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our VISION
our MISSION
our PASSION
Montessori Academy's vision is that each student
will become an independent, confident, motivated learner, and a responsible community member as a result of the dynamic partnership between
students, parents, and teachers.
This partnership within the exceptional Montessori environment, while developing these characteristics, enables each student to become a life-long learner.
| Teachers Room 16 - Toddler 1  Gretchen Kalus graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a Bachelor's in Human Development. While researching what she could do with a Human Development major after college she found out about Montessori education. She visited a school to see the Montessori method in action and knew she had found a vocation to suit her perfectly. She soon enrolled in the Center for Montessori Education in New York and received her Infant and Toddler certification from the American Montessori Society.Ms. Kalus worked as an intern in a Montessori school in New York, then moved to Northern Virginia where she initiated a brand new Toddler program at a local school. She joined the staff at Montessori Academy in 2009 to start the Toddler program. Reid Phillips grew up on her family farm outside of Yazoo City, Mississippi, where she enjoyed being brought up in a very close-knit family that treasured the outdoors. Reid attended the prestigious Episcopal High School, in Alexandria, Virginia, and went on to get her B.A. in Art History from the College of Charleston in South Carolina. Throughout her college years, Reid lived out West during the summers, where she was able to pursue her passion for the outdoors and for photography. After college graduation, Reid moved to Telluride, Colorado, and it was during her stay there that she landed a job as the Youth Assistant at the Wilkinson Public Library. In the tiny ski town of Telluride, the library served as a hub for the local community, and Reid had the opportunity to work with hundreds of children from the ages of birth to teens. It was here that Reid’s love for educating children through literature, music, movement, and the arts, was born. Ms. Phillips returned to Charleston, South Carolina, to attend graduate school at the College of Charleston, where she received a Master of Arts in Teaching: Early Childhood Education. During her graduate studies she had the opportunity to teach in both the public and private sectors, with children from a variety of demographic backgrounds. After completing her first year of teaching, Reid decided to move to Nashville, Tennessee, in order to be closer to her family in Mississippi. She was very interested in getting a job at a Montessori school, and she was thrilled when she was hired to teach in the toddler classroom at Montessori Academy. Reid will begin the Infant/Toddler teacher training at the Center For Montessori Teacher Education in North Carolina in 2012. The Montessori philosophy is the perfect fit for Reid, who agrees with Albert Einstein who said, “I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.” Room 14 - Toddler 2  Teresa Cole has joyfully taught in the Toddler Room for 3 1/2 years at Montessori Academy and has become part of the expansion team for this program to open the second Toddler classroom. She is originally from Central Illinois, lived there, raised her two adult children there, worked and studied there for most of her life. Four years ago she moved to Nashville and was hired to assist in the new Toddler program. She plans to begin a Montessori Toddler training program during the summer of 2012. She is very excited about this new phase of her life!She has two adult children who remain in Illinois and will become a grandmother for the first time in June. She is anxious to use her new Montessori knowledge to help her grandparenting skills! She enjoys all of the students at Montessori Academy, but her true love is the Toddlers; ages 18 months - 3 years. The love she shares with them, she feels has made her a better person; a softer person; and a true Montessori believer. Emily Breaux came to Montessori Academy in the fall of 2009 as a Toddler teacher in the Toddler 1 classroom. In the fall of 2010, she moved up to Primary and began her Primary training. She left MA due to her husband's transfer to the Washington D.C. area, but they have returned to Nashville and she is now teaching in the Toddler 2 room. Her experience in the Primary area helps incorporate more advanced materials for older children in the Toddler area. Emily has three boys, all enrolled at M.A. Ms. Breaux holds a Master of Education degree from Mount Mary College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Bachelor of Arts Degree from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. Room 1  Mellynne Dickason hails from Mississippi where she received her B.A. in English with a minor in French and her M.A. in English with a TESOL Emphasis. After having received her Master’s degree, she relocated to Chicago with her husband and lived there for nine years. She taught a variety of English/writing courses at several Chicago area colleges and worked for 7 years at Triton College where she was a full-time English Instructor until she and her husband Joe decided to relocate to be closer to family. They decided on a point half way between Mississippi and North Carolina and chose Nashville.
