About the Presenters

Jamisa McCall is a wife, mother of two, and dedicated educator with 13 years of experience. Committed to fostering an engaging and inclusive learning environment, she currently serves as a fourth-grade teacher in Hoover, Alabama. Jamisa’s passion for reaching every learner in her class has been recognized through her recent achievement as her school’s 2023-2024 Teacher of the Year. She attributes the transformative impact of the Modern Classroom model to enhancing the learning experience in her classroom. Outside of her professional endeavors, Jamisa enjoys spending quality time with her family, indulging in Hallmark movies, and exploring her passion for baking.

Andora Ligi lives in Sacramento, California with her husband. She’s officially an empty nester but her three grown kids are constantly coming to stay at home! Andora has been teaching for 10 years, currently in the second grade. She began her Modern Classrooms journey in 2020 after shutting down for the pandemic, and when they resumed school in fall of 2021, she began implementing the model in her first-grade, distance-learning classroom. In the past two-and-a-half years, Andora has honed her instruction using the model, and also has become a DMCE and Expert Mentor for the Modern Classrooms Project. In that time, she mentored over 50 educators through the program. Andora’s students and Andora herself LOVE this style of teaching and learning. She’s never looked back, but only forward as she continues to expand her use of the model into more content areas.

Lindsey Wilson (she/her) is a second-grade teacher for Jeffersontown Elementary School in Louisville, Kentucky. She earned a BA degree in psychology, an MAT in elementary education, and is currently working towards a Master of Library and Information Science. She completed the Modern Classroom Project last January and just became a Distinguished Modern Classroom Educator this past December. Since 2009, Lindsey has taught preschool students through middle school in both private and public schools with an emphasis on elementary students. Lindsey is passionate about inclusion and representation and believes these things must be a priority in education. MCP has helped Lindsey create a stronger, inclusive, and supportive learning environment.

Toni Rose Deanon (they/them) is the Community Engagement Manager for The Modern Classrooms Project. They are a former English and ESL educator with 10 years of experience teaching in Atlanta, Baltimore City, and DC. They were also an instructional coach in Redmond and currently facilitate professional development for educators all over the world. They will forever identify as an educator and a lifetime learner. Toni Rose strives to be the educator that they never had growing up, so they focus on anti-bias, anti-racist work and want to create a brave space for everyone around them. As a queer Filipino, they understand just how important it is to be represented, be valued, and belong. They especially love being a thought partner for and celebrating educators.