The Jersey Educator Podcast

Keeping the Joy in Teaching

Jeffrey Bradbury — Tue, 06 Feb 2018 01:59:00 -0500

Welcome to the Jersey Educator Podcast, a show created by NJEA members, for NJEA members. Whether you are a teacher, an educational support professional, or a New Jersey Student Education Association member, this show will serve as a platform to help YOU bring out the best in your students each and every day in your schools. The shows are hosted by Jeff Bradbury of TeacherCast.net (@TeacherCast) and Jim Boice, a field representative with NJEA (@boiceinthehood). For more information, please visit njea.org/podcast and email us at podcast@njea.org.

About Our Guest Host

Kim Crane is a 19-year educator and current Student and Staff Support Teacher in the Highland Park School District. She has a Masters in Teaching. Kim taught elementary art in the district for 15 years and is the former president and current 1st vice president of the Highland Park Education Association.

Kim's work as a Communications Consultant takes her across the state where she assists locals with their public relations needs. She contributes regular articles to the NJEA Review and other publications. Keeping joy in her work is an everyday focus.

About Our Guest

Kristina Phelan is a K-2 reading teacher at Mahala F. Atchison School in Tinton Falls, NJ. She applies research-based strategies to help all of her K-2 students reach their reading potential. She instills a passion for books and learning in all of her students — especially those who find reading difficult. Kristina has given dozens of workshops on literacy instruction at local and national venues for both teachers and parents. She co-wrote a chapter on fluency in Best Practices in Early Literacy Instruction and has received numerous grants to enhance classroom-based programs.

Kristina is in her 18th year of public school teaching and has taught students in both poor and affluent districts. Kristina earned an M.Ed. from Rutgers University in Reading Education, an M.A. from Teachers College/Columbia University in Curriculum and Teaching, and a B.A. from Colgate University in Psychology and French.

During Kim and Kristina’s conversation, NJEA Hipp Grants came up. Learn more about these grants here on njea.org.

The views expressed by guests on Jersey Educator are not necessarily the views of NJEA, the hosts, or other guests.

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Show Hosts

Jeffrey Bradbury, author of Kidblog: An Introduction to Blogging With Your Students, is the creator of TeacherCast.net and Educational Podcasting Today, is an ASCD Emerging Leader, Google Certified Teacher, Google Education Trainer, PBS Learning Media Digital Innovator, speaker, writer, broadcaster, consultant and educational media specialist. He is currently the Coordinator for Technology Integration for the Westwood Regional School District in New Jersey. In 2012, Jeff was recognized as one of top 50 educators using social media at the first ever Bammy Awards and has been nominated three times in the category of Innovator of the Year. Jeff has Keynoted for the Pearson Authentic Learning Conference, EdTechNJ and most recently at Columbia University’s Teacher College and Podcast Mid-Atlantic.

Jim Boice is a field representative with the New Jersey Education Association. Prior to joining NJEA in 2012, Jim was a high school English teacher for ten years in the Pennsauken Township School District of Camden County, NJ.

Organizing as Teacher Pedagogy

Jeffrey Bradbury — Mon, 05 Feb 2018 01:58:00 -0500

Welcome to the Jersey Educator Podcast, a show created by NJEA members, for NJEA members. Whether you are a teacher, an educational support professional, or a New Jersey Student Education Association member, this show will serve as a platform to help YOU bring out the best in your students each and every day in our schools. The shows are hosted by Jeff Bradbury of TeacherCast.net (@TeacherCast) and Jim Boice, a field representative with NJEA (@boiceinthehood). For more information, please visit njea.org/podcast and email us at podcast@njea.org.

About Our Guest Host

Awo Okaikor Aryee-Price is currently a doctoral student at Rutgers University Graduate School of Education with a concentration on a design of learning environments. Having grown up in a family of Newark educators who were also community organizers, Okaikor has always seen the need to organize within the communities we work and live. Because of that, you can find her organizing with Parents Unified for Local School Education (PULSE) in Newark, NJ where she serves as an advisory board member. PULSE is also an alliance member of the Journey for Justice Alliance (J4J), a parent organization committed to educational justice for students of color. Okaikor is an active member and steering committee member of EduColor, an organization of educators, education advocates, and activists that centers the educational needs of our most vulnerable students, communities, and educators. As the founder of #SoJustEdu, a Twitter chat focused on social justice issues in education, Okaikor has helped sparked important conversations that often go untouched. Okaikor is also one of the co-founders of the MapSO Freedom School in Maplewood-South Orange, NJ–a group that formed in an effort to provide an anti-racist and liberating education to the students in Maplewood-South Orange. In an effort to spread anti-racist and anti-oppression principles, she has been working as an Undoing Racism trainer-in-training with the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond, co-founded the Morris County Anti-Racist Alliance, and is a coalition member with 15 Now.

About Our Guest

It’s hard to fit Zellie Imani into a box, as his advocacy takes so many different forms. He crusades from the classroom, from his blog, and from Twitter, using powerful words and striking images of America we live in today to raise awareness of important issues in the black community. While reality might be harsh, Zellie cannot and will not let his 98K+ followers ignore the truth. He started the Black Liberation Collective, a group of black students organizing initiatives to shed light on problems that are often kept in darkness, setting demands from the college level to the highest level of government. Zellie believes that, in order to be free, we must first have an organized message to deliver on all platforms.

The views expressed by guests on Jersey Educator are not necessarily the views of NJEA, the hosts, or other guests.

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Show Hosts

Social Movements and the Classroom: A Conversation with TJ Whitaker

Jeffrey Bradbury — Sun, 04 Feb 2018 01:58:00 -0500

In this episode, we welcome our guest host, Ikechukwu Onyema, and his guest, TJ Whitaker, onto the program.

About Our Guest Host

Ikechukwu “EK” Onyema is a Chemistry Teacher at East Orange Campus High School in Essex County. He's been in education for five years, teaching in several different urban areas including Philadelphia and Newark. In addition to being an active member in the NJEA through the NJEA Bolivar L. Graham Intern Foundation Practicing Apprentice Program, he commits his time to community organizing. His most recent project, The Soul Era, can be found on thesoulera.com.

About Our Guest

TJ Whitaker is a veteran educator of 15 years in the Maplewood/South Orange School District where he teaches English. In addition to coaching girls basketball, he advises several student clubs including the Black Students Union (BSU), MAC Scholars, and MAPSO Freedom School. TJ balances these all while pursuing his PhD in Global Affairs at Rutgers Newark, and his tireless engagement in local community activism. He is also a husband of 15 years and father of 3 children.

Learn more about EK and TJ’s Mapso Freedom School on their Facebook page.
Over the summer, EK did an interview with the National Education Association that was published on its Education Votes website, here.

The views expressed by guests on Jersey Educator are not necessarily the views of NJEA, the hosts, or other guests.

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Show Hosts

A Conversation With A School Bus Driver

Jeffrey Bradbury — Sat, 03 Feb 2018 01:57:00 -0500

In this episode, we welcome Christine Kosar onto the program.

About Our Guest

Christine Kosar is a school bus driver with twelve years experience in the Washington Township School District of Gloucester County. Christine is also president of the Washington Township Schools Supportive Services Personnel Association, which is the largest local association exclusive to educational support professionals in NJ. Christine also devotes much time to volunteering with South Jersey’s PIE, or Participate In Education, activist group.

Upcoming NJEA early career member events

Exploring Your Advocacy Happy Hour with Team South: June 2, 2017
Monmouth Park Family Day with Central Connection: July 23, 2017

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Show Hosts

NJEA32 Don’t Panic: School IT Professionals Are Here To Help! | @NJEA

Jeffrey Bradbury — Thu, 01 Feb 2018 01:56:00 -0500

Welcome to the Jersey Educator Podcast, a show created by NJEA members … for NJEA members. Whether you are a teacher, an education support professional, or a New Jersey Student Education Association member, this show will serve as a platform to help YOU bring out the best in your students . . . each and every day in your schools. The shows are hosted by Jeff Bradbury of TeacherCast.net (@TeacherCast) and Jim Boice, a field representative with NJEA (@boiceinthehood). For more information, please visit njea.org/podcast and email us at podcast@njea.org.

In this episode, we welcome Lisa Palin onto the program.

