What is TeacherLink?

"TeacherLink" might sound like a BIG company, but it is simply my concept for linking people and their interests.  The only person who works at TeacherLink is me, Carla Linkous Maxwell.

How did TeacherLink get started? 

My first official use of the TeacherLink concept came with the development of Advanced Driving Schools in Memphis, Tennessee (now known as the Maxwell Driving School).  Advanced Driving Schools was born in 1992, at a time when I was in the position of suffering a severely reduced household income.  Out of necessity (also referred to as "the enjoyment of eating"), I linked four key things:

1) a desire to create safer roads for my child,

2) the availability of an expert driver, and

3) a growing community of independent drivers-to-be in Memphis, Tennessee, and
4) my idea of offering private driving lessons to people who wanted to get their driver's license.

A few years later, Memphis had a new and thriving driving school, and my family was eating very well.  In 1997 I started publishing basic contact, curriculum, and tuition information for Advanced Driving Schools on my website at "www.TeacherLink.com."  After that, I was happy to offer confidential, online, access to same-day test results for teenage driving students and their parents, along with photos and videos from the driving school.

I personally had no interest in teaching driver training, though I knew how to teach and knew how people could learn.  I am thankful that I also knew how to link people with their interests.

How does the concept of TeacherLink work?

The TeacherLink concept works by linking people and their interests to promote personal progress and learning. Call it a "knack," perhaps, but I use insight to make connections between people.  I believe everyone has something to teach and a lot to learn. I don't think all teachers have to be college certified or university trained.  Therefore, I think a TeacherLink concept that links teachers (people) with learners (people) is vital to enhancing life on Earth.

Sometimes people who have something to teach need guidance regarding what, how, or where to teach; and, sometimes, people who want to learn need guidance on what, how, or where to learn.  Personally, I like to give gentle guidance to all of those types of people wherever and however I can, if they want it.  At present, that place is here in Australia at Tasma House in Daylesford.

What connection does TeacherLink have with music?
  

Because of my own interest in music and mountain dulcimers, in 2002 I created a TeacherLink to help establish the Memphis Area Mountain Dulcimer Club and The Memphis Dulcimer Gathering with Larry Conger. In 2004, I used TeacherLink to co-found the Memphis Dulcimer Gathering, Inc., a non-profit corporation, and the Memphis Dulcimer Gathering & Folk Festival.  I used my website "www.Memphis-Dulcimer.com" to publish news about these TeacherLink activities and to continue "TeacherLinking."  Click here to view sample pages from my Memphis Dulcimer website.

In 2008, with permission from club members, I created the following iMovie as a "commercial" for the Memphis Area Mountain Dulcimer Club, because I wanted to share our method of learning in the relaxed environment of my home. I also wanted to continue linking folks who were interested in learning more about the mountain dulcimer.

My connection with music continues, as I am living in the United States -- part-time in Clarksdale, Mississippi -- in The Holy Moly, which is located in a downtown historic blues precinct.  In my spare time I enjoy attending local music events and sharing snippets on my Youtube channel.  This is a playlist I created during my first year at The Holy Moly 2012-2013.

When I am on the other side of the world, in Daylesford, Victoria, Australia, I enjoy being part of Table Hill, performing with a mountain dulcimer and holding folk music workshops with Adrian Kosky at Tasma House.