult parties.. As a Michael’s employee & art instructor there if I wanted to teach a class for private pay I risk being fired due to “conflict of interest”. I am working on my Grumbacher painting certification because the location favors far more painting classes, and although they have a fine art instructor I could teach a different format. But I have a suspicion that ultimately the classroom will be broken down and used as retail space because of this new structure.. not only will instructors continue to quit, and enrollment diminish as a reaction to that, but how many kids parties do stores actually warrant for the room’s upkeep? Such a decision by corporate to cut 3 key classes- jewelrymaking, scrapbooking, and cake decorating – spells restructure to me. Abby, thanks for writing this article, by the way, hopefully it can promote some corrective measures “where creativity is supposed to happen!”
Abby, I inquired about this exact thing (renting out the craft room) at my local Micheals about 2 years ago. It’s a great space, but I never ever see classes being given there! I was interested in giving my own sewing classes there.
They said yes. Not sure if this is a story by store decision. Worth asking 🙂
If you have a Hobby Lobby in your area they will let you use their classroom for free.
They do allow you to use the space! Just ask your local Michael’s store Associate for details & available dates. I work at a PA store & we love to open our doors to groups just as yours!
This doesn’t surprise me at all, sadly. I have several friends have tried the route of teaching at Joanne craft some fabrics. From their experience that they told me, it’s the same if not worse. Very unappreciative of their talents and like a former commentor said, unappreciative of how they are probably attracting customers purchasing supplies on a regular basis.
It’s a similar story at Jo-Ann stores when I taught there 10 years ago. It’s amazing that 1 million people take the classes with how poorly they run the program. I think the only reason to teach somewhere like a Michaels is to get leads for your business. However when I was teaching at Joanns it was frowned upon for me to get their email address. I can see how some store managers would see that as a conflict of interest. And if that’s the case they’re just going to be attracting people who don’t know any better, don’t have a real business, or he will get frustrated like these ladies have and quit. It’s interesting that you never see Michaels bringing in Celebrity or well-known instructors to do things in store. If that happens it’s usually the brand paying to bring the people in the store. I actually get really sad when I see people put it in there a little class on display in The Big Box craft store because I know they’re only going to get like one student if any at all. I don’t shop in those stores that often but I happen to be in Michaels this last week and they had one employee there were 12 people in the line and one of the instructors called in to see about his class and she straight-up opened a binder and then told him it his class was cancelled because of no signups. It seemed so ridiculous that it was being managed from a binder. Like we have computers! It would just be so much easier if that instructor could log in online and even contact the students from within the Michaels system. I would be interested to know if instructors get a discount on product. That might be an additional incentive for some people. I can’t remember if I got discounts when I was teaching at Jo-Ann.
One significant difference is that knit and crochet instructors at JoAnn are independent contractors rather than part-time employees. They also are required to have a criminal background check, which Michaels teachers don’t seem to be, (and they have to pay for it themselves). When classes go on sale at JoAnn the teacher gets 60% of the actual price the student paid so if you have two students who each got their class at 50% off you can end up earning just a few dollars an hour. Michaels teachers do get their yarn for free and get a discount on other supplies.
I am not aware of any Michaels instructors that get their yarn for free????!!!!
Several of the instructors I spoke with told me that if they request yarn for making samples they get that yarn for free.
If that is the case then the project made belongs to the store. To me that isn’t free yarn 🙂
I would also add, in addition to lack of promotion of classes, that Michael’s cashiers/floor employees receive NO training so when asked about classes they know little to nothing or what they do tell customers is incorrect and when they don’t know how to register customers it results in lost students……
But the item then belongs to the store. And we are not paid for making the sample projects. However the samples are no longer required.
Michaels instructors (with the exception of Wilton instructors) are Michaels employees. All Michaels employees have had a criminal background check, which is paid for by the company.
As far as the “free yarn” goes, any “store use” supplies (including yarn) are required to stay in the store at all times. Instructors are not to make samples on their own time with store use yarn, as that would be in conflict with labor laws. Some instructors choose to purchase their own yarn with the employee discount, and make samples that they later give as gifts and/or sell at craft fairs.
Hi Sarah, None of the instructors I spoke with who were teaching at Michaels (but not working there at other times) had a criminal background check.
Abby, I believe that you must be a Michael’s employee in order to teach there. In that hiring application process exists a mandatory background check.
I went through my hiring papers from mid-2016 just now and yes, there was a background check. All I do at Michaels is teach, btw.
Michael’s employees who are art (and craft yarn) instructors retain a standard discount, but do NOT get free yarn. Any yarn project prepared for classes remains accounted for in the classrom.
Hi Abby!
Wow, I should’ve written you last week about this subject when you requested it, but time and the projects that I was working on kept me from doing so.
I actually, for what its worth, “taught” if you want to call it that, briefly at Michaels, in early 2004. I “tried” to teach at Michaels, by having a class, where I showed people how to make my fabric covered mat board frames, which can also be made of cardboard, cut using board from the framing department using a utility knife sold in store, using Therm o Web Ultrahold sold in store, which is an iron on, paper backed, acid free, fabric adhesive, which I only found out 3 years ago that you can actually print my patterns onto Ultrahold using your inkjet printer, and Ultrahold is critical in making my frames, which required an iron, also hot glue, which required another outlet to plug in my low temp hot glue gun, ribbon, and clear, acid free, acetate, sold with shrink wrap, brown paper, gift wrapping rolls, tracing paper, etc., at the time. However, now I use clear, acid free, sheet protector pages, which are also available at Michaels, in scrapbooking, and you can cut them with a paper trimmer, also at Michaels. Just make sure that the sheet protector pages packaging is labeled “acid free”. It is for the protective photo sleeves that keep dust off of the photos. Everything was practically in the store, so the customer had a one stop shopping experience, plus, it was new to me, seeing if people wanted to make my product, as I was being requested by customers and potential customers, wondering if I offered patterns to download. I was just making the fabric covered mat board picture frames then, this was before the washable, sewn & no sew, fabric photo frames that I invented, and before the other products that I have been making, washable fabric jewelry brooch lapel pin buttons / badges, with removable metal pin backs, the house shape kitchen pot holder with pocket for the hand, and the male dog diaper wrap belly bands . I basically thought, “Wow, people are asking me for patterns, and maybe I should go this route.” This was before Craftsy, Craftsuprint, etc.
