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March 8 @ 9:00 am – 3:30 pm
Kids, Books, and Anti-Racism Series: Jennifer Orr
How to Engage Your Students in Meaningful Race Conversations
- Classroom Teachers, Interventionists & Specialists
- Literacy Coaches & Teacher Leaders
- District & School Leaders
- $499 for Complete Series (includes all professional texts)
- Discounts available for groups, Lesley students and alumni! Email CRRLC@lesley.edu to inquire.
Friday, March 8, 2024
How to Engage Your Students in Meaningful Race Conversations with Jennifer Orr
Even our youngest learners have questions about race, both historically and in their current lives. As educators we need to be prepared and capable to facilitate conversations around these questions in our classrooms. In today’s political climate that task may feel even more challenging and the fact that we will make mistakes can feel daunting. That does not make this work less important.
Join Jennifer to learn strategies you can employ to set yourself and your students up for success with these conversations and gain pedagogical understandings that can help you plan and navigate challenging conversations well.
Participants will:
- Explore strategies for building community and trust before engaging in challenging conversations
- Learn about teaching moves and rationales that support facilitating challenging conversations in your classroom
- Identify children’s books that can prompt and support race conversations
Registered participants will receive a copy of the professional text, We’re Gonna Keep On Talking: How to Lead Meaningful Race Conversations in the Elementary Classroom (co-written by Jennifer Orr and Matthew Kay).
This full-day workshop will be recorded. Registered individuals will have through June 30 to access this recording. Instructions to access the recording will be sent about 1-2 weeks following the session. Due to the workshop’s interactive structure, we highly recommend that registrants participate live on the day of the event.
Attendees will earn 6 professional development hours for their participation.
Jennifer Orr 
Jennifer Orr has been an elementary school classroom teacher for more than twenty-five years in Fairfax County, Virginia, teaching kindergartners through fifth graders. She has been a National Board Certified Teacher for twenty years, a Teacher Consultant with the Northern Virginia Writing Project, and a frequent mentor to new and pre-service teachers. She is the co-author, with Matthew R. Kay, of We’re Gonna Keep on Talking: How to Lead Meaningful Race Conversations in the Elementary Classroom and the author of Demystifying Discussion: How to Teach and Assess Academic Conversation Skills, K-5.
This workshop is part of a larger series designed to deepen your understanding of how to cultivate anti-bias and anti-racist practices in classrooms and schools. You may register for this individual workshop or all of the series.
Kids, Books & Anti-Racism Series
Wednesday, January 17, 2024 with Carla España
Session Title: Read, Laugh, and Learn Together: Integrating Diverse Texts to Support Multilingual Learners in Your School
Friday, March 8, 2024 with Jennifer Orr
Session Title: How to Engage Your Students in Meaningful Race Conversations
Monday, May 6, 2024 with Vivian Vasquez
Session Title: Centering What Matters to Children: How to Connect Your Teaching to Your Students’ Passions and Inquiry Questions
Click here for information about the complete 2024 Kids, Books & Anti-Racism Series.
Cancellation Deadline & Refund Policies
For a registrant who purchased the Complete Bundle and would like to cancel their registration, the last day to get a full refund is January 3, 2024. A cancellation must be submitted in writing.
For a registrant who purchased individual sessions and would like to cancel their registration, the last day to get a full refund for Carla España’s session is January 3, 2024, Jennifer Orr’s session is February 23, 2024, and Vivian Vasquez’s session is April 22, 2024. A cancellation must be submitted in writing.
Email CRRLC@lesley.edu to cancel or request a substitution. Regardless of conditions, if the event is held but you cannot attend, you will be billed for the full amount.
Registration Deadline
We highly recommend registering at least five business days before the event to allow the minimum amount of time to ship the professional texts.
Independent Learning Policy & Recordings
Each full-day workshop will be recorded. Registered individuals will have through June 30 to access a recording. Instructions to access the recording will be sent about 1-2 weeks following the session. Due to the workshop’s interactive structure, we highly recommend that registrants participate live on the day of the event.
The registrant agrees to access the live sessions and/or recordings for the purpose of independent learning. Access to the live sessions and/or recordings is restricted to the registrant and may not be accessed in a group setting.
Requirements for Participation
In order to receive your certificate of attendance, you will be asked to complete an electronic one-page insight form. We will provide more information about this process after each session. Please allow our team 2-3 weeks to process your certificate.
Share a flyer about the series with your colleagues!
Customized Literacy Professional Learning
Our Center faculty will partner with you to design customized professional learning, workshops, and other job-embedded learning opportunities for educators, facilitated in-person or virtually.
Kids, Books, and Anti-Racism Series: Vivian Vasquez
Join us for the third event in our 2024 Kids, Books, and Anti-Racism series!
Kids, Books, and Anti-Racism Series: Carla España
Join us for the first event in our 2024 Kids, Books, and Anti-Racism series! Register for the complete series or individual sessions.