Across the country, teachers are seeing firsthand how division and polarization are affecting students — both inside and outside the classroom. Many young people struggle to engage in thoughtful discussions, listen to different perspectives, or disagree with respect. Educators are stepping up to teach the skills students need to navigate a world where difficult conversations are unavoidable, but they often do so without enough resources or support.
At Teachers in Their Power, we want to amplify the voices of educators working to bridge divides in their classrooms. Your stories matter—not just to other teachers, but to parents, policymakers, and communities who need to understand why teaching civil discourse and constructive dialogue is critical for the future of our students and our democracy.
Table of Contents
Who can submit?
Current PreK-12 teachers.
The word teacher is intentionally used to bring more power to this title and keep the focus on PreK-12 educators who work within school systems. School educators who work directly with students — including paraprofessionals, speech language pathologists, and counselors — are welcome.
Frame your thoughts on this issue for maximum impact
We know the challenges are real—but simply stating “America is more divided than ever” often leads to public disengagement rather than action. Instead of reinforcing frustration, we encourage educators to frame their stories in ways that inspire understanding, urgency, and solutions when discussing how teachers can help students talk across differences in a deeply polarized America.
✔️ Make it personal, but connect it to the bigger picture.
- Share a real moment or classroom experience, but tie it to the broader need for civil discourse.
- Example: “Last year, my students were debating a controversial issue. Instead of shutting down, we spent time learning to listen, ask thoughtful questions, and engage with respect. It reminded me how critical it is to teach these skills — because the way we talk to each other in school shapes how we talk as a society.”
✔️ Describe the impact on students.
- Many people are concerned about polarization and feel moved by how it affects young people’s ability to engage in meaningful discussions.
- Example: “I’ve seen students come into my class feeling afraid to express their opinions because they don’t want to be attacked. But when we create a space where they can disagree with respect, they leave feeling more confident, curious, and willing to engage with different perspectives.”
✔️ Offer solutions, not just problems.
- Explain what’s working in classrooms where teachers are helping students have difficult conversations productively.
- Example: “We use structured discussions in my classroom to help students practice civil discourse. When they learn to disagree with curiosity instead of hostility, they not only strengthen their critical thinking skills but also build a culture of respect that extends beyond the classroom.”
✔️ Avoid “us vs. them” language.
- Parents, administrators, and policymakers are not the enemy — frame them as potential allies.
- Example: Instead of “Schools need to teach students how to have difficult conversations because people today don’t know how to listen,” try “As educators, parents, and community members, we all play a role in helping students engage in meaningful conversations.”
✔️ Challenge misconceptions with facts and experiences.
- Many believe that students are too young to engage in serious discussions or that schools should avoid difficult topics altogether. Use concrete examples to show how dialogue benefits students and answers questions they naturally bring up.
- Example: “When we had a discussion about free speech, students from different backgrounds brought in their own perspectives. Instead of getting defensive, they asked each other questions and even changed their minds. These conversations don’t divide students — they teach them how to think critically and connect with others.”
✔️ End with a call to action.
- Leave your audience with a clear takeaway — what can they do to help?
- Example: “If we want the next generation to build a stronger, more united country, we need to equip them with the skills to communicate across differences. They also need these skills to succeed in college or the career of their choice. Support teachers who are doing this work, and encourage schools to make civil discourse a priority.”
Framing your story in these ways ensures your voice is not just heard, but that it moves people to care, engage, and take action.
Explore the process
Guide on filming and uploading your video
Devices
You can record your video using any device of your choice: a camera, a phone, or a computer. We recommend creating a short test video to check that everything is working properly before recording your full story.
Here are some step-by-step guides and resources you might want to use:
Phone or tablet
- Open your device’s Camera app.
- Move from Photo to Video mode.
- Tap the Record button to start recording.
- Tap the same button again to stop recording.
- Make sure your video was saved to your camera roll.
- Rename the file [Last name]_[First name]_TITP (not a dealbreaker, since we know renaming can be tough from the Photos app).
- Upload your file via the Teachers in Their Power submission form.
Mac: QuickTime Player
- Open the QuickTime Player app on your computer.
- If you’re having trouble finding the app, you can click the magnifying glass icon in the upper right corner of your screen to search.
- When the app opens, your QuickTime files folder will pop up. Leave this folder open, then navigate to the menu bar at the top of your screen and choose File > New Movie Recording.
- When the recording window opens, recording controls will appear.
- These controls are automatically hidden when your mouse is not active in the recording window. To get the controls back, just move your mouse in the window.
- Set the Volume control to the left of the red Record button to mute.
- Click the red button to record.
- Click the red button again to stop recording.