About Our Guest

Lisa Palin is a Help Desk Coordinator / IT Technician for the Roselle Public Schools of Union County. Lisa has been working in Roselle for twenty years. Lisa is also the President of the Union County Education Association and the newly elected Vice President of NJEA’s County Presidents Council. Lisa is an NJEA Apprentice working in the UniServ and Research divisions.

Upcoming NJEA Events

Grow your support network around financial planning: May 6, 2017 @ NJEA HQ.
Members working in Burlington and Mercer Counties @ Trenton Thunder: May 12, 2017.
90’s Prom with Central Connection: May 20, 2017.
Learn more at the events page of njea.org/earlycareermembers.

Subscribe to Our Podcast on iTunes

We are proud to be listed in the iTunes Directory. Please take a moment and subscribe to this show on your favorite podcast player today!

Show Hosts

Jeffrey Bradbury, author of Kidblog: An Introduction to Blogging With Your Students, is the creator of TeacherCast.net, TeacherCast University, and Educational Podcasting Today, is an ASCD Emerging Leader, Google Certified Teacher, Google Education Trainer, PBS Learning Media Digital Innovator, speaker, writer, broadcaster, consultant and educational media specialist. He is currently the Coordinator for Technology Integration for the Westwood Regional School District in New Jersey. In 2012, Jeff was recognized as one of top 50 educators using social media at the first ever Bammy Awards and has been nominated three times in the category of Innovator of the Year. Jeff has Keynoted for the Pearson Authentic Learning Conference, EdTechNJ and most recently at Columbia University's Teacher College and Podcast Mid-Atlantic.

Jim Boice is a field representative with the New Jersey Education Association. Prior to joining NJEA is 2012, Jim was a high school English teacher for ten years in the Pennsauken Township School District of Camden County, NJ.

Educational Support Professionals Making a Difference

Jeffrey Bradbury — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 01:56:00 -0500

In this episode, we welcome Lois Yukna onto the program.

About Our Guest

Lois Yukna is the 2017-18 New Jersey Educational Support Professional of the Year. A thirty year veteran staff member of the Woodbridge Township School District of Middlesex County, Lois has served as a bus driver, attendance officer, and trainer. She is currently President of the Middlesex County Education Association representing some 16,000 NJEA members who work in Middlesex County.

Read “The intersection of service and activism” from the February 2017 NJEA Review here.

Learn more about Lois and the ESP of the Year Award here in this njea.org article.

Upcoming NJEA Events

5/6 Grow your support network: financial planning.
5/20: 90’s Prom with Central Connection.

Subscribe to Our Podcast on iTunes

We are proud to be listed in the iTunes Directory. Please take a moment and subscribe to this show on your favorite podcast player today!

Show Hosts

Surprise Medical Bills: What Can You Do … and Who Should You Call?

Jeffrey Bradbury — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 01:54:00 -0500

In this episode, we welcome Michael Wildermuth onto the program.

About Our Guest

Michael Wildermuth is in his 16th year as a social studies teacher at East Brunswick High School. Michael also serves as Vice President of the East Brunswick Education Association. He lives in Freehold Borough with his wife and two daughters.

Learn more here about Michael’s efforts to encourage lawmakers to pass legislation that would end surprise out-of-network medical bills.

Mike spoke about a 2016 Consumer Reports article that lists some great tips. Find the article here.

Details about S1285 “Out-of-network Consumer Protection, Transparency, Cost Containment and Accountability Act.”

Upcoming NJEA Events

3/23: Trivia Night at Pilsener Haus and Biergarten.
3/31: March Madness City Crawl in Sparta.
5/6 Grow your support network: financial planning.

Subscribe to Our Podcast on iTunes

We are proud to be listed in the iTunes Directory. Please take a moment and subscribe to this show on your favorite podcast player today!

Show Hosts

20 Tips For Writing Successful Paper, Digital, and Social Resumes

Jeffrey Bradbury — Mon, 29 Jan 2018 01:55:00 -0500

This week on the Jersey Educator Podcast, Jim Boice and Jeff Bradbury sat down for a candid discussion about how educators should be crafting their 2017 resumes. In this episode, we take a look at some key features that every resume should (or must) have and provide helpful tips for not only your “paper” resume but also your digital and social resumes as well.

This episode of the Jersey Educator Podcast can be found on iTunes and Stitcher Radio and is a companion episode to a previous show where we discussed 11 things every educator should be thinking about as they prepare for a job interview or job fair.

What is a Resume in 2018?

What is a resume . . . it's the age-old question that everyone has an answer for, but yet nobody has the right answer. Your resume in 2017 looks completely different than it did in 2007 and yet, has the format really changed? Yes and No

To set some standards for this post, I think we can all agree what a resume is. Your resume is a gateway through a conversation. It is a document designed to be handed to someone who is about to have a conversation with you. It is a professional yet concise way of showcasing your accomplishments in a format that allows your reader to (hopefully) select you above all other resumes in the stack and either create a positive situation that produces a phone call (for an interviewer) or a handshake and a contract.

In addition to your paper resume, we will also be digging into the additional parts that you can use to sell your unique individual brand, your website, and your social media presence to identify how you can create unique and eye-catching experiences that will be sure to land you in front of your future employer.

How to Write a Good Cover Letter

Your Cover Letter is generally one of, if not the first thing that someone sees when reviewing materials. Cover Letters should be crafted not only to provide a positive and well-rounded picture of you, but they should also provide knowledge that you have done a little bit homework about the position in which you are applying. Anyone can take a look at a Cover Letter and tell if it's a generic letter or not.

When hand mailing (or emailing) Cover Letters, they should always be addressed to the Superintendent and be professional. When attending a job fair, it is recommended that while prepping for the fair and seeking who will be there, create a cover letter for a few specific schools you know you will be interviewing at, but always have the basic generic one in your pocket for those schools you might not have planned to meet.

Should you put your Cover Letter on special paper? I think it's a good idea to do this when meeting people face to face, but the majority of your Cover Letters will probably be sent electronically.

Cover Letter Tips

Keep it simple
Keep it Professional
Spell Check … Spell Check … Spell Check
Point out some key spots in your resume that you want to draw their attention to

How Do I Write a Good Resume?

If your Cover Letter succeeds where you need it to, your Resume is the next item that should be designed to sell you above all others. The trick to any good Resume is brevity. It's easy to take a career, (short or long) and write a 6-page resume. The problem is that nobody will take the time to read it.

Your resume should be one page. Where we can debate on if this means one full sheet (front and back) or just a single side of a sheet is something we can leave for another blog post, it is important to craft, not write your resume.

A resume has a single purpose. It is a document designed to get your interviewer to bring up conversation topics. Normally, in an interview situation, your resume is in front of the person across the table and as they are going through their list of generic questions, they are looking through your resume trying to get you to talk about your experiences.

You don't have list everything you did on your resume, but you do have to make sure they see what you want them to see. There are a few standard sections to every resume. These may include Experiences, Awards and Recognitions, Background info, and Contacts. As with your Cover Letter, I suggest tailoring every resume to the position you are applying for.

In our age of digital and paper resumes, you may choose to have two different “paper” resumes. One that you hand to someone on actual paper, and then one that is sent as a PDF. The difference being that the digital document may include clickable hyperlinks to your online portfolio or other types of media you wish to bring attention to.

Resume Tips

Use your professional name . . . James, not Jim is always best.
Professional Emails and Web sites are always a step ahead of “@gmail” or “sites.google.com/…”
Don't write in words that would not make sense to others. If you are a manager, call yourself a manager. Do not add titles that make someone question what they are.

We are now living in a world where having an online destination is no longer an option for many job searches.

Click To Tweet

Website vs Portfolio vs CV?

Before we go into answering the above question, take a moment and say these sentences out loud a few times:

Would you like to see my website?
Would you like to see my portfolio?
Would you like to see my CV?

Depending on the position you are applying for, you may choose a different one of these options to be your favorite. For example, when I'm talking about TeacherCast, I share my “website.” When someone is asking for a professional version of my past accomplishments, I share my “portfolio.” However, as a musician and musical professional, I would offer you the opportunity to take a look at my Curriculum Vitae “CV.”

Here are three examples of looking at similar information online:

These three items are slightly different yet based on the person or potential employer I'm speaking with, I would give them a different place to learn more about my background.

