It’s that time of year when most schools are preparing for the “big end-of-year test”, but we know that educators are really capturing growth all year long.
Join us for a classroom-centric workshop where we’ll explore how our panel of educators are leveraging Formative to help students feel confident and prepared for building knowledge and skills.
Learn teacher-approved strategies that go beyond teaching to the test and building formative practices into your classroom design so that you can find the balance between learning, measuring growth, and fun! From designing practice assessments and tracking progress to gamification, data analysis, and stress-reduction techniques, this session is packed with actionable tips and real-life examples.
Learn how to make testing a positive, growth-oriented experience for both you and your students!
Michelle Manning is an Instructional Technology Integration Specialist and has worked in education for over 30 years. She is passionate about leveraging technology to amplify and enhance the curriculum to make lessons accessible for all students in the classroom to learn and show what they know!
Michelle emphasizes personalized learning, professional development, and the integration of innovative tools and strategies in the classroom. Her work often involves providing training and support for teachers to utilize technology in ways that meet diverse learner needs.
Michelle also loves supporting teachers helping them utilize technology as their digital co-teacher to save time and transform their classrooms. Michelle is also a presenter and featured speaker both in person and virtually at international conferences.
Scott Azar is a high school Earth Science teacher in New York State, a New York State Master Teacher, and works with teachers at Texas A&M University each summer. He is passionate about educational technology, and will soon be completing his doctorate relating to artificial intelligence in education.
In addition to teaching in the classroom, Scott shares his love for science on his Youtube channel where he posts tech tips on a variety of platforms including Formative by Newsela.
You can find him on Youtube @AzarSciences and Instagram @azarscience.
Sarah Giannotti is a dedicated middle school math educator from St. Louis, MO, with 19 years of teaching experience across public schools, private Catholic education, and time as a stay-at-home mom.
While originally searching for a 4th-grade position, a 7th-grade math opportunity led her to discover a passion for both the subject and the unique energy of middle school students—a passion that has driven her teaching ever since.
With her youngest of three children about to graduate high school, she brings both professional expertise and personal experience in guiding students through these critical learning years. She is committed to making math engaging, accessible, and relevant, helping students build confidence and a love for problem-solving that lasts a lifetime.
Lewis Cleminson is a Secondary School Computer Science teacher from England. He is passionate about how we can incorporate AI and technology into the future of the Education sector.
Lewis believes that the energy and passion we bring to our classrooms are what truly shape the student experience. Every lesson and resource we create should be exciting, engaging, and, most of all, fun for our young learners!
Over the past few years, he has made Formative a staple in his daily lessons, gathering a treasure trove of techniques and best practices to share with colleagues. Always eager to swap ideas, he’s on the lookout for clever tips from fellow educators—because when we collaborate, we all grow stronger together!
Alyssa Lipuma joined the Newsela professional learning team in 2022. She is a former elementary teacher from Chicago, with experience teaching in the upper elementary grades.
Alyssa is a graduate of the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, and has a M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction from Olivet Nazarene University. As a Professional Learning Manager, Alyssa is responsible for designing and delivering training sessions that build user confidence in designing engaging, differentiated learning experiences for all students.
7th Grade Math, Pre-Algebra, Algebra
Grades 5-8 Math Department Facilitator - Bethel Park School District, PA
Elisa Scheuerle earned her Bachelor's degree in Mathematics from the University of Pittsburgh in 2004, followed by a Master of Arts in Education from Pitt in 2005. She has been a dedicated 7th-grade math teacher at Bethel Park School District in Pennsylvania for 20 years, teaching grade-level math, Pre-Algebra, and Algebra I.
In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Elisa took on the role of Grades 5-8 Math Department Facilitator in 2020, a position that led her to introduce Formative into the district. Passionate about both teaching and learning, she embraces her love of math and continuously seeks ways to enhance her skills and support her department—all with the goal of providing the best possible experience for her students.