As a stay-at-home mom, she found Montessori Academy for her daughter Waverly who was a quiet child needing a calm environment in which to grow. She discovered during Waverly’s kindergarten year that the reading teacher in her daughter’s class was leaving, so she eagerly applied and was hired. She had already grown to love the Montessori philosophy of being child centered, so working in the school was amazing. Her other daughter Kalee, who was three, started at Montessori Academy for the first time. Mellynne worked on her Montessori certification during the summers of 2008 and 2009 at Montessori Educators International and received her certification during the spring of 2011. She loves working in the 3-6 year old class teaching children to love reading and books just as her family does. Andrea Johnson began working at Montessori Academy after graduating from Overton High School in 1999. She began in the aftercare program and moved into the primary classroom after completion of her A.A. degree. She taught Practical Life in Room 4 from 2006 through spring 2011. In the fall of 2011, she joined Ms. Dickason to re-open room 1. She is a trained and accomplished Practical Life teacher and will complete her Early Childhood Montessori training during the summer of 2011. Andrea also has been the lead teacher coordinator for the summer camp program for two years.Room 2  Sonia Chaudhuri has a B.S. in Dance and Education from Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri and received her Master of Arts in Teaching with her AMS Early Childhood Certificate from Belmont University in Nashville, TN. Sonia's teaching history includes Hull Jackson Magnet Montessori in Nashville, Tennessee and Honeysuckle Montessori in Hendersonville, Kentucky. Sonia has additional experience as the Creative Director of a North Indian Classical dance school - Upasana Performing Arts Center - in Nashville, TN. The Montessori Method has become a true passion for Sonia and she enjoys observing the benefits of Montessori everyday in her classroom. Aimee Estes has been with Montessori Academy for 20 years. She began working at MA when she was 17 years old in the After School Care program. She enjoys working with the children and became a full-time teacher as she increased her knowledge about Montessori and began teacher training in Memphis. She is a dedicated and a committed Montessori teacher who loves to watch a child develop a passion for learning in an environment that is built on independence, confidence, and a loving classroom. Ms. Estes teaches Practical Life and Sensorial, but has experience in all areas of the Primary classroom. She is a wife and mother of two children with a daughter in the 4th level and a son in Kindergarten at Montessori Academy. Room 3 Teachers Lisa Hill  is a native of Nashville, Tennessee. She received her B.S. in Psychology from Tennessee State University and her M.A.T. and AMS primary certification from Belmont University. She enjoys reading, travel, and working in her garden. She loves teaching in a Montessori classroom because it give her the freedom to follow each child's interest and watch them grow and develop over a three year period.
Before beginning her teaching career, she worked in research at Vanderbilt University for several years and as a puppeteer with Kid's on the Block for a year. She has worked at Montessori Academy since 2008. Leanna Pound was born in Memphis, Tennessee. She grew up with a sister three years her elder and a sister 16 months younger. Then, when she was 14, a baby brother was born. He thought he had 4 mothers. Around that same time her family moved to Nashville where she has lived since--with the exception of college years at Memphis State University, 2 years living in Tampa, Florida and 2 years living in Syracuse, New York.She met her husband, Patrick, while in Tampa, Florida. They have been married 30 years. Together they have three--now grown--children. Leanna became familiar with Montessori education while in Tampa, Florida (having a nephew and a niece attending a montessori school there). Although she and Pat had no children at the time they fell in love with Montessori and hoped to be able to raise their own children through the same method someday. Their first born, Kara, began attending Montessori Academy at age four (in 1987)--their son, Casey, at age 3 (in 1989) and their third, Kelsey, at age 2 1/2 (in 1990). Leanna's favorite hobby during those years was watching anything her children enjoyed which included sports, dance, chess, friends...life in general. Now grown, the two older children are registered nurses and the third is a dance teacher. Just ask her if she's proud. Room 4 Orachon Chintanaphol has a BA in English from Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand and an MA in English from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, Pennsylvania. She holds an AMS Montessori Primary (ages 3-6) Teacher Certification from Seton Montessori Institute in Clarendon Hills, Illinois. She has taught at Montessori Academy since 2001.
