The journey of the Aspiring Ed PodSquad Podcast
By Chelsea Berwick
Launched in spring 2024, the Aspiring Ed PodSquad Podcast, (formerly The Preservice PodSquad Podcast) is a space for courageous conversations and heartfelt discussions aimed to serve educators at any stage of their teaching careers. Hosted by NJAEA President Bianca Nicolescu and me, the show has evolved from recording our early test episodes over Zoom from our bedrooms, to filming in a furnished studio at NJEA Headquarters. Although Season One releases have concluded, the team is ecstatic to begin releasing season two in spring 2025.
We have covered a wide range of topics, from short Motivational Monday episodes to full-length guest features on Thursdays. In one episode with Chris Cannella, NJEA’s Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Committee chair, we discussed LGBTQIA+ advocacy in the classroom, with an emphasis on Cannella’s experiences in supporting students’ identity expression. A moving episode with speech therapist Linda Miller revealed the importance of leaning on colleagues when feeling overworked and overwhelmed. Miller shared a handful of tips on time management, such as creating an “Achievement List” to set attainable goals for each workday.
In a three-part series with Hannah Pawlak, a special education English teacher, we took listeners on a journey of the application, job search and interview process offering insights for finding the right fit. When joined by Joseph Nappi, New Jersey’s 2023-2024 State Teacher of the Year, our trio dove into Nappi’s moving childhood stories that led him into the profession, how he empowers students to become agents of change, the importance of students seeing their backgrounds represented in curricula and more. While these topics can undoubtedly benefit all teachers, they seek to center conversations on the perspectives and questions of aspiring educators.
In Season Two releases, upcoming episodes include an energizing conversation on unionism with NEA 2024-26 Aspiring Educator Chair Hannah St. Clair, an episode on New Jersey’s curriculum mandates with NJEA Associate Director of Professional Development and Instructional Issues Dr. Kim Pinckney, who coordinates the NJEA Consortium and a moving conversation with NJREA President Joan Wright. In the new installment of our Motivational Monday series, Bianca and I take you on a tour of our renovated studio, highlight NJAEA local chapters, and dive into the power of a thrifted keyboard.
Follow NJAEA’s Instagram and Facebook pages for Season Two release updates.
At the 2024 NJEA Convention, we took our podcast to Atlantic City. By inviting convention-goers onto the show, we highlighted the inspiring stories of NJEA’s membership to discover the relationships, experiences, and moments that influenced members’ passion for education. Each testimonial took the form of a short episode, empowering listeners to remember why they chose to pursue a career in New Jersey’s school system. These mini-episodes will be featured in Season Two’s releases.
Bianca and I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our NJEA videographer, editor, producer and number one advocate, Christopher Curto, who has made the production of the show possible. After filming Season One, the team looked to remodel the podcast studio. Led by Curto, who built the new furniture and restructured the space, the studio took on a warmer, more inviting atmosphere. Curto also expanded release locations beyond the NJEA YouTube channel by creating a NJAEA YouTube page, as well as launching channels on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. His commitment to producing high-quality content with diverse stories has been a gift for the podcasts’ listeners and has enriched NJAEA’s initiatives.
To those who have supported the podcast and to those who will join the PodSquad in the future, we thank you for your engagement and time. Bianca and I cannot wait to see where this journey will lead us.
Chelsea Berwick is the secretary of the New Jersey Aspiring Educators Association (NJAEA) and a student at The College of New Jersey.