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!