2025 SPRING CONFERENCE
Our 2025 conference has two components to choose from:
In-Person Conference – May 20, 21, & 22 – Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday
Hyatt Regency Hotel, New Brunswick
OR
Video Library Conference – Access starting on May 27th to August 21st.
All conference registration is closed.
Another successful year for
NJTESOL/NJBE 2025 Spring Conference attendance!
Important in-person conference information:
Please use the following hints for a positive experience.
Please look carefully at your dates listed in your email confirmation, from business-admin@njtesol-njbe.org, to be sure you arrive on the correct date for which you are registered.
Look for this confirmation. Please do not assume that your district has submitted your registration. The email confirmation (subject: NJTESOL/NJBE 2025 Spring Confirmation Confirmation) from NJTESOL/NJBE is key. Search your email. Search your other email. Check your spam folder. Check with your district to make sure that it was submitted (districts have been sent an invoice for all POs processed by NJTESOL/NJBE). After you have double checked your inboxes, with your district and still cannot find your confirmation, the last step would be to contact business-admin@njtesol-njbe.org. Please do not wait until morning of to see if you are registered. We will be very busy getting everyone checked in.
We are unable to accommodate any on site attempts to register or switch days as we are at capacity.
Special Note: Due to the rail strike, we have created this document that outlines several bus routes that come to New Brunswick. Bus Routes to New Brunswick <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1l_vUcAqebZwR89ahGizbOsiVSHnS0xDBsYjq4QmMo2E/edit?usp=sharing>
There are links to different bus providers so check them out in advance.
Remember, parking is very limited at the Hyatt Regency, so arrive early if you are going to drive. Carpool if possible! Try to take advantage of the public transportation available. (New this year: If attendees take a selfie carpooling or on public transportation and show it to a board member at the raffle you will receive an extra ticket.)
Hyatt Parking Deck Full? Additional city parking lots are also available a few blocks from the hotel at New Brunswick Parking Authority rates. New Brunswick Parking Authority
In-Person Conference:
- Check-in opens at 7:30 a.m. and remains open only until 10:00 a.m.
Conference check-in will be by last name, so please proceed to the proper line. There is no check-in after 10:00 a.m. You must check-in to obtain your name badge and conference materials before attending any workshops. You are required to wear your color-coded name badge, so that you can be identified as a conference attendee. (Presenters are to use the Presenters Check-In)
Picture ID is required at Conference Check-In. Please have it ready. - You must attend on the day(s) in which you are registered, no switching of dates allowed.
- No substitutions without prior consent from NJTESOL/NJBE. No splitting of a multiple day registration.
- Registrants attending multiple days MUST check in each day (on your first day checking-in you will receive only ONE conference booklet, bag & name badge holder to use for all the days attending).
- Your name badge must be visible. Badges will be checked throughout the day, and they also act as your lunch ticket.
- The color-coded name badges are how we will be tracking your attendance. You must check-in each day you are scheduled to attend to receive the proper color-coded name badge.
- PD Certificates will be emailed.
- Do not lose your badge, as it cannot be replaced.
- PD certificates will be delivered electronically via email address. At the end of each day, you are scheduled to attend, you will need to fill out a brief survey about the conference and a few workshops, which will automatically generate your personalized PD certificate for the day or days attended. (Paper certificates will not be available at the conference.)
- In your conference bag you will receive a sponsor/exhibitor/recruiter bingo card. As you visit the sponsors and exhibitors (recruiters on Thursday) have them mark your bingo card. Fifteen sponsor/exhibitor/recruiter marks will earn you a one-hour PD certificate. Your completed sponsor/exhibitor bingo cards must be given to our volunteer coordinator, Maria Jaume and her team, and the certificate will be sent to you by email within two weeks of the conference.
Each attendee will receive one bingo card.
Whova – Conference App
Whova is the name of the app we will be using for our in-person and video library conference again this year.
You can use this app to see the agenda, plan your day, see where all the sessions are located, as well as connect with other attendees. *Important! Adding a session to your schedule on Whova does not reserve a spot in a session. All sessions are first come, first serve.
Other Important Information:
– Dress in layers as the hotel temperature can fluctuate.
– There is a room for new mothers with a refrigerator for storing breast milk.
– Use public transportation or carpool when possible. Parking and traffic tend to be an issue.
– You must check-in for each day of the conference that you are scheduled to attend with a photo ID.
