Bonnie has a deep appreciation for the natural world and also holds an equal passion for education. The mountains and rivers of southeast Appalachia have lovingly shaped her heart, and her heart seeks to love and serve her community. After finishing her master’s in education at Lee University, Bonnie taught secondary social studies for seven years. While teaching as a public educator, she sponsored several extra-curricular organizations, most of which had a focus on service learning. She took students on international trips and participated in a teacher exchange program from 2011-2013, teaching in Uganda and then hosting Ugandan educators here at home. Bonnie also taught as an adjunct professor in the college of education at Lee University and worked as a university supervisor for student teachers. She is a local yoga instructor at Studio 22 in downtown Cleveland.

Bonnie has a Level 3 Forest Kindergarten Master Teacher Certification endorsed by Southern Adventist University, which was attained through participating in Wauhatchie Forest School’s Teacher Training program with Dr. Jean Lomino. Bonnie is a certified Tennessee Naturalist. She is an instructor for the Forest School Teacher Institute and has supported hundreds of educators as they have received training in nature-based education. In 2023, Bonnie founded Wholly Wild, a retreat for teacher transformation hosted at Woodsong each spring.

As well as being teachers, both Bonnie and her husband, Chris, have been whitewater raft guides on the Ocoee River for the last 21 years. Together, they enjoy hiking, fly-fishing, pickin' bluegrass around a fire, and camping with their two daughters.

Raven grew up in the foothills of Lookout Mountain, in Chickamauga, Georgia. She loved to explore the creek bank near her home, play in the dirt near the neighboring cow pasture and harvest the honeysuckle from her backyard fence row. Her family vacations were spent outdoors, camping, swimming in lakes, and hiking to waterfalls. In her adult life, she finds joy in doing the same with her own family. Her love of nature has developed into a love of growing her own food through backyard gardening and the beauty and practicality of permaculture and edible landscapes. Since being a part of the Woodsong community, she has found wonder in the medicinal nature of plants.

Raven graduated from Shorter College in 2008 with a B.A. in Spanish. She and her husband lived in Rome, GA for a brief time where they engaged with neighborhood children as a form of community outreach - opening their homes, hearts and refrigerators to children who needed all three. Raven and her husband soon moved to Philadelphia, PA for her husband to pursue his masters degree. Here they lived for several years, once again, pursuing community with their neighbors.

After returning to the area in 2013, Raven became certified in Radiologic Technology. She has performed breast cancer screenings for the past 6 years for a countless number of women. She has been involved with Woodsong several years.

Raven enjoys many things, most of which occupy the hands and/or the mind. Reading, sewing, puzzling, knitting, drawing, herbalism and gardening are just a few favorites. Raven and her spouse, Dustin, love camping, hiking, and some good, old fashioned yard work. Their boys, Walden and Rowan enjoy those things too, minus the yard work!

Half Day Forest Kindergarten

Elizabeth's love for the outdoors began when she was a child playing in the woods. She grew up riding horses, both in competition and on the trail, and competed in Dressage for her college's intercollegiate equestrian team. Elizabeth was born and raised in Cleveland, TN and lived there until she attended Virginia Intermont College in Bristol, Virginia. There she received a BS in Psychology and focused much of her studies on child development. After college she realized she wanted to teach children and earned a M.Ed. in School Counseling from Liberty University. She then spent three years working as a Special Education Paraprofessional at the elementary level with Bradley County Schools before moving to Washington DC with her husband in 2016. While in DC, she taught infants and toddlers at the Smithsonian's Early Enrichment Center (SEEC), an early childhood demonstration school for infants through Kindergarten within the National Museums of Natural and American History. Through her time teaching at SEEC her passion for young children was realized. She has been teaching PreK at Woodsong since its very first school year and watching children thrive developmentally in this natural learning environment brings her the utmost joy. She and her husband Michael have two children, Wade and Henry, who both attend Woodsong. In her free time she loves traveling and spending time outdoors with her family.

Half Day Forest Kindergarten and Art

Emily can remember loving nature ever since early childhood. Some of her fondest memories center around Girl Scouts and hiking, identifying plants, and finding community with friends outdoors. As a child, Emily also had an interest in art. Her parents supported that love by signing her up for drawing workshops and helping her take as many art classes as possible throughout high school. She went on to earn her Bachelor’s degree in Art from Olivet Nazarene University in 2008.

Being from Illinois, Emily had never seen the mountains until moving to Colorado with her husband after graduation! She went skiing for the first time and found enjoyment exploring new landscapes. She found a job at a Montessori daycare and fell in love with their teaching methods. In 2009, she and her husband moved to Nashville, TN. Emily returned to school and graduated from Lipscomb University with a Masters in Learning and Teaching in 2011. She taught drawing, painting, ceramics, and sculpture at a Nashville high school for 4 years.

