Convention Connections-Between Breaths: Beginning a Reflective Songwriting Practice
2024-10-15 16:30 - 18:30 (America/New_York)
When I became an adult, I asked my father how he switched modes between a high-stress job and the very different demands of family life. He told me he stood at each door, to work and home, and took several deep breaths. As an arts and health teaching artist and researcher, I recognize this strategy as an emotional technology. Transitioning through moments, places, people, work, and relationships takes subtle energy changes.
Working internationally with health workers, educators, and families of neurodivergent children, I’ve learned how vital a song can be between breaths. If I wrote this song with my father, perhaps we’d call it “Before the Door” and explore this theme together. In our workshop, we’ll explore our own themes and begin your song. Leave this session energized, tuned in, full of ideas, and creatively confident, either with the beginnings of a song or inspired by each other’s feedback and collaboration.
This is a prelude to the conference, where I’ll be joined by a team of my favorite teaching artists for a collective co-write, a series of musical activities, a workshop, and a culminating performance of this year’s original song.

Arts Integration Foundations--Part 1
2024-10-22 16:30 - 18:30
Arts integration is an effective strategy for cultivating a positive climate and culture and deepening student engagement. Part 1 will immerse participants in the fundamental components of high-quality arts integration. Knowledge and skills needed to move confidently from planning to implementation will be explored. Drawing upon New Jersey’s Arts Integration Think and Do Workbook, participants will identify realistic goals and develop concrete action steps to guide their arts integration work.

Using Artificial Intelligence in your Classroom
2024-10-23 16:30 - 18:30, 2025-02-05 16:30 - 18:30
This workshop is designed to provide teachers with a basic understanding of AI and how it can be integrated into their teaching practices to benefit both themselves and their students. We’ll explore text, image, and even assessment generators and ways to use AI to help differentiate instruction. The workshop will also include a discussion of plagiarism detection, the potential future applications of AI in education, and the role of teachers in preparing students for a world increasingly shaped by AI.

The Student as the Teacher - Lessons We Can Learn from Elementary Students
2024-10-25 16:00 - 17:00
Join NJEA Secretary-Treasurer Petal Robertson and Master Educator and star of the World Peace – and Other 4th-Grade Achievements documentary, John Hunter, as they explore how empowering and listening to student voices fosters inclusive, collaborative spaces for real-world problem-solving, teamwork, and critical thinking. You won’t want to miss this conversation and preview of what’s to come from our NJEA Convention 2024 closing keynote speaker, John Hunter. Are you joining us on Friday? You can be the Petal Plus One for John Hunter’s keynote when you attend the virtual session!

AI Tools for the Classroom
2024-11-13 16:30 - 18:30
Overview: This session is designed to provide you with a review of some of the best AI tools available to educators. We will look beyond the popular programs such as ChatGPT to explore tools specifically for educators that generate leveled resources, assessments, lessons, and more. Join us for this informative and engaging session to see the many ways you can use AI in your role as an educator and safely with your students.

Road to Wellness
2024-11-25 16:30 - 18:30
The session presents strategies for personal wellness and teaches members how to take care of themselves during stressful times. Participants will have a chance to practice the eight dimensions of personal wellness and learn how to incorporate small, simple changes into their daily lives in order to promote general well-being.

Using SEL to See and Connect Beyond Disruptive Behaviors
2024-12-03 16:30 - 18:30
Years following the return to the classroom after the Covid-19 shutdowns, educators across the country are still struggling with the aftermath of the pandemic. One of the major concerns facing teachers, counselors and administrators alike is student behavior. SEL continues to be one of the most powerful tools to effectively address behavioral challenges and prepare students for life inside and outside of the classroom. The question for many is “With so many different aspects of SEL, where should my focus be in order to reduce disruptive behaviors within the school community?”
This interactive session will provide insight and understanding into disruptive behaviors; identify three specific SEL areas to promote positive behavior; and highlight best practices to develop the skills and climate for students to regulate themselves.