The important thing to remember is that we are now living in a world where having an online destination is no longer an option for many jobs. If you are looking to get hired in a place that relies primarily on Google Apps your website might be well suited on a Google Sites. If you are looking at a place that is Microsoft heavy, having your background info on a SWAY might not be a bad idea.

Online Portfolio Tips

Purchase your own domain name (yourname.com)
Create a story with your content that walks a reader through your story.
Have a clear call to action that attracts others to you above all others they are researching

Is Social Media Important?

One of the most important things you can do (in my opinion) takes time to figure out how Social Media works. I'm not saying that you must create the most popular Twitter account on the planet, but simply by having a twitter account and learning how to take advantage of how it works is one of the most important parts of being an educator these days. Twitter can and really should be thought of the worlds largest professional development conference on the planet that never goes to sleep.

By learning about hashtags, you can not only start to see the world as an ever-changing digital library but you will learn how to find just about any resource you need.

My advice for anyone in education is to not attack social media, but learn how to use it to your advantage. Figure out what hashtags fit your subject area. Learn the differences between a Facebook page and a Twitter profile. Learn the importance of joining a Google Plus community. All of these things are important parts of your PLN and can ultimately lead you to find new opportunities to share your resume.

Social Media Tips

Get a Twitter account and follow a few hashtags
Join a Google Plus community … or better yet, START ONE
Connect with others in your field and share resources
Don't be afraid to ask questions of those you don't know . . . they just may turn out to be lifelong friends

What really matters in the end is . . .

What really matters, in the end, is that you are comfortable with the documents you use while searching for your next career opportunity. It is often said that you never know when your next interview will happen. I have been fortunate over the last few years to have several amazing opportunities put in front of me without the need for a traditional paper resume and based mostly on my social and digital portfolios. It can not be overstated that you should take every advantage you can to showcase your talents on every platform available. Remember, these platforms are (just about) free and you should never past up opportunities to take advantage of FREE.

What do you think … please share your thoughts!

I would love to know what you think on this topic. I'm sure you might agree with some of what is written here and I'm sure you might disagree with some of these items. Personally, I have never been a position to really hire someone in a professional position. However, I have been asked to be on hiring committees where I had the opportunity to look over resumes and provide my opinion on someones potential to fill an open position.

Please take a moment below and leave a comment on your thoughts on this very important topic.

How To Ace Your Next Job Interview: 11 Tips To Consider

Jeffrey Bradbury — Sun, 28 Jan 2018 01:53:00 -0500

As the snow starts to melt and the flowers begin to blossom, the calendar turns to one of the most exciting parts of the school year. JOB HUNTING SEASON! This is the time of year when students preparing to leave college and begin the exciting process of meeting other school districts and learning all about the networking process. But, what types of things should be considered when attending your first job fair? Dress, Resume, and Conversations should, of course, be in the front of everyone's playbook but there are several others that are equally important.

Here are 10 things that you might be thinking about as you prepare for your next job fair or interview. . . plus one very important bonus tip that I highly recommend you consider.

11 Things You Should Consider When Preparing For Your Next Job Fair

Prepare … Prepare … Prepare

When attending a job fair or interview, it can not be overstated enough. Prepare ahead of time for the big event. Make sure you have everything you need the night before.

Have your resume's prepped, proofed, and printed and put in a folder so they don't bend.
Make sure you have your clothes ready and pressed. If you are someone who has a habit of sweating, it might be best to take a second shirt with you.
Check out the schools ahead of time so you know who will be there and what positions they have available. You want to make sure you are going to be hitting the right schools for you early in the day.
Are your business cards in your jacket pocket so you can take them out at a minutes notice? They should be put in your pocket in just a way that when you reach in and extend your arm, it is properly presented to them so they read it. (it's a nice touch)

Dress For Success

There are several ways of saying “business casual” and “dress to impress.” For many, you should dress for the job you want.

Be professional:

Make sure your shirt is clean and pressed. (be careful of what you have for breakfast)
Wear comfortable shoes… you will be on your feat all day.
Remember that you may be carrying a backpack or other item with your papers in it… don't over pack… if you need to run to your car to reload …. do it, rather than carry a heavy bag that will exhaust you during the day.

Nail Your Introduction

Your first 60 seconds with a potential employer is the most critical. You should have your game face on and be energetic, happy to be there, and overall, showing confidence.

Be prepared to answer some of the standard first questions:

How are you today?
Tell us a bit about yourself?
How are you enjoying the job fair today?
Did you travel far to get here?
How are things these days in ____(fill in your current school district)_____

You should have canned answers for all of these questions. These questions are to get you talking. Your answers should be designed to invite those across the table to answer questions. The quicker you can engage in conversation, the easier it will be for you to relax through the interview process.

It's also best in your into to quickly mention that you have expertise in something that the school is proud of or currently deploying with their staff. It will give them an opportunity to bring up additional questions for you to converse over.

Do Your Homework

As stated in the first section, you should go in with a handful of schools you WANT to interview for. Have them well scouted. Know who their Superintendents are and the names of their Human Resource staff and perhaps the principals. It is always a great first impression when you sit down with a recruiter and ask how Dr _____ is doing.

You should also have some basic facts about the school districts prepped ahead of time:

How many schools do they have?
How is their building grades broken down?
What is their mascot?
Are they a Google or Microsoft School? (read why under the next section)

Of course, during a job fair, you may find yourself sitting in front of a school that you had not prepared and that is totally fine. This is why you have Google and can always duck in a corner to do a quick search before approaching the table with resume in hand.

Quick Tip: If you are a job fair, have someone you can trust at home prepared to feed you some important info about a school district. It's easier to use THEM for the Google search rather than doing it quickly on your phone.

Be Strategic With Your Resume

Your paper resume should be one piece of paper. I'm not a big fan of saying that it should be only one page. If you have a rather lengthy list of accomplishment, you should absolutely tout them.

Your resume should be engaging and entertaining, but it should also be something that invites questions about your history and experiences. A resume is simply a list of conversation starters. Plan your list as if it was the most important document you have ever created, but also create it as a story that your reader will use to flow through a conversation.

Think About Your Online Presence

While speaking at a local University, I once had a student tell me that their professor strongly suggested that they delete their Facebook page before they applied for future employment. I was a bit shocked at that suggestion and while I didn't know the student, nor know what was on their Facebook page, I highly recommended that the students not follow that advice.

Your online presence is vital these days as you apply for a job. Every employer is going to Google Search your name and background. Rather than telling students that they should be deleting their profiles, it is important that we teach students how to create positive online profiles.

The idea of having a paper resume combined with a strong website that goes above and beyond the information found on a single sheet of paper is what will give you the edge over another. Your resume, as stated above should be created in a way that brings on a positive conversation about your experiences. Your website is where you take those experiences and showcase them using rich media such as videos, or photo galleries.

There are many things that should be considered when creating your online resume:

What have you done with your students?
What types of projects have you worked on that you can showcase and talk about?
How are you showing that you are an expert in your field?
What have others said about you online?

Let's take a look at that last one for a moment. It's very easy to ask someone to draft a letter of recognition when looking for a job. However, to have someone go on LinkedIn or other social feeds and say something wonderful is another because there is total transparency in who said it, and what is being said. I would put much more into a LinkedIn reference than any paper letter of rec for that reason.

Remember that your resume is to be created not only as a conversation starter but as a document that entices your reader to check you out online after the interview. Make it easy for them to do this. Include your links, twitter, and perhaps a QR Code for them. Don't hide anything, let them know how awesome you are.

Social Media: What Does Google Tell Them About You?

Just as it's important to have a strong web presence, it's equally important these days to have a strong Social Media presence. These two things may sound like the same, but they are very different in several key ways.

How are you using Social Media?Are you just “on Twitter” but not active? It's important to not only have these accounts but know how to use them to build a learning community for yourselves. We are still living in a world where several employers are dominant to the powers of Social, but more and more, you are finding this is not the norm.
Who are you following?I'm not saying that you shouldn't have the right to follow silly parody accounts, but if all you do is go on twitter to pick on the president or out for your favorite sports teams, you aren't showing that you are using it for professional reasons.
What are you contributing?This is probably the most important of all. Are you showing off how much you are an expert in your field? Are you sharing photos of your recent birthday party? There certainly can be a dividing line between professional and personal, but remember that everything you put online is fair game when being considered for employment.

Your social media is simply an extension of you. Treat it wisely and treat it with respect. Remember that nothing is hidden on the internet so you should start from the beginning down a path of positive personal, and professional, responsibility.

