Amber began at Nature’s Way Montessori School in January 2008 . In college, she chose to combine her love of ancient history and scuba diving by studying underwater archaeology. Despite enjoying an interesting career, she found her part-time work in education to be far more satisfying and sought a new professional path. She came across an ad for a Toddler Community Assistant at Nature’s Way and eagerly applied for the position. As a former Montessori student herself, Amber quickly discovered that she had found the right fit. In 2009, she moved into the Early Childhood Community and spent the following summer at the Houston Montessori Center. After a year’s internship, she received her credential. She became a lead guide in 2012, transitioned into the Assistant Director role in 2018, and became Director in 2022. Amber can no longer imagine doing anything except working in a school and is grateful for the privilege to work in such an enriching environment. In her free time, Amber enjoys going on a variety of adventures with her husband and two young children!
Terri came to Nature’s Way Montessori in September 1996 when her daughter was a student in the Lower Elementary Community. She oversees a wide variety of administrative functions within the school and maintains our teacher/parent library. Her attention to detail and organizational knowledge have benefited the school on many levels. Terri enjoys working with the staff and families at Nature’s Way and is a strong supporter of the Montessori method and Positive Discipline.
Chrissy Willard’s love of Montessori started at “The Children’s House,” a Montessori school in Wilmington, DE. This is where she first learned the Montessori method as an assistant and head of the after school program for a year and a half. She then moved to Tennessee where she wanted to continue her Montessori career. She found Nature’s Way Montessori in 1998 and began working in the Extended Day program. After a short period she became an assistant in the Early Childhood Community, a role she stayed in for twelve years. Chrissy wanted to continue to grow in Montessori so she took courses from the North American Montessori Center and became a Certified Guide. This led to a role as a guide in the Early Childhood Community where she stayed for a year. Her passion has always been working as a guide in the Toddler Community and when the position became available she immediately saw the opportunity to do what she loved most, work with toddlers.
Shannon began at Nature’s Way in August of 2024. She has a BS in Early Childhood Education with an empasis in Family Relations. She brings over 30 years of experience to her position. Shannon has a passion for meeting children where they are and supporting their work towards independence. Shannon has been married since 1992. She has two adult sons and three grandchildren who are the joy of her life and keep her moving. Shannon remains curious about life and thrives on learning new things. She loves being silly, getting creative, and making activities for the classroom and her family.
Annie began at Nature‘s Way in August of 2015. Her college studies focused mainly on child language development, specifically second language acquisition. She never intended to work in childcare but found her part-time daycare work satisfying. She then became a nanny for a pair of Montessori kids and discovered that, not only did she enjoy spending time with children, but she loved the Montessori method. Annie continued her education, earning an Early Childhood credential from the Montessori Training Center of Brentwood in 2018. In 2020, Annie received her Master’s in Montessori Education from St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota where she focused on preliteracy skills and anti-biast anti-racist education. She then joined the Board of Directors for the Montessori Alliance of Tennessee as the ABAR Chairperson. Annie is grateful to be at Nature’s Way and cannot imagine spending her days doing anything more fulfilling than working with these children.
Kelly started at Nature‘s Way in August 2018. She grew up in the Knoxville area, and attended the University of Tennessee where she completed her studies in Political Science. She worked as a childcare provider for many years before she took her experiences abroad as an au pair in Switzerland and France. These two years compounded her love for teaching children, and thereafter, she began her search for a career in education. Upon returning to Tennessee, she found an opening at Nature’s Way. She worked with both Early Childhood and Lower Elementary students during her first three years at Nature’s Way. In the Summer of 2021, she started her training to become a certified Montessori Early Childhood Guide and completed her internship during the 2021-22 school year. Captivated by the Montessori Method, she could not be happier to be part of this wonderful community!
Caitlin began working at Nature’s Way in 2021. She always knew she wanted to work with children and a childcare job led her to early childhood education where she continues to be a self-proclaimed life long learner. Caitlin originally fell in love with Nature’s Way when she was a student there herself. She feels incredibly lucky to be returning to such an amazing school.
Ollie began working at Nature’s Way in 2025. Before Nature’s Way, Ollie worked as an outdoor guide at a local nature preschool. He is passionate about early childhood development and has always loved working with kids. He also loves being able to explore the outdoors, so when an opportunity appeared to take on an outdoor educator role, he jumped in. He has been in love with outdoor education ever since, and is glad to have a role at Nature’s Way that allows him to be outside and in nature with kids. He loves being able to explore and educate about the fascinating, misunderstood, and “weird” parts of nature. In his free time, Ollie enjoys spending time in the community, going out in the mountains, and finding things to explore and create!