Community of Practice Power Hour
2024-12-10 16:00 - 17:30, 2025-01-14 16:00 - 17:30, 2025-02-11 16:00 - 17:30, 2025-03-11 16:00 - 17:30
“Communities of Practice are groups of people who share a common concern, set of problems, or passion about a topic, and deepen their knowledge and expertise in this area by interacting on an ongoing basis.”
– Etienne Wenger
Deanne Martini and Brenda Martin-Lee
Title: Educator-Centric Social-Emotional Learning Community of Practice (SEL COP)
Description: In the modern educational landscape, educators play a pivotal role in fostering students’ social-emotional development. This Educator-Centric Social-Emotional Learning Community of Practice will provide a dedicated platform for educators to collaborate, share insights, and enhance their practices in social-emotional learning (SEL).
Learn more about the NJEA PDII Community of Practice here

Community of Practice Power Hour
2024-12-11 16:00 - 17:30, 2025-01-08 16:00 - 17:30, 2025-02-19 16:00 - 17:30, 2025-03-19 16:00 - 17:30
“Communities of Practice are groups of people who share a common concern, set of problems, or passion about a topic, and deepen their knowledge and expertise in this area by interacting on an ongoing basis.”
– Etienne Wenger
Michael Mason and Brian Janik
Title: Leaning into AI
Description: This interactive conversation dives into the transformative potential of AI in education. Explore ethics & impact, discover powerful learning tools & strategies, and gain the confidence to integrate AI effectively. Share your own favorite AI tools, strategies, and questions to foster a collaborative learning environment!
Learn more about the NJEA PDII Community of Practice here

Community of Practice Power Hour
2024-12-12 16:00 - 17:30, 2025-01-09 16:00 - 17:30, 2025-02-19 16:00 - 17:30, 2025-03-13 16:00 - 17:30
“Communities of Practice are groups of people who share a common concern, set of problems, or passion about a topic, and deepen their knowledge and expertise in this area by interacting on an ongoing basis.”
– Etienne Wenger

Katherine Burke and Pamela Koharchik
Title: Thriving, Not Just Surviving: Strategies for Educators During Challenging Times
Description: The education landscape is ever-changing, and navigating difficult times can be draining. This highly interactive community equips educators with practical tools and strategies to foster resilience, manage stress, and cultivate a positive classroom environment even amidst challenges.
Learn more about the NJEA PDII Community of Practice here

Incorporating Census Data in Classrooms to Teach Community Diversity and Foster Culturally Responsive Pedagogy
2024-12-16 16:30 - 18:30
New Jersey has the second-highest percentage of foreign-born residents in the U.S. and is the fifth most diverse state. Nearly half of its youth live in multilingual households, enriching our classrooms.
This workshop helps teachers use census data to create culturally responsive teaching strategies. Participants will learn to integrate demographic data into lessons, making education more relevant and inclusive. It includes examples for elementary and middle school students and introduces K-12 tools and lesson plans to address systemic issues and create engaging lessons.

Structures & Systems: Unpacking Power, Privilege, and Systemic Inequity
2025-01-12 16:30 - 18:30
This third and final sensitivity training session will have participants delving into the complex layers of injustice and their impact on educational environments. They will explore individual biases, institutional inequities, and structural racism to develop a comprehensive understanding of how these factors intersect and influence educational outcomes.

An Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
2025-01-15 16:30 - 18:30
This two-hour workshop is a basic overview of artificial intelligence and its practical applications. We will explore text, image, and presentation generators such as ChatGPT. Throughout the workshop, participants will have the opportunity to ask questions, collaborate with their peers, and engage in hands-on activities to deepen their understanding of AI.

