Jennifer Orr

@jenorr.bsky.social

857 Followers 311 Following

Long time elementary school teacher, author of Demystifying Discussion and co-author of We're Gonna Keep on Talking

Multiple copies of Letters to a New Teacher: Real Advice and Practical Strategies for Getting Started in Elementary Teaching in a box.
Computer screen with the question: Based on the data from the graph, predict the height of the tree when measured in head 7. Justify you answer in complete sentences. The student’s response says: 25 because the tree keeps growing do you think I’m a nerd you damn computer.
Glass implosion with green and pink petals in glass pendant in front of a work table.
Small Venus flytrap in a pot with at least eight traps.
The cover, spine, and back cover of Letter to a New Teacher: Real Advice and Practical Strategies for Getting Started in Elementary Teaching.
Bright blue fingertips after a science experiment involving blue food dye.
Weather app showing 15 degree temperature that feels like negative 5 degrees.
Picture of me and Chris in his office.
Classroom calendar and schedule. The date says January 423.
Educators walking in the parade for the inauguration of Abigail Spanberger for governor of Virginia.
Quote from NPR article that says, “The proposal calls for the Pentagon to no longer provide medical and logistical aid to the National Jamboree, which begins in as many as 20,000 scouts to a remote site in West Virginia. It also states that the military will no longer allow Scout troops to meet at military installations in the U.S. and abroad, where many bases have active Scout programs.”
Quote that says, "The study recommends educators set testing schedules around weather conditions when possible, create better testing conditions by moving testing to cooler areas and testing during the morning, invest in updated HVAC infrastructure, and ensure that districts' infrastructure planning takes into account high-poverty communities."
Me sitting in an airport wearing a t-shirt that says protect LGBTQ+ youth, read inclusive books, teach accurate history, and spread true kindness.
A kidney table that is clear with a window behind it and a chair with a jacket on it.
Ceiling fan removed and laying on the carpet.
A bouquet of yellow roses, a stack of dark chocolate bars, and a paper about a student on a school table.
Open U-Haul truck full of classroom materials with me, my dad, and my husband standing nearby.
Black car with red light at the front between the headlights and labeled Knight Rider.
White board with the date and then a joke that says “What happened when the mouse fell in the bathtub? It came out squeaky.”
Board that says, April 4-28-25 What do you do if your dog steals your spelling homework? Take the words out of his mouth.
Teachers standing in two lines, facing each other, just inside the front door of a school. Outside, students are walking toward the door between more rows of adults.
Note that says Hi…I know where you live. - anonymous with both where and anonymous misspelled.
Two books: How Did You Count? for teachers and students.
Protestors and a sign that says As the citizens of Venice know sometimes the DOGE has got to go.
People at a protest with a sign that says As the citizens of Venice know, sometimes the DOGE has got to go.
Cardinal standing on a bird feeder looking directly at the camera.
A cardinal on a bird feeder facing the camera leaning off to the side. Kind of goofy looking.
A multiple choice math question followed by a place to explain the thinking. The student wrote, “cause if yeah” in response.
A flame of fire with a metal rod stretched into it with a glob of glass on it. The end of the glass looks like a finger pointing up.
Fifth graders looking at an earthquake simulator.
Table surface with students hands around it and an air hockey style game being played.
Screenshot of summaries of two news articles. The titles are Schools Face Tight Deadline to Comply with DEI Ban and Study: Gender Stereotypes in STEM Begin at Age Six.
Board that says: What makes a website reliable? Find the official website (if one exists) Find multiple sources Well known sources Check the background of the source
A white breasted nuthatch sitting on a bird feeder looking at the camera.
Panel of five educators at Science Leadership Academy.
Small bird with wings out flying straight toward bird feeder and camera.
Eastern bluebird up close and looking right at the camera.
Looking out past a deck covered with snow to mountains in the distance with the sun just showing over the tips.
View of a valley and mountains in the distance and a cloudy sky.
Two glass gnomes, one with a blue and white hat and white beard and the other with a red, flower-like beard and black hat with large white dots.
Fifth graders building with legos.
Brown and white chihuahua in a kitchen.
Red bellied woodpecker picking seeds out of a feeder.
Sign in a theater about the show All the Devils are Here.
Elementary school classroom door decorated with a large candy cane and fluffy clouds with a sign saying North Pole.
Note from a student, it says “Does Ellen Oh have any more of the series Spirit Hunters”
Me holding Matt Kay’s newest book, Prompting Deeper Discussions, with our book cover, We’re Gonna Keep on Talking in the background.
Session description - the title is Standing for - Indeed, Fighting for - Teacher Professionalism and the Right to Teach Responsibly.
Conference session at NCTE titled Refining Our Practice for a Loving Pedagogy.
Pork taco with sour cream, salsa, corn, and beans in a soft tortilla with a bamboo fork.
Eastern bluebird perched on a bird feeder looking right at the camera.
A very photogenic tufted titmouse on a bird feeder.
Teachers in an inflatable t-Rex costume and an inflatable sloth costume racing down a school hallway.
A white breasted nuthatch on a bird feeder.
Morning message on smartboard for fifth graders with the final prompt to write a word with a silent e. The words written are cake, rake, rage, and die.
Bird feeder hanging in the dark with a small rodent-like creature on it.