Dogwood

Camille received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance from The Ohio State University. She then spent five years teaching dance to children of all ages in various studio and school settings in Atlanta, GA. While there, Camille served as a volunteer and board member at Reforming Arts, a non-profit providing theater infused liberal arts education to incarcerated women. In 2016, after twenty years away, Camille returned to her hometown of Nashville. She formerly served as a Primary All Day Assistant Guide. In 2019, she completed her Association Montessori Internationale training at the Southwest Institute of Montessori Studies.

Magnolia

Hannah comes from a family of educators and holds an AMI 3-6 diploma from Instituto de Educação Maria Montessori in Portugal. She has worked with children for over 25 years. Having taught in various capacities, this year she is actualizing her dream of teaching Montessori by joining the staff at Montessori East. Initially from the East Coast, she holds a Bachelors in Neuroscience from Eastern University, Masters in Public Health and Doctor of Medicine from The George Washington University. She moved to Nashville in 2023. She loves a good vegetable garden, cooking in the kitchen and walking Nashville’s parks. In her free time, she practices yoga, medicine and plays with her cat, Millie Bea.

Sunflower

Billie has worked with children of all ages in one capacity or another throughout most of her adult life. After spending several years as a stay-at-home mom with her two beautiful children, Nollie and Johnny, she realized that early childhood development was truly her calling. She joined the Montessori family in 2018 with a full heart; eager to assist in the development of each child, while continuing to learn and develop herself. Most recently, this development is in the form of Primary Training through the Prepared Montessorian Institute. For fun, she and her children enjoy exploring, camping, swimming, crafting, baking (taste-testing, mostly), reading and playing board games and baseball.

Daisy

Io was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. They attended the University of Texas San Antonio and received their Bachelor’s of Arts in both Psychology and Art History. In 2021, they relocated to Nashville, TN and began working at Montessori East shortly after. They enjoy working in a space that fosters creativity, interdependence, and connection with nature. In their free time, they enjoy making art, reading fiction, watching films and gardening. Io is an AMI diploma candidate expected to graduate in July 2026 from Montessori Northwest.

Bluebell

Safiyah is an illustrator and jewelry maker born and raised in Nashville, TN. She studied Fine Arts at Nashville State Community College. Safiyah has always enjoyed working with children and would volunteer at Linden Waldorf school as a teenager. This is her first year at Montessori East as an Assistant Guide. She enjoys book reading, and making arts and crafts in both the classroom and outside of school. 

Rosebud

Coming soon!

Dogwood

DaiJordan is a Nashville native who graduated from Stratford Highschool. While there she enjoyed her role in the band as a co-captain of the majorettes. Also, she took a course called Teaching As A Profession and led her class in an observation visit to Montessori East. Her love of teaching children comes through her role as the oldest sibling in her family and from various other care settings. She enjoys painting, drawing, and other creative arts. 

Sunflower

Traci has been working with children, both as a teacher and nanny, for 15 years. Most of those years teaching have been in Nashville after moving here from Arkansas. She grew up around teachers in her family so leaning into education came naturally. She likes to spent her time in Music City going to live concerts and has become a hockey fan after going to her first Predators game. She was introduced to the Montessori teaching methods in recent years and continues to learn about and love the Montessori philosophy.

Daisy

Allie has lived in Tennessee for the majority of her life and attended Tennessee Technological University receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 2022. Since she can remember she has naturally gravitated towards adolescents and has developed deep passion to care for them in capacities such as non-profit work, mentorship, and nannying for children across the lifespan of varying abilities. She is excited to step into the role as an assistant after substituting at Montessori East for over eighteen months. She sees every child as a valuable and capable human being that deserves the space to grow as an individual and earnestly desires to foster that environment for them. Allie loves to travel, thrift, be outside, learn, and eat treats!

Magnolia

Franny’s work in education ranges from preschool to middle school to college instruction. Throughout her time earning her bachelor’s degree in English and master’s degree in linguistics, assisting in Montessori classrooms has been the work she keeps coming home to. Franny loves gardening, mending and altering clothes, and thrifting. Both of her daughters have attended Montessori East. 

Magnolia

Michele has been in Nashville since 2019. She has three children who have all attended Montessori East. She has a Bachelors degree in Nursing from Liberty University. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, creating art, and enjoying nature. 

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Sunflower

Alejandro was born in Spain and moved to Nashville recently. He holds a Bachelor of Education and degrees in Exercise and Sports Science. Alejandro has worked in different schools and sports clubs, teaching a variety of subjects and sports.

Orchid

Adam has been living in Nashville since 2014. He found a love for working with children as a summer camp counselor when he was younger. He worked in a recording studio, as a freelance carpenter and rug maker, and most recently worked as a preschool teacher before joining Montessori East. Adam loves camping and hiking. He also recently started making his own pickles. Adam will also always have a love for live music.

Orchid

Jen brings a rich background in education, leadership, and community-building to Montessori East. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from Georgia Southern University and spent several years teaching upper elementary students. She was honored as Teacher of the Year by her peers. She has a deep appreciation for learning environments that honor curiosity, independence, and each child’s unique pace of growth.

Jen was deeply moved by her initial visit to Montessori East and is especially drawn to Montessori’s emphasis on student ownership, thoughtful preparation, and joyful learning. Jen lives in the neighborhood with her husband, Thad and their two cats.

Floater / Orchid

Shannon brings 25 years of experience as a literacy specialist and language arts educator, with a passion for neurodiverse learners — every student deserves an approach shaped to how they actually think and learn. She holds a BA in English from Rhodes College and an MA in Education from the University of Colorado, and recently completed AMI Montessori 12–18 Orientation training

Outside the classroom, Shannon enjoys walking at Radnor Lake, jigsaw puzzles, and getting lost in poetry over coffee. A devoted traveler, especially by train, she loves winter and fireplace season, snow skiing, and live music at her favorite venues — Red Rocks in Colorado and The Ryman in Nashville.

Shannon volunteers as a Bedside Guide with Musicians On Call, bringing live music to hospital patients, and on weekends she’s a bookseller at Fairytales Bookstore in Little Five Points, hosting Saturday storytime and crafts. At home she’s sous chef for her husband, Matt. Her two grown children bring her endless laughter as they enter adulthood, and her two dogs, Otis and Dorothy, are unabashedly spoiled. New on her list: cross stitch and mandolin lessons.

Shannon looks forward to being stationed in The Wild — outdoor education with hands-on experiences in nature — as she helps develop the future adolescent Montessori program launching at Montessori East in Fall 2027.

Sunflower

Salem Horne is a Tennessee native who holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Dramatic Arts from Martin Methodist College and an Ed. S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Middle Tennessee State University. 

After some time away working in the mental health field, Salem is delighted to be returning to Montessori East for the 2026-2027 school year. 

When not working with children and families, Salem enjoys making art, teaching line dancing classes, and being a cat dad.