Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! While I am thrilled to see so many teachers in our community being celebrated with flowers, free breakfasts, and sweet notes – I can’t help but think that we should appreciate teachers all year, not just a single week in May.

At Open Up Resources, we are committed to elevating and amplifying teacher voices every day of the year. So while you may see us celebrate on social media this week with several teacher call-outs and inspiring quotes, we also want to ensure our community knows we are committed to doing more for ALL teachers.

Our Open Up Resources Community Coach program allows teachers to stay in the classroom while also expanding their professional growth by giving them a spotlight on a larger stage. I was a classroom teacher for 13 years and if there had been career advancement opportunities beyond leaving the classroom or being an administrator, I would still be there. It is our hope that this program helps us keep our best and brightest in front of students. 

At our first HIVE conference, it was amazing to see the impact the program had in its first year. There’s something especially awesome about watching classroom teachers being treated like true celebrities with folks lined up to talk with them or grab a photo for their classroom.

This year we’ve decided to take it one step further. As we began our discussion about who would keynote our 3rd annual conference, we tossed around a lot of ideas. We’ve selected some amazing speakers from equity experts to content specialists but something was missing – teacher voice. 

That’s why for this year’s conference, we’ve selected one math teacher and one ELA teacher who use Open Up Resources curricula to give a keynote address. Nicole Scheib and Dr. Amy Whitener are superstars in and out of the classroom and they, like teachers all over the country, deserve to have the microphone on a larger stage. 

The real expertise in education is on display every day in classrooms and we are committed to recognizing that not only this week, but every week of the year. 

Teachers – we see you, appreciate you, and are ready to pass the mic to you!

Brooke Powers
Director of Professional Learning
Open Up Resources

A 2017 Milken Educator and former 7th grade math teacher, Brooke is passionate about Open Up Resources curricula and empowering teachers as leaders within the Open Up Resources communities.

Find her on twitter at @lbrookepowers.