Orachon has been involved with Montessori education since her older daughter, Christina, started at Seton Montessori school in Clarendon Hills, Illinois, when she was three. She is now a junior in college. Her younger daughter, Michelle, finished sixth grade at Montessori Academy and is now a junior in high school. “To me, Montessori approach in teaching and learning is fascinating because it is a practical approach that helps a young child develop to his/her potential. It has become my passion to stay involved in Montessori education in the past 17 years and it will still be in years to come.” Orachon has been a field consultant for Belmont University’s Montessori Teacher Training Program since 2008. Amy Carlson holds a B.A. in Anthropology/Sociology from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee and received her AMS Early Childhood Certificate form the Memphis Montessori Institute. Amy taught Ages 3-6 for five years at Lamplighter Montessori School in Cordova, Tennessee, and one year at Irvine Montessori School in Irvine, California. While Amy enjoys teaching in all areas of the classroom, her favorite subjects include practical life, language, and geography. Amy has additional experience working with children as a babysitter, nanny, and program instructor.Room 9 Teachers Tanelle M  urphy is a native of Nashville who began her career as a Primary teacher at Montessori Academy in 2007. Always passionate about literature and writing, Tanelle earned a BA in English and an MAT in secondary education from the University of Memphis. Prior to teaching at Montessori Academy, Tanelle taught for nine years in the public schools, first teaching English and modern dance at Memphis’s creative and performing arts high school for three years. After moving back to Middle Tennessee in 1996, she taught K-12 English as a Second Language for six years in Sumner County. During two of those years, she also taught evening classes as an adjunct professor of ESL at Volunteer State Community College. Tanelle taught students from the ages of five to seventy years old during this time. She also trained teachers at school, district, and regional levels to help them understand how to better meet the needs of their ESL. This background in traditional education gives Tanelle a unique appreciation for the many benefits of Montessori education. Tanelle’s interest in Montessori education began after the birth of her daughter, Kira. Kira’s remarkable early learning abilities inspired Tanelle to look beyond traditional educational approaches to find an environment where her daughter’s gifts could be nurtured. Her search brought her to Montessori Academy. She clearly remembers her tour of the school as a prospective parent, when she and her husband, Mark, walked through the classrooms of busy, calm, happy children. She thought, “This is what school is supposed to be. This is what I want for my child.” It was the answer to a question she had always felt about what was missing in traditional education. Inspired by the Montessori educational approach and philosophy, Tanelle embarked upon the path to become a Montessori teacher. She began her training the summer before she started teaching in Room 9 in 2007, and she completed her Montessori certification in Early Childhood from Montessori Educators International in 2009. Tanelle is truly passionate about Montessori education. She believes that the Montessori classroom is the place where every child’s unique gifts can be nurtured, and every child can reach his or her full potential. She considers it a privilege to be part of these amazing children’s lives each day and says that being a Montessori teacher is the most rewarding and joyful work she has ever done. Romella Bermillo Lee is the second from the youngest of five children, born and raised in the Philippines. She attended the University of the Philippines and graduated with a Bachelor in Secondary Education with a major in Mathematics and a minor in Filipino Language. In 1994 I she joined her family who had moved to Okinawa, Japan in the late 80’s. Mrs. Lee was first introduced to the Montessori philosophy when a friend asked her to substitute for her at East-West Montessori School in Okinawa, Japan. The school served as an alternative to the public school system for American military children and English language immersion program for young Japanese children. She was quite impressed at the success of the program despite the vast diversity of its population and she worked there until 1997. Mrs. Lee worked at Murfreesboro Montessori before coming to Montessori Academy in 2001. She believes that Montessori Academy offers an environment that provides young children an excellent foundation for learning success and feels very fortunate that her children are getting such a valuable foundation. She enjoys her job and finds it very rewarding! Room 10
Her favorite pastime is spending time with her family. She enjoys traveling, gardening, and reading great literature. She and her husband, Gerald, have three children and three grandchildren. All of their children attended M.A., and their three grandchildren will also. She feels strongly that the Montessori philosophy and approach to education is extraordinary because, “It fosters a love of learning, encourages and supports the pursuit of individual interests, and facilitates the development of talents. It celebrates diversity and instills respect for oneself, others, and the environment.” Room 11  Joyce Stewart was raised on a farm in northern Ohio and continues to enjoy the outdoor life. She received a bachelor’s degree in German from Bowling Green State University in 1971. Subsequent coursework led to working as a paraprofessional in the area of Learning Disabilities for 12 years. The love of learning brought her back to school where she finished her Masters in Education Degree at Belmont University. Two years later she began and completed Montessori training with the North Carolina Montessori Education Training Center.
