Introducing the Guild of Educators

I've been working in tech education for about half a decade now, and I have been an active part of the global Python mega-community for quite some time. I've noticed a bit of a gap.

The gap stems from the fact that technical skill does not imply teaching skill. Yet many techies find themselves in teaching positions without much in the way of training or support on how to do it well.

I've seen a lot of good things happen when techies with teachers' hearts show up and lean in. But I have also seen a lot of missed opportunities and anti-patterns borne from common misconceptions and misguided impulses. I've seen a lof of gaps that nobody was able to step into and fill.

Teaching is cool

Well... I think teaching is cool. When you do it well then it's highly engaging and connecting. A good teacher can change a life over the course of a few skillful conversations. It's a beautiful thing.

And teaching is a skill. Or, it is a set of skills and mindsets, based on science, with a bit of art mixed in. Teaching abilities can be stretched and grown. In doing so, the impact of that teaching can be amplified.

I've learned a lot about teaching over the years. A lot of what I learned was not immediately obvious. A lot of my lessons were hard lessons learned the hard way. I want to share what I know, and invite others to share what they know, and what works in their contexts.

Teaching an individual can change an individual life. Empowering educators can have a much bigger impact.

An open community dedicated to empowering educators

I would like to introduce you to an idea and a community. It's called the Guild of Educators.

The Guild aims to empower educators by doing a few different things:

1. Building skills: This will be done through explicit training and events, and through the sharing of resources
2. Curating opportunities: The world needs educators. Skilled educators. If we gather together then we can find, share and create opportunities to educate
3. Resources: This would include curated and created educational content that educators can lean on and leverage as they do their work
4. Community: A good community is worth more than the sum of it's parts

Join us!

If this sounds like something you would like to be a part of, joining up is easy.

Simply head over to the website, join our Discord server, and introduce yourself.

This is a new thing. For now it's small. But keep your ear to the ground. I'll start running events in the second half of October.