Now, at that time, we didn’t have to pay for our background checks, and I remember the manager stating that it was to make sure that their instructors didn’t have a criminal record, and specifically that because classes were offered to kids, that instructors weren’t child predators, so I agreed to signing off on a background check. The company paid for the background check, then. Management did all the back end employee “stuff” so that she covered herself, but apart from that, I was always told to go to the class coordinator for everything. I don’t think that that person was paid enough. I can’t even say that I “taught” because, like so many here writing, I was always told to call ahead for a head count, or to check the book at the register. Well, because of snowstorms, I would have to constantly reschedule, and the only 2 who signed up were a mother daughter team. It was so ridiculous having to constantly reschedule, must’ve been 3xs, that we actually contacted each other and talked about me going to their place, when it was convenient for them, and even that never happened – class never took place! Then, about a week before the event was scheduled, I was forced to go in to do a “meet the instructors” day, I got paid $7.50 an hour for 4 hours, nothing extra, on the afternoon my 30th birthday, no less, as I had to reschedule things, because I was supposed to go to my aunt’s, who was having a birthday party for me at her place, so I had to rework helping her set up. They only gave me a week notice on the event. I felt so out of place that day when I showed up, this was new to me, teaching, and I just didn’t feel like I was wanted by staff, like I was in the way. I can understand the staff, and the management, as they have enough on their plates with running the store, but from our perspective, and I’m sure people are thinking the same thing now, “Why hire management who don’t want to do this side expectation of dealing with classes and instructors, if they aren’t going to put effort into that as part of their job, or at least pay the class coordinator more money, to take away burdens from the senior management?” And like someone else mentioned, they put us in the middle of the main aisles, then someone else mentioned here, too, that yes, we were being bombarded by customers with questions about things in the store that we didn’t know anything about. We were separate from the employees, but part of the employees, no concrete sense of separation. They made it seem like you were an employee, but not an employee, like a contracted player.
And yes, you as an instructor were in charge of setting up your display for your class at the front of the store, in the front display windows, and I remember even then that I was being asked about products and things in the store, that I didn’t know, while setting up my display. And we did it on our time, but during store hours. They even gave us too much leeway with displays. The coordinator really didn’t contact me that much, unless I had questions for the person while I was there, that’s when I had contact.
So, then I thought, after the fact, “Ok, this didn’t work. Well, maybe I’ll try teaching them to draw perspectives, 3D drawings, using the width, height, and depth of the room, and the furniture and furnishings in the room. Its a formula to follow, step by step type of thing.” In hindsight, what I should’ve done was shown it done in step by step visuals, with a display with each step, how to use tracing paper, one layer for the room’s structure, then another layer for each object in the room, one on top of the other, a color for each object and another color for the room structure using light colors of that one color for the guidelines, and a darker color for the finished object, register marks to match up each layer, etc., that would cut down on confusion for the beginner. However, I didn’t. No, I had to put up a display with my college renderings, one with a Hepplewhite piano and shield back chair bench, which in hindsight, probably scared the average person from wanting to try it. lol I’m sorry. Its relatively inexpensive for the customer to do themselves, though, product supply wise, they buy an inexpensive roll of white tracing paper for under $10, use colored pencils, Scotch tape, a 3 sided architectural ruler which Michaels sells, and all they had to have on their own, when they try it at home, are the width, height, and depth of everything that they wanted to draw, in that room, or at least the main pieces, and I could supply all that for first timers in class, a sample concept, maybe start out with kitchen, since they are so boxy, and everything is against the wall, and then maybe a room with a table and some chairs. I’d teach them how to use the architectural ruler, which costs under $5 or $6, and they can still buy everything conveniently in the store. Well, that never happened, as I’d schedule a class, and no one signed up. I thought that by having this, that this type of class would help someone who wanted to be able to see their rooms in their homes, in helping them determine layout, design, colors, etc. It would be an added skill for the person who didn’t have design experience, to help visual their rooms. A lot of people still can’t afford a designer, or pay for Autocad. I figured that it would give them a start, and that maybe we could build on that, rendering, more complex pieces, etc. I remember, we were given carte blanche on a lot of things, too much I feel in retrospect, and I felt that I was constantly asking the coordinator things, and there needs to be better system, and I hope that one is in place, more structure from the class coordinator and management, I feel, and Michaels, is what’s needed.
I can say I will give Michaels credit, that they were more open to creative people like us, than other craft stores, to give us an outlet to show others how we do things, I will say that. I just wish that the communication between class coordinator and management were better.
Oh, and then, the class coordinator from their other store, 35 minutes away, called me up, wanting me to teach there. I thought, “Thank you, but, I’m having a hard time filling up the store 2 miles from me.” lol I had to decline. I am thankful that some people saw something in my work, but …it really does take a team, I found, and really, if the other “players” aren’t being supportive, this class coordinator person and I can only do so much, and really, we didn’t have the support to help us, that’s really key. I was very thankful that Michaels gave us that opportunity, but we also need support from staff.
And, when people switch jobs in retail, they are going into jobs because of retail experience, not so much because of the product that that store sells. Many a times, people working in craft stores in management may not be crafters themselves. And that’s especially the case with corporate offices, a lot of those people come from the direction of running companies in general, not so much entwined with the products that those companies are selling, just bean counting and showing a profit, sad to say. Although I’m open to someone proving me wrong. 😀
So I understand where staff is coming from, when they are overwhelmed, maybe not getting the support that they need from corporate. That is where corporate needs to step in. They need to supply the store managers and staff with maybe regional managers to help the class coordinators, give the class coordinators more responsibility and also more money and perks, to make this class instructor gig work better for them, the instructor, and the customer, the crafter wanting to take the class. This, as well, helps the manufacturers make money as well. Its leapfrogging or piggybacking, with partnering connections, in a way.
I honestly went into trying out to become an instructor as an extension of my business, another outlet to show my work, and try to show that others can do it, because customers were asking me to do something along those lines, and I feel that there are lots of other people out there that need their creativity to be nurtured. We have a lot of what I call “right brain engineers” out there, who just need the right situations and the right people to back them up, and not just money thrown at them or their project, to flourish.
That’s another thing, people or companies with money think that just because they have the space to give, or money to throw at the project,that that’s all that they have to do. Any help is appreciated, of course, definitely, but the craftsman / crafts person / small business person also wants the help with backing them up, and being helped by a real support team, help with connections, help with providing more than just money or space. And companies like Michaels needs to embrace that aspect of what they are trying to do.
Thanks Abby!
Kristie Hubler
fabricatedframes.com
http://craftsy.com/profile/fabricated-frames
http://craftsuprint.com/kristie-lynn-hubler/
I am an instructor at michaels. The only yarn I get free is to make samples for the “free classes” not the regular classes.
When I worked for Michael’s, I did have a criminal background check done. I did not pay for it myself. As for the yarn, I had the choice of the store providing yarn for samples and keeping them, or purchasing my own yarn and having the samples to keep. I chose the latter so that I had control.
Also, regarding pay…last I heard they had changed it so that instructors were not required to have a sample for every class, but when I was there, it was expected that you’d knit sample projects, which you could work on at the “demos” or store “open houses” where you tried to recruit students and were paid close to minimum wage, or you knitted them on your own time. By the time I’d paid for my certification course, bought all the yarn for samples, spent time knitting samples, spent time coming up with flyers or emails to encourage students to sign up, sat on hold waiting for a cashier to have time to check the binder or driving to the store to check it myself, I feel like I paid them to work! My largest class was three students, and I had so many single-student classes that when they started the two-student, it was pretty much the end of my time there.
