Our 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 small 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 2009. 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. 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. Kelsey went to school for Emergency Medicine and has worked in a hospital along with various other health care settings. She has been working with young children, adolescents and special needs students for 18 years! In her free time she enjoys being outside, attending social events and spending time with her family!

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. Ashley is currently attending Century College with a major in psychology. She has worked in early childhood education since 2014. Ashley believes that working with children is her calling! Her favorite part about working with young children is getting to help each child in her care reach developmental milestones. Her favorite children's book series is, "Pete the Cat". In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her children, online shopping and spa days!

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. 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. Laura graduated from Maple Grove High School in 2021. She has her CDA certificate in infants and toddlers. 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. Autumn has been working with young children since 2015. She is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in early childhood education with a minor in child psychology. Autumn has always loved children and grew up knowing she would one day become a teacher. Her favorite thing about the early education field is forming connections with children and their families while watching her students learn and grow!

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. 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. Sunaina has a bachelor's degree in education from M.D. University in Rotak, India. Her career with young children began in 2004. She lives in Eden Prairie with her husband and their twin girls. Sunaina lovingly goes by Ms. Siya to her students. She loves to talk and play with children and she says they fill her with happiness. Her favorite children's song in Indian is "Mera Lyar Ki".

Mr. Theo has worked with children ages 5-12 in the education field since 2018. He has a master's degree in teaching from Augsburg college. He chose to work in early childhood education because he loves spending time helping children expand their skills in all developmental domains. His favorite children's book series is, "The Magic Tree House". In his spare time Theo enjoys watching movies, hanging with friends around Minneapolis, and he's a big foodie!

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. Francini has been working with young children since 2012. She is currently pursuing an associate's degree in early childhood education at MCTC. She is a certified birth doula and worked in a hospital for 5 years. During her time as a doula, Francini took a course on client support and strategies for children. The course ignited her passion for children and brought her to choose early education as a new career path.

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. 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. Lule graduated from Aleksander Xhuvani University with a bachelor's degree in Elementary Teaching and a master's degree in Education. She worked for 5 years in private and public schools with students from first to fifth grade. For a short time she worked as a teacher's assistant helping children with special needs. She chose to work in early childhood development to help children take their first steps on their long road to knowledge. Lule loves to sing, dance and read with children. She looks forward to supporting the children here at Goddard!

Ms. Avery began her career in early childhood education in 2019. She has experience with children of all ages but she especially enjoys working little learners. Avery is currently pursuing a degree in early childhood education. A dream of hers is to one day run her own childcare center! Her favorite children's books are those written by Dr. Suess and Roald Dahl. In Avery's spare time she enjoys hiking, traveling and going all over Minnesota with her dogs Abby and Casey.

Ms. Grace has a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Minnesota. She began working with children in 2018 as a float teacher within an infant and toddler program at the YMCA. Grace fell in love with spending time with her students as they met so many milestones during their first years of life. What she enjoys most about early education is how rewarding and fulfilling it is to work with young minds!

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. 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. Asho is currently pursuing a preschool CDA certificate. 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. 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. Megan is currently pursuing an educational path to become a children's surgical technician. She began working with children in 2019. Megan has been a gymnast since childhood and began a love working with students while coaching young gymnasts. Her favorite children's book is, "Goodnight Moon". Megan loves to stay active and looks forward to bringing her electric energy to Goddard!

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. 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. Siena is a student at Wayzata High School. She completed two child psychology courses during her sophomore year which she really enjoyed and propelled her love for children. Siena is a soccer player and she enjoys playing sports along with spending time with her family. Her favorite children's books are "Oh, the Places You'll Go" and "The Giving Tree". In her free time Siena enjoys playing Uno, Monopoly and solving puzzles with her grandma.

Ms. Anna is a student at Wayzata High School. She has been a babysitter and has coached birthday parties at North Shore Gymnastics. Anna was a gymnast for almost 12 years. She loves to play and have fun with children since they are so energetic! In her free time Anna likes to hangout with friends, spend a lot of time outside and find different ways to exercise!

Mr. Keaton has been working with young children since early 2024. He comes to Goddard Minnetonka with a background in hospitality and customer service. 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. 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 Denmark. 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. Ning graduated from the Kent College of Law in May of 2024. During her studies, she focused on family law. Ning enjoys working with young children because she can see how they develop from day to day. Her favorite children's book author is Dr. Suess. She and her husband live in Plymouth with their young son. Their favorite thing to do as a family is to watch cartoons!

Ms. Ryleigh is a freshman at Crown College pursuing her 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".