How To: Form Teams

Forming teams in the Ideate phase

The Teachers Guild believes that teamwork makes ideas stronger! When we move into Ideate, you can form teams with teachers on the platform or in your school. Here are some tips and guidelines to help you form your team. Plus, we’ve added a step-by-step guide for creating a team on The Teachers Guild!

How do I choose my team?

There’s no right or wrong way to reach out to someone you want to start working with:

• Make new friends! Reach out to a teacher who posted an idea similar to you on the platform, or who gave you great feedback on your post.
• Reconnect with old friends. Remember that old teaching buddy from your grad school? Perhaps they’d like to collaborate on your idea.
• Form a committee. You can use The Guild to form a committee in your school and start collaborating with your colleagues.

These are all great reasons to start a team. Start reaching out to teachers and friends who you want to work with.

What makes a strong team?

It’s helpful to think through the responsibilities each team member will have and set expectations in advance. Here’s are guidelines we’ve created to help move your team towards great:

• Ask team members in advance if they’d like to join. This helps everyone get on the same page.
• Create a profile on The Teachers Guild for every team member. If they don’t already have one.
• Designate a team leader. They will help evaluate and synthesize coaching feedback and determine next steps for the team.
• Decide on roles and responsibilities. Who is responsible for various tasks? Who will post updates? Who schedules chats? Who will prototype?
• Share expectations and set agreements. What collaboration tools do team members feel comfortable with (Google Docs, etc.)? When are good times for meet ups or Hangouts? What are milestones to move the idea forward?
• Finally… Adopt a design thinking mindset. Build on the ideas of others by saying “yes, and…”. Stay focused on human needs, including those of your team. Assume good intentions, especially when receiving feedback. Be experimental, honest, and optimistic.

How do I create my team?

Once you‘ve decided who should be on your team, here’s how to add them on The Guild. Note: you can repeat these steps if you want to add multiple teachers to your team.

1. Select the “Create Team” button underneath your post:

2. Search for the teacher you want to add, then select them:

3. Add a note, letting them know how they can help.

4. Finally, press “Add” to include them in your team!

If you have any other questions, reach out to us at hello@teachersguild.org.