Our Goddard School Teachers

Brant and Nicole Dennis are the owners of The Goddard School of Minnetonka. Nicole, the onsite owner, graduated from Bethel University with her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. She went on to receive her Master’s of Education from St. Mary’s University. She taught in the elementary classroom in the Robbinsdale Area School District for 20+ years. Nicole is excited to continue to educate children, connect with families, and lead a team of amazing staff at the Goddard School of Minnetonka. Brant graduated from the University of St. Thomas with a Finance degree and is employed at Landscape Structures (LSI). LSI builds playgrounds and therefore this school will be equipped with 2 high-quality, fun playgrounds! As parents of 3 children, they know the importance of creating a trusting, nurturing, safe, and high-quality program to all families in the Minnetonka and surrounding communities.

Jaiden has been in the Early Childhood Education field since 2008. Throughout her experience she has spent time as a Preschool Teacher, Assistant Director, and Director. She has been a member of the Minnesota Childcare Association since 2018. As a member, she's visited the Minnesota state capital to discuss relevant early education topics and advocacy with policy members and state leaders along with attending yearly meetings with colleagues to discuss advancements in the Early Childhood Education field. She loves her career in Early Childhood because every day with little learners presents a new adventure! She has 3 young boys of her own and as a family they love to spend time outdoors, have Chipotle movie nights and take road trips. She is so happy to be a part of the Goddard School of Minnetonka family and looks forward to watching your children grow and learn during their educational journey here!

Allison has an associate degree in Business Management with emphasis in child development. She has been devoted to Goddard Systems since 2012. During her teaching years, she spent a majority of time with infants, but she taught toddlers and young preschool as well. She believes that children need a safe and nurturing environment where they can explore and learn from their surroundings. She is excited to be a part of the Goddard School of Minnetonka! As a mother of two boys, she loves watching them learn and grow so much during their journey at a Goddard School.

Ms. Tia began her love for teaching at the age of 18 and was given the privilege to lead her own classroom after 6 months of working in the field. She soon moved to California where she worked with students from infancy to school age. She has an associates degree in child and adolescent education where she held a spot on the President's list for multiple semesters. She chose the field of early childhood education as she's always had a passion for teaching, and because she wants to make a difference in the lives of children and their families. In her free time Katia likes to hike and enjoy nature as well as painting and traveling!

Ms. Abby holds a bachelor's degree in elementary education from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. She has been working with children since 2011. Abby's father was an elementary school principal and her grandfather was an arts professor. Teaching has always been a big part of her life and she looks forward to continuing her career here at Goddard! Her favorite children's book is, "Those Can Do Pigs". In her free time, Abby loves to spend time painting, drawing baking and knitting!

Ms. Alexis has been working with children since 2022. She has spent time with students of all ages, however, preschool children hold a special place in her heart. Alexis chose to work in the early education field because she is passionate about creating nurturing environment for kids to thrive! She has a firm belief that each child is a genius in their own way and she is dedicated to helping them recognize their own potential. Ms. Alexis' favorite book is, "Who You Were Made to Be".

Ms. Elizabeth has been working with children since 2013. She holds an infant and toddler CDA credential. Elizabeth's passion for for working with children began when she started babysitting at ten years old. She enjoys watching the children as they new things. Her favorite book as a child was "Corduroy".

Ms. Joann has worked in Early Childhood Education since 2015. She has cared for children ranging in ages six weeks to five years. Joann received her Child Development Associate credential in 2019. Working in this field is such a joy for her. She loves seeing children's imaginations emerge and seeing the wonder in their eyes as they learn new things. She is excited to show our littlest learners how wonderful the world can be!

Ms. Theresa has been in the early education field since 1998. She received her infant/toddler program CDA certificate in 2015 from Rasmussen college. Theresa has spent her career as a lead infant teacher. She enjoys the opportunities to help many first time parents! She is a mother of 3 children and 6 step children along with 7 grandchildren. Theresa loves the early childhood field and wouldn't change her career for anything!

Ms. Marzi has worked in early childhood education since 2018. She has spent time caring for children of all ages from babies to pre-k. Marzi holds an infant & toddler CDA credential. Her favorite age group to work with is infants as she loves the joy and love they bring to the world! She loves to sing "Mr. Sun" to the infants in her classroom. Outside of Goddard, her and her husband are working to restore an old-school car.

