Cross Curricular NCTE Presenters

Ann Vitello

Richmond Hill Middle School - Bryan County, Georgia


Mrs. Ann Vitello’s career as a teacher, began when she achieved her Intervention Specialist bachelor’s degree, from Kent State University. Upon graduation, she accepted a position at Falcon Cove Middle School, in Weston, Florida. Mrs. Vitello spent ten years mentoring students, in special education, English Language Arts, and world history.

Though Mrs. Vitello loved her time at FCMS; her family decided to venture to Coastal Georgia. Her new adventure would begin with the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System, in Savannah, Georgia, serving for two years as a remedial education program ELA teacher, and would eventually lead to her home, at Richmond Hill Middle School, in Richmond Hill, Georgia, where she currently guides students as a 7th grade STEAM ELA teacher.

Never content, Mrs. Vitello continues to pursue, expand, and achieve, to best serve her students. Since she began her time at RHMS, she has accepted additional roles including: PLC lead, 7th grade chair, Bryan Builds mentor, STEAM Committee, ROV club, ELA Department Chair, and the leadership team. Mrs. Vitello has also achieved additional certifications for gifted, middle grades ELA, elementary education, and ESOL. She has also had her hands in curriculum development, assisting in the current 6th and 7th grade ELA curriculum, as well as the STEAM ELA curriculum.

Mrs. Vitello has also been honored with invitations to speak at the Florida League or Gifted Educators, where she shared her experiences with technology in the classroom, and the National Science Teacher Association, discussing, bringing arts into STEAM, cooperating with author Heather Montgomery.

Lauren Avant

As a child, I grew up in school, not only being a student, but being the child of a teacher. My personal journey as a teacher began after I received my Bachelor's in Education from Georgia Southern University in 2015. While in college, I met my now husband and we married shortly after I graduated. After graduation I began teaching at Richmond Hill Middle School in Richmond Hill, Georgia where I have taught for the last 8 years.

As a child I always had a passion for the outdoors, always experimenting, researching, and discovering. This passion lead me to teach science. The middle school classroom appealed to me the most because middle schooler are quirky, silly, and curious- just like me! I love exploring phenomena with my classroom kiddos!