Thank You Coaches! You’re Out Of This World!

Dear Coaches,

This image of all of us brings me so much joy. It says it all… you are curious, creative and the most fun! There is no other team that I would want to explore outer space, or spend a Saturday discovering the Cal Academy of Sciences, or go deep on designing the future of The Guild.

Teacher Designers From Across The U.S (and Canada!)

The Teachers Guild has only been in existence for about a year, and all of you, our incredible team of teacher designers from all across the US (and now Canada!), have really brought our creative collaborative to life.

You have not only coached and encouraged other teachers to try design thinking and tap into their own creative confidence, you demonstrate daily that teachers truly are the innovators education has been waiting for. Thank you for all that you do everyday to energize and inspire all of us.

Unique Super Powers

What I also love is that each of you has your own unique superpower that you share with The Guild.

• Lisa Yokana is the Peacemaker
• James Campbell is the Harmony
• Donna Teuber is the Ingenuity
• Erin Quinn is the Motivation
• ellen deutscher is the Empathy
• Michael Schurr is the Provocation
• Jessica Lura, Margaret A Powers, Moss Pike are the Systems Thinkers, who are also visionary and experimental problem solvers.
• And Paula Marra is often super human in all that she does to make teachers and their ideas great.

Creative Catalysts Changing The World

What’s amazing is when you collaborate, your different expertise and strengths create what I think of as a Justice League.

Together, you become creative catalysts who can really change the world. You are champions of other teachers and go deep to innovate by:

• Designing for Students’ Needs
• Believing that Big Ideas Begin With Empathy
• Identifying Problems As Opportunities
• Coming Up with Solutions Not Just Questions
• Building Creative Confidence in Each Other
• Catalyzing Creative Leadership in Their Local Communities

Raising Up The We

You also strive towards everyone in The Guild finding and delighting in their creative core.

You value most Raising Up The We by:

• Being Present
• Listening
• Honoring Each Other’s Voice & Commitment
• Assuming Good
• Believing in Each Other

Some of you are also firm believers that if you start a beer you should finish it, that nothing beats taking a team nap when you need to recharge, and that laughing is always the best medicine when you hit tough design challenges.

On The Start Up Journey Together

To all of you, thank you for traveling across the country or making the drive to join us this weekend for our annual retreat.

We are so pleased to be on this start up journey together with you.

A Special Shout Out To….

Thank you Cal Academy of Sciences — Po, Katie, Ivan, and Nina — for hosting us on Saturday!

It was so much fun to be in a learners’ mindset, discovering with each other the wonder and awe of being a student again.

So much love,

Molly McMahon, Emma Scripps, Brett Brownell, Paloma Nikolic, Sandy Speicher, Dominic A.A.Randolph