Arts Integration Foundations, Part 2
2025-01-28 16:30 - 18:30 (America/New_York)
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.

Using Artificial Intelligence in Your Classroom
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.

Community of Practice Power Hour
2025-02-11 16:00 - 17:30, 2025-03-11 16:00 - 17:30, 2025-04-08 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

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.

Community of Practice Power Hour
2025-02-19 16:00 - 17:30, 2025-03-13 16:00 - 17:30, 2025-04-10 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

Community of Practice Power Hour
2025-02-19 16:00 - 17:30, 2025-03-19 16:00 - 17:30, 2025-04-02 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

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.

Google Open Forum
2025-03-27 17:30 - 19:30 | NJEA Headquarters, 180 W. State Street, Trenton, New Jersey, 08608, United States
This session is designed so NJEA Google experts can walk participants through the steps to answer questions and facilitate conversations between members. Google Open Forum is a unique experience every time. It is highly recommended that participants bring a laptop or Chromebook. Mobile devices will diminish the experience.
Register by March 24.

The Power of Balance: A Community of Practice
2025-04-03 16:30 - 17:30, 2025-05-01 16:30 - 17:30, 2025-05-15 16:30 - 17:30
The Power of Balance: A community of practice for educators to find joy, connect, reflect, and create songs together. Each workshop will be unique and build toward a final group creation. No prior musical knowledge is necessary, though all skills are welcomed. Some segments of these workshops will include exercises, but there will also be ample opportunity for discovery and entering a creative flow—a mindset characterized by imaginative play and restorative benefits. As the aim is to foster a community of practice, meeting others in a safe and collaborative environment will be encouraged, along with personal exploration.

Providing Sex Education with Cultural Humility
2025-04-09 16:30 - 18:30
Do you incorporate reproductive justice in your education? Do you know how to properly use the theory of intersectionality? Are you culturally humble? Many educators are unaware of how culture can influence the way comprehensive sex education is taught by teachers and received by students. Our workshop focus of cultural humility allows educators to develop their ability to build appreciation for the diversity of cultures found inside and outside of their classrooms, which helps to increase their inclusivity. This training will address the difference between cultural proficiency/competency and cultural humility, measure one’s own intercultural humility using the Intercultural Development Continuum, as well as concrete definitions and activities.

Renaissance in Gifted Education
2025-04-11 | The Palace at Somerset Part, 333 Davidson Ave., Somerset, NJ, 08873
A Festival of Creativity and Innovation

Explore sessions that celebrate the spirit of the Renaissance, emphasizing the power of creativity, hands-on learning and curiosity-driven discovery. Gain practical strategies to transform your approach to gifted education and learn how to foster environments where imagination and innovation thrive.
Connect with educators, parents, and advocates who are passionate about revitalizing gifted education. Share ideas, discover new resources, and leave with a renewed commitment to elevate the learning experience for every gifted child.
The fee for members is $239 and $299 for nonmembers. If you join NJAGC while you register, the rate is $289.

Harnessing the Power of Graphic Novels in the Classroom
2025-04-29 16:30 - 18:30
Graphic novels (memoirs and nonfiction) and comic books are an integral tool in increasing literacy and engagement in the classroom. Through this webinar, educators will learn the scholarship and research behind the benefits of using comics and graphic novels in the classroom while also gaining access to learning activities and materials to support this work. Participants will learn about the current research on literacy in social studies and how graphic novels improve literacy, reading comprehension, and engagement. The workshop ends with a walk-through of various activities and books that educators can use in their classrooms. Participants will receive a workshop folder, handouts, and slides at the end of the session.

An Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
2025-05-01 17:30 - 19:30 | NJEA Headquarters, 180 W. State Street, Trenton, New Jersey, 08608, United States
We will explore text, image, and presentation generators such as ChatGPT. Throughout the workshop, participants can ask questions, collaborate with their peers, and engage in hands-on activities to deepen their understanding of AI.

