Social studies teachers play a pivotal role in shaping the civic development of young people, influencing how they come to understand American democracy, citizenship, and national identity. Yet we know little about the civic beliefs, identities, and interpretive frameworks that teachers bring to their work, especially as articulated in their own words. This qualitative inquiry engages twelve practicing high school social studies teachers in philosophical conversation about their civic understandings and professional experiences during a period of profound democratic uncertainty. Drawing on methodological principles from constructivist grounded theory, narrative inquiry, and phenomenology, this study explores how these educators articulate their civic ideologies and self-conceptions, how they perceive the current political and civic moment, and how they make meaning of their responsibilities as civic educators in a time of democratic fracture. By offering a nuanced rendering of how a group of social studies teachers understand American democracy, citizenship, and national identity, this study illuminates an underexamined yet crucial dimension of civic education: the moral and ideological commitments of educators themselves. The findings provide insight into the civic self-conceptions, ideologies, and interpretive logics teachers bring to their professional practice. These insights will be of interest to social studies and civic education policymakers, teacher educators, and practitioners seeking to reimagine civic education in ways that are more responsive to the demands of contemporary American civic and political life.