I suspect that corporate is more focused on the retail business and not really catching the vision for how a little more attention and care for the classes could add to their customer base. It’s sad that they aren’t capitalizing on so much potential.
I work at Micheals and had been teaching both crochet and beginning knitting per the request of my managers. Attendance numbers were in decline due to lack of instructors/interest when I started doing classes; enrollment never really picked up, or at least not enough to have any consistency. To be honest, some of the projects at the time were also not current, and students wanted to make certain projects not in our curriculum. I was happy to try to oblige, but quickly found that anything other than scheduled projects were discouraged, and had to be approved.
When the new system and certification program was introduced as required through CYC, I immediately resigned as an instructor. It would cost upwards of $1000 out of pocket to obtain certification to teach both crochet, and knitting (not including any travel, or shipping costs for submitting homework, etc.). Sadly with the new criteria, there was no incentive to teach, and the cost of certification too high to justify investment; especially since there are no guarantees of generating any reliable source of income.
JoAnn does give instructors a card to reduce prices, but it’s only 15%. I can do better than that with their regular coupons, depending on the current sale.
I think the employee discount at Michaels was 20%, but then 2 weekends per year they had 40% off specials for employees & family. And, like their coupons, there are some things that even employees can’t get a discount on. Thankfully yarn qualifies for coupons and discounts! When I first started teaching crochet, the stores wanted instructors to make samples and would provide store-use yarn, but the samples belonged to the store. After a while, they didn’t want instructors to make samples anymore. I taught from 2012-2014, I believe. Maybe I shouldn’t say “I taught”, because I had very few classes in that 2 year period. I tried being an instructor in addition to being a regular part-time employee at the store while I was in college.
To answer someone else’s question, I believe you can book the classroom for other things besides kids’ birthday parties. There is a nominal fee.
Oh really? That would be awesome. I wonder how they make the community aware of this? I didn’t see any information about it.
You have to ask. Its $50 if you are doing your own bday or event. Free if you just want to borrow the space for 2 hrs
As of 2017 the employee discount is 30%.. not sure about any family/weekend stuff… No booking the room for fees of any kind other than kids birthday parties.
Maybe nor give our money or time to multi billion dollar corporations. Shop at independently owned art stores and keep the money in your community. Most independent art stores welcome artist who would like to teach classes and take a small commission because it’s about the art and sharing the love of art. Not about the mighty green back!
Mallory Smith at Michaels gave me this additional statement this morning:
“As the needs and interests of our customers have evolved, we have increased our offering of free classes and unique in-store events. Reflecting this shift, we have adjusted our compensation model to align with the new mix of both free and fee-based classes.”
And in turn de-motivated most of your TRAINED and SKILLED instructors!
Very interesting article. I was an art teacher for an extracurricular children’s art program and adored the job, but the pay was so low it cost me money to have the job. It’s a shame because people pay so much for classes, I think they are assuming they are paying to compensate a teacher for their worth and expertise. In these cases where it’s a low flat hourly pay for the teacher it seems like there is little incentive for stellar teaching and more incentive for the teacher to become a marketing and sales person… I love the idea of renting space in the shops to teach our own classes. I’d do that in a heartbeat. I noticed in Joanns they have new signs up saying that community groups and host events in their learning space, got free, when classes are not happening. I’m hoping this might me a first tentative step towards maybe offering them for private classes. It would be a great opportunity for lesser known or unknown teachers to get started and build up a reputation for bigger and better teaching opportunities.
That’s awesome. I was really hoping that when I reached out to Michaels for comment on this story someone there would have actually talked to me. I reached out more than once, but unfortunately I got only very carefully worded canned responses. If they had I might have been able to ask about use of the classroom for other activities, for example. I feel like it was a missed opportunity to just be human.
Starting with your initial newsletter article and then continuing with this entry, I am way more disturbed by how Michael’s operates than anything else. A company this size that won’t even communicate with its customers, especially when they know there is a problem?? Hiding behind emails? Issuing ‘statements’? Are you kidding?! Why in the world would I want to support a company that is so unavailable, more concerned about ‘closing ranks’ than hearing feedback? I am done with this chain, and will share this story with anyone who will listen. Practicing good work ethics matters, Michael’s. Who you are matters, Michael’s. How you treat people – your instructors, employees, and customers – matters, Michael’s. My only regret is that I can’t figure out a way to send a louder message.
I self taught for knitting basics but when I was ready to take the next step going to a big-box craft store never crossed my mind. I would rather spend a little more to take a class at my LYS and feel a part of their community- I know not everyone can afford to though.
And not everyone has a local yarn shop, or even knows that local yarn shops exist. For many people who are just getting started with a craft a big box store like Michaels is where they turn.
I’m Kris, I’ve taught both knit and crochet at Michaels for 4 years. Part of the problem with Michaels’ classes, from a teacher’s viewpoint, is they are marketed as a project that occurs in one 2.5 hour session. The students are not expected to finish the project, but we are expected to teach them everything they need to know to finish it on their own. First of all, this may come as a big surprise to the students to find they will not go home with that project and that they will probably have to take more classes to get through it. Here’s why they won’t finish. For someone who has never held a hook or needles, the best they manage in 2.5 hours, usually, is how to hold the tools, a rough estimation of casting on (in knitting) or a kind of wonky looking foundation chain (in crochet) and maybe a couple of rows of the project. In the beginning, this all feels very awkward–something I’m sure to prepare them for, telling them it’s not them, it just takes time to get comfortable with it. Beyond the awkward beginning, there are issues with tension and dropping or adding stitches which they have no idea how to fix. I try to impress upon them that this class is ONLY the beginning and if they want to really learn to knit, they will need at least four or five more beginner sessions to get a good basic feel for it. TO THE POINT: many of the instructors, and even the students, would prefer the classes/projects to be marketed as a series (I’ve had students ask, “how many weeks is the class?) so they have time to learn, work on their own, come back with specific questions and get help with all of those unforeseen difficulties, and to get constant encouragement so they can succeed. My imagination tells me they get frustrated the next day when they pick up their work, can’t figure it out, stuff it in a bag and throw it in a closet and that’s the end of it. If they paid for a series of classes, they would have the expectation of getting help and might actually stick to it. Also, I’ve had many of my students tell me they tried to teach themselves with books or videos but couldn’t get it. THAT’S WHY IN-PERSON, TRAINED INSTRUCTORS ARE SO VALUABLE. In person, I sit with them, watch them and coach them off of some of the quirky things new knitters/crocheters do. Then they have much increased chances of succeeding. The point is, the structure of how the classes are marketed is just insufficient for people to really learn. And if they don’t have access to a LYS where they may expect a little more TLC, they may not get it at Michaels. That’s not because the instructors are not willing; I believe Michaels instructors are actually really great–they’re Certified by the Craft Yarn Council of America and they take that Certification seriously. It’s the conditions within which we are expected to perform. With a little tweeking of the marketing of these classes, everyone would be happier. (And it’s not that we haven’t asked.) Anyway, I stay there because I will teach what I can to whomever wants to learn; I love teaching (and doing) this craft for the beautiful clothing, blankets, accessories, home dec, that can be produced, but also because knitting and crochet has proven mental health benefits which I hope all my students will begin to enjoy. Also, full disclosure, all my yarn for classes is store expensed, and I get a 30% discount on all my purchases (like all regular Michaels employees). I appreciate that and don’t want to lose that at this point. And I enjoy my teaching time with my students. So that’s just my two-cents. Thank you.