Ms. Laura graduated from Maple Grove High School in 2021. She holds an infant and toddler CDA certificate which she received in 2024. Laura chose to work in the childhood development because she enjoys watching children make new connections while learning. She has always wanted to provide a safe nurturing space for children to be themselves and is excited to do that through teaching at Goddard!

Ms. Monet has worked in early childhood education since 2012. She has had the amazing honor of working with all ages from 6 months to 12 years! Her favorite thing about working with young children is being able to facilitate the fun activities that they enjoy along with watching them learn and grow. In her free time, Monet enjoys yoga and studying as a self love/lifestyle counselor.

Ms. Sami has been working with young children since 2018. She considers herself to be a very responsible and dedicated individual. Sami aims to be the reason why children want to learn more about the world around them. Her favorite children's book is, "Llama, Llama, Red Pajama". She is looking forward to utilizing her skills in creating an environment where children can learn and flourish while here at Goddard!

Ms. Kamyra graduated from Hopkins high school in 2024. Her childcare experience consists of 4 years nanny experience and 2 years teaching Sunday school. In Kamyra's opinion, integrity is the most important aspect of caring for a child! Her all time favorite children's book is, "The Lorax". She's watched the movie numerous times and enjoyed sharing the movies with her nanny kiddos. Ms. Kamyra loves to watch children learn through social interactions as it is a privilege which has inspired her to pursue an education in the early childhood field. She's driven to guide kiddos by example and is beyond excited to play a part in their growth!

Ms. Martha has been in the early childhood education field since 2018. She holds a CDA credential in infants and toddlers. Martha is also working towards her associate's degree in early childhood education at Minneapolis Community and Technical college. She's originally from Mexico and upon coming to the United States, she had a goal of studying english and working with children. Martha's favorite age group to work with is infants as she enjoys singing with them. Her favorite children's book series is, "Pete the Cat"!

Ms. Sam has been in the early childhood education field since 2019. She loves working with infants and toddlers because of all the milestones they achieve during that time in their lives. Her favorite children's book is, "Green Eggs and Ham" and her favorite children's song is, "Baby Bumblebee"!

Ms. Allison has been working in early childhood education since 2021. Prior to being a teacher, Allison was a preschool photographer for Lifetouch for three years. She's currently pursuing a pathway to a law degree through Anoka Ramsey community college. Allison's favorite age group is a tie between infants and toddlers. Her favorite book to read in the classroom is, "Grumpy Monkey". Outside of work she loves reading, writing and being active. She also goes swing dancing every Thursday night with her boyfriend and friends.

Ms. Ana came to the United States in 2001 and began her education within the Hopkins school district where she graduated in 2008. After graduating she spent many years working in various customer service positions until she found a career within early childhood education. She started in ECE at a spanish immersion preschool where she fell in love with teaching young children. Ana now holds an infant and toddler CDA credential! Her favorite part about working with little ones is that everyday presents a new experience!

Ms. Tiahna has been working with young children since 2022. She holds an infant and toddler CDA credential. Growing up she was always the girl to babysit in the neighborhood. During her teenage years she went on to volunteer at a childcare program. During her time spent there, she discovered her passion for working with young children! As time progressed she began working at a childcare program as a toddler teacher. Her favorite children's song is, "Listen and Move". Tiahna's favorite classroom activities include dancing and creating a comfortable environment for all children to thrive!

Ms. McKayla has worked in the early childhood education field since 2023. Her favorite part of teaching children is doing science experiments and watching the kids "light up". One of her favorite books as a small child was, "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?". McKayla thoroughly enjoys her career in ECE and couldn't imagine doing anything else!

Ms. Amira began working in early childhood education in 2023. She received her infant & toddler CDA credential in 2024, and now she's pursuing an associate's degree in early childhood education at MCTC. Being the oldest of eight children, Amira has always loved caring for children. She chose to work in this field because she knew that being a part of children's early development would be a rewarding career!

Ms. Martha has been working with young children since 2021. She is originally from Venezuela. She has a marketing degree from Venezuela and she completed her CDA credential in 2023. Her favorite part about working in early childhood education is having an impact on children's lives while watching them grow. In her free time Martha enjoys spending time with her family, reading a good book and spending time in nature!

Ms. Bea has worked with young children since 2012. She has worked with children ranging from infants to school age. Bea grew up in Missouri and moved to Minnesota in the Spring of 2024. She considers herself to be a person with diverse interests and hobbies, ranging from sports to history and aviation. Bea is looking forward to learning all about each of the students in her care!