Early Childhood Community Support and Extended Day Assistant
Laura began teaching at Nature’s Way in August of 2014. Previously, she taught kindergarten for eight years in Nashville. She and her husband moved to East Tennessee in 2009 and began a family. Now both of her sons attend Nature’s Way, and she is once again enjoying being a part of a community of learners! Laura loves teaching reading and writing. Leading children through the process of publishing their own stories and then sharing them with their classmates is especially rewarding!
Jenna began working at Nature’s Way in August of 2021. She started as an Assistant in the Lower Elementary Community and commenced her Montessori training in the Spring of 2023. Her love for teaching came early on during high school where she spent her senior year taking a college teaching class. During this time, she had the opportunity to learn about Dr. Montessori and has been interested in her method ever since. She believes that every child has the ability to succeed and is passionate about guiding children to be the best version of themselves. Jenna has thrived on the Montessori community and is enjoying opportunities develop her skills as an educator.
Molly has been a parent at NWMS since 2021. With a deep reverie for the world of Montessori and being an avid lover of learning and exploration of the great outdoors, she is excited to include creativity and mindfulness to her settings as an Extended Day Guide. She enjoys spending her free time getting to know the greater state of TN through its many parks and waterfalls, rich culture and history, and pickin’ antiques and treasures! Passionate about supporting children in their process of learning about the world around them, Molly is excited to be joining our community them, Molly is excited to be joining our community.
Matt began working at Nature’s Way Montessori School in June 2005 as the special programs coordinator in the Middle School Community. After graduating from the University of Tennessee, Matt began working at the River Ridge Environmental Education Center where he advanced to become the program coordinator and then director. He became familiar with Nature’s Way students and teachers during their weeklong environmental education trip to River Ridge and was so impressed by the Nature’s Way students and staff that when an opportunity came open to work with them on a full-time basis, he jumped at it. Matt served in the middle school as the science teacher from 2006 to 2007 and as the lead guide from 2007 to 2014. After receiving his Upper Elementary certification from NAMC, Matt has been serving as the Upper Elementary lead guide since August 2014. Matt thoroughly enjoyed the experience of working with adolescents in the middle school. He is thrilled to now be working with children in the “Cosmic Plane” of development and is constantly inspired by their creativity and imagination.
Sisse came to Nature’s Way in 2005 as a parent. She had taught English on the middle school level before having children of her own, and this background in education led her to volunteer in the classroom right away. She gradually took on additional responsibilities at Nature’s Way, ranging from leading Self Expressions classes for middle school students to starting Girl Scout troops for lower elementary students, and eventually taking a part-time job at Nature’s Way in Extended Day. After three years of coordinating after-school care for elementary-aged students, she began working in the Upper Elementary Community teaching Language Arts in 2012. She enjoys doing close readings of literature with students and guiding them to improve their writing skills.
Liza moved to Knoxville from Atlanta Georgia, where she attended college, met her husband, and had their three wonderful children. She began Nature’s Way Montessori in the fall of 2007 in the Upper Elementary Community. In her years working in education, Liza has enjoyed working in both public and private schools. She is grateful for the opportunity she has had over the years to work with students in such specialty areas as music and theatre, as well as reading and mathematics. But Liza says she truly found her home when she arrived at Nature’s Way. Liza loves the Upper Elementary Community, but even more so, the community as a whole. She is honored to be a part of Nature’s Way and hopes to greet every student with a smile for quite some time, or at least until 8:30 when the cones are retrieved and Safety Patrol heads inside!
Kevin began working at Nature’s Way in 2022. He initially began working with children at YMCA Ayrlawn Program Center in Bethesda, MD, where he quickly developed a strong connection and passion for youth development. After moving to Knoxville in 2018, he continued working with children at the Muse Knoxville. Kevin enjoyed Nature’s Way as a parent and is grateful he found an opportunity to join the Nature’s Way family as an employee. Kevin enjoys the day-to-day learning and connections he makes as a team member, and loves the variety of each day, the curious spontaneity of children, and teaching through interactions. You may often find Kevin playing games of tag or soccer with students as he remains a kid at heart. Outside of work, Kevin enjoys spending time with his family and dogs, hiking, camping, fishing, and all things soccer.
Mary founded Nature’s Way Montessori School in August of 1982 when she had young children to educate. She developed curriculum and taught in the Upper Elementary Community for twenty-one years before taking some time to direct full time. Staff changes sent her back to the classroom and the students whom she loves and is challenged by daily! She enjoys coming to work every day to work with intelligent, stimulating, and productive staff and children who have all contributed their special talents to grow the school from one preschool class in 1982 to the eight communities of today.