Follow Up

After the job fair, you should be prepared to follow up on your interactions with the school districts. After each sit-down interview, you should take any business cards that may be at the table and once out of sight, write down some important things about the interview so that you can create a personalized follow-up email to that school district.

Should you email, or send a letter?

If you are interested in a position in a school district, an email saying thank you is always a great idea. It's an easy way to directly reach the recruiter to say thank you. However, you should also follow up with something that they can hold and read such as a letter. You, of course, shouldn't over do it and send flowers, but a simple card with your contact information would be great and could go a long way to having them remember who you are when they have several hundred applicants.

Leave a Lasting Impression

Always remember that your job fair experience starts the moment you park your car. All eyes are on you all of the time. You never know who you will meet in the parking lot and because of a friendly “hello,” you may land a long lasting conversation or future interview.

There are several tricks that I have used througout the years that (hopefully) put an extra coat of shine on interview experiences:

Is there something about your business cards that is memorable? My cards for example have a QR Code on one side which often leads to a nice conversation about technology.
If you know something about the school district, you should always bring up in conversation something about their sports teams, or someething academic they are known for. It shows that you have taken the next step to invest in their programs.
Ask to follow them on twitter, or even better, follow them on their social channels before you sit down with them. It could be a plus to say “I just noticed that you tweeted about (something wonderful), that's pretty awesome that you are doing those types of activities in your schools…. I'm looking forwrard to being apart of your team.”

Always remember that recruiters are there looking for future members of their school faculty and family. Anything you can do to show that you are a team player is a bonus that could set you apart from others and land you that second interview.

Don't Get Upset … Get Them Next Time

Like everything else you do, prepare… do your best… and then put it behind you. There are many job fairs each year and if you don't succeed the first time, you have plenty more opportunities. It's not uncommon for someone to interview with a school district at several job fairs. Taking the time to bring something different to the table is a good sign that you are interested in a particular position.

If you don't get any call backs after your first job fair, just keep going. Everday is an interview. Every Edcamp is a networking experience. If you are someone who needs to learn how to be a good interview, bring some reflections back home and try again.

Bonus Tip: Practice … Practice … Practice

As a bonus tip, I would strongly suggest that, if the calendar presents itself, try attending a job fair in a county a bit out of your travel radius. Not only is this a great opportunity to test yourself, but you never know …. you may just end up being offered a job you hadn't even considered.

Good Luck!

I have said it time and time again …. I have never interviewed anyone for a single podcast … I have always brought people together and engaged them in meaningful conversations. This is one of the best pieces of advice that I can give anyone when preparing for their next interview of job fair. If you sit down and wait for someome to ask you questions, you will no doubt set yourself up for “being interviewed.” You should always go into these situations as prepared as posssible, and as confident as possible. Confidence equals collaboration and collaboration equals the strong potential to land a second conversation in their next round.

I hope this brief list has been helpful. I would love to invite you to use the comment section below to share your interview or job fair experiences. Good luck this year!

Celebrating Educators: Both in and out of the classroom | Featuring @NJEA State Teacher of the year @ArgineSafari

Jeffrey Bradbury — Sat, 27 Jan 2018 01:52:00 -0500

On this episode of the Jersey Educator Podcast, we welcome New Jersey State Teacher of the year Argine Safari onto the program to share her experiences in music education.

In this episode, we welcome Argine Safari onto the program.

About Our Guest

Argine Safari is the 2016-17 New Jersey State Teacher of the Year. She is a member of the Pascack Valley Regional Education Association, where she developed a nationally recognized vocal program at the high school. She has also collaborated with several other departments and artistically directed countless benefit concerts and events in order to raise money for several charities. In 2013, Argine co-founded a non-profit New Jersey youth theater arts company, Stage Scene and Song Performing Arts.

Learn more about Argine here in this njea.org article.

Upcoming NJEA Events

Bowlero with Central Connection: February 17.
Swipe Right for your Union Night: February 17.
Learn more at the events page of njea.org/earlycareermembers.

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Should We Be Having Conversations Around Social Justice?

Jeffrey Bradbury — Fri, 26 Jan 2018 01:52:00 -0500

In this episode, we welcome Ikechukwu Onyema onto the program.

About Our Guest

Ikechukwu Onyema is a Chemistry Teacher at East Orange Campus High School in Essex County. He's been in education for five years, teaching in several different urban areas including Philadelphia and Newark. In addition to being an active member in the NJEA through the NJEA Bolivar L. Graham Intern Foundation Practicing Apprentice Program, he commits his time to community organizing.

NJEA’s statement condemning President Trump’s Executive Order targeting immigrants from several majority-Muslim nations.

Upcoming NJEA Events

Political Action Sundays with Central Connection: January 15, 22, 29, and February 5.
Networking / information session for first time homebuyers: February 4. THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT.
Bowlero with Central Connection: February 17.
Learn more at the events page of njea.org/earlycareermembers.

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Understanding the Role of Your Local Association President

Jeffrey Bradbury — Thu, 25 Jan 2018 01:51:00 -0500

In this episode, we welcome Eric Jones onto the program.

About Our Guest

Eric Jones is the President of the Plainfield Education Association, an all-inclusive local association with some 1,050 members. Prior to becoming the Plainfield EA’s full-time release local association president, Eric taught there on the elementary level and also served as the school district’s Director of Public Relations. Eric also taught in the Atlanta School District for two years. Eric brings a wealth of organizing experience with him onto the show.

Upcoming NJEA Events

Political Action Sundays with Central Connection: January 15, 22, 29, and February 5.
Networking / information session for first time homebuyers: February 4.
Bowlero with Central Connection: February 17.
Learn more at the events page of njea.org/earlycareermembers.

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The Maker Movement: Learning How To Bring Maker Spaces Into Your Classrooms

Jeffrey Bradbury — Wed, 24 Jan 2018 01:50:00 -0500

About Our Guest

Marcos Navas is a Technology Facilitator for the Union City Board of Education and is a proud advocate of students in his school district and the Union City Summer STEM Camps. Born and raised in Hudson County, you can find him posting tweets on all types of #teched, #3Dprinting, #makered, #designthinking ideas and innovations. Follow Marcos @mrnavas on Twitter.

Marcos was most recently named a NJ PBS Innovator and was part of the first U.S Raspberry Pi Certified Educators cohort. Marcos is a huge fan of the Apple platform and is an Apple Education Trainer. Being an active member in the Maker community, Marcos is passionate about 3D Printing and is an Educational Leader at the Maker Depot Academy in Totowa, New Jersey. He is an ambassador with Polar3D, an ambassador with Morphi App, and founder of Hands on Coding, a set of 3D printed coding blocks set for a near future release. He has spoken and presented at NJEA conferences and events, ISTE, and is part of the NJEA Makerspace group in NJ. After attending a few Edcamps, the idea of an EdcampUrban as a way to offer urban educators an opportunity to experience this type of PD quickly encouraged him to spread the idea.

During this podcast, Marcos mentioned these great resources:

Upcoming NJEA Events

Middlesex County Sparks event: January 6-8, 2017.
New Brew, New You with #teamnorth @ Alementary: January 6, 2017.
Political Action Sundays with Central Connection: January 8, 15, 22, and 29.
Learn more at the events page of njea.org/earlycareermembers.

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“The Art of Hosting” Tips and Tricks for Running Your Next Meeting

Jeffrey Bradbury — Tue, 23 Jan 2018 01:49:00 -0500

In this episode, we welcome Carolyn Schultz onto the program.

About Our Guest

Carolyn Schultz has been a special education teacher in the Pennsauken School District of Camden County for 30 years. She is honored to teach in the same school district where her father was first hired in 1962.

Carolyn has been involved in her local association for 20 years, holding offices such as head building representative, grievance chairperson, and president. Carolyn has recently brought Art of Hosting meeting facilitation techniques to her members.

Carolyn has been married for 26 years to Fred Schultz. She states that her children, Emily (23) and twins Molly and Haley (20) “make (her) look boring.”

Interested in learning more about Art of Hosting? Check out this article from the May 2016 NJEA Review.

Interesting in experiencing and even practicing Art of Hosting techniques? Check out the HOPE group and/or find South Jersey United and PIE (Participate In Education) on Facebook.