– Splitting a two and/or three-day registration between two people is NOT permitted.
– Look in the conference book about raffle information.
– Internet instructions are listed in the conference book.
– If you park in the Hyatt Hotel Parking Garage, please see an attendant in the hotel lobby from 11:30 to 2:30 to pre-pay for your parking and receive the discounted rate of $10.
Important video library conference information:
Please use the following hints for a positive experience.
Please look carefully at your email confirmation from business-admin@njtesol-njbe.org. This email will introduce you to the Whova app. The Whova app is how you will gain access to the pre-recorded videos.
Look for this confirmation. Please do not assume that your district has submitted your registration. The email confirmation (titled: NJTESOL/NJBE 2025 Spring Confirmation Confirmation) from NJTESOL/NJBE is key. Search your email. Search your other email. Check your spam folder. Check with your district to make sure that it was submitted (districts have been sent an invoice for all POs processed by NJTESOL/NJBE). After you have double checked your inboxes, with your district and still cannot find your confirmation, the last step would be to contact business-admin@njtesol-njbe.org. Please do not wait until May 27th of to see if you are registered.
- The email address listed on your registration form is the email address that you must use to gain access to Whova and watch the Video Library.
- You will not be able to access the video library workshops through another email address. You will not be able to change the email address on your own.
- Once you receive the 2025 invite for Whova – You MUST log into Whova to set up your email login and profile for the 2025 Spring Conference event. You must do this even if you used the Whova app in the past.
- Viewing the workshops will be available from May 27th to August 21st. There is no set schedule.
- Important – even if you decide that you are not going to watch videos until later in the summer you MUST at least log into Whova by June 20, 2025. If there is a problem with your email & login, we need to work it out before June 20th. After June 20th we (NJTESOL/NJBE or Whova) will not be able to help you).
- You can earn PD Hours starting on May 27th. Your hours will be tracked by your unique login. PD Certificates will be based on the number of video library workshops watched.
- Certificates will be sent out 3 times within the viewing time period.
General Spring Conference Information
The In-Person Conference will take place at the Hyatt Regency, New Brunswick on May 20, 21, & 22. You can register for one, two or all three days. We have three fantastic keynotes scheduled to present at the conference. Select from many presentations approved for the continuing education requirement. Network with other colleagues! Obtain the latest information on state and national initiatives. Visit and meet with the representatives at our Sponsors & Exhibitors booths to find the latest and greatest teaching tools. Earn PD Hours throughout the day.
You can also enjoy coffee with the sponsors and exhibitors starting at 7:30 am.
The Video Library Conference is a select collection of library presentations you will have access to view starting on May 27th using our conference platform. There is no set schedule. By using your unique login your hours will be tracked so that you can earn PD hours through August 21st. Please note that the Select Collection of presentations will not include the keynotes or special invited guest speakers. There is no Q&A.
Presentation topics will include: General Interest, Content Area Instruction, Bilingual/ESL Pre-K through 12, Higher Ed, Teacher Ed, Adult Ed, & k-12 Administrators, Dual Language/Biliteracy. All interest groups will have presentations all three days.
Justify your attendance: Our in person and virtual library conferences are designed to offer professional development that supports educators of all levels. Does your boss need more convincing? Use our customizable letter to further justify your attendance!
For questions concerning your conference registration status, please contact Gwen Franks at business-admin@njtesol-njbe.org
For other conference questions email Caia Schlessinger at conference-coordinator@njtesol-njbe.org.
Preliminary Schedule
Here you can view the workshops for each day. Please note that there are still a few changes that will be made, especially additions to the Video Library Conference offerings.
President’s Awards Ceremony & Reception
Join us as we celebrate our Scholarship Winners, Award Recipients & Advocacy Successes at our President’s Awards Ceremony & Reception, that will be held on Wednesday, May 21st starting at 6:00 PM at the New Brunswick Hyatt Regency Hotel. Registration is required to attend this event, and please consider making a donation toward the scholarships.
Awards and Scholarships
Applications for all of the 2025 awards and scholarships will open at the beginning of January for students in 4th, 8th, 12th grade, and college as well as prospective and current teachers in graduate school, a grant for teachers, and the new award Barbara Tedesco award for collaborating educators!
Become a Sponsor – SOLD OUT
We have exciting Sponsorship Packages which include expanded marketing. Showcase your company’s commitment, products, and services. Gain valuable connections and recognition from your prime location. See the Sponsor page for the details or contact Tina Kern at exhibitor-liaison@njtesol-njbe.org.
