10 Must-Attend Conferences for New Jersey Teachers

Conferences have looked a little different this past year. With COVID-19 canceling in-person events, planners and promoters put their heads together to offer virtual experiences for those seeking professional development. 

And what we learned is conferences can go on! It took an open mind and a lot of changes, but the conference landscape has been able to adapt. As we enter 2021, conferences are still virtual, which we’ve found to have its benefits. People who otherwise couldn’t attend physically now have access to new information, making learning accessible to more, which is always a win.

New Jersey has plenty of exciting virtual conferences lined up for educators this winter, with topics ranging from equity, health, how the brain learns and more.

January 

NJEA Equity Alliance Conference
January 15-16, 2021
Free for NJEA members

Learn how to create an equitable learning experience for students. This two-day conference features three workshop sessions that will give educators the tools they need to encourage equity in the classroom. Friday features a “Fireside Chat” with keynote speaker, Nikole Hannah-Jones, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and co-founder of the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting. On Saturday, the conference hosts keynote Baruti Kafele, a highly-regarded urban educator in New Jersey for over 20 years and author of 11 books.

Transform Your Teaching: Mind, Brain, and Education Conference
Tuesday, January 26, 2021
1 - 4:00 p.m.
$85 per registrant, member schools
$150 per registrant, non-member schools

This conference explores how to utilize research on the brain to propel teaching skills. Situated at the intersection of psychology, neuroscience and education, the field of Mind, Brain, and Education (MBE) affirms many practices we already do each day and provides a framework for future lesson planning. Topics will include the science of learning, the relationship between emotion and cognition and student motivation.

Patterns of Power: Inviting Young Writers into the Conventions of Language 
Tuesday, January 19, 2021
9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. 
$149

Whitney La Rocca, co-author of the Patterns of Power family of resources, will show grades 1-5 educators how to teach grammar in fun and engaging ways. Topics include creating classrooms where students are curious about language, how to apply an inquiry process and teaching students to appreciate writing as a craft. 

February 

NJEA ESP Conference
February 6, 2021
9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. 
Free to NJEA members
Pre-registration required by January 22

This conference honors educational support professionals across New Jersey. The day includes a range of topics for attendees to explore. Some include prepping for evaluations, using Google Drive, negotiations, workers’ rights and more.

NJMEA Virtual State Conference
February 18-20, 2021
Early registration: $30 members, $100 non-members 
Late registration: $40 members, $110 non-members

For the first time, NJMEA will present its annual State Conference virtually. NJMEA has been working hard on virtual planning since August, when it first announced its 2021 conference would be virtual. Sessions will follow their typical conference format, with multiple running per time slots. Post conference, attendees will have access to the sessions through June 15. 

 
2021 NJAHPERD Annual Convention 
February 22-23, 2021
$99 for professional members
$69 graduate student/first-year teacher members
$29 for future professional members
Free for retired members
Guest (Non-Member) rate - $175
Guest (SHAPE America/Other State AHPERD) - $99

NJAHPERD promotes responsibility and development of healthy active lifestyles for New Jersey’s students, educators and community members. Its annual conference will show how to improve overall wellness holistically. Keynote speakers include Maya Enista Smith, Executive Director of Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation; Dr. Tracie Gilbert, educator, writer, researcher and consultant; and Nora Gelperin, Executive Director for Advocates for Youth. Programming for both days will be available 60 days after the conference. All breakout sessions will be pre-recorded, with the presenters on hand to chat with attendees live. 

NJSC Virtual 2020 Program, Science: The Key to the Future
Feb. 6-7, 2021
$19 for access to all NJSC Virtual 2020 events and archived presentations

When COVID-19 canceled in-person events, New Jersey Science Convention pivoted and created an affordable, yearlong virtual series. Science educators can register any time, as presentations are archived for attendees. The February conference offers creative ways for educators to get involved in professional learning. A couple particularly creative examples include a dance party and how to create a digital escape room.

How to Lead Meaningful Race Conversations in the Classroom 
February 3, 10, 17 and 24, 2021
$149

This series of 75-minutes presentations is designed to give teachers and administrators a method and strategies for initiating and facilitating meaningful, productive and respectful dialogues about race. On February 3, 10, 17 and 24, Matthew R. Kay will present ways to incorporate conversations about race in the classroom, using principles from his book, Not Light, But Fire.

March 

World Education Summit
March 22-25, 2021
£300.00 (Approx. $400)

The biggest education conference of 2021, the World Education Summit is broadcast across four time zones. The conference spans four days and features more than 200 international speakers, tens of thousands of educators on every continent and 100 hours of professional-learning access for a year. 

The NJECC 35th Annual Statewide Educational Technology Conference
March 9-10, 2021
Member: $95/day (Day 1 or 2), $160.00 both days
Non-members: $110/day (Day 1 or 2), $195 both days

The New Jersey Educational Computing Cooperative encourages tech in K-12 learning by providing its more than 100 member school districts with a wide range of services to meet their technology needs. The NJECC’s annual two-day conference offers 60-minute presentations on general technology, special education and library media. This year’s conference will be the first in a virtual environment. 

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