The HOPE group is inspired by Walk Out Walk on by Deborah Frieze and Margaret Wheatley.

Upcoming NJEA Events

Middlesex County Sparks event: January 6-8, 2017.
New Brew, New You with #teamnorth @ Alementary: January 6, 2017.
Political Action Sundays with Central Connection: January 8, 15, 22, and 29.
Learn more at the events page of njea.org/earlycareermembers.

App of the Week

New App: 1600 – A Virtual Tour of the White House

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The @NJEA Convention: Showcasing What Is GREAT About Public Education

Jeffrey Bradbury — Sun, 21 Jan 2018 01:48:00 -0500

First announced here at njea.org/earlycareermembers, Jersey Educator broadcasted directly from the floor of the 2016 NJEA Convention in the TeacherCast booth.

Featured Guests:

[1:36]: Ed Richardson, Executive Director, NJEA
[7:07]: Heather Sorge, Holland Township Education Association*
[13:09]: Hannah Pawlak, Highland Park Education Association
[18:01]: Anthony St Jean, Orange Education Association
[22:49]: Jerell Blakeley, New Jersey Work Environment Council (Healthy Schools Now)*
[28:38]: Tom Hayden, UniServ Field Representative, NJEA
[30:53]: Gene Woods, Bayonne Teachers Association (I Learn America program)
35.07: Joe Pizzo, Chester Township Education Association*
42.05: Miriam Richenbach & Ed Komczyk, New Jersey Retirees’ Education Association
[46:22]: Matt Stagliano, NJEA
[49:21]: Jaime Valente, Teaneck Community Charter Education Association*
[54:58]: Mark Howe, Gloucester County Vocational Technical Education Association*
[1:01:10]: Dan Epstein, Franklin Township Education Association*
[1:08:02]: Brian Rock, East Orange Education Association (New Leaders Council)
[1:13:48]: Melanie Lemme, Summit Education Association*
[1:19:43]: Marie Blistan, Vice President, NJEA
[1:21:34]: Sean Spiller, Secretary-Treasurer, NJEA
[1:25:33]: Steve Beatty, Bridgewater-Raritan Education Association
[1:30:04]: Melissa Tomlinson, Buena Regional Education Association (NJ BATs)*
[1:34:08]: Gabe Tanglao, Bergenfield Education Association*

* denotes a past Jersey Educator guest. Find out past episodes at njea.org/podcast.

The Jersey Educator Podcast is a show created by NJEA members, for NJEA members. Whether you are a teacher, an educational support professional, or a New Jersey Student Education Association member, this show will serve as a platform to help YOU bring out the best in your students each and every day. The shows are hosted by Jeff Bradbury ofTeacherCast.net (@TeacherCast) and Jim Boice, NJEA Field Representative (@boiceinthehood). For more information, visit njea.org/podcast and email us at podcast@njea.org.

Upcoming Educational Conferences

Find more events at The Education Calendar.
Edcamp New Jersey:
http://www.edcampnewjersey.net/.
West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District.
Thomas R. Grover Middle School.
November 19, 2016.

Subscribe to Our Podcast on iTunes

We are proud to be listed in the iTunes Directory. Please take a moment and subscribe to this show on your favorite podcast player today!

Show Hosts

Jeffrey Bradbury, author of Kidblog: An Introduction to Blogging With Your Students, is the creator of TeacherCast.net, TeacherCast University, and Educational Podcasting Today, is an ASCD Emerging Leader, Google Certified Teacher, Google Education Trainer, PBS Learning Media Digital Innovator, speaker, writer, broadcaster, consultant and educational media specialist. He is currently the Coordinator for Technology Integration for the Westwood Regional School District in New Jersey. In 2012, Jeff was recognized as one of top 50 educators using social media at the first ever Bammy Awards and has been nominated three times in the category of Innovator of the Year. Jeff has been the keynote speaker for the Pearson Authentic Learning Conference, EdTechNJ and most recently at Columbia University’s Teacher College and Podcast Mid-Atlantic.

Standing Up for Students: A Conversation with Melissa Tomlinson

Jeffrey Bradbury — Sat, 20 Jan 2018 01:47:00 -0500

In this episode, we welcome Melissa Tomlinson onto the program.

About Our Guest

A teacher of students with special needs at Buena Regional Middle School, Melissa realized that she was not alone in questioning the role of standardized testing in schools when she found the Badass Teachers Association, where she currently serves as the Assistant Executive Director. Melissa was first pushed into the spotlight of fighting the methods of corporate educational reform when she faced Governor Chris Christie to ask about his public degradation of NJ Schools when they were rated one of the top three in the nation. Along with teaching and advocacy, Melissa runs the after-school program in her school building. Melissa also sits on the ESSA Stakeholder Group at the New Jersey Department of Education.

Find NJEA’s ESSA resources page here.
Find the Badassed Teachers Association at badassteacher.org and NJ BATs on Facebook.

Learn about the film, Backpack Full of Cash, here at backpackfullofcash.com.

Upcoming NJEA Events

At the Corner of 1st and 5th at Convention ‘16: November 10-11.
Early career members networking event at Haven: November 10.
Learn more at the events page of njea.org/earlycareermembers.

Upcoming Educational Conferences

Find more events at The Education Calendar
Edcamp New Jersey
http://www.edcampnewjersey.net/
West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District
Thomas R. Grover Middle School
November 19, 2016

Social Media Minute

Todays Social Media Minute comes from our friends at NJSchoolJobs.com.

Tech Tips

Google Classroom Tips and Tricks for the Non-Newbie Teacher

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Education, Politics, and Music: An Interview with the Jersey Jazzman, Mark Weber

Jeffrey Bradbury — Fri, 19 Jan 2018 01:46:00 -0500

In this episode, we welcome Mark Weber on to the program.

About Our Guest

Mark Weber is a music educator in Warren Township, a former New Jersey public school parent, a doctoral student in Education Policy at Rutgers University, and a member of the NJEA. Weber’s blog, “Jersey Jazzman,” is a nationally recognized source of education policy analysis and commentary. It can be read at jerseyjazzman.blogspot.com.

Mark is one of this year’s plenary session speakers at the NJEA Convention. He’ll appear on Thursday, Nov. 10, at 11:30 a.m. Weber will share his insights on the intersection between politics and policy and their effect on the everyday lives of teachers, educational support professionals and students in the state’s public schools.

Upcoming NJEA Events

Connect with your peers & be politically aware: October 26.
At the Corner of 1st and 5th at Convention ‘16: November 10-11.
Early career members networking event at Haven: November 10.
Learn more at the events page of njea.org/earlycareermembers.

Upcoming Educational Conferences

Find more events at The Education Calendar
Edcamp New Jersey
http://www.edcampnewjersey.net/
West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District
Thomas R. Grover Middle School
November 19, 2016

Social Media Minute

Todays Social Media Minute comes from our friends at NJSchoolJobs.com.

Tech Tips

Google Classroom Tips and Tricks for the Non-Newbie Teacher

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Strategies for teaming up with your educational community

Jeffrey Bradbury — Thu, 18 Jan 2018 01:45:00 -0500

About Our Guest

Petal Robertson teaches English at Montclair High School, with her courses currently being African American Literature and English 10 Academic. She is the Vice President of Social Committee Chair for the Montclair Education Association. Petal also serves on the Human Rights Committee for the Essex County Education Association. Feel free to contact Petal at probertson@meanj.org.

Upcoming NJEA Events

Connect with your peers & be politically aware: October 26.
At the Corner of 1st and 5th at Convention ‘16: November 10-11.
Early career members networking event at Haven: November 10.
Learn more at the events page of njea.org/earlycareermembers.

Upcoming Educational Conferences

Find more events at The Education Calendar
Edcamp New Jersey
http://www.edcampnewjersey.net/
West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District
Thomas R. Grover Middle School
November 19, 2016

Social Media Minute

Todays Social Media Minute comes from our friends at NJSchoolJobs.com.

Tech Tips

Google Classroom Tips and Tricks for the Non-Newbie Teacher

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Healthy Schools Now: protecting students and staff to improve learning.

Jeffrey Bradbury — Wed, 17 Jan 2018 01:45:00 -0500

In this episode, we welcome Jerell Blakeley onto the program.

