As teachers, we’re used to asking students to show their work, meet a deadline, and give their best. What we’re not used to is asking for something in return.
But today is Giving Tuesday, and I’m asking you to give back to the people who quietly give everything, every day.
When people think about what teachers “give,” they usually picture lesson plans, report cards, and classroom supplies. But the real list is much longer.
Teachers are the ones who notice when a student seems off and check in quietly after class. Keep a calm voice during drills so children don’t absorb the fear adults are holding. Carry the emotional weight of every close call, every lockdown, every “Are we safe?” long after the day ends.
Most of that work never makes the headlines. But it is prevention. It is care. And it is happening every single day in classrooms across the country.
Teachers Unify was created to uplift the labor educators are doing and the feelings they are having in the fight to end gun violence. We are equipping families and educators with secure-storage education through Project Lockdown, so safety starts long before a crisis ever reaches a classroom. We are providing trauma-informed crisis support and preventive strategies through our Crisis Intervention & Support Team, so teachers aren’t left to navigate this alone. We’re bringing educators into the rooms where decisions are made, so policies are shaped with teachers, not just for them.
If teachers have ever given you or someone you love safety, stability, encouragement, or a sense of possibility, this is a chance to give something back.
Teachers Unify is a grassroots movement of educators across America whose mission is to empower its constituents and supporters to demand that communities are safe from gun violence.
