Workshops
Our learning experiences are organized into three core strands:
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Instruction: Workshops that strengthen classroom practice and provide concrete, turnkey instructional moves grounded in research.
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Leadership: Sessions focused on the skills, mindsets, and decision-making frameworks that help Black male educators lead with clarity, confidence, and coherence.
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Roundtable Discussions: Courageous community conversations that confront the often-unspoken realities Black men navigate in schools and broader systems.
Instructional
Workshops that strengthen classroom practice and provide concrete, turnkey instructional moves grounded in research.
Science of Reading
led by Darryl Williams and Alonte Johnson
This session will explore how evidence-based reading practices can accelerate literacy development, build confidence, and foster a lifelong love of reading for students.
Participants will examine key elements of the science of reading—including phonemic awareness, decoding, fluency, and comprehension—and discover actionable techniques to implement immediately in their classrooms. Through demonstration, discussion, and collaborative problem-solving, educators will leave equipped to transform literacy instruction, strengthen student engagement, and amplify the voices of students as confident, capable readers.
This session highlights the transformative power of reading instruction when guided by research, experience, and the voices of Black male educators.
Engagement That’s Not Entertainment: Building Purposeful Student Talk
led by Art Worrell
Engagement should increase thinking—not distract from it. This session explores routines for accountable talk, modeling reasoning, and structuring student conversations in ways that deepen understanding. Attendees walk away with talk stems, protocols, and classroom-ready structures that develop confident, articulate thinkers.
Just Tell Them: The Power of Explanations and Explicit Teaching
led by Denarius Frazier
This workshop draws on the core ideas from Just Tell Them to explore how clear, explicit explanation can become a transformative tool in the hands of Black male educators. Participants will examine how purposeful modeling, precise language, and guided practice not only accelerate learning, but also build students’ confidence and trust—especially for students who have been historically underserved.
Grounded in culturally responsive practice, this session empowers educators to blend clarity with care. Participants will practice breaking down complex ideas, anticipating misconceptions, and delivering explanations that center students’ identities, brilliance, and potential. By the end, educators will walk away with concrete strategies to make learning accessible, equitable, and inspiring—because clarity isn’t just good pedagogy; it’s an act of leadership and liberation.
Data-driven Teaching in 20 Minutes
led by Dr. Quinterrence Bell
Data-driven instruction doesn’t require hours of planning. This workshop outlines a sustainable, teacher-friendly routine for gathering quick data, analyzing student work, and planning targeted responses. Participants receive progress-monitoring tools, student feedback protocols, and systems that make data-use simple and impactful.
Black Boys and Literacy
led by Michael Debnam
This session examines the urgent and powerful role educators play in shaping the literacy journeys of Black boys. Participants will explore the cultural, social, and instructional factors that influence reading engagement and achievement, and uncover practices that affirm identity, build confidence, and cultivate a lifelong love of reading. Through discussion, real classroom examples, and research-based strategies, educators will learn how to create literacy environments where Black boys see themselves, feel valued, and thrive as readers and thinkers.
Leadership
Sessions focused on the skills, mindsets, and decision-making frameworks that help Black male educators lead with clarity, confidence, and coherence.
Reading the Room: Diagnosing Leadership Challenges Through the Four Frames
led by Dr. Vernon-James Riley
Black male educators often step into leadership roles carrying both high expectations and invisible pressures. Whether leading from the classroom, a dean’s office, or the principal’s seat, our effectiveness depends not just on our actions — but on how accurately we understand the dynamics around us.
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In this session, former Uncommon principal Dr. Vernon-James Riley draws from his own leadership journey to introduce Bolman & Deal’s Four Frames of Leadership — Structural, Human Resources, Political, and Symbolic. Participants will explore why leaders often default to one frame, what gets missed when we don’t attend to the others, and how this matters specifically for Black men navigating visibility, scrutiny, and cultural expectations in schools.
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Together, we will analyze real leadership dilemmas through case studies, using the Four Frames to surface hidden dynamics, identify root causes, and generate clearer pathways forward. Participants will then apply the framework to a current challenge in their own context, examining how each frame reshapes their understanding of what’s happening and what they might do next.
The Power of Inspirational Messaging: Leading Through Words and Vision
led by Jaz Grant
In the ever-shifting landscape of education, the most powerful tool a leader possesses is not authority—it is the ability to inspire. This workshop centers Black male educators as architects of hope, motivation, and transformational influence within their schools and communities. Together, we will explore how intentional, values-driven messaging can mobilize students, colleagues, and families toward meaningful results.
Participants will examine the elements of inspirational communication—clarity, authenticity, cultural awareness, and emotional resonance—and practice crafting messages that uplift, empower, and catalyze action. Through collaborative dialogue, real-world examples, and interactive exercises, educators will leave with practical strategies for communicating vision in ways that build trust, strengthen relationships, and spark collective momentum.