About Our Guest

You may recall Jerell Blakeley from episode 3: are your students civically minded? A passionate believer in the power of education, Jerell is a graduate of The Graduate School of Education at Rutgers University: New Brunswick, where he earned an Ed.M. in the Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education as an Martin-Eagleton Fellow of Politics and Government. He received his teacher's certification from the Center for Effective School Practices at the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. He also is a Fellow of the New Leaders Council-New Jersey.

Jerell serves on the boards of The Children Home Society of NJ and the Mercer County Board of Social Services. Jerell is currently Campaign Organizer of Healthy Schools Now coalition at the NJ Work Environment Council (WEC). Prior to joining WEC, Jerell was a social studies teacher in the Trenton Public Schools.

Upcoming NJEA Events

At the Corner of 1st and 5th at Convention ‘16: November 10-11.
Early career members networking event at Haven: November 10.
Learn more at the events page of njea.org/earlycareermembers.

Upcoming Educational Conferences

Find more events at The Education Calendar
Edcamp New Jersey
http://www.edcampnewjersey.net/
West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District
Thomas R. Grover Middle School
November 19, 2016

Social Media Minute

Todays Social Media Minute comes from our friends at NJSchoolJobs.com.

Tech Tips

Google Classroom Tips and Tricks for the Non-Newbie Teacher

Subscribe to Our Podcast on iTunes

We are proud to be listed in the iTunes Directory. Please take a moment and subscribe to this show on your favorite podcast player today!

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What can we learn from our veteran teachers?

Jeffrey Bradbury — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 01:44:00 -0500

In this episode, we welcome Joe Pizzo onto the program.

About Our Guest

Joseph S. Pizzo is a seventh-grade language arts teacher of 42 years at Black River Middle School in Chester Township, NJ (Morris County). He was recently named the 2016 Educator of the Year for the NJ Association for Middle-Level Education.

Joseph is also a former president of the NJ Council of Teachers of English and their Educator of the Year in 2005. Recognized as a WMGQ-98.3 FM “Teacher Who Makes Magic” in 2013, Pizzo serves as a member of Scholastic’s National Teacher Advisory Board.

Learn more about Joseph here.

Upcoming NJEA Events

Monmouth County Happy Hour for early career labor leaders: September 9.
#teamnorth ABCs of paychecks event: September 16.
Tough mudder tri-state: October 8th.
Learn more at the events page of njea.org/earlycareermembers.

Upcoming Educational Conferences

Find more events in The Education Calendar

Social Media Minute

Todays Social Media Minute comes from our friends at NJSchoolJobs.com.

Tech Tips

Subscribe to Our Podcast on iTunes

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Project Impact: Taking Pride in our Schools, Communities, and Students

Jeffrey Bradbury — Mon, 15 Jan 2018 01:43:00 -0500

In this episode, we welcome Ann Marie Ball onto the program.

About Our Guests

Ann Marie Ball is the 2014-2015 Warren County Teacher of the Year. She earned her BS in Special Education and Elementary Education from William Paterson University of NJ and her MS in Elementary Technology from Wilkes University in PA. This fall, she will begin her 29th year in education. She is currently a Math Coach and Teacher of the Gifted and Talented in the Phillipsburg School District of Phillipsburg, NJ.

Learn more about NJEA’s PRIDE in Public Education grant program at njea.org. Select “Parents and Community” and click on “PRIDE in Public Education.” Sign in to njea.org to access PRIDE materials and information, including grant applications.

Follow Project Impact on Twitter at Project_Impact and Facebook.

Upcoming NJEA Events

American Labor Museum Labor Day Parade: Sept. 4.
Monmouth County Happy Hour for early career labor leaders: September 9.
#teamnorth pizza and paychecks event: September 16 . . .
Learn more at the events page of njea.org/earlycareermembers.

Upcoming Educational Conferences

Find more events at The Education Calendar

Social Media Minute

Todays Social Media Minute comes from our friends at NJSchoolJobs.com.

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How can we truly reach out and support every single student in our school?

Jeffrey Bradbury — Sun, 14 Jan 2018 01:43:00 -0500

In this episode, we welcome Susan Caldwell onto the program.

About Our Guests

Susan Caldwell is a former Board of Education member and is currently the Executive Director for Save Our Schools, a grassroots, all-volunteer organization of parents and other public education supporters who believe that every child in New Jersey should have access to a high-quality public education. Learn more at saveourschoolsnj.org.

Upcoming NJEA Events

Monmouth County Happy Hour for early career labor leaders: September 9.
#teamnorth pizza and paychecks event: September 16.

Upcoming Educational Conferences

8/2/16 – NJAET Summer TechSplash in Allentown NJ
Find more events at The Education Calendar

Social Media Minute

Todays Social Media Minute comes from our friends at NJSchoolJobs.com.

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Why should teachers be standing up for what their students believe?

Jeffrey Bradbury — Sat, 13 Jan 2018 01:42:00 -0500

In this episode, we welcome Nicholas Ferroni onto the program.

About Our Guests

Nicholas Ferroni is a high school history teacher in the Union Township School District of Union County, NJ. He was recently named “Upstander of the Year” by the Human Rights Campaign. His accolades also include being one of “100 Making a Difference in the World” and one of the “25 Most Influential Educators on Social Media.” Nicholas is also working on a series with PEOPLE magazine to celebrate and praise educators, as well as a campaign called “Teach the Truth,” which is intended to advocate for more minority figures and groups in school textbooks.

Follow Nicholas @nicholasferroni and email him at ferroni21@hotmail.com.

NOTE: In parts of this interview, Nick explores his experiences discussing the contents of his lessons with parents. Always feel free to reach out to your local association building representative or local association president to discuss situations like these and find context, clarity, and perspective. Learn more by downloading the handbook, Your NJEA Membership Matters.

Upcoming NJEA Events

Beach day networking event: July 31.
Monmouth County Happy Hour for early career labor leaders: September 9.
#teamnorth pizza and paychecks event: September 16.

Upcoming Educational Conferences

8/2/16 – NJAET Summer TechSplash in Allentown NJ
Find more events at The Education Calendar

Social Media Minute

Todays Social Media Minute comes from our friends at NJSchoolJobs.com.

Creating a Professional Email Address

Use Gmail if possible (professionally recognized)
Create a “Brand” for yourself that people can remember
Keep everything professional

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Building Community and Communication in your school with the help of a Pineapple

Jeffrey Bradbury — Sat, 13 Jan 2018 01:41:00 -0500

In this episode, we welcome Samantha Billing of the Hunterdon Central Regional High School in Flemington, NJ. Samantha is the 2015-16 Hunterdon County Teacher of the Year and is here to talk about something called The Pineapple Project.

About Our Guests

Samantha Billig is in her eighth year as a business teacher at Hunterdon Central Regional High School in Flemington, NJ where she teaches Entrepreneurship, Digital Multimedia Design, and Introduction to Web Design. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education from Delaware Valley College and a Master’s Degree in Learning Technologies from Drexel University. Samantha is recognized as a teacher leader in her district, county, and state and is honored to be a 2016 New Jersey County Teacher of the Year. She currently resides in Bucks County with her husband, Todd, one-year-old daughter, Morgan, and adorable four-legged son, Boomer.”

Upcoming NJEA Events

2016 NJEA Summer Professional Learning Institute: July 12.
Beach day networking event: July 31.

Upcoming Educational Conferences

8/2/16 – NJAET Summer TechSplash in Allentown NJ
Find more events at The Education Calendar

Social Media Minute

Use the hashtag #NJED When tweeting and your tweets will be picked up by educators from across the state

For More Information about the Pineapple Project

http://earlycareer.njeasites.org/2016/04/12/the-pineapple-project/

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NJEA Members Making a Difference in NJ’s Public Charter Schools

Jeffrey Bradbury — Thu, 11 Jan 2018 01:40:00 -0500

In this episode, we welcome Jaime Valente and Willis Dunbar of the Teaneck Community Charter Education Association. Jaime is a music teacher and the local association president, and Willis is a 5th and 6th-grade social studies teacher.

About Our Guests

Willis Dunbar, a 5th & 6th grade Social Studies teacher of eleven years at the Teaneck Community Charter School, recognized a disparity between specific demographic groups in regard to academic achievement. As Willis continued further research, he decided to create a program that addressed the achievement gap through mentorship. This program would be called J.U.M.P. which stands for Junior Uplift Mentorship Program. He is a graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University where he received his Bachelors in English and his MAT in Secondary Education. Willis is also an Association Representative for TCCS' Upper School teachers.

