AN EARLY START
Review_Jan2016
Review_Jan2016
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BULLETIN BOARD<br />
Want to<br />
present at<br />
the 2016<br />
Convention?<br />
You’ve been to other workshops. Isn’t<br />
it time you shared your expertise?<br />
NJEA is now accepting presenter<br />
proposals for the 2016 NJEA Convention<br />
to be held Nov. 10-11, 2016.<br />
NJEA is also seeking proposals for<br />
High Tech Hall at the 2016 NJEA Convention.<br />
We are looking for talented<br />
members to present in the Teacher to<br />
Teacher Learning Lounge.<br />
The Teacher to Teacher Learning<br />
Lounge is an area for NJEA members to<br />
demonstrate how they use technology<br />
in their classrooms. This is an informal<br />
demonstration area for educators to<br />
network with other educators. Programs<br />
are two 50-minute sessions.<br />
All proposals to present at the NJEA<br />
Convention and at High Tech Hall<br />
must be submitted electronically. The<br />
deadline for submission is Feb. 1, 2016.<br />
Go to njeaconvention.org for more<br />
information and application forms.<br />
2016<br />
AID-NJEA can help<br />
The AID-NJEA helpline has served NJEA<br />
members and their families for over 10<br />
years. NJEA members and their families<br />
have access to this free and confidential<br />
service 24 hours a day and seven days a<br />
week. Educators and school counselors are<br />
on the line from noon until 8 p.m. Monday<br />
through Thursday, and until 6 p.m. on<br />
Fridays to provide peer-to-peer support<br />
and information to callers. In addition,<br />
University Behavioral Health Care provides<br />
mental health professionals who answer<br />
the helpline during all other hours for 24/7<br />
coverage.<br />
QUICK TIP<br />
The book that became a<br />
community project<br />
“What a heart-warming story!” “It brought tears to my eyes!” “I fell in love with the main<br />
character!” As colleagues’ comments poured in, I had to take a second look at Daddy’s Heart,<br />
My Heart, The Purple Heart.<br />
I had recently offered three talented sixth graders in my class an option to continue writing<br />
essays or work as a team and write a 5,000 word “book.” The only requirement was that it<br />
must include various examples of figurative language.<br />
Once the students discovered a topic that they were passionate about, the book seemed<br />
to write itself. The girls decided to write a book that honored America’s veterans and their<br />
families, especially those dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder. The students utilized<br />
Google Docs, which allowed them to work at home and at school.<br />
It was a veteran who first read the story and implored us to “do something special with<br />
it.” We reached out to the local community for assistance. Teachers, the American Legion<br />
Post, and even a local author joined in our efforts. Community members sat with the girls<br />
and helped them revise and edit their story. The local author introduced us to Amazon’s<br />
CreateSpace website for self-publishing. CreateSpace allows users to publish their works for<br />
virtually no cost, but if you are not completely tech-savvy then you can pay between $150-<br />
$500 (depending on the services) and they will prepare your files for publishing.<br />
As we finalized the story, we decided to use photographs instead of hand-drawn illustrations.<br />
The students loved being involved in the photo shoot.<br />
After we prepped and uploaded our files, Daddy’s Heart, My Heart, The Purple Heart was<br />
officially available on Amazon.com. Now, the entire community is actively marketing this<br />
powerful book that started with a simple classroom assignment. Why not try it with your<br />
students?<br />
Submitted by Mike Ryan, Cliffside EA<br />
Callers seeking help from AID-NJEA can<br />
count on:<br />
• Help from a staff of education support<br />
specialists experienced in education and<br />
trained in behavioral health<br />
• Immediate personal response — a “real<br />
voice” with no buttons to push<br />
• Access to thousands of resources from<br />
the AID-NJEA Information Directory<br />
• High quality help by telephone with personal,<br />
family and school-related demands.<br />
Why handle tough times alone? Whether<br />
you are a new teacher, a support staff member,<br />
or a retired school employee, AID-NJEA<br />
has people on the line who can provide<br />
guidance and information to help. Dial<br />
866-AID-NJEA (866-243-6532) or email<br />
helpline@njea.org.<br />
AID-NJEA is a partnership between NJEA<br />
and Rutgers University Behavioral Health<br />
Care.<br />
J<strong>AN</strong>UARY 2016 15
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