Presenters

Paul White is currently a full-day kindergarten teacher at Morse Street School in Freeport, Maine, and has been in the field of education since 1997. He received his bachelor of science in elementary education from the University of Maine at Farmington and later went on to pursue a master of science in education from the University of New England. He has experience teaching kindergarten through third grade in a variety of diverse academic settings. Paul’s passion for the Responsive Classroom approach developed early in his teaching career after he saw the positive impact it had on his students. After reading numerous publications, attending a workshop, and implementing and refining the teaching practices, Paul decided to become a Responsive Classroom consulting teacher to share this passion with other educators. When he’s not teaching or consulting, Paul enjoys spending time with family and friends, and volunteering at a music theatre in his hometown.

With over 20 years of experience in an elementary school special area setting, Rachel Atzert knows the ins and outs of teaching the whole child. After being introduced to the Responsive Classroom approach in 2002, a light bulb went off and her teaching was forever transformed. Rachel presents both in her local school district and for Center for Responsive Schools, helping teachers in varied elementary subjects and settings bring the approach to life in their work with children. Her passion for Responsive Classroom led her to be a part of the creation of the book Responsive Classroom for Music, Art, PE, and Other Special Areas, for which she served as a content advisor. After 16 years of being fully immersed in this approach, Rachel continues to strive to share its benefits with others with the end goal of reaching every student every day.

Rashid Abdus-Salaam is a consulting teacher for Center for Responsive Schools, with four years of teaching under his belt. He holds a master’s degree in curriculum instruction and a B.A. in history. Rashid has a great love for the educational theory of cognitive growth through social interactions. He also has a passion for creating opportunities to develop the whole-child learning approach through positive team building. He is a former basketball coach and religious studies coordinator who takes pride in bringing students of various backgrounds to unite on one common goal. In his leisure time, he enjoys spending time with his family, hiking, and writing poetry. His vision is to continue to utilize the Responsive Classroom approach in his new role as AP geography teacher at Knowledge Academy High School.

Rio Clemente is a sixth grade social studies teacher in New Jersey with over 17 years’ experience in the middle school setting. He has a BA from Boston University and an MA from Walden University in curriculum, instruction, and assessment. In 2004, he founded the Random Acts of Kindness club, which inspires students to perform acts of kindness for each other, the school, and the greater community. Rio has been practicing the Responsive Classroom approach since 2014 and has been a Responsive Classroom consulting teacher since 2016. In addition to presenting workshops for Center for Responsive Schools, he was a contributor on the Responsive Advisory Meeting Book and a reader for Middle School Motivators. In his spare time, Rio enjoys listening to music and spending time with his family.

Rio Clemente is a sixth-grade social studies teacher in New Jersey with over 20 years’ experience in the middle school setting. He has been named Randolph Middle School’s teacher of the year four times. He has a BA from Boston University and an MA from Walden University in curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Rio has been practicing the Responsive Classroom approach since 2014 and has been a Responsive Classroom consulting teacher since 2016. In addition to presenting workshops for the Center for Responsive Schools, he was a contributor on the Responsive Advisory Meeting Book and a reader for Middle School Motivators. In his spare time, Rio enjoys listening to music, learning about ancient cultures, and spending time with his family.

Roy Baker currently teaches seventh and eighth grade social studies at Willow Creek Academy in Sausalito, California. In his 10 years of teaching middle school, he has taught all three grade levels, all four core subjects, and a variety of electives. Roy is incredibly humbled to be a part of the positive community he has helped foster in his classroom and at his school. His focus is on creating an equitable classroom that provides a collaborative and interactive experience for the students. Roy’s pre-teaching experiences studying history and liberal arts and working both in the business world and as a journeyman carpenter shaped the way he views education and the importance of teaching real-world skills through social-emotional learning education in the classroom. Roy is a husband and father of two. He tends to spend his time on the floor with his toddler, or in the garage with his tools attempting to finish remodeling his fireplace.

Sara Cox is a reading support teacher in Howard County, Maryland. During her 13 years in education, she has worked as an educator in Hawai’i, Michigan, Virginia, and Maryland. She earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in curriculum development from the University of Michigan. Sara was introduced to Responsive Classroom while attending a training in Fairfax County, Virginia. After observing the power of Responsive Classroom practices in her classroom, she began working for Center for Responsive Schools as a consulting teacher. She has done so for six years while continuing to implement the practices in her own classroom and supporting other teachers’ implementation of the approach as well. Sara has a passion for promoting strong classroom communities and engaging learning environments. When she is not working with teachers and students, Sara enjoys spending time with her family and traveling.