Jaime Valente is the Director of Performing Arts at the Teaneck Community Charter School in Teaneck, NJ where he serves as classroom music instructor, vocal coach, and musical theatre director. He is a graduate of Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ where he earned a Bachelor of Music in Music Education, a Master of Education in Teacher Leadership, and a Supervisor’s Certification.

Jaime is also an Organizational Development Consultant with the New Jersey Education Association. Jaime serves as a representative on the NJEA Public Charter School Members Workgroup and is the founding President of the Teaneck Community Charter Education Association.

Upcoming NJEA Events

Early career members’ networking event at Trenton Thunder: June 15.
Early career members’ networking event in Asbury Park: June 16.

Upcoming Educational Conferences

8/2/16 – NJAET Summer TechSplash in Allentown NJ
Find more events at The Education Calendar

Social Media Minute

Use the hashtag #NJED When tweeting and your tweets will be picked up by educators from across the state

Tech Tips

Google Keep (keep.google.com)

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Make it, Manage it, Save it, and Protect It: An Educator’s Guide to Finances

Jeffrey Bradbury — Wed, 10 Jan 2018 01:39:00 -0500

In this episode, we welcome Gabe Tanglao, a High School Economics teacher from the Bergenfield School District. He’s here to talk about our early career members and their finances.

About Our Guest

Gabriel Tanglao is a proud educator at Bergenfield High School, specializing in economics, financial literacy, world history, political science and global studies. His passion extends beyond the classroom as an adviser for the Model United Nations, National Social Studies Honor Society and STEM Mentor. Gabriel is an active union member within his local, county, state and national affiliates.

Upcoming NJEA Events

Early career members’ networking event at Trenton Thunder: June 15.
Early career members’ networking event in Asbury Park: June 16.

Upcoming Educational Conferences

5/25/16 Garden State Summit
8/2/16 – NJAET Summer TechSplash in Allentown NJ
Find more events at The Education Calendar

Social Media Minute

Use the hashtag #NJED When tweeting and your tweets will be picked up by educators from across the state

Tech Tips

Google Spaces (spaces.google.com)

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The Essential Role of Educational Support Professionals In The School District

Jeffrey Bradbury — Tue, 09 Jan 2018 01:39:00 -0500

About Our Guest

Heather Sorge lives in Holland Township, NJ with her husband Ed and has three wonderful children. She has been a paraprofessional at Holland Township School for over eight years where she works with children in Wilson Reading, phonics, and as an in-class support aide for K-8. In addition to being highly involved with her local and county associations, Heather has been advocating for ESPs by providing training for locals through NJEA on how ESPs can become more proactive and involved. Heather was also featured in the November issue of the NJEA Review for her article, “7 Questions Every New ESP Should Ask.” You can find this article here on njea.org/earlycareermembers.

What is an Education Support Professional

An ESP is an Education Support Professional. We are your highly trained, dedicated support staff working alongside teachers and behind the scenes at school to make sure that every child has a safe, happy, and successful day. As NJEA ESPs, we represent your school’s custodians, secretaries, food service workers, bus drivers, paraprofessionals, security officers, transportation aides, skilled trade professionals, nurses, and mechanics (you may have others, too). Every school district’s needs are different. Some schools have many types of ESPs. Unfortunately, some school districts have very few genres of ESP’s left due to privatization. Here is a great NEA video that sums up our value!

Upcoming NJEA Events

April Twitter Chat June 6 #NJEAChat.
PD event: tour and explore at the American Labor Museum (May 21)
5/14/16 – Edcamp Philly
5/25/16 Garden State Summit
8/2/16 – NJAET Summer TechSplash in Allentown NJ
Find more events at The Education Calendar

Social Media Minute

Use the hashtag #NJED When tweeting and your tweets will be picked up by educators from across the state

Tech Tips

Google Geo Maps

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The Challenges and Opportunities in being Involuntarily Transferred in your District

Jeffrey Bradbury — Mon, 08 Jan 2018 01:38:00 -0500

About Our Guest

In this episode, we welcome the Melanie Lemme onto the show. Mel has been teaching for 10 years and currently teaches a self-contained K-2 language and learning disabilities class. Mel has her Master’s degree in special education. Mel is here to share her story about being involuntarily transferred. She will tell us about how she overcame this unexpected change as well as what she learned from it.

The circumstances surrounding an involuntary transfer can vary, so always reach out to your local association building representative or local association president to discuss the situation and find context, clarity, and perspective.

Upcoming NJEA Events

#NorthMovement events (May 3, and May 5)
5/02/16 May Twitter Chat
5/21/16 PD event: tour and explore at the American Labor Museum
Learn more on the events page of njea.org/earlycareermembers

Find more events at The Education Calendar Upcoming New Jersey Area Conferences

4/30/16 – EDCamp Garden State
5/14/16 – Edcamp Philly
Find more events at The Education Calendar

Social Media Minute

Use the hashtag #NJED When tweeting and your tweets will be picked up by educators from across the state

Tech Tips

New TeacherCast Website
Google Photos is pretty awesome

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What Role Does Career and Technical Education Play For Todays Students?

Jeffrey Bradbury — Sun, 07 Jan 2018 01:36:00 -0500

Welcome to the Jersey Educator Podcast, a show created by NJEaA members … for NJEA members. Whether you are a teacher, an education support professional, or a New Jersey Student Education Association member, this show will serve as a platform to help YOU bring out the best in your students . . . each and every day in your schools. The shows are hosted by Jeff Bradbury of TeacherCast.net (@TeacherCast) and Jim Boice, a field representative with NJEA (@boiceinthehood). For more information, please visit njea.org/podcast and email us at podcast@njea.org.

In this episode, we welcome GCIT Teacher Mark Howe on the program to discuss the role that Career and Technical Education has in today's educational curriculum.

About Our Guest Mark Howe

Mark Howie is a graduate and teacher from the Gloucester County Institute of Technology's HVAC program, that has taken his teaching to a level that he wants to share with everyone in education.

A shop teacher that has found a way to incorporate multiple styles of teaching to happen, all at once, for a variety of different learning styles.

A station-based rotational learning environment that has students teaching each other as they learn and master skills necessary for entering the trade. Multiple converts at his school and across the state have seen the positive growth in their programs and the student's progress.

The HowieDoing Rotation is on Facebook as the Howie Doing Rotation and has a Blog www.howiedoingrotations.com

Upcoming NJEA Events

#NorthMovement events (April 26, May 3, and May 5)
5/02/16 May Twitter Chat
5/21/16 PD event: tour and explore at the American Labor Museum
Learn more on the events page of njea.org/earlycareermembers

Find more events at The Education CalendarUpcoming New Jersey Area Conferences

4/16/16 – Special EDCamp
4/30/16 – EDCamp Garden State
5/14/16 – Edcamp Philly

Find more events at The Education Calendar

Social Media Minute

Use the hashtag #NJED When tweeting and your tweets will be picked up by educators from across the state

Tech Tips

The Education Calendar (www.TheEducationCalendar.com)
#TheEduCal
https://sites.google.com/site/twittereducationchats/education-chat-calendar
https://sites.google.com/site/theeducationcalendar/calendar-ambassadors

Subscribe to Our Podcast on iTunes

We are proud to be listed in the iTunes Directory. Please take a moment and subscribe to this show on your favorite podcast player today!

Show Hosts

Do You Have What It Takes To Be The State Teacher Of The Year?

Jeffrey Bradbury — Sat, 06 Jan 2018 01:36:00 -0500

In this episode, we welcome New Jersey State Teacher Of The Year Chelsea Collins on to the podcast to discuss

Upcoming NJEA Events

#NorthMovement events (April 26, May 3, and May 5)
5/02/16 May Twitter Chat
5/21/16 PD event: tour and explore at the American Labor Museum
Learn more on the events page of njea.org/earlycareermembers

Find more events at The Education CalendarUpcoming New Jersey Area Conferences

4/11/16 –Google Education Group NJ Power Hour Featuring Jonathan Rochelle
4/16/16 – Special EDCamp
4/30/16 – EDCamp Garden State
5/14/16 – Edcamp Philly

Find more events in The Education Calendar

Social Media Minute

Use the hashtag #NJED When tweeting and your tweets will be picked up by educators from across the state

Tech Tips

The Education Calendar (www.TheEducationCalendar.com)
#TheEduCal
https://sites.google.com/site/twittereducationchats/education-chat-calendar
https://sites.google.com/site/theeducationcalendar/calendar-ambassadors

Subscribe to Our Podcast on iTunes

We are proud to be listed in the iTunes Directory. Please take a moment and subscribe to this show on your favorite podcast player today!