This sounds like a similar program that they had when I worked at Petco for dog training. A store associate could take a short training course and become a dog trainer, and the commission program sounds similar to the Michaels program. I remember having a couple of trainers that were not store associates (i.e. they only did the dog training), which sounds like the person that you interviewed for the Michaels program. The trainers that were not associates had a harder time filling their classes (even though they were legit dog trainers that went to dog shows, as opposed to the store associate that had spent a few hours learning how to become a dog trainer) because they were not present in the store otherwise and didn’t have the opportunity to sell like the store associates who were trainers did. It’s a tough situation and I agree that for many people their first experience with a craft is through a big box store. Perhaps this is something that independent quilting/knitting stores can see as a void in their community and work hard to reach out (somehow) to these beginning crafters.
Great points, Sara. I did also talk with a Michaels employee who works in the framing shop and teaches crochet classes. Her classes didn’t fill either. I spoke with many more instructors than were quoted here, too, and it seems that overall they felt the classes weren’t effectively marketed on a local level. And I agree that reaching out to new beginners is a great market for local shops.
I teach at a PA store & im finding the same thing. If they would give a little more flexibility at the local level to advertise these classes, we might see a bigger turnout.
What an eye-opening article. Frustration in finding a space in which to teach sewing and knitting classes for a fair wage lead a friend and I to take the plunge on renting our own space. We create the curriculum, provide an inspiring space in which to create, and offer the classes people most want. Stitchery opens next week in Portsmouth, RI!
Congratulations, Karen. I hope you’ll update us periodically on how it’s going. Kudos to you!
Thanks so much Abby! Taking on rent is nerve wracking, but the autonomy is thrilling!
Exciting! I’m a fellow Rhode Islander and would love to check out your shop soon. I’ll have to head over to the island!
This sounds so exciting. Did you rent the space for classes only, or there a retail shop involved? I’m looking at long-term plans and thought a space for classes sounds like something I’d be interested in, but wondered if it would work apart from a shop.
I have been making jewelry for over 20 years; and successfully growing as a business for the past 8 years. I tried applying a few years ago. Even though at the time I took the test I was already teaching classes(in another location). I failed the test twice because I know very little about Beadweaving and Wire Wrapping. Anyway I went back to teaching in other places; to now include metalsmithing classes. I just recently noticed that they started offering Free Classes; and my first thought was “Oh no I guess they stopped paying teachers altogether.” I am sorry to hear that Micheal’s is running their Classroom programs this way. I would never sign up for a free class. Does not seem like a very good class to me. There are 14 other shops and locations in my small town that offer craft classes.
Re: current compensation– it’s NOT “state min wage + 90% of fees”– it’s 90% of fees OR min wage, whichever is greater. With two students… that’s $27 for beginner classes (2 hrs + 1/2 hr set up/clean up), $45 for intermediate (2.5 hrs + 1/2 hr), or, $9 for “maker night”; min wage here is $11.50, so the difference is negligible. With the new system, there will be a bit of an increase for those of us who get few students, especially for the “free” classes. It’s the longer term teachers with packed classes who’ll be hurt. Also, if they teach only jewelry or paper crafting– the number of scheduled classes are being cut, so instead of weekly classes, there’ll be only 1-2/month.
Re: classrooms– that picture must be from a Michaels ad– ours is a crowded little room, which can be divided in two, right across from the restrooms at the back of the store. Anybody with a wheelchair can only sit in front of the doors, if the divider is closed– and then, the door has to stay opened. Maybe two feet between the back of the students’ chairs and the walls otherwise. And any time there is a lot of “overstock” (like at Christmas), the classroom is used for storage of whatever won’t fit on the shelves and in the official storeroom.
Thank you for the clarification and for sharing what the classroom in the store where you live really looks like. That definitely sounds like an difficult space to teach in, as well as an unfair one for someone who is wheelchair bound. I took the photos in this post at my local store which is new and very large. The classroom is large and bright and is located to the right of the registers when you enter the store. Perhaps in the newer stores the classroom space is better than it is in the older ones?
I shop at several Michaels stores because I have none in my town and the classroom setup is one or the other mentioned above. Relatively newer Michaels stores have classrooms that are bright and located at the front. The older ones have them at the back, next to the restroom with just a divider and I have seen them used liked storage. In none of them, have I seen any classes being taught and their emptiness is perhaps emblematic of the state of craft instruction in general.
Yes, the classrooms vary from store to store, new stores have better, spacious classrooms. As far as the 90% $$ thing- this no longer applies to any classes- it’s firmly: your min. wage + $7 per student up to 6ppl; $10 per student from 7ppl and on.
It would be ingesting to know the program the NJ instructor uses to help with signups. Maybe we instructors could use it, or maybe corp could offer it. Anything is better than to paper binders.
It’s called Accuity: https://acuityscheduling.com/
I would say that we have run into Michaels cancelling kids classes the morning of. Now my kids just look at the project and figure out how to do it at home with some videos. Another option for teachers: Hobby Lobby offers free classroom space but basically you’re responsible for advertising/marketing. Would be good if you already had a following or set group of participants. Joanns has also said they would offer their space but technically you can’t collect money there, so would have to arrange payment beforehand.
I was a yarn instructor that quit last month. I could not handle the stress of interacting with managers who treat you like a high school student. We could not change the schedule and they schedule 2-3 classes a week, expecting that I keep my availability open during those times when I never had people sign up. Maybe once every 3 months someone signed up. I love teaching, but it was too stressful.
I teach classes at my local Hobby Lobby for free. They have a sign up sheet at register, advertise the classes on their website, I have made a display which they set on an easel. they ask that I don’t bring in unpaid merchandise to the classroom and I can charge whatever I want for the classes. I have been very happy with this except that i teach mixed media and have to haul all the stuff back and forth, and for that reason it would be easier to teach from a permanent studio. its definitely not a complaint. I have been very happy and they encourage me to create more classes, demo whatever I want. I am not an employee of hobby lobby.
As a consumer who used to take classes at my local Michael’s I’d like to share why I don’t anymore. When I took my initial cake decorating classes, I had so much fun. The instructor was a wonderful woman who knew what she was doing and made you feel very successful doing what you’ve never done before. The last cake decorating class I took was a mess from the start. The cashiers had no idea what they were doing ass far as signing me up, then I hear from the instructor saying I had to go to her home for classes instead of the store. I wasn’t comfortable with that at all, why go to her home while paying Michael’s for the classes? I went to one class, the instructor was horrible and I never reached any level of comfort so I never went back!
