Learning Links Newsletter
September 2026
President’s Message
WHY DO PARTNERSHIPS MATTER?
❤️Different Perspectives ❤️Richer Conversations ❤️Stronger Together
This summer, Learning Forward New Jersey brought together partners from across the state for our second annual Partner Event, #HonorConnectAspire - an intentionally designed opportunity to strengthen partnerships while advancing professional learning.
Throughout the day, participants were invited to HONOR the professional learning successes already happening within their organizations, CONNECT through meaningful conversation and shared thinking, and ASPIRE toward new possibilities for supporting educators and the students they serve.
But our partners weren’t simply invited to participate in the learning - they were invited to help shape what comes next.
Through collaborative activities and rotating conversations, partners shared feedback and fresh thinking around several Learning Forward New Jersey offerings, including our newsletter, Chat & Chew, and annual Day of Learning. Their ideas challenged us to consider what we should continue, what we might extend, and where there may be opportunities to think differently.
This is what partnership can look like: honoring the expertise already in the room, creating meaningful connections, and using our collective thinking to move professional learning forward.
As we begin a new year of learning together, we look forward to turning some of those conversations into possibilities - and possibilities into action.
Strengthening partnerships. Advancing professional learning. Together.
Betzi Beck
President-LFNJ
Protocols with Purpose
Stand Where You Lean
How we facilitate conversations matters. Stand Where You Lean is a simple protocol designed to help groups surface perspectives, build understanding, and engage in meaningful dialogue.
📖 On Your Nightstand
NOTICE. GET CURIOUS. RESPOND.
A Facilitator’s Guide to Navigate Resistance in the Moment
by Elana Aguilar
When resistance shows up in professional learning, how we respond can make all the difference. This practical facilitator’s guide offers strategies for staying curious, recognizing what may be underneath resistance, and responding in ways that keep learning moving forward.
🎧 In Your Earbuds
Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud
Professional Learning: A Key Element of an Ecosystem for School Change
In this episode, Steve Barkley explores the critical role professional learning plays in creating the conditions for meaningful and sustainable school improvement.
SAVE THE DATE
Learn It. Live It. Lead It.
Designing Professional Learning That Moves Ideas Into Action
Professional learning is most powerful when we don’t just talk about effective practice - we experience it, understand why it works, and apply it in our own contexts.
Join us for a Day of Learning focused on the art and science of adult learning and professional learning design. Participants will experience research-informed strategies, protocols, and facilitation practices as learners; unpack the adult learning principles and purposes behind them; and explore how to adapt and use them when designing and leading professional learning for colleagues, teams, and schools.
Through expert facilitation, meaningful conversation, hands-on practice, reflection, and moments of joy, participants will move from learning about professional learning to experiencing, designing, and leading it - leaving with practical approaches they can use immediately.
LFNJ Chat ’n Chew Returns!
Our popular Chat ’n Chew series returns for the 2026–2027 school year! 🎉
Join us for our first session on Thursday, October 22, 2026, from 4–5 PM for an engaging and interactive conversation designed to spark reflection, collaboration, and practical ideas for educators.
Our discussion will center on Andrea Thomas-Reynolds’ article, “From Input to Influence: Building Teacher Expertise Into Decision-Making,” featured in the August 2026 issue of The Learning Professional. Together, we’ll explore how educators’ expertise can be meaningfully incorporated into decision-making and how creating authentic opportunities for teacher voice can strengthen schools and professional learning communities.
Come ready to chat, share ideas, and learn from one another! We hope you’ll join us for this opportunity to connect with colleagues and kick off another great year of learning together.
Play with Purpose: What Play-Based Learning Looks Like in Real PreK–3rd Grade Classrooms
Join us for an engaging professional learning series exploring how play-based learning can foster student engagement, inclusion, creativity, collaboration, and academic growth.
Through interactive sessions, meaningful conversations, and practical strategies, participants will explore how intentional play can support diverse learners, deepen understanding, and create more joyful and inclusive learning environments. Discover ways to thoughtfully integrate play into instruction while connecting learning to students’ interests, strengths, and needs.
Come learn, play, collaborate, and discover new ways to create meaningful learning experiences where every student can thrive!
⭐ Join Us at the Learning Forward Annual Conference!
December 6–9 | Dallas, Texas
The Learning Forward Annual Conference brings educators and leaders from across the globe together to learn, connect, and advance the practice of professional learning.
We are especially excited to celebrate Learning Forward New Jersey Board Member Rosemary Seitel, who will be presenting:
Learning in the Flow of Work: Human-Centered AI by Design
Rosemary will share practical, human-centered approaches for seamlessly integrating AI into daily instructional workflows and supporting educator growth.
🌟 Connect with colleagues. Represent New Jersey. Bring actionable ideas back to your school or district.
👉 Register for the Learning Forward Annual Conference
We hope to see you in Dallas!