Build Your Own SWAY Venture

 

Help Teachers. Engage Students. Build Something of Your Own.

 

I spent 33 years teaching. Now I want to help others make a living by helping teachers.

I'm retired, but I haven't retired from education.

Over the years, I've developed the WAY Game, CAP Notebooks, SMART Digital Lesson Planning, and Entrepreneurial Project-Based Learning.

Now I'd like to see what other people can do with them.

Perhaps you're a retired teacher, a substitute, a parent, a homeschooler, an entrepreneur, or someone looking for a new direction in life.

Maybe you simply have time, experience, and a desire to help others.

A venture may be here for you.

You don't have to invent an educational program from scratch. Explore the SWAY tools and techniques, discover what interests you, and think about how you could use them in the service of others.

You don't sell. You SWAY.

You help people discover better ways to teach, learn, create, and connect.

 

What Could You Do With SWAY?

There isn't just one way to participate.

Some people may want to volunteer. Others may want to develop a part-time service or an independent business.

Here are some possibilities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Help Teachers and Schools

Introduce teachers to the WAY Game, CAP Notes, or SMART Digital Lesson Planning.

Offer workshops, assist with classroom activities, print student-created Game Cards, or help organize entrepreneurial projects.

A substitute teacher might begin by using selected SWAY activities during an assignment, consistent with the classroom teacher's plans and school policies.

A retired teacher might enjoy helping a school introduce one practical technique.

A TeacherPreneur could develop a paid service around that expertise.

 

 

 

 

 

Bring the WAY Game Into Your Community

Imagine a WAY Game evening at a community centre, seniors' residence, family gathering, or local venue.

Participants could create Game Cards based on general knowledge, personal interests, local history, or shared experiences.

You might organize family games, intergenerational events, or friendly tournaments.

Some activities could be voluntary community service. Others might become paid events, depending on demand and your arrangements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Help Families and Homeschoolers

Parents and grandparents have an important role in learning.

Introduce families to CAP Notes, help children create Game Cards, or organize learning activities around the WAY Game.

Homeschooling families can connect curriculum learning with projects, discussions, creativity, and play.

 

Help People Preserve Their Stories

CAP Notebooks aren't just for classrooms.

Adults and seniors can use them to organize ideas, explore interests, record experiences, and preserve memories.

Imagine helping a grandparent and grandchild create questions about family history.

Or organizing a group where participants share stories, learn new skills, and create something worth remembering.

To Remember and Be Remembered.

 

Create Your Own Educational Service

Perhaps your strengths are in printing, design, public speaking, technology, event organization, or business.

You might offer:

• WAY Game introductions and workshops

• Game Card printing and preparation

• Teacher and parent professional development

• SMART Digital Lesson Planning assistance

• School-approved fundraising support

• WAY Game tournaments and community events

• Entrepreneurial project coaching

• Educational materials and appropriately licensed merchandise

Or perhaps you'll come up with an idea I haven't thought of yet.

I've given you my ideas. Now I'd like to see yours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You Don't Sell Notebooks. You Sell Accountability.

A CAP Notebook is a product.

But the real value is what people do with it.

In a classroom, students can use CAP Notes to organize curriculum content, make associations, describe processes, create pictographs, and reflect on what they've learned.

They can then develop questions and activities to share through Game Cards and play the WAY Game.

The notebook becomes part of a process that encourages students to take greater responsibility for their learning.

The same principle applies to other SWAY resources.

Don't just sell notebooks. Help students own their learning.

Don't just sell games. Create opportunities for participation and engagement.

Don't just sell lesson plans. Help teachers use their time and experience better.

Don't just sell projects. Help students develop initiative and practical skills.

The tools are important.

But the service you provide—the knowledge, encouragement, organization, and personal attention—is where you can create additional value.

 

Can You Earn Money as a TeacherPreneur?

Possibly. But it depends on the services you offer, the people you serve, your expenses, and whether customers will pay.

SWAY Canada is not a franchise or a guaranteed source of income.

My intention is to make SWAY's educational tools and techniques available for people to explore and use, while allowing independent TeacherPreneurs to develop their own ventures within the applicable permissions.

 

Your Services, Your Business

If you develop an independent service—such as training, Game Card printing, workshops, tournaments, or consulting—you determine what to offer and what to charge.

You keep the profits from your independent services. SWAY Canada does not take a percentage of those service profits, subject to any specific agreements governing the use of SWAY materials or branding.

You're responsible for your own expenses, business obligations, and necessary permissions.

 

CAP Notebook Royalty Sharing

I also encourage participating TeacherPreneurs to introduce CAP Notebooks to people who may benefit.

