Educators from across New York state filled St. Joseph’s University, New York’s McGann Conference Center for this year’s New York State Middle School Association (NYSMSA) regional conference. The conference was held in sponsorship with the Suffolk and Nassau Principals Associations, BOCES and the NYS Middle Level Association.
Hosted Jan. 9, the event attracted not only teachers from middle school districts throughout the state, but principals, assistant principals, dean of students and student-teachers, some of which are alumni of St. Joseph’s.
SJNY associate professor of child study, Shawn Robertson, Ph.D., served as conference co-chair.
“Since I began this partnership well over a decade ago it has grown into a highly anticipated event. I am grateful to help continue to lead educational growth on Long Island,” Robertson said.
More than 200 middle school educators filled the McGann Conference Center.
The goal of the event was to offer new strategies and approaches to teaching while allowing educators to network, share experiences and return to their students rejuvenated and engaged. From breakout sessions to keynote speakers, there was no shortage of inspiration and guidance to be found during the annual conference.
Opening with an introduction by SJNY President Donald R. Boomgaarden, Ph.D., he recalled his own experiences as a middle school music teacher.
“I’ve always felt that it’s important for administrators to teach on some level, so that they stay in touch of what it’s really like to be in front of students…,” said President Boomgaarden. “Not only to deal with the difficulties but remember what got us into teaching in the first place.”
From there, attention turned to the conference’s keynote speaker of the morning, Jack Berckemeyer, a former Colorado middle school teacher, author, current executive director of the National Middle School Association and the owner of Berckemeyer Consulting Group.
Former middle school teacher and author Jack Berckemeyer during his morning keynote speech.
Berckemeyer didn’t need a PowerPoint slideshow to engage with the audience of over 200, instead using his quick wit, sharp sense of humor, and charming sincerity to connect with the room of educators. He took them through his experiences as a teacher while citing the change in students over the years, emphasizing the importance of electives such as music and art, and promoting child advocacy among teachers.
“I think one of the things right now is teaching has become more complicated than ever,” Berckemeyer shared. “I think our teachers and administrators feel a little worn down, so today was about giving them a little hope, a little optimism, but more than anything some joy. And hopefully bring some fun back to our classrooms. There’s nothing better than getting our kids up, moving, active and laughing again.”
Some of the breakout sessions covered topics such as integrating AI into education, creating a culture of literacy in middle schools, student engagement and student-centered learning projects that focused on collaboration, among others.