This is her fifteenth year teaching in an elementary Montessori program--9 years at Hull-Jackson Montessori and 6 years at Montessori Academy. Her interests are growing things, hiking, and traveling with her husband, Glen. She and Glen have one son who lives in Seattle. She is a member of American Montessori Society, National Reading Association, Phi Delta Kappa, and Mensa. Meagan Chwirut joined the teaching staff at Montessori Academy in the fall of 2011 as Ms. Stewart's co-teacher. She has a B.S. from the University of Oregon and a Master of Education from Chaminade University in Honolulu, Hawaii. She is a certified Montessori teacher holding the Elementary I Credential (ages 6 - 9) and has been teaching since 2001. She has taught ELL, 1st - 5th grade language, math, and science, Lower Elementary multi-age Montessori, and 2nd grade. Ms. Chwirut is an energetic addition to the Lower Elementary classroom.Room 12
Maureen Wildman first encountered "Montessori" when she read a book by Joseph C. Pearce praising the merits of Montessori education and the values it instilled in children. Ms. Wildman enrolled her daughter at the age of 4 in 1988 at Montessori Centre. She became a parent volunteer, a substitute, and to her own amazement, she began Montessori training in the summer of 1989. Ms. Wildman has a B.A. in Psychology, worked for Public Relations in New York City, worked for Adult Protective Services for the State of Tennessee, has travelled extensively, and has worked as a freelance photographer. She taught in the Primary (3-6) classroom for 10 years and has taught in the Lower Elementary (6-9) classroom for nine years. She has focused on math and ethics (classroom management) but has also taught language, history, geography, science, sociology, art, drama, public speaking, and conflict resolution.Ms. Wildman's deep love of communication helps children, parents, and co-teachers reach understandings and she believes that a high level of respect should be demonstrated and expected in every encounter; a worthy goal that Dr. Montessori modeled. She continues teaching at Montessori Academy because her position as teacher allows her to "touch the future," her artistic side and need for order are satisfied, but mostly because she finds the children "exquisitely beautiful!" UE/MS Teachers  Helena Hess is an only child whose family lives in the Ukraine and Poland. She is married to Andy Hess and they have two sons and five grandchildren. They have lived in Tennessee since 1992 and have previously lived in Pittsburgh, PA, Cleveland, Ohio, Dayton, Ohio and Tokyo, Japan. As a first generation Ukrainian, she appreciates the cultural diversity at Montessori Academy among the students and families. Her hobbies include singing and dancing, baking, cooking, gardening, and scrapbooking. She believes that her first words may have been sung and that her first steps were carefully executed. She was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania five months after her parents arrived in the United States at Ellis Island.
Helena attended St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic School and St. Wendelin. St. John's daily curriculum was bilingual so she was able to learn in Ukrainian and English from kindergarten through fourth grade. Her favorite teacher was Sister Caritas. She was beautiful and intelligent! She tried to emulate her and still does to this day! She never had any difficulty with the English language since she was always a good listener and she has a photographic memory. If she hears it and sees it, she remember it! She hoped to attend an all girls high school, or remain at St. Wendelin, but since her parents moved to the suburbs from the city, she attended the local public Carrick High School. It was her only experience with public education and probably explains why she does not care for public school education. She feels that her private school education was superior and that the public school experience paled in comparison. She also attended John Robert Powers Modeling School to prepare me for a brief career in modeling. Her favorite high school teacher was John Mateka. He said she was an excellent dissectionist; Helena wanted to be a neurosurgeon but her mother became ill and she had to change her plans. She believes she would have realized her dreams if she had attended an all girls high school, since in public school, girls were generally directed toward teaching or nursing. She managed to find her way back to college after working in the business sector as a legal assistant and director of computer training. She attended the University of Pittsburgh, graduated from Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio with a B.S. in Education (1990) (with a minor in Special Education), Belmont University, M.Ed. with emphasis in Education (1999), completed School Leadership classes at Lipscomb University (2005). She currently hold administrative and teaching licensures in the State of Tennessee in K-12 (Special Education) (1-8 Elementary/Middle School) (AMS 6-12 Grade Level). She is currently working toward Secondary I & Secondary II (Grades 7-12) at CMSTEP in Cincinnati. She studied Japanese at Inlingua School of Languages in Cincinnati and had taught Japanese at Montessori Academy for 12 years. She enjoys learning foreign languages and includes Latin among her list of languages. She continues to teach because, "while I do not literally operate on the brain, figuratively I help my students make new connections each and every day." Elisabeth Gay first joined the teaching staff at Montessori Academy in 2000 as an Upper Elementary Teacher. After marriage, a few years, and three children later, she returned to Nashville and Montessori Academy. Almost ten years after beginning her Elementary II Montessori Training, she completed the Elementary II Training in the summer of 2011. She holds a B.A. from Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina and a state teaching certificate. Her