ABSTRACT

The Brave Educator equips you with accessible and refreshingly useful tools for real conversations about race that prepare students for the world beyond the school walls. More than a toolkit, this book is a personal conversation exploring the journey from being stuck in the belief that we should already know how to lead conversations about race to learning how to actually have the conversation. It’s companionship for educators, leaders, and teachers facing overwhelming daily responsibilities and searching for open-hearted support. Inside you’ll find a flexible road map to help carve a path through difficult conversations in your classroom, plus question prompts, resource lists, and crucial tips to help you avoid common pitfalls. The grounded perspective and real-world examples in these pages will help you feel less alone as you move from tentative to prepared.

chapter |14 pages

Introduction

Let’s Start With Not Knowing Where to Start

section Section I|19 pages

Two Tips to Give You a Solid Start

chapter |8 pages

Solid Start Tip 1

Let’s Try Listening to Each Other

chapter |9 pages

Solid Start Tip 2

Let’s Make Room for Discovery

section Section II|42 pages

Your Flexible Four-Step Road Map

chapter |12 pages

Step 1

Three Words to Help Keep Student Learning at the Center

chapter |10 pages

Step 2

How to Decide What Really Matters in Your Classroom

chapter |7 pages

Step 3

Create Boundaries That Support You and Your Students in the Classroom

chapter |10 pages

Step 4

We All Have This. Pay Attention to Yours

section Section III|67 pages

Seven Connection Strategies to Help You Navigate Classroom Conversations About Race

chapter |6 pages

Connection Strategy 1

A Quick Chat About Uncomfortable Moments in the Classroom

chapter |13 pages

Connection Strategy 2

Read This If You Feel Completely Overwhelmed

chapter |5 pages

Connection Strategy 3

You Have This Choice to Make When Students Start Trusting You

chapter |10 pages

Connection Strategy 4

Lists for When You’re Worried Everything Will Go Wrong

chapter |15 pages

Connection Strategy 5

Try This When You’re Not Sure What to Do Next

chapter |5 pages

Connection Strategy 6

Mini-Conversations for When Time Is Tight

chapter |7 pages

Connection Strategy 7

Make Tiny Tweaks in Your Classroom