Opening Up History: On the Road to Brown v. Board of Education
2025-05-05 16:30 - 18:30
The 1954 Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court case is hailed as a milestone in American progress but did you know that Black Americans, Mexican Americans, Indigenous Americans, and Asian Americans were fighting for equal access to public education before the famous 1954 case? We will take up the intriguing history of school desegregation through a pluralistic lens by exploring some case studies before 1954: Roberts v. City of Boston (1849, Black American), Tape v. Hurley (1885, Chinese American), Piper v. Big Pine (1924, Indigenous American), Lum v. Rice (1927, Chinese American), Mendez v. Westminster (1947, Mexican American), and a New Jersey case Hedgepeth and Williams v. Board of Education, Trenton (1944, Black Americans). These legal cases highlight the reality of American pluralism. We will complicate the story of school desegregation by asking: Do you teach in an integrated school? Lesson plans adapted for K-5 and 6-12 will be made available to participants.

NJEA Carol Watchler LGBTQIA+ Advocacy Conference
2025-05-10
Attendees will be provided with the tools needed to create, support, and defend inclusive curriculum, while creating a space for LGBTQIA+ advocates and their allies to interact and share their successes with members interested in learning more.
We especially encourage queer NJEA members who are struggling to be their authentic selves to attend and learn from some of New Jersey’s most accomplished social justice advocates.

Conference Agenda
8:30 a.m. Registration/ Breakfast
9:30 a.m. Opening/ Welcome speeches
10:30 a.m. Keynote 1: NJEA Queer Voices – Telling Our Stories
11:30 a.m. Breakout session 1
12:30 p.m. Lunch
2 p.m. Keynote 2: Advancing LGBTQIA+ Youth Equity & Inclusion in Schools
3 p.m. Breakout session 2
4:15 p.m. Keynote 3: Eric Marcus – Making Gay History
5:15 p.m. Closing

The Missing Stories: South Asian American History from the 1700s to Today
2025-05-12 16:30 - 18:30
SAADA ensures that South Asian Americans are recognized as an essential part of the American story. In “The Missing Stories,” SAADA’s Executive Director Samip Mallick will cover how communities come to be excluded from the archival record and how we can address these absences. Samip will provide an introduction to South Asian American history (1800s to present) and will also discuss how community-based archives can become sites for liberation by introducing the audience to SAADA’s archival collections, programs, and storytelling projects.

NJEA Executive Committee Meeting
2025-05-16

NJEA Delegate Assembly Meeting
2025-05-17

2025 NJTESOL/NJBE Spring Conference
2025-05-20 - 2025-05-22
Intersectionality: Shaping Experiences & Creating Opportunities

In-person conference
The In-Person Conference will take place at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in New Brunswick on May 20-22. You can register for one, two or all three days. The conference will feature three keynote speakers: Alisha De Lorenzo, Dr. Patriann Smith, and Missy Testerman (2024 National Teacher of the Year).
In addition, you’ll select from many presentations approved for the continuing education requirement, network with your colleagues, and obtain the latest information on state and national initiatives. You can also meet with representatives at the sponsors’ and exhibitors’ booths to find the latest and greatest teaching tools. You can earn professional development hours throughout the day.
Video library conference
The Video Library Conference is a select collection of library presentations you will have access to view starting on May 27 using the conference platform. There is no set schedule, and you will be able to view the workshops from May 27 to August 21. By using your unique login, your hours will be tracked so that you can earn professional development hours through August 21. Please note that the select collection of presentations will not include the keynotes or special invited guest speakers.
Topics
Presentation topics will include General Interest, Content Area Instruction, Bilingual/ESL Preschool through Grade 12, Higher Ed, Teacher Education, Adult Education, K-12 Administrators, and Dual Language/Biliteracy.
Registration and more information
Register early for a discounted rate. Registration includes one free year of membership.
For other conference questions email Caia Schlessinger, Conference Coordinator.