Become an Exhibitor – SOLD OUT
We invite companies and organizations that serve educators that teach and support. Visit the Exhibitor page for more information or contact Tina Kern at exhibitor-liaison@njtesol-njbe.org.
Recruiting Booths for Districts – Registration Closed
One component of our NJTESOL/NJBE Spring Conference 2025 is providing booths for Districts interested in recruiting teachers. Districts can reserve a recruiting booth for Thursday, May 22, 2025. Visit the Recruiting page for more information or contact Tina Kern at exhibitor-liaison@njtesol-njbe.org.
Dr. Patriann Smith
Dr. Lynn Shafer Willner designs language standards for multilingual learners, digital tools, and accessibility/accommodations research and guidelines. She is a member of the WIDA Assessment Team. Her current work focuses on the integration of the WIDA English Language Development (ELD) Standards Framework into the WIDA suite of assessments. Most recently, Lynn developed the alignment architecture for the WIDA English Language Development Standards Framework (2020 Edition). She has also authored a variety of articles on the WIDA Standards Framework, standards alignment, digitalization, and accessibility for multilingual learners.
Dr. Fernando Naiditch holds a PhD in Multilingual Multicultural Studies from New York University. He has taught in South America, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. Dr. Naiditch has published in the fields of Multilingual and Multicultural Education, TESOL, Critical Pedagogy, and Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Teaching. His research focuses on second language and literacy acquisition and development, immigrant and refugee education, culturally and linguistically responsive curricula, and critical pedagogy as a tool to achieve equity and social justice in education.
Allison Connolly is a history teacher and former Equity Coach for the Township of Ocean School District. Working with Garden State Equality and Make It Better for Youth, Ms. Connolly played an integral role in writing the curriculum for New Jersey’s LGBT and Disability Inclusive Curriculum mandate. She now serves as the chair of the NJDOE Advisory Commission on LGBTQIA+ Youth Equity and Inclusion in Schools and sits on the NJDOE Commission on Holocaust Education.
Kate Okeson is the Executive Director of the New Jersey Advisory Commission on LGBTQIA+ Youth Equity and Inclusion in Schools, which she comes to after 27 years as a classroom teacher. In advocacy and education spaces, Kate organizes people and resources to affirm and accept our young LGBTQ+ community through education, outreach, and social opportunities. Over the last several years, this has meant supporting educators and school leaders in implementing the LGBTQIA+ inclusive education mandate sustainably, with support and integrity.
Andrea Honigsfeld, EdD, is professor in the School of Education and Human Services at Molloy College, Rockville Centre, New York, where she teaches graduate courses related to cultural and linguistic diversity and TESOL methodology. She frequently offers professional learning opportunities, primarily focusing on effective content and language integration strategies and collaborative practices for ELD and bilingual/dual language specialists and general-education teachers. She coauthored over 60 articles and chapters and coauthored or coedited over 30 books, 11 of which are national bestsellers.
Dr. Joan Lachance is an Associate Professor of Education and serves as the Program Director of the undergraduate and graduate Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) programs at UNC Charlotte. She teaches graduate and undergraduate courses focused on Second Language Acquisition and Authentic Assessment with English Learners. She also works closely with teacher candidates during internship semesters. Her research agenda focuses on dual language teacher preparation, academic language acquisition, and authentic assessment with current studies on dual language pedagogies, edTPA systems of support, as well as co- teaching and ESL teacher collaboration.
Dr. Audrey Cohan is senior dean for Research, Scholarship, and Graduate Studies at Molloy University, NY. Her work focuses on the intersection of TESOL and special education, and she has taught at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. She has coauthored/coedited 13 books and numerous articles.
Kate Seltzer is an Associate Professor of ESL and Bilingual Education at Rowan University where she teaches pre- and in-service teachers of emergent bilingual students. Her research focuses on helping schools and teachers build on students’ rich language practices while also disrupting their own ideologies about these students and their ways of using language.
Dr. Rebecca E. Linares is an Associate Professor of ESL and Bilingual Education at Rowan University. Her research examines the multilingual, transnational literacy practices of emergent multilingual adolescents, specifically how they access and utilize literacy knowledge in their home language(s) to negotiate participation in new and shifting cultural and linguistic landscapes.