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This session affirms a core truth: the ultimate measure of leadership is the ability to motivate and inspire others to achieve—and to believe—in what is possible.
The Art of Coaching for Clarity, Confidence & Culture
led by Equel Easterling
Black male educators bring powerful presence, expertise, and insight into schools yet coaching adults often requires a delicate balance of clarity, truth, and emotional discipline. This workshop equips educators with research-aligned, culturally aware frameworks for giving feedback that builds skill, strengthens trust, and moves results. Participants will learn a four-part feedback cycle, practice scripting high-leverage feedback statements, and rehearse coaching scenarios rooted in real instructional examples.
Difficult Conversations Without Damage: Feedback, Accountability, and the Art of Adult Leadership
led by Na’Jee Carter
This session supports leaders in navigating tough conversations with clarity and care. Participants will learn how to deliver direct feedback, address misalignment, resolve conflict, and maintain trust. Through practice and guided frameworks, attendees leave with scripts and moves they can apply the next day.
Roundtable Discussion
Courageous community conversations that confront the often-unspoken realities Black men navigate in schools and broader systems.
Breaking the Disciplinarian Box: Redefining the Role of Black Male Educators
led by Shana Pyatt
Black male educators are too often expected to be disciplinarians, mentors, and teachers all at once — a conflation that can impact relationships, well-being, and school culture. This interactive roundtable provides a structured approach, using frameworks developed from multiple research sources — including work by Bristol, Harper, Milner, and the Education Trust — to help participants identify, analyze, and address these challenges.
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Attendees will leave with practical tools and actionable strategies to protect instructional time, affirm professional identity, and foster equitable, sustainable school practices.
The Souls of Black Men
led by Rev. Dr. Rashad Moore
This session creates space for Black male educators to explore the unseen, often unspoken dimensions of our work—the emotional, historical, and spiritual weight we carry into classrooms and leadership roles. Through guided reflection and collective dialogue, we will examine how our identities shape the way we teach, lead, build relationships, and navigate systems that are not always designed with us in mind. Participants will engage practical strategies for strengthening instructional practice, deepening leadership clarity, and cultivating communities of care for ourselves and our students. This workshop invites us to tell the truth about our experiences, tap into our inner reserves of wisdom and resilience, and imagine what it means to show up whole, grounded, and powerful in the work of educating Black children.
The Compass & The Calling
led by Bobby Morgan
This workshop is a reflective and practical experience for Black male leaders who want to transform how they lead, decide, and build school culture. Using the Equity Compass Framework, participants will explore four guiding dimensions: Belief, Behavior, Partnership, and Impact. These serve as tools for aligning who they are with how they lead.
Leadership is not neutral. Every decision either reinforces or reimagines the systems our students experience. In spaces where excellence is expected, this session helps Black men navigate the balance between high expectations and human-centered leadership. Through reflection, collaboration, and storytelling, participants will examine how identity influences decision making, how systems reflect beliefs, and how to lead with both truth and care.
This session is not about adding more equity work to your plate. It is about re-centering the work through the lens of who you are, what you believe, and how you show up.
Breaking the Imposter Myth: Building Belonging Together
led by Tyler Hawkins & Kelvin Ephraim
By the end of this session, Black male educators will engage in honest, courageous dialogue that surfaces the unique challenges of navigating imposter syndrome within our educational systems. Through guided focus questions, participants will affirm their sense of belonging and worth—honoring the legacy and ongoing contributions of Black male educators at Uncommon and beyond.
Together, we will explore how intelligence and moral character intersect in our work, and collectively commit to reshaping the narratives within our circles of influence. This session invites participants to own their space, challenge limiting beliefs, and strengthen the communal voice that says: We belong here.
The Power of Family Partnership
led by Sekou Barry
In this session, we will explore the true power that comes from strong, intentional collaboration with families. Together, we will unpack actionable strategies for building trust, strengthening communication, and leveraging family partnership as a driving force for our student success. Participants will leave with practical tools they can implement immediately to deepen relationships and build a more connected, supportive school community. You will also hear directly from the voices of the parents we serve to gain a true understanding of what family–school partnership means from a parent’s perspective.
Beyond the Binary: The Intersection of Race and Sexual Identity in the Gen Z Classroom
led by Christopher Battist
This presentation explores the intersection of race and sexual identity among Gen Z students, highlighting how these overlapping identities shape their educational experiences, sense of belonging, and engagement. Centering the perspectives of Black male educators, the session examines both the challenges and opportunities in fostering inclusive, affirming classrooms for a generation redefining identity and masculinity. Through reflection, data, and practical strategies, participants will consider how to model authenticity, empathy, and cultural responsiveness to support all students, especially those navigating the complexities of being both Black and queer in today’s educational landscape.