The last class I took was an acrylic painting class. I signed up, paid and drove forty minutes to the store to take the class. Upon arrival I was told the class was cancelled due to no one else signing up. I was also told it was my responsibility to call ahead to see if there would be a class. Two months pass, no class, I raised hell with the manager and ended up with a disappointing private session with a very green instructor. As far as future classes I’ll look to YouTube for guidance and instruction.
Karen, For you (or anyone else) who has taken a class at Michaels – was there an evaluation form to fill out at the end of the session? I’m guessing no, but perhaps that would be a way to get customer feedback and make the program stronger.
We had evaluation forms available for the students. I had several positive teacher comment along with negative store/procedure comments. I had a couple of students tell me that they really enjoyed the class, but trying to get signed up and scheduled through the store was a tremendous hassle.
Adding to Hobby Lobby experience. True they give you an easel if available. However I would go back a few days later and my poster would be on the floor bc they needed the easel or it would be hidden behind other displays. I didn’t get a single hit on the website? Maybe sewing classes aren’t that popular. I do have to admit for me, I liked the idea of having it in a craft store bc if someone forgot a supply they could easily go out and get it (like the correct size zipper) But honestly my particular store did nothing significant for advertising, they wouldn’t even put flyers/display near the cutting counter. But my neighbor teacher painting there and she has a good following and consistent students.
My local craft store owner had to cancel her fabulous classes (one of which I was going to teach) due to the fact that she had to get rid of the teaching space to bring more cash in due to rent increases. Teaching art/craft in general doesn’t make money for the shop owners…Not that Micheals needs more money… but my point is more that I wish teachers could charge more for their great expertise and shop owners could make more. The low wages make for lesser experiences for the customer–upset teachers—no access to supplies etc as shown in the previous comments. I wish in general art/craft was more respected and could be get fees like computer science or law…How can this change be made? Are there organizations where we can support this change?
I’ve seen several crafting retreats popping up over the last five years or so that are doing really well. The Makerie comes to mind, including the Sweet Paul Makeries in New York, as well as Camp Stitchalot and Craft Napa. I think it is possible for art/craft instruction to be valued financially, but the current model at the big box stores and at some local stores may need rethinking.
Very nice article. I’m sure I speak for my fellow instructors when I say that I appreciate the respect you’ve shown us.
I do have a few clarifications to make though, as well as a few of my own comments…
1. The majority of JoAnn’s instructors are now employees. (The IC status began phasing out some time ago.) This is according to an instructor I know at what is rated the #1 JoAnn’s in the USA. As employees, I’m sure they are guaranteed at least minimum wage regardless of class size or tuition discount (as we are at Michaels).
2. Michaels instructors, as a general rule, do NOT get free yarn. Some store managers may choose to provide yarn for samples, but then the the instructor is providing free labor to create a sample that will belong to the store, not to him/her. (I’ve heard of managers discarding these samples without even consulting the instructor!)
In actuality though, we are specifically told by corporate NOT to make samples of class projects, as we are officially not allowed by law to work OFF the clock and they won’t put us ON the clock for that or for any other class preparation (lesson plans, promotion, communication, etc.). Many of us make samples at our own cost anyway. Many of also prefer to provide handouts and patterns in color and so print these at our own expense.
We do get the standard employee discount of 30% on yarn and other craft supplies (on both regular and sale priced items, with a few exclusions, like clearance and doorbusters), which is the primary reason I have not quit…. yet.
When I teach one of our free yarn classes, my managers have provided some of the supplies and tools (not the yarn) for free to me to make a sample and to use with the students. These are not knit/crochet classes, but general craft classes that integrate yarn into the project. It’s insanity to not do a sample for the free classes (in order to work out the kinks in the instructions). However, since we are currently only paid our hourly rate for free classes, between the time I spend figuring out the project, making a sample, and my gas, etc., I actually lose money. Michael’s tells us the free classes are “great opportunities” to promote our paid classes, but for most of us, that rarely pays off.
3. The Craft Yarn Council (CYC) doesn’t really create our curriculum. That comes from Michaels, and many actually are copyrighted by a yarn manufacturer. It seems the CYC merely puts the patterns into a standard format and makes PDF files available to the instructors on the CYC web site. These PDF pattern files are also available to us on the Michaels intranet, but this can only be accessed inside the store where there are no color printers.
The patterns often include significant errors and it’s up to us to discover them. It’s also not unusual for a new pattern to specify discontinued products, which is very frustrating to students.
4. Clarification on pay structure….
Currently the instructor hourly rate in the USA is $8.00 (or the local minimum wage if that is higher). In March, that changes to $10.00 (or, again, the local minimum wage if that is higher).
Currently, we are paid only our hourly rate for teaching free yarn classes and for working at “open house” events. Free classes are scheduled by corporate, and we are expected to show up even if there are no registrations; and if no students show up, were to clean up what we set up then set up and demo knit or crochet at the front of the store until 8:30pm (which really means acting as the store greeter and answering customer questions about product availability and location).
Starting in March, we will be paid the new hourly rate for working open houses, but for free classes we will get the new hourly rate PLUS a flat $3 bonus for each attending student. (A slight improvement.)
Currently, for tuition based classes, we are paid either the hourly rate for time on the clock OR we get 90% of the tuition (i.e., $22.50 per student), whichever is higher. (Your article says we get both.)
(Michaels corporate doesn’t explain this so clearly. The verbiage makes reference to figuring a bonus as the total pay less the hourly rate. Many managers are confused by this and some have actually deducted the hourly rate from the 90% when doing payroll.)
Your article indicated that we’re paid based on enrollments. Note that the $22.50 is only paid on attending students. If someone enrolls, but doesn’t show up, that doesn’t count.
In fact, if we have paid registrations for a tuition based class, but no one shows up, we’re supposed to clock out and leave within 15 minutes or so from the sheduled class start time (which is a violation of labor laws in some locations).
We also aren’t paid for other Michaels employees who attend our classes. Employees are allowed to take tuition based classes for free as long as there is one paid student in attendance for each non-paid student.
When my manager noticed that I had purchased half-priced paper crafting classes during an open house, I told her I’d never do that (take a class for free) to another instructor. She said, “You should! It’s one of your benefits from Michaels.” I replied that, if it’s a benefit from Michaels, then Michaels should bear the cost of it, not the instructor.
As your article accurately stated, in March, this changes to the hourly rate PLUS a flat bonus per student ($7 if up to 6 attend, $10 if 7 or more attend)… A significant pay cut and a slap in the face.
Technically, we’re not supposed to hold tuition based class unless at least two show up, but many managers waive this. (Mine makes this my choice; and I usually choose to hold the class even if I only have one, so as not to disappoint the student.)