How to Support Multilingual Learners Who Have Had Limited/Interrupted Education
2025-01-22 16:30 - 18:30
Multilingual Learners (MLs) come to us with various assets. At times, some of our MLs have had interrupted or inadequate education in their home countries due to many factors. These Students with Limited or Interrupted Education (SLIFE) arrive in our classrooms eager to learn but without the tools necessary to be successful.
It is easy to feel overwhelmed in these situations. Luckily, there are some simple strategies and resources that can help your SLIFE students make great strides. This workshop will share with participants ways to measure students’ basic abilities and then use that information to build a program to support them from where they are. Please be warned that this is not a quick fix as there are sometimes years of learning loss to remediate. Fortunately, the SLIFE students will feel motivated and engaged once they are achieving at their level and the gaps will be closed at an increasing rate.”

Arts Integration Foundations, Part 2
2025-01-28 16:30 - 18:30
NOTE: Completion of Part 1 (Spring 2024 or Fall 2024) is a pre-requisite for attending Part 2
Arts integration is an effective strategy for cultivating a positive climate and culture, as well as deepening student engagement. Knowledge and skills needed to move confidently from planning to implementation will be explored. Drawing upon New Jersey’s Arts Integration Think and Do Workbook, participants will identify realistic goals and develop concrete action steps to guide their arts integration work. In Part 2, participants will be invited to select, reflect upon, and share progress on one arts integration implementation goal and then identify the next steps within a supportive group discussion.

Film Screening of Till with Writer Keith Beauchamp
2025-02-03 16:30 - 19:30
Till is a profoundly emotional and cinematic film about the true story of Mamie Till-Mobley’s relentless pursuit of justice for her 14-year-old son, Emmett Louis Till, who, in 1955, was lynched while visiting his cousins in Mississippi. In Mamie’s poignant journey of grief turned to action, we see the universal power of a mother’s ability to change the world.

What's Self-Esteem Got to Do With it? Educating about Body Image through a Self-Esteem Lens
2025-02-12 16:30 - 18:30
Do your teen students constantly worry about their physical appearance? Do you struggle with how to educate about body image, nutrition and healthy living in a way which doesn’t alienate students? If so, this dynamic workshop is for you! Research shows that adolescence brings with it such hazards as depression, eating disorders, peer pressure and more, especially when social media is factored in. This workshop will cover an updated framework for educating about body image and related topics while considering the self-esteem of the diverse identities found in every classroom. Participants will walk away with resources and lesson plans for helping adolescents feel empowered and hopeful about themselves and their futures.

Teacher Leadership and The Teacher Leader Academy
2025-03-05 16:30 - 18:30
A teacher leader is someone who maintains their role as a teacher outside of a supervisory role and provides instructional leadership in their school community. Teacher leaders go by various titles and roles: instructional coach, professional development expert, school-community liaison, mentor, lead teacher, and many others. Teacher leadership is an evolving field, and so new roles and titles are established by different schools and districts all the time. Join us for an overview of the Teacher Leader Academy and the benefits of being a teacher leader.

Holocaust Survivor Speaks and How to Bring them to your Classroom
2025-03-06 16:30 - 18:30
New Jersey is a pioneer in Holocaust Education and has one of the largest populations of Holocaust Survivors. One of the most meaningful and unique experiences a New Jersey student gets is having a Holocaust Survivor or a descendant of Survivors come to speak to their class. The New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education and its 30 Holocaust Resource Centers throughout the state are available to assist teachers in giving this experience to their students. This program is designed to, not only give the experience of hearing a Survivor speak but also to give NJ teachers the tools they need in order to meaningfully and appropriately incorporate live testimony into their Holocaust lessons.

AI Tools for the Classroom
2025-03-12 16:30 - 18:30
This session is designed to provide you with a review of some of the best AI tools available to educators. We will look beyond the popular programs such as ChatGPT to explore tools specifically for educators that generate leveled resources, assessments, lessons, and more. Join us for this informative and engaging session to see the many ways you can use AI in your role as an educator and safely with your students.
