Teachers show up in different forms and in many chapters of a child’s life. Teaching is literacy and numeracy but, most importantly, it’s showing up with your whole heart. It’s walking kids—and yourself—through the hardest conversations about trauma, loss, grief, racism, or violence. As we work to piece together our education system in the fallout from global pandemic, the focus must be on the teachers. If the people in charge—those teachers—aren’t OK, the students don’t stand a chance.

Dr. Jody Carrington and Laurie McIntosh bring together theory and practice, weaving the science of human development with real-life stories and tangible strategies told by those most qualified to share them—our teachers. This book is for those who need a place to land when they want to be reminded that, simply by the choice of their profession, they are a powerful force in shaping our world.

“Teachers These Days is filled with heartfelt happies and heartbreaking hurts. I connect with the theory-into-practice way that it is set up, and I appreciated the voices of the others in their raw, poignant stories.”

—Barbara Gruener, teacher and school counselor

“Teachers These Days honors the work and experience of educators while providing a familiar context to all teachers. The section on grief is captivating and visceral and beautiful.”

—Meaghan Reist and Shelley Smith, vice principals and creators of Culture Curators EDU