My proposed arrangement is straightforward:

We split qualifying CAP Notebook royalties 50/50.

That's a share of the applicable royalty earned on a qualifying book sale—not 50% of the book's retail price.

A written agreement would establish participation, qualifying sales, payment arrangements, and other conditions.

The printed CAP Notebooks are sold separately. You can explore the educational ideas and publicly available learning resources on playway.ca without purchasing them.

 

Who Might Become a TeacherPreneur?

Retired Teachers: Your classroom experience still matters. You might help one teacher, one school, or one community group without returning to full-time teaching.

Substitute Teachers: Develop useful classroom skills and explore educational services you could offer independently of your substitute assignments.

Student Teachers: Gain experience with classroom organization, lesson planning, games, and projects while developing your professional interests.

Parents and Grandparents: Help children learn, organize family activities, volunteer where permitted, or develop community learning experiences.

Homeschoolers: Create activities, connect families, organize games, and share useful educational resources.

Entrepreneurs and Career Changers: Apply your existing skills to educational services. You don't have to be a classroom teacher to contribute something valuable, although school-based activities require appropriate qualifications, permissions, and supervision.

School Administrators: Why not play along? Support teachers, participate in school events, and help create opportunities for students and families.

You don't need to fit neatly into any one category.

 

How Do You Get Started?

I suggest beginning with one small idea.

1. Explore SWAY Canada.

Visit playway.ca and become familiar with the WAY Game, CAP Notes, SMART Digital Lesson Planning, and Entrepreneurial Project-Based Learning.

2. Choose the people you want to help.

Teachers? Students? Parents? Homeschoolers? Seniors? Community organizations?

3. Identify a problem you could help solve.

Perhaps a teacher needs Game Cards printed.

A parent wants practical learning activities.

A community group wants an engaging event.

Or a school wants to explore a student project.

4. Develop one service.

Don't try to do everything at once.

Choose something that suits your experience, interests, and resources.

5. Test your idea.

Find out whether people want what you're offering.

Ask for feedback. Calculate your costs. Make improvements.

Then decide whether to volunteer, offer a paid service, or expand your Venture.

Start with one person. One classroom. One community. One idea.

See where it takes you.

 

 

 

 

What's in It for Brian?

That's a fair question. First, I believe it's my calling - wherever that comes from. It's something to keep my brain occupied in retirement. I believe it's how I should be serving others. Apart from that, 

I earn royalties from CAP Notebook sales, and I hope a royalty-sharing arrangement can encourage others to introduce the notebooks to more people.

But money isn't the only reason I'm doing this.

I spent 33 years in classrooms, and retirement gave me time to develop ideas I wish I'd had when I was teaching.

There's also a personal story behind all this.

I was the kid who struggled in school.

Somehow, that kid became a teacher.

And that teacher spent much of his life trying to understand how children learn and how classrooms work.

Irony? Coincidence? Inspiration?

Perhaps a little of each.

At this stage of my life, I consider SWAY Canada something of a calling.

I don't want to build an educational empire.

I'd rather help other people build something worthwhile.

Your customers can visit playway.ca and explore the same educational resources.

The difference is that they have you.

Someone who can demonstrate the tools, answer questions, organize an activity, prepare materials, or help turn an idea into something that actually happens.

SWAY resources are free. Your expertise isn't.

I built the tools.

You build the relationships.

Together, perhaps we can create opportunities.

 

Interested in Becoming a TeacherPreneur?

I'd like to hear from you.

Tell me a little about yourself, your experience, and your interests.

Then answer one question:

How would you use SWAY in the service of others?

You don't need a complete business plan.

You don't need to have everything figured out.

I'm interested in people who see possibilities and take initiative.

Please understand that participation in specific royalty-sharing arrangements is subject to selection and agreement. Not everyone who contacts me will necessarily be invited into those arrangements.

But anyone can begin by exploring the publicly available educational resources.

Start with an idea. Let's see where it takes you.

Contact: bcmccarthyway@gmail.com

 

A Final Invitation

As artificial intelligence changes the way people work, I believe human relationships, creativity, teaching, and community participation will remain important.

Perhaps you have experience worth sharing.

Perhaps you're looking for meaningful work.

Perhaps you're simply wondering what comes next.

I spent 33 years teaching. Now I'd like to help others make a living helping teachers.

Learn to Play — Play to Learn.

To Remember and Be Remembered.

 

Brian McCarthy
Retired Teacher and Founder, SWAY Canada
A SMART WAY to Learn, Earn, and Play