- When you’re done recording, close the window or press ⌘s to save your video.
- Name the file [Last name]_[First name]_TITP.
- Choose the folder where you want to save your video. The default option will be your Quicktime Player folder in your iCloud library.
- After you save your file, QuickTime Player will close. If you’d like to review your video, you can reopen the app and select your file.
- Upload your file via the Teachers in Their Power submission form.
Mac: Photo Booth
- Open the Photo Booth app on your computer.
- If you’re having trouble finding the app, you can click the magnifying glass icon in the upper right corner of your screen to search.
- The app will open in photo mode. Switch to video mode by clicking the video camera icon in the lower left corner of the Photo Booth window.
- Click the red button to record. Wait for the 3-2-1 countdown to finish before you start talking.
- Click the red button again to stop recording.
- To review your video, click the video thumbnail in the lower right of your PhotoBooth window.
- To save your video, right-click the video thumbnail, then choose Export.
- Alternatively, you can click the video thumbnail, then choose File > Save from the menu bar at the top of your screen.
- Name the file [Last name]_[First name]_TITP.
- Choose the folder where you want to save your video. The default option will be the Movies folder.
- Upload your file via the Teachers in Their Power submission form.
Windows PC: Camera
- Open the Camera app on your computer by selecting Start > Camera.
- If you’re having trouble finding the app, you can click the magnifying glass icon in the upper right corner of your screen to search.
- Click the video camera icon at the right side of your window to start recording.
- Click the red button to stop recording. Your video will be automatically saved to your Camera Roll folder.
- To review your video, click the thumbnail in the bottom right corner of your screen, then press play.
- To rename your video, click the thumbnail, then click the three dots in the upper right of your window. Select See More. Right-click your file, select Rename, and name your file [Last name]_[First name]_TITP.
- If you want, move your file to a different folder where you can find it easily.
- Upload your file via the Teachers in Their Power submission form.
Other Free Resources
- For Apple devices:
- For Windows devices and Chromebooks:
- For any device:
Lighting & Sound
Record in a well-lit space free of ambient noise. If you’re worried about background noise, you can use headphones with a mic. We strongly recommend doing a couple test recordings to check that everything’s working before you get started.
Layout
To ensure your video fits the layout on different platforms, please record in landscape (horizontally). Situate yourself in the center third of the frame.
No Editing Needed
If you’re submitting your video to Teachers in Their Power, you don’t need to worry about editing! We’ll clean everything up and format your video for posting to different platforms. We prefer if the video does not include text or effects.
But if you’re feeling ambitious, you can check out the free version of our go-to editing tool, Descript, and share your Descript file with us.
Ethical & Legal Considerations
Please don’t mention students, parents, or other individuals by name. Avoid any potentially identifying details. And if you’re not sure, err on the side of caution. “I was teaching in a small town in Kansas” instead of “I was teaching in Cottonwood Falls” is just fine.
Submission
If you’d like your video to be considered for inclusion on Teachers in Their Power, you can submit it via this Google form.
Create your story
Having trouble of thinking of what to say in your video? One recommendation is to use the And, But, So (ABS) Framework. The purpose of this particular storytelling framework is to drive people to take an action.
Example:
Teachers play a crucial role in preparing students for the future, and our classrooms are one of the few places where young people from different backgrounds can learn to engage with diverse perspectives.
But in today’s deeply polarized climate, students are often exposed to division, misinformation, and fear of disagreement — making it harder for them to communicate across differences.
So if we want strong communities and a more united future, we must equip students with the skills to engage in meaningful conversations.
You could ask yourself:
- What problems related to this issue are you facing that you wish would be addressed?
- What do you love that’s at risk because of this problem?
- Explain this problem like you’re explaining it to someone who knows nothing about education.
- What should we do as a society to address this problem?
Or, you could work backwards from the action you know you want people to take:
- What is the problem this action addresses?
- Explain this problem like you’re explaining it to someone who knows nothing about education.
- What do you love that’s at risk because of this problem?
You don’t need to write out your story before recording — in fact, we recommend not doing that. Instead, imagine that you’re doing a casual, conversational interview with someone asking you these questions. In your recording, simply answer the questions the way you would in a conversation. It’s absolutely fine if there are hesitations, repetitions, or moments of silent reflection in your recording. We’ll take care of all that during our editing process.
Once you’re set up, it should take you less than 30 minutes to record your self-interview. Submissions can be anywhere from 3 to 30 minutes, but we find that the ideal length tends to be about 10 (unedited) minutes. If your story is accepted for inclusion on Teachers in Their Power, it will most likely be edited down.
Ready to get started?
Submit your story
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