B.A., Biology, Maryville College
M.S., Marine Science, Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Montessori Elementary Teacher Certification, Association Montessori Internationale, Montessori
Institute of Atlanta
A Knoxville native and former Nature’s Way student, Gar returned to the community in 2022 as the Adolescent Community Program Coordinator. He studied biology and marine science in college and graduate school, where he discovered a loved of sharing with young people. For six years, he guided residential environmental education experiences through programs including the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont and the Sea Education Association. Eager to apply his experience with curiosity-based investigations to the classroom, he completed his Montessori Elementary Teacher Certification through the Association Montessori Internationale. He taught science, humanities, and mathematics at Providence Montessori Middle School in Lexington, Kentucky before returning to Tennessee. Since then, Gar has loved being a part of the Adolescent Community, guiding students in experiementing, conducting simulations, building, baking, and going on adventures outside. He finds it incredibly fulfilling to work with amazing young people as they develop their confidence, creativity, and independence.
Jimmy Waters joined the Nature’s Way Adolescent Community in August 2021. He has his teaching licensure and a BA in Math and Philosophy. He worked as a math teacher at Maryville Junior High School and taught Math at Powell High School for three years. He continues to engage in private tutoring in a variety of areas including computer science, ESL and GE prep. He is described by his references as a person that invests in his students and who “always looks for fun ways to engage students, encouraging them to think logically and look differently at the material.” Jimmy expressed his interest in the holistic approach to guiding students inherent in Montessori and his interest in developing engaging hands-on science units.
Ian began working at Nature’s Way in August of 2024. With a love for linguistics and rhetorical studies, he received a B.A. in English and an M.A. in Professional Writing from Kennesaw State University. He also worked as a limited-term instructor at Kennesaw State from 2022 to 2024. He deeply appreciates the opporunities he has had over the years to work with students of all ages and has continuously prioritized student autonomy when teaching. Ian is honored to be able to apply the principles of Montessori learning to English education so students can see the versatility and power of language in their everyday lives.
Lena joined Nature’s Way in June 2026 as the Farm Manager. She holds a degree in Nutrition and spent severla years abroad teaching English (EFL) and Biology at international schools in Korea and China. While she has a strong passion for teaching–especially science–her first love has always been nutrition, particularly growing and eating fresh food. After interning at Beardsey Community Farm in 2016 and working on an organic farm in 2022, she knew she wanted to combine her interests by working in a school garden with children of all ages.
Dawn Kunkel has completed both her Bachelor’s and Master’s of Fine Arts degrees with an emphasis in Printmaking. Following graduate school at the University of Tennessee, she has since taught art to the children at Nature’s Way Montessori School. She has exhibited in a variety of spaces, and is an active participant/teacher of the Knoxville Art Community. She is included in the public collections of The Hunter Museum of Art, Chattanooga, TN, The Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson, MS. and The Academy of Fine Arts, Poznan, Poland. She also has work in private collections. Dawn enjoys teaching art to the diversity of ages and is enthusiastic about bringing the visual arts to the students at Nature’s Way.
Sarah was thrilled to join the Nature’s Way community in 2021 as Music Cuide. She has a life-long passion for making music and guiding young people into the skills they need to create and enjoy music. She earned her Master’s in Violin performance and Suzuki Pedagogy from the Hartt School, and has been teaching music through the Suzuki violin method for over twenty years. She has held teaching positions with the Cadek conservatory in Chattanooga TN, the Hartt School Community division in Hartford, CT, and is currently faculty with the Knoxville Suzuki Academy. She has also taught on the college level at Lee University and Covenant College, and continues her performing career by playing with the Knoxville Symphony and the Inner Voices String Quartet. She is excited for the opportunity to expand on this background through teaching music at Nature’s Way, and also thrilled for the chance for her own elementary-age children to attend the school! She and her family have lived in Knoxville since 2013, and they especially enjoy the wonderful outdoor opportunities the area provides such as kayaking, hiking, and mountain biking.
Isabel Zuniga is originally from Mexico and began working at Nature’s Way in 2007 as an assistant in the Early Childhood Community. Isabel wanted to continue to enrich her Montessori experience and took courses from the North American Montessori Center. She received her Early Childhood credential in Spring 2015. In 2016, Isabel began teaching Spanish to Toddler, Lower Elementary and Upper Elementary communities by incorporating the Montessori Methodology and Curriculum into her Spanish classes…with a little twist! Utilizing her native Spanish, she enriches our students’ experience with both vocabulary and cultural knowledge.