Ms. Esmeralda has been working with young children since 2009. She received her preschool CDA credential in 2024. Her passion is working with young children and being a part of their learning journey. Her favorite thing about teaching is making children happy!

Mr. Keaton has been working with young children since early 2024. He holds a preschool CDA credential. Keaton chose to work in early childhood education because the future is the next generation! He truly wants to be a part of building children up in a loving and kind environment. His favorite children's song is "Baby Baluga". If Keaton could describe himself in five words they'd be: fun, outgoing, kind, patient and inquisitive. Just the right ingredients for an early childhood educator!

Ms. Mara has been working with preschool students since 2016. She holds a preschool CDA credential. Her absolute favorite thing about working with young children is getting to know them as individuals. Mara enjoys discovering skills students need assistance with and strives to build their confidence. In her free time Mara likes spending time with family & friends, traveling and lake days!

Ms. Erin began working with preschool aged children in 2024. Growing up she was a babysitter and nanny for many families. In 2025, Erin received her preschool CDA credential. She chose to work in early childhood education because she was inspired by teachers throughout her educational journey. Erin's passion is to create a space where all children feel valued, supported and loved. In her spare time she enjoys reading a good book, baking and going to the park with her pup, George.

Ms. Phoebe graduated from the Chinese Culture University in Taiwan with her bachelor's degree in foreign language. She's been in the early childhood education field since 2007. Phoebe came to the United States in 2016 and began working with preschoolers at a Chinese immersion school in Minnetonka. She loves to play with children during their exploration time. She believes it's the best time to help them develop their empathy and social skills. In addition to her career, Phoebe would like to continue pursuing world travel and photography.

Ms. Nadia graduated high school in June of 2023. During her senior year, she was a teacher's assistant in a kindergarten classroom for three months. During that time she found that early childhood education is a field she's passionate about. She loves watching children learn and she's always looking for ways to expand their knowledge. Nadia's favorite thing do to with students is read books to them. Through reading books, she's found that students begin to express interest in letters and vocabulary. Her favorite children's book is, "Goodnight Moon".

Ms. Jess comes to Goddard with a background in hospitality. She will be assisting school-wide in each of our programs. One of the most impactful and important life experiences for Jess was when she became a mother. She has three children of her own and is so excited to spread her love to the students here at Goddard!

Ms. Asho holds a preschool CDA credential. She started working with children in 2020. She's worked with all elementary age groups and adults with disabilities as well. She enjoys working with children because this field is so fun and rewarding!

Ms. Ryleigh is a attending Crown College pursuing a bachelor's degree in psychology. Her long-term career goal is to become a child psychologist. She is passionate about working with children because she enjoys supporting their emotional wellbeing. In her spare time Ryleigh enjoys time at the lake, reading a good book and hanging out with friends! Her favorite children's book is, "Rainbow Fish".

Ms. Kassidy has been working with young children since 2017. During her career she's worked with infants, toddlers and preschoolers. Although most of her time has been spent with children under 2 years old, she loves all ages! Kassidy's favorite part about being an early childhood educator is seeing how much children learn and grow within such a short period of time. It's always been on Kassidy's heart to care for little ones and she's looking forward to continue her life's passion here at Goddard. In her spare time Kassidy enjoys painting with acrylics and spending time with her new fiancee Lucas.

Ms. Emily has been working with young children since 2015. She holds a bachelor's degree in sociology of law from the University of Minnesota. Her career in early childhood education began while working in her mom's in-home daycare. Her passion continued to ignite while working at the Child Development Laboratory school on the U of M campus! In her spare time Emily enjoys watching old western movies, practicing ballet and completing puzzles.

Ms. Marne has worked in various fields but she has chosen early childhood education because it's her favorite! She believes that this field is rewarding and worth while, not just a "job". In high school and college Marne enjoyed an educational experience as an exchange student in Norway. It was there that she learned a new language! Her favorite children's book is, "Sam and the Firefly". In her spare time, Marne enjoys spending time with her two adult children!

Ms. Rees has been working in early childhood education since 2020. Her childcare experience ranges from infancy to 15 years old. She holds a bachelor's degree in marketing and communications from Bemiji State University. Ms. Rees has always adored working and building relationships with children, and continues to find herself back in a teaching role. Her favorite things to do with students are arts and crafts. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, hanging out with friends, boating, water skiing and more!