In 2016, her first son, Jasper, was born and Emily left teaching to be home with him. She did, however, continue her art practice by starting a small ceramics business. Her second son, Milo, was born in 2017. Emily always enjoyed creating sensory bins, art projects, and spending time outside with her children. Her children attended a small nature-based play program in Nashville called Camp Inglewood. That influence was so great on their family that once it came time to consider Kindergarten for Jasper, she and her husband knew an outdoor education was calling their names! After touring at Woodsong, they decided to move to Ooltewah and enroll!

Emily started an after school ceramics club at Woodsong in 2021. She is thrilled to be expanding her role at Woodsong as she has joined the staff as a half-day Pre-K teacher, as well as the art teacher. In her spare time, Emily enjoys hiking, paddle boarding, and exploring the area with her family. She also continues to take art classes and create.

Half Day Forest Kindergarten and Spanish

Evelyn was born and raised in Southern California, and as a child she enjoyed camping, hiking and exploring the ocean there. Evelyn is serving the Woodsong community as a Half Day PreK teacher and as a volunteer Spanish teacher for the elementary programs. Evelyn is fluent in English, Spanish, and French, but her first language was Spanish. Her parents are from Colombia and Mexico, and she's had the opportunity to visit both places several times and enjoy the rich culture. In 2008, Evelyn and her husband moved from California, where she worked in a facility with special needs children, to Singapore, where they lived for 4.5 years. In 2013, they moved to France where she immersed herself in the French culture and language. While living abroad she was an English language tutor. Evelyn and her family made their way to Tennessee in 2018, where her husband Mathew was hired as a chemistry professor at Southern Adventist University. Together, they have three beautiful daughters and a son. Evelyn is delighted to share the gift of language with the children of Woodsong because she feels bilingualism is an incredible gift; it broadens mental development, thought patterns, and world perspective. Evelyn strongly believes in Woodsong's mission to bring the wonder of nature to the forefront of child education.

Half Day Forest Kindergarten Teacher

Hannah has a Bachelors and Masters Degree in education and taught kindergarten and first grade in public school for five years. After her daughter was born, she decided to stay at home with her. She found Woodsong 4 years ago when her older daughter was three and attended the half day class. Last year, she volunteered as a sub and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. This year, she is on staff working with the MWF half day kids! She has two daughters that also attend Woodsong- Grace (6) and Lila (4). In her free time, Hannah loves riding bikes, playing games, traveling, and reading. She likes to relax by drinking coffee with a friend, eating some ice cream with her kids, or listening to Broadway musicals. She is excited to be a part of this wonderful Woodsong community!

Half Day Forest Kindergarten Teacher

Sarah spent most of her life in Athens, Tennessee. She’s always been a more artistic person and found a passion for photography after high school. She fell in love with it in the valleys of Tennessee, but that love grew even more in the mountains of Montana, where she went to school. When she returned home, she reconnected with an old friend who she ended up marrying! Before having children, Sarah had always aspired to homeschool. She enjoyed it as much (if not more) than her son did. However, sometimes kids need more and she’s so glad we found this community where he can flourish. She’s also grateful she gets to offer that passion to other kids here at Woodsong. In her spare time, she loves to watercolor and get lost in a good book!

Part-Time Kindergarten Teacher

Annika grew up in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina. She has always had a deep respect and love for nature. After earning a biology degree with a focus on ecology, she found her way into a career that combines these skills and teaching. She is the oldest of four which facilitates a deep understanding for children. At home, she navigates life's adventures alongside her husband Shiloh and their two cats, Simon and Margot. When she is not at Woodsong, you'll catch her exploring new places, spending time with those She loves, thrifting glassware, hiking, and trying a new craft or recipe. She feels truly honored to be apart of this institution and to work with these special kids!

Part-Time Kindergarten Teacher

Avery’s love for the forest began among the towering redwoods in Northern California, where she was raised. Though she misses it, she is grateful to call southeast Appalachia her new home. Here, she has found rivers that flow with stories of their own and mountains that hold mysteries in their folds. Each day she spends at Woodsong, she finds herself learning something new, whether it’s the habits of a creature she hadn’t noticed before or a new way the land shifts with the seasons.

Avery is deeply grateful to have students join her in this journey of discovery. Together, they explore the forest through shared wonder, curiosity, play, song, and story. Avery feels an incredible sense of privilege in discovering what delights each child—whether it’s the thrill of finding a mushroom hidden under a blanket of leaves or the peace of watching hawks swirl and dance in the open air.