Show Hosts

Innovative Student Discipline Techniques

Jeffrey Bradbury — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 01:35:00 -0500

In this episode, we welcome Gary Melton on the program to discuss how he is using innovative techniques in restorative practices to decrease discipline referrals and combat the school to prison pipeline.

Upcoming NJEA Events

The NJEA Early Career Member Network is sponsoring a Twitter Chat and a Bowling Event in February.

PD event: open space around classroom management (April 2, 2016)
Next NJEA Twitter Chat: organizing around testing (April 4, 2016)

Upcoming New Jersey Area Conferences

Ednado – April 16, 2016https://ednado.wordpress.com
Middleton High School

Social Media Minute

Use the hashtag #NJED When tweeting and your tweets will be picked up by educators from across the state

Tech Tips

The Education Calendar (www.TheEducationCalendar.com)
#TheEduCal
https://sites.google.com/site/twittereducationchats/education-chat-calendar
https://sites.google.com/site/theeducationcalendar/calendar-ambassadors

Subscribe to Our Podcast on iTunes

We are proud to be listed in the iTunes Directory. Please take a moment and subscribe to this show on your favorite podcast player today!

Show Hosts

Are Your Students Civically Minded?

Jeffrey Bradbury — Thu, 04 Jan 2018 01:34:00 -0500

In this episode, we welcome Jerell Blakely and Marie Battist-Celestin on the program to discuss how two New Jersey Schools are meeting the needs of a diverse population of students.

Upcoming NJEA Events

The NJEA Early Career Member Network is sponsoring a Twitter Chat and a Bowling Event in February.

Twitter Chat: March 7, 2016. Join us for our first #NJEAChat. The topic will be your profession, your future. Tweet with your colleagues from across the state on your best practices and share your vision for the future of public education. Learn more at njea.org/earlycareermembers.

Upcoming New Jersey Area Conferences

New Conferences in the Region
NYC AppsEvents – March 19, 2016
http://newyork.appsevents.com
Eleanor Roosevelt High School
Ednado – April 16, 2016
https://ednado.wordpress.com
Middleton High School

Social Media Minute

Use the hashtag #NJED When tweeting and your tweets will be picked up by educators from across the state

Tech Tips

The Education Calendar (www.TheEducationCalendar.com)
#TheEduCal
https://sites.google.com/site/twittereducationchats/education-chat-calendar
https://sites.google.com/site/theeducationcalendar/calendar-ambassadors

Subscribe to Our Podcast on iTunes

We are proud to be listed in the iTunes Directory. Please take a moment and subscribe to this show on your favorite podcast player today!

Show Hosts

Additionally, the TeacherCast Educational Broadcasting Network has served educational conventions worldwide by providing on-site live broadcasting to thousands of educators each week. Jeff is the host of the TeacherCast Podcast, Educational Podcasting Today and the TechEducator Podcast.

What Can We Learn From Our Student Education Association Chapters?

Jeffrey Bradbury — Wed, 03 Jan 2018 01:33:00 -0500

In this episode, we welcome two members of the New Jersey Student Education Association, Hannah Pawlak, and Megan Namnama on to the podcast to discuss the New Jersey Student Education Association with us and share their passions for becoming educators.

Upcoming NJEA Events

The NJEA Early Career Member Network is sponsoring a Twitter Chat and a Bowling Event in February.

Twitter Chat: Feb. 1, 2016. Join us for our first #NJEAChat. The topic will be your profession, your future. Tweet with your colleagues from across the state on your best practices and share your vision for the future of public education. Learn more at njea.org/earlycareermembers.
Bowling Event: February 19, 2016, at Colonial Bowling and Entertainment in Lawrenceville, NJ. Join us for a night of bowling, courtesy of the NJEA Early Career Member Network. Buffet dinner and two complimentary drinks will be provided. Just like other networking events, connect with your colleagues from across the state. No agendas. No speeches. Learn more and RSVP at njea.org/earlycareermembers.

Tech Tips

As we settle into the second half of the school year, it's a great time to be innovative with your students. One of the best ways to be creative and exciting with your students is to teach them the value of connecting with others and collaborating on digital projects. One potential project might involve video conferencing with another class. There are several great applications available for platforms of all kinds to help your students become safe, digital citizens.

Subscribe to Our Podcast on iTunes

We are proud to be listed in the iTunes Directory. Please take a moment and subscribe to this show on your favorite podcast player today!

Show Hosts

How To Become Active In Your Professional Association

Jeffrey Bradbury — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 01:31:00 -0500

Welcome to a new podcast series, the Jersey Educator Podcast, sponsored by the New Jersey Education Association. Whether you are a teacher, an education support professional, or a New Jersey Student Education Association member, this show will serve as a platform to help YOU bring out the best in your students . . . each and every day in your schools. The shows are hosted by Jeff Bradbury of TeacherCast.net (@TeacherCast) and Jim Boice, a field representative with NJEA (@boiceinthehood). Jeff and Jim want to help public school employees better balance their work lives and home lives. The pair also plans to spotlight members who are advocating for improvements to their schools and profession so our students can keep achieving their dreams. Check out their first show here. For more information, please visit njea.org/podcast and email us at podcast@njea.org.

In this episode, we welcome New Jersey educator Dan Epstein on to the podcast to discuss several great ways to become an active member in your association.

Dan Epstein is a third-grade special education teacher in the Franklin Township School District of Somerset County. He is celebrating his tenth year as a public school educator. Dan is also the elementary coordinator for his local education association, The Franklin Township Education Association. Dan also serves as the 2nd Vice President for the Somerset County Education Association. Dan’s email is depstein1983@yahoo.com, and you can find him on Twitter @depstein1983.

Upcoming NJEA Events

The NJEA Early Career Member Network is sponsoring a Twitter Chat and a Bowling Event in February.

Twitter Chat: Feb. 1, 2016. Join us for our first #NJEAChat. The topic will be your profession, your future. Tweet with your colleagues from across the state on your best practices and share your vision for the future of public education. Learn more at njea.org/earlycareermembers.
Bowling Event: February 19, 2016, at Colonial Bowling and Entertainment in Lawrenceville, NJ. Join us for a night of bowling, courtesy of the NJEA Early Career Member Network. Buffet dinner and two complimentary drinks will be provided. Just like other networking events, connect with your colleagues from across the state. No agendas. No speeches. Learn more and RSVP at njea.org/earlycareermembers.

Tech Tips

Subscribe to this podcast and several others in 2016. There are several great New Jersey Educators creating podcasts and a great way to support our association members is to check out their podcasts.

Check out these great podcasts today:

As we turn over the calendar into 2016, it’s time to think about backing up your digital files. Perhaps you have several important files saved on your computer's desktop. It’s important to have a solid backup strategy for your valuable information. Having a service such as Dropbox or Google Drive is a perfect way to backup your data and keep your information safe.

Subscribe to Our Podcast on iTunes

We are proud to be listed in the iTunes Directory. Please take a moment and subscribe to this show on your favorite podcast player today!

Show Hosts

Welcome to the Jersey Educator Podcast

Jeffrey Bradbury — Mon, 01 Jan 2018 01:00:00 -0500

Welcome to a new podcast series, the Jersey Educator Podcast, sponsored by the New Jersey Education Association. Whether you are a teacher, an education support professional, or a New Jersey Student Education Association member, this show will serve as a platform to help YOU bring out the best in your students . . . each and every day in your schools. The shows are hosted by Jeff Bradbury of TeacherCast.net (@TeacherCast) and Jim Boice, a field representative with NJEA (@boiceinthehood).

Jeff and Jim want to help public school employees better balance their work lives and home lives. The pair also plans to spotlight members who are advocating for improvements to their schools and profession so our students can keep achieving their dreams. Check out their first show here. For more information, please visit njea.org/podcast and email us at podcast@njea.org.

Subscribe to Our Podcast on iTunes

We are proud to be listed in the iTunes Directory. Please take a moment and subscribe to this show on your favorite podcast player today!