5. On top of the changes in pay structure, corporate has restrctured our curriculum. This was done with zero input from instructors. If they HAD asked me, I would have suggested these classes…
* Intro to Crochet / Intro to Knit
* Beginner Crochet / Beginner Knit
* intermediate Crochet / Intermediate Knit
* Discover Time (Instructor’s Choice)
* Maker Night
I’ve spoken with other instructors, and they agree. Michaels, however, has given us:
* Beginner
* Advanced
* Expert
They’re discontinuing our Discover Time classes and our maker nights. This makes me quite angry. It actually concerns me more than the oaycut.
Most people learning to knit or crochet continue to stitch at the beginner level for quite some time, but they don’t need all the basics that we cover in our current Beginner 1 classes. Now my students will be jumping right from Beginner to “Advanced” That’s just silky. Even patterns usually rank themselves as beginner, intermediate, or advanced.
Corporate continues to push the idea that we are leading make-and-takes (where a student with no prior experience can go home with a finished project), where in reality we are teach a new skill, involving muscle motions and concepts that most students have never encountered before. We have to manage those expectations with our students.
Theyve promised us that they’re stepping up marketing efforts for classes, but it looks like that will be focused on the free classes. Historically, corporate promotion for knit and crochet classes is virtually non-existent, nor are we allowed to display samples in the store nor make our own promotional materials available in the store (except at open houses).
6. Some mentioned how the cashier’s are poorly trained about classes. I have had issues with this too. Some students were told that preregistration was not required, just show up for class and pay then. Wrong! Some students were registered without paying. Wrong! Another student was told she could attend any class, regardless of experience level. Wrong! I’ve had cashiers register a student two hours prior to a class… This is fine if there are already other students registered; but all my classes are cancelled 24 hours prior to the class if there are no registrations.
7. Like wirh so many big corporations, communications from Michaels corporate seem idiotic to those of us in the field.
A memo from corporate to store managers stated that they were “excited” to announce the new pay structure. Excited? Really? I’d like to send them a memo excitedly announcing a significant cut to their compensation! Statements like that seem so Orwellian.
The idea that additional free classes requires the change in pay structure makes no sense. We’ve been told that there will be 8 free yarn classes this year; last year I believe there were at least that many, possibly 11.
The fact that tuition based classes for jewelry and papercrafts are being eliminated in favor of free classes should not affect the pay structure for knit and crochet instructors.
Some readers might think “Wow, $22.50 per student! You guys are really taking it in!” Some may suggest that we should just be happy that we’ve been paid better than instructors at other chains (which is like telling the person who just had a stroke that they should be grateful they don’t have cancer).
In reality, the 90% just made it more worthwhile to spend time off the clock promoting our classes outside of the store, to make samples on our own time and at our own cost, and to print patterns and other handouts and promotional materials at our own expense. If you figure in those extra hours and expenses, we’re not making all that much (except those few who are able to pack their classes).
There’s little incentive to spend time and money to fill my classes now.
As more and more of us quit, Michaels will hire new instructors who don’t know the difference. They know this. They don’t care about the instructors who rely on that income and who have, in some cases, spent years building a reputation and a following.
I’m lucky. Teaching crochet is more of a hobby for me. I have a professional full-time job that is my primary source of income. I teach primarily because I love my craft, but also to meet new people and get myself away from the office and out of the house, and (of course) for the employee discount; but on behalf of my fellow instructors and given the fact that my SS and service have been significantly devalued, the whole thing still really burns my brisket.
Thanks again. We needed a voice.
I am a retired high school Art Teacher. I have looked into teaching at Michaels and other craft stores as well as at the local community college, the Y . What I found universally consistent is what you said. the aggravation and low pay is worse than than teaching in the public school. I would love to teach the crafts that I taught to kids. I can do kinds of craft (complete with my old lesson plans) drawing, painting, stamping, polyclay, beading, and a lot more. So even though I would like to supplement our retirement with teaching what the art that I love, my husband says that I would spend more in gas, buying supplies, and making demo’s than I would make. So will just up my amount of regular volunteer work.
What a well thought out post! Honestly, I could have wrote all of what you said – particularly the part about WHY I started teaching at Michaels… my love of teaching and crafts. Even when the change in compensation came out, it wasn’t a big deal to me because, like you, I have a very substantial day job, which I also enjoy. The discount wasn’t bad either, but I’ll just wait for coupons like I used to. I’ve taught all topics other than crochet/knitting and food. As an established instructor, I didn’t feel I should pay for a certification that they wanted me to have. The real thing that made me resign was the complete lack of care the corporate has for BOTH the customer and the instructor. When I have to run around the store for 30 min trying to find the supplies a student needs for the course because we don’t have them in stock, I have to rearrange the instructions on the fly to have the student learn the techniques and have a positive experience and I don’t have basic tools in the classroom – I really had enough.
For example, last night I had the make jewelry class. Seven students – and only had three bead boards, four needle nose pliers and minimal findings – all which the store is to provide. I had to spend 15 min out of class running around the store to find tools, and my students couldn’t even find the beads and findings they needed to complete the project. Of course, a good instructor can pull this off and I’m glad that I am very creative – my students loved the class and signed up for next week’s class afterwards because they had a good time and were proud of what they made. While they don’t know how hosed this was, I did and I am angry too.
There is so much more I could say… but you said it all.
BTW, I called corporate at least six times this past year to talk about a variety of issues and suggestions. Left a vm each time and not once did the head of classroom service have the courtesy of calling me back. That, to me, says it all about what Michaels really thinks about their instructors.
Thank you for this concise explanation on behalf of Michael’s instructors! I am a Grumbacher painting instructor. I started giving knitting classes also but there was very little interest in this area and there was a crochet instructor. Although an artist I had never given art lessons, just crafts.
First, let me say, that I love doing this! Helping those who have always wanted to paint but have been discouraged or who have never had time, confidence, or opportunity is beyond amazing. Many of my students have become friends, paint once or twice a week at Michael’s, have joined the local art league, (I am a board member and get them involved) win ribbons at shows, and some sell their work! Art and craft add value and health to any community. It breaks my heart that a corporate bean counter has seen fit to destroy these programs and devalue instructors AND their customers by offering insultingly low level projects in place of solid learning experiences. Having to pay store “associates” a wage commensurate with their experience has long frustrated mid-level corporate managers. They pointed especially to the sales (their own program) to justify the changes; instructors getting paid based on full prices for classes did not make sense to them, despite the ongoing sales. Only materials directly used in a lesson counted, not the hundreds of dollars worth of goods to support further projects.
Micheal’s stores…and the communities they are in…have lost most of their top instructors and will lose more through the coming months as those of us left re-adjust our plans, giving our students time to find new programs or to follow us to our new classrooms.
I think this restructuring is a symptom of the soundness of the Michael’s empire. It happens as good, mainstream brands are being dropped and more value priced store brands are replacing them. Consumers for quality goods must go further afield or shop online., dangerous for crafts stores, as there are better prices and higher quality out there, and there is no need for loyalty to a single store.
Little was said in this article of the jewelry classes, or drawing/painting, children’s painting (gone), scrapbooking (gone). The new free classes that replace the old program teach projects worthy of a child to intelligent, sophisticated customers. You get what you pay for, and Michael’s is in trouble.