three children are enrolled at Montessori Academy. Herman E. Jackson holds Bacheolor's, Master's, and a doctorate degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in areas of chemistry, biology, and mathematics and mathematics education. He has been teaching at Montessori Academy since 2002 in the area of mathematics and science. Prior to working at Montessori Academy he worked as an Associated Research Development Engineer in Chemical Research and Development at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Manager at AT&T Traffic Engineering, and Instructor of Mathematics at Knoxville College and the University of Tennessee. He has been an Assistant Professor of Mathematics & Adjunct Professor of Mathematics at Walters State Community College, Trevecca Nazarene Univeristy, and Nashville State Community College. His consulting work has consisted of: Exam grader for the Tennessee State Mathematics Contest held at the University of Tennessee; Guest Lecture during Metric Week at Knoxville College in Business Department - Topic: "Metric in the Business World;" VIP Host, Regional meeting of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Louisville, Kentucy; Board of Directors, Bib Brother/Sisters of Knoxville, Tennessee; AT&T Exhibitor at the 1982 Worlds Fair, Knoxville, Tennessee; Junior Achievement Executive Advisor for AT&T; Loaned Executive, Junior Achievement of Nashville Fund Raising Drive. Dr. Jackson has presented papers at the Mathematics Association of American annual conference ("A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Three Instructional Formats in Introductory Calculus for Students from Different Ability Levels") and at the Tennessee Mathematics Teacher's Association ("Junior High School Mathematics Teaching, A Potpourri of Ideas for Teaching Strategies"). Specials Teachers Band  Rick Palmiter joined the Montessori Academy teaching staff in January of 2011. Rick is a versatile and multi-talented musician who began his "music" career with the Cincinnati Youth Orchestra as a Trombonist in 1969. He received his Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music Education degrees from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. He has been the Teacher/Director of Instrumental music at University School, Brentwood Academy, Christ Presbyterian Academy and Poplar Grove School. He has directed the Williamson County Youth Orchestra, the West Franklin Baptist Church Orchestra, and played/directed the Continental Orchestra. He is developing the band at Montessori Academy and says, "he loves teaching beginners!" He currently also teaches at Brentwood Academy as their "Lower Brass" Instructor.Chorus/General Music:  Mark Woodward grew up in small town North Georgia with two loving parents, two younger sisters, and a variety of animals. He moved to Nashville in 2001 to study music at Belmont University. While at Belmont, he distinguished himself as a musician, an honors student, a cross country runner, and a lover of ultimate Frisbee. Woodward graduated in 2005 and Woodward went on tour full time with worship leader/recording artist Jeff Deyo. He made a name for himself as an energetic performer and an eager autograph signer.
During this time, Mark began teaching private music lessons. He found that he enjoyed the work, and his student base grew steadily over the next five years while he travelled with bands and did local charity work. In 2010, Woodward began teaching Music and Drama at Montessori Academy. In his first year, he founded the Winter Revue, a variety show, presenting the best in Montessori talent. The Revue’s debut performance drew rave reviews from faculty and parents alike. “I would have to say that my favorite thing about teaching is the variety it offers – like a good restaurant buffet. I always try a little bit of everything. The students here at Montessori are like that buffet. They all come bursting with unique talents and gifts. I spot something that I like, whether it’s a knack for writing songs or a unique stage personality, and I develop and grow it as far as it wants to go.” This creative approach led Woodward to record a special project of student-composed music in the spring of 2011. Click here for a sample! Orchestra/Strings: |
Marynet King began her teaching career at Montessori Academy in 1988 when Mrs. Eileen Bernstorf asked her if she had ever considered becoming a Montessori teacher. The more she learned about the Montessori philosophy of education, the more convinced she was that she did indeed want to become a Montessori teacher. Since that time she has taught at the Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary and Middle School levels and has had training at all levels. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from Jacksonville State University and a M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Middle Tennessee State University. She worked as a Clinical Therapist and Licensed Psychological Examiners before coming to M.A.
Lisa Quinn 
Cheri Beckerman has been teaching at Montessori Academy since 2000. Ms. Beckerman holds a Bachelor's degree from Boston University. She maintains a private violin and viola studio, as well as running the Lower Elementary Suzuki Violin program and the Upper Elementary Strings classes. She has Suzuki training through book 6 and takes many continuing education classes. She has performed with the Memphis Symphony, the Naples Philharmonic, the Western Kentucky Symphony, and the Palm Beach Opera. She occassionally performs with the Nashville Symphony. Cheri has played on many recordings and has appeared on videos with many country and Christian artists, including Vince Gill. She has conducted the Murfreesboro Youth Symphony, the Middle Tennessee Summer Youth Orchestra, and the Williamson County String Bash. Ms. Beckerman strives to keep balance in her busy life and career, as she has a 3 year old son, Max, in room 1. "I couldn't think of doing anything else; I do what I love!"
Art