Sara Derus is currently a second grade teacher at an independent school in Minneapolis, Minnesota. During her 14 years as an educator, she has taught kindergarten, first grade, and reading/math interventions. Sara received her bachelor’s degree in education and later went on to pursue a master’s degree in education, curriculum, and instruction. Several years after attending a Responsive Classroom workshop and implementing the practices in her classroom, she was moved to share the Responsive Classroom approach with other educators in the country. She has now been consulting part-time for Center for Responsive Schools for four years, and she is thrilled to be supporting educators around the world to make classrooms safe, fun, and engaging places where kids want to come every day. When Sara is not teaching or consulting, she can be found chasing around her two young boys, fostering puppies with her husband, and teaching barre fitness classes at a local gym.

Sara Kramer currently teaches a mixed-age pre-K/K classroom in New York City. Previously, she served as a music teacher for over ten years. She has been a practitioner and advocate of the Responsive Classroom approach since her second year of teaching, when she began to develop the tools to build joyful, safe, and academically challenging classrooms. She loves being a part of a community of educators who seek to develop and nurture the humanity of the learners we get the opportunity to work with.

Sarah Jacoby was an elementary classroom teacher for eleven years in Northern Virginia and currently works as a school counselor in Falls Church, Virginia. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and then attended Indiana University to obtain a master’s degree in elementary education. She later earned a master’s in school counseling from George Washington University. She utilized Responsive Classroom practices and strategies as a classroom teacher and now enjoys finding ways to build connections with students and staff across the whole school as a counselor. She continues to use a favorite Center for Responsive Schools book, Energizers!, when teaching guidance lessons to classes and small groups. Sarah has been a Responsive Classroom consulting teacher for ten years. When she is not supporting students and teachers, Sarah enjoys working out and reading.

Sarah Scavone has dedicated the past twenty-one years to teaching in Title I public schools and currently teaches third grade at Greenbrier Elementary School in Charlottesville, Virginia. Prior to moving to Greenbrier, Sarah taught third, fourth, and fifth grade and served as a reading specialist at Greer Elementary School in Albemarle County, Virginia, and was a Golden Apple Award recipient for her work in literacy and building a positive school community. Sarah has worked as a Responsive Classroom coach and consulting teacher for the past six years and loves sharing those practices with other educators. She is the author of three Quick Coaching Guides: Creating Equity Through Everyday Moments, Lively Learning, and Play Is Learning. In September 2021, her article “Building a Successful Learning Community in the First Weeks of School” was featured in the Journal of Social and Emotional Learning, and her article “Using Social Interaction to Engage Students” appears on the Responsive Classroom website. Sarah lives in central Virginia with her two children.

Shawna Scipione is currently a second grade teacher in Raleigh, North Carolina, and has been a classroom teacher in a variety of settings since 2003. She received her bachelor of arts in liberal studies from San Diego State University and later went on to pursue her master’s in early childhood and elementary education at Eastern Oregon University. She has experience teaching pre-kindergarten through sixth grade and has worked in both public and charter schools. She became a National Board of Professional Teaching Standards-certified teacher in 2015. She has trained in the American Montessori Society method and became Montessori certified for lower elementary in 2014. Shawna was initially introduced to Responsive Classroom in 2008. She immediately saw how her own personal beliefs about education were mirrored in Responsive Classroom’s guiding principles and was hooked! She feels the positive results from utilizing practices such as Morning Meeting, intentional teacher language, and interactive learning structures in her classroom. These practices help build positive relationships and strong academic routines in her classroom. When she’s not teaching, Shawna enjoys spending time with her husband and two teen children; attending sporting events, concerts, and theater productions; and relaxing at the beach or pool. She is thrilled to be supporting teachers in implementing Responsive Classroom practices in her role as a consulting teacher and presenter!

Suzy Ghosh is a second grade teacher in Fairfax County, Virginia, and a Responsive Classroom consulting teacher for Center for Responsive Schools. She has taught for 19 years with experience in second and third grades. When Suzy was introduced to Responsive Classroom, she saw the positive impact the approach had both on her students and on her teaching, and she quickly became passionate about sharing the approach with other educators. She has contributed articles to the Responsive Classroom website and is excited to be a content contributor for the forthcoming book Teaching Self-Discipline. Suzy lives in Fairfax, Virginia, with her one-year-old Labrador and enjoys reading, traveling, practicing yoga, and spending time with friends.