Crafts and arts, however, will flourish as the Michael’s instructors bring their own classes and students to new places. We have created online support groups on Facebook and are offering each other advice and encouragement. Some have used this as a push to begin selling work, opening studios and shops, and finding new careers.
Shame on Michael’s for letting down their customers.
YOU are my favorite new writer. Thank you for your honesty, facts, insight and experience.
I don’t understand the ignorance of CYCOA. 10 years ago, there was no “partnership” between CYCOA and Michaels. All of a sudden, it was there, and CYCOA was reaching to past “graduates” to see if there was interest in teaching at Michaels. As a part time job, it didn’t seem like too bad a gig. You’d make a little bit of respectable money for your time, you were basically a general contractor, you’d already passed the certification, projects/patterns and supplies would be provided to you beforehand, and all was rosy with the world. Yea, not so fast.
When the program was just getting on its feet, there was a lot of disorganization. Just weeks before it was supposed to begin, there were no patterns, no projects, no anything. Michaels stores had you log on and take their idiotic tests, for more than an hour, and there were at least 2 tests, if not 3 (I can’t remember), and these tests made you fee like you were a 15 y.o. getting your first job with permission from your h.s. principal and a very stern parent. Honesty tests – really? Personality tests – really? It isn’t like you were going to be a cashier and handle money, or try to smuggle out product under your trench coat. The whole ORDEAL was just off-putting. Then, you had to meet with the manager, who probably was a disgruntled jerk. I know mine was. Jenny at CYCOA is lovely, but she was helpless/useless to take control of the situation, get the patterns/projects together on time, and help a prospective teacher deal with Michael’s nonsense.
Then, suddenly, if you want to work at Michael’s you’ll be certified by CYCOA. Period. And you’ll pay for it out of your own pocket too. But, you could teach WHILE working on your certification – well that makes no sense. Either you’re “certified” or you’re not.
For CYCOA its as if it and Michael’s have a one-hand-washes-the-other kind of understanding, and instructors be damned. If CYCOA is interested in supporting its GRADUATES, everything would be available to the graduates. CYCOA either works for its graduates, or Michael’s and it seems Michael’s is the winner. Frankly, Michael’s could care less if there were no instruction at all – that’s my experience.
Shall we discuss the certification process? People think it is a CLASS in and of itself. No. You either know the stuff you’ll be judged on, or you have to teach it to yourself. Perhaps it is different at FIT – but the correspondence course continues to lack. There is no curriculum of teaching coming to you…you are LEARNING ON YOUR OWN, teaching yourself what you don’t know. Then, your work is judged and juried by a “MASTER TEACHER” who has, quite literally, “taught” you nothing. if you can work the stitches and get gauge, you’re golden.
I decided to do the certification to challenge myself. It was nothing I expected it to be – BUT – I took myself out of my comfort zone, TEACHING MYSELF techniques I likely would never have been interested in, but did so to pass the certification. And, since I’m such a stickler, I did K & C parts 1 at the same time, then K & C parts 2 shortly thereafter. Boy, am I accomplished~! I really know my stuff. Did I dare spend the money and go for a third time? Absolutely NOT~! The CYCOA certification means nothing.
Did you see the recent survey asking if you’d like to send CYCOA MORE money for more “certification” – like expert level? Give me a break.
I think CYCOA should stop misrepresenting its certification program. Its ridiculous, and it means nothing in the real world. Particularly, it means crap to Michael’s who’d rather pay its CERTIFIED TRAINED EXPERIENCED PROFESSIONAL instructors $7/an hour, and some, I heard, were asked to restock shelves. Is cleaning the toilets next?
I recently (like 2 months ago) started working at my local Michael’s. They were excited to find out I was a knitter as their instructor had left over a year ago. I was scheduled to teach a class (not knitting, weaving) and given a project sheet. There was no further training or information about what to do. Fortunately for my students it was a simple project and we were able to get through it together.
Yes, the store provided materials for me. No, i did not get to keep the project. No, there was no one observing my class to evaluate me or give me notes on teaching. Afterwards the manager informed me I would be paid an additional $3 per student over my hourly rate as a part-time employee. They have yet to schedule me for another class or put knitting on the calendar.
I want to also add that this location may not be the best for a knitting class. We have a very small yarn department. I often have to go to other craft stores to find colors of yarn from the same brand. While it is inconvenient, the discount is only 30% so I am often able to use coupons that make the price comparable.
Just adding that I recently held a birthday party at my local Michael’s for my own kids. It was a great price, and they were extremely kind and generous to us. The 2 hour class included a project, the materials, and an instructor. We brought food and cake and stuff.
That said, we waited in the room a good hour before anyone showed up to lead the class – and then they had to read the class description and the downloaded project instructions to figure it out. I kind of took over, but that’s my personality, and again, they were extremely kind and generous.
We would do it again – but it is what it is.
PS I tipped the girl who helped out in the room because I knew she wasn’t going to be paid well….
As a painting instructor at Michaels we face the same pay cuts – minimum wage + $7 per student up to 7 students and $10 per if over that. My classroom is tiny and 10 is a tight squeeze for painting. We will no longer be supplied with paint or canvas to do samples (prepared unpaid at home). We are told we can do these in the classroom and use the store paint supply when room is not in use but are unpaid! We did have to be certified by Grumbacher – all painting instructors were required to do so at their own cost. They have eliminated intermediate / advanced levels for classes and that is where my students fit. We are also faced with lack of space to display samples – who would sign up for a class sight unseen??? Our sample spaces now have giant posters that are the same in every store for “uniformity!!! I have spent years advertising my classes because the store didn’t. We were encouraged by Grumbacher and Michaels corporate to do our own advertising to build our numbers i.e.: local newspapers, radio, etc. Hello people in the corporate world – have you priced that lately??? On minimum wage – don’t think so!
Many of us have at least one degree in Fine Art and years of teaching / exhibiting experience. That seems to have no value anymore. Unless decisions to change are made at the top levels, Michaels will have empty classrooms in both the US and Canada. Such a waste of space, talent and opportunity for sale of supplies.
Thank you for this article. I shared it with my fellow instructors on our private Facebook page, and it struck a nerve.
I teach painting and drawing at my store, and have been doing that for four years. I have a degree in art, but saw this as a good part time job. At the rate Grumbacher and Michaels was giving, a person could have a decent income with only a dozen or so students a week. This depends so much on the city, the store location, the management at that store and the layout. Some teachers bring in 150 signups on Open House days, where our customers can buy the classes at half off. In my particular city, which is not doing so well financially, I am doing really well if I can scrape up 8 signups. The other crafts do even worse. I get a lot of single signups, sometimes buying a set of four classes, but we are not supposed to teach unless there is more than one in the class. This means you either teach a private class for minimum wage or you “punish” the student for signing up by cancelling their class due to low signups. Because of this situation, I will actually do better with the new system.
