Everyone Needs Teachers. Teachers need Champions.
Regardless of individual experience with teaching or learning, teaching as a profession is worth elevating to the reverence it deserves for our children and in our society, especially for communities of color and American Indian communities.
Everyone is invited to champion the teaching profession.
Use this messaging toolkit to shift how we view, talk about, and relate to the profession. Together we can share the profound impact teachers have in our society.
Who is the Toolkit For?
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Explore these messages and share a story about one that resonates.
Elevate the power of your impact through conversation and sharing positively on social media.
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Be a visible champion and to teachers and share stories of positive impact of teachers to your network.
Partner with Elevate Teaching and participate in our storytelling campaigns.
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Elevate the stories of teachers and their journeys to the career.
Share this toolkit to encourage teaching as an admirable profession.
Embrace these key messages in your current events & programs.
Invite or host an event with Elevate Teaching.
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Listen to constituents who are teachers.
Publically elevate teachers voices and show solidarity.
Vote for legislation that supports and funds public education and teacher prep programs.
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Show care and create a positive working environment for teachers.
Prioritize recruitment and retention of teachers of color.
Elevate the stories of teachers and their alternative journeys to the career.
Be a champion and share our Elevate Teaching stories.
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Share stories of positive impact of teachers. Submit stories on our website!
Advocate and leverage political power to support educators.
Be a champion and share our Elevate Teaching stories.
How to Get Started!
STEP 1: Explore the teaching messages in the kit or read more by scrolling below.
Teaching is creative, Teaching is legacy
Teaching is opportunity, Teaching is teamwork…
STEP 2: Identify a message that means something to you.
It can be from your own experience or one you’ve had with a past teacher.
STEP 3: Share your story with us! Help amplify by sharing a story of a teacher who has made an impact.
STEP 4: Download the kit and
share these messages with
another champion.
Creative Ways to Use the Toolkit!
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Identify a key message that resonates with you and share a story/quote with us about what it means to you as a teacher or teacher supporter.
Identify one or two teachers who embody a theme and nominate them to be recognized.
Share a quote, photo (if they have it) and their email so we can follow up and thank them!
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Forward this website to at least two others in your network who these messages might resonate with to share their stories with us.
Use kit as talking pieces for school board meetings, meetings with other districts, union / association meetings, or during onboarding new teachers
Share with new teachers and encourage them to share why they teach!
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Get a small group together over a casual lunch or coffee, bring your cards and start a conversation. Here are some questions to get you started:
“What teacher made a powerful impact on your life?”
“How has a teacher changed or shaped your life?”
“What role has teaching and learning played in your community?”
“In what ways has learning expanded your creativity?”
“Are there any teachers who helped you develop skills you still use today?”
“What would you share with your past teachers, knowing what you know now?”
teaching is creative
teaching is legacy
teaching is teamwork
teaching is community building
teaching is opportunity
teaching is evolving
Outreach & Events
Bring the messaging kit to life by inviting Elevate Teaching to your next event. Let’s start a conversation here!
Acknowledgments & Partnerships
Elevate Teaching extends its gratitude to the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) for their sponsorship and commitment to supporting educators. Their partnership has been instrumental in creating this toolkit to inspire and enhance teaching excellence.
We are also grateful for the talented illustrators and designers at Pollen Midwest for their creative work, to the Action Network Champions Circle participants for their invaluable insights, the Advisory Council for their guidance, and GenNext’s generous support in printing our toolkits. Together, their collective efforts have made this toolkit a reality.