Avery continues to nurture her creative spirit through painting, building fairy houses, singing, and dancing. She often finds inspiration in nature, from the colors of a sunset to the movement of a stream. And she has a deep affection for the simple pleasures of life—the warmth of hot springs on a cold day, the quiet peace of a starlit sky, and the adventure of a fun hike!

Full-Time K1 Community Teacher

As long as Kendra can remember, she has loved being outdoors and exploring nature. She grew up attending a Montessori school in Michigan that viewed exploring and learning in nature as essential. Because of this, she spent much of her free time outdoors exploring the Great Lakes and much more. These early years molded Kendra’s deep connection to the natural world.

After graduating high school, Kendra studied at Lee University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis in TESOL. While at Lee, she was also a part of the cross country/track & field team, participated in domestic and international mission work with children, and involved herself in other children ministries. One transformative experience was her trip to Haiti. While there, she had the opportunity to work with children in a school and orphanage. This experience helped solidify her passion for Holistic education.

After graduating from Lee, Kendra began working at a Montessori school that catered to low income and marginalized students. She worked to earn her Montessori certification that focused on individualized and holistic child-led learning. During her training, Kendra learned the importance of fostering a child’s natural drive to learn as well as cultivating independence and creative thinking. Now teaching at Woodsong, she has been given the opportunity to take her Montessori principles and help students cultivate the intrinsic value of learning in nature. Her hope as a teacher is to cultivate joyful learning and holistic development of every child in becoming kind, creative, independent explorers of the natural world.

Kendra is currently one of Woodsong’s kindergarten teachers. Outside of teaching, Kendra and her husband, Daniel, love to adventure together and travel to new places. In her free time, you can find Kendra running, hiking, gardening, practicing yoga, pole vaulting, and aerial silking.

Full-Time K1 Community Teacher

Halli grew up in Alabama the Beautiful, where her love for nature was first cultivated by her favorite naturalist- her dad. She grew up having access to large spaces where she learned the language of horses and incubated and hatched chickens and ducks. As she grows older, she continues to be a student of living off the land, animals and their language, and the developing child.

Halli’s professional journey began when she started coordinating homeschool lesson plans that were entirely nature based. Along with parents, Halli worked to give the children full autonomy in the woodlands. She acted as their guide to observe living things up close and helped them to create with their hands using the resources they foraged from the land. She found delight in this approach to learning and it shaped her desire to work with children outdoors. Later, Halli founded Explorenook Nature Play, which valued storytelling, child lead play, and parent community. Through this program, she offered open ended play set ups to cultivate children’s natural curiosity and for deeper inquiry.

Now, Halli serves Woodsong as a co teacher with our full time kinders class, where she feels her creativity and passion for nature education continues to expand! One of Halli’s favorite experiences in nature is receiving a leaf kiss from the tree canopy above. She exemplifies Woodsong’s goals as she treats each student as a whole being and honors their unique interests and abilities.

Full-Time K1 Community Teacher

Meredith’s passion for Early Childhood Education is rooted in respect for children and nurturing the magic of childhood. Her experience has made her an enthusiast of various educational philosophies: she had an incredibly rich experience living and teaching primary aged children in Japan for 3 years. She later taught in Reggio Emilia and Montessori schools in Atlanta. All experiences were deeply impactful in learning the power of educating the whole child and the many languages they communicate through. She and her family relocated to Chattanooga to plant roots where they could soak in the outdoors and find community with like-minded families. She is so incredibly grateful to have found Woodsong and to create meaningful connections here. She is also a lifelong student of Yoga. She enjoys baking, reading, and gardening with her husband Tony and their children Roland (4) and Petra (2).

First Grade Teacher

For Allie, home is laying in a forest of trees looking up at the canopy, walking barefoot through fields of grass meeting all the living things within, and wading through running creeks searching for rocks. Nature feels like home to Allie. It is an environment she seeks out for grounding; to feel peace within. It is where she feels her most authentic self, and calm in spirit. Her relationship with nature is deep in connection, resetting her body and soul each time she’s in it. She feels inspired by and in awe of all the living things beautifully coexisting in nature. Growing up in Illinois, she’d spend hours exploring as the creeks and forests were full of wonder, curiosity, and imagination.

Ever since Allie can remember, she has loved caring for and teaching the kids around her. As an aunt to three kiddos, she has had the joy of experiencing and contributing to their growth and development over the last ten years. She obtained a Bachelor of Science in Education with a reading endorsement from Illinois State University. She went on to teach in a public elementary school in the local area. After feeling drawn to an outdoor education approach, Allie moved to southern Utah to work as a field instructor in wilderness therapy for at-risk adolescents from across the United States. Allie expresses gratitude for the deeper awareness this role instilled in her of the social, emotional, mental, and spiritual characteristics of being human. Through this awareness, Allie has developed a passion for the holistic approach