— My first issue with this program was a strange lack of professional art education. The way we teach in these classes– if you use the curriculum, which you are supposed to do– is not the way I learned to paint in college. Some of the samples are truly awful, and some of the instructions are really strange. But these “paint and sip” type classes are popular, and I needed a job, so I proceeded, choosing pictures I could live with. I learned plenty myself and enjoy all my students. This is the best part.
— There is a fair amount of paperwork required, and I was lucky to have a district manager that believes people should get paid for their work. The practice, set-up, phone calls, blogs, Facebook pages, emails, creation of calendars and fliers, and entering our classes into the system is all off the clock, but I was able to be compensated by signing in on the changes sheet in our break room. I do NONE of this anymore, because there is absolutely no payoff in terms of class size.
— After some time, I decided that if Michaels is not going to respond to issues and make changes, I will just show up and work with any students who bought a class. The stores are big, bright, colorful and full of messages. There is nothing at all to indicate there are classes except a few little signs in the aisles and a giant sign over the checkout. Even if you know there are classes, it is entirely unclear where one would sign up, what the class would be about, who was teaching, or any other detail. Those who made it through all that are the percentage of people willing to hold up the line with questions and willing to work in the abstract fashion of flying blind.
— Online signups are a real pain. As a teacher, I’ve run trial-runs on how to find the signup on the website. It took me at least 20 minutes to find the right place, and even then, it is not clear what is going to happen in the class. Even worse, no one at the store even knows there is a signup! So certainly, I have no idea either. I’ve online chatted as if I was the customer at times, and even then, the people there did not know where to send me for quite awhile.
— Regular signups at the register are hit and miss. Many times I have been in the middle of something else, only to find out there were students waiting at the store!
All this has been communicated to either Michaels or Grumbacher in the past. I think Grumbacher has the harder job, trying to make this work. They at least give us contact names and numbers and will listen to us, but they are limited. What Michaels needs is a kiosk for signups with a video included. There are so many people who are interested, but have no idea we are there. Many want to have their kids learn to paint, and now that is also eliminated.
Honestly I am divided in my feelings regarding this pay restructure.
It all comes down to what our expectations are. However to a brand new knitting instructor who is just trying to get there feet wet who really has no idea what to expect, this could really be a big turn off and maybe end their teaching career.
But. The pay cut really is insulting.
Most instructors are not only Certified by the CYC, but they have also taken other courses to develop and improve their skill. Some of the instructors have taken both level of certifications. Each certification level takes hours of hard work and research to earn. Plus they also may have completed the Master Knitter courses through the TKGA. Another achievement which takes hours and hours of work.
Teaching a class is not as simple as just showing up with a skein of yarn, a pair of knitting needles/crochet hook., and then just sitting down to show some one how to knit/crochet.
Teaching a class takes hours of prep, lots of marketing, and then coordination with the store to secure classroom space. We are only paid for the time in the classroom.
I think its wrong that we are not paid for students that enroll. People who enroll pay at the time of enrollment. If they don’t show, the store simply keeps the money. Instructors should at least get some of that money because they have to be available to teach at the scheduled time whether that student shows or not.
But… honestly. The reduction in pay shows the trend in today’s society. True craftmanship and the skill required is not really appreciated. People these days want a simple craft they can complete in an hour or two. The don’t want to truly learn a skill. The stores are simply adjusting and marketing towards these trends.
I use to take painting classes at my Michaels. I knew the artist from our time in college and in the beginning, Grumbacher used to provide all the materials for the instructors. Now not only did the artists’ their pay get cut significantly, they also have to pay for their own supplies to teach. I think it’s horrible that an “art store” treats its own artists like dirt. For many, this is a second or third job to support their craft. They also cannot be anti competitive so they can’t do paint nite or other painting programs. Michael’s is essentially taking a larger cut for nothing. It should be going to the artist. I can’t tell you how much Michael’s is getting from students who forgot some paint or needed last minute supplies. If Michael’s wants to boost sales revenue from students here’s an idea: Those enrolled in a class can get 20% off their entire purchase of materials for the class. Students will buy just use the coupon.
Does anybody know of a place or area in Manhattan or another borough that you can rent space out CHEAPLY? or by the hour? I would like to teach scrapbooking/papercrafting. Thanks for any help in advance.
Just started teaching Yarn crafts at Michaels. I was introduced by the CYC. I have joined their Master’s Class in Crocheting. I received an email from them asking if I would like to teach at Michaels to gather the teaching hours required in the program. I said sure. I will be retiring soon and planning on pursuing my dream job (self employment) of working in the arts and crafts arena for hospice, county recreation and parks. I joined CYC to reintroduce myself in teaching. I haven’t taught arts and crafts in 30 years as a profession. After being hired, I was put on Michaels schedule for teaching other courses beside those in crochet. This would not have been a problem if I had retired. I don’t retire until another 3 months. I was put on the scheduled to teach a knitting class in a week. Good thing I know how to knit. I was asked to do a kiddy party – which I declined. All of this in the first 2 weeks. I always loved Michaels as a customer. I am going to try to love them as an employer. It’s tough and confusing in all professions. I am working my way through the disarray. My working at Michaels can only help my arts and crafts business outside the 10-15 hours a month I am required to work.
So they asked you to teach a knitting class and a children’s class when you weren’t technically qualified to teach in those subject areas? In other words, you were working towards your certification in crochet, but not in these other topics, but Michaels doesn’t seem to mind hiring teachers without proper qualifications?
Isn’t that a hoot? I believe (I could be wrong) when Craft Yarn Coucil began its certification programs, there was no deal with Michael’s and Michael’s didn’t call the shots. I was asked about 2 years after completing the certifications (K&C) IF I was interested in teaching at Michael’s. Then, apparently, Michael’s “took over” the process of the teaching program and the class materials (patterns, format) were proprietary to Michael’s, and if you didn’t work for them, but took the course(s) through Craft Yarn Council, you were not entitled to the patterns, etc. Isn’t that another hoot? And, Michael’s used to pay well; now they don’t give a rat’s rear for the instructors – they might tell you to restock yarn, work a cash register, or for that matter, go clean the bathrooms. Who knows? They pay crap, want YOU to put out $ to become certified in order to work there, and then have the gall to ask you to work “outside of” your certification. Is Craft Yarn Council complicit in this nonsense? Perhaps. The certification is useless – unless you want to work at Michael’s which will treat you poorly, pay you badly, and never care about you, or your classes, or your skills. Better to go to your local library or church or yarn store and see if anyone wants to learn from you.
Reading they a couple of years of posts and disappointed to find this is all still an issue… i committed to doing the cyc cert just as a way to advance my craft and give myself some credential… not really looking at the this as a way to find my retirement… though wouldn’t whine if it did… still worth the effort? And how does one manage the 15 hrs of student teaching?
I was asked to be a crochet instructor and no mention was ever made of the certification stuff. Hardly anyone ever signs up and most classes are cancelled or have only 1 student. I have heard that more changes are coming to the classes soon, perhaps even doing away with all classes but kids stuff and parties.
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