In 2022, after two years of the COVID virus profoundly interrupting social connection, learning, work and human mobility, governments worldwide turned material and rhetorical attention to life ‘post-pandemic’. Understandably, teachers who were central in keeping communities virtually connected during the pandemic—are positioned as core to a return to the quality of life and to gaining social futures beyond COVID-19. This is reflected in the theme of the 64th ICET World Assembly Building Creative Global Teacher Education Communities Post-Pandemic. This conceptual paper, given initially as a keynote at this conference, argues that for teachers, the state of crisis has not abated, rather, post-COVID educators are ‘returning’ pre-existing and enduring social, environmental and workforce crises that have been amplified during the global health crisis (Rosehart et al. 2022). The paper contends that for teachers to respond to the major social and environmental justice issues of our time, it is important to examine the structures and practices which standardise and regulate teachers and teaching and limit the creativity required for powerful knowledge building. Drawing on recent research, the paper offers an example of the ways in which teachers might be supported to reimagine disciplines and subjects in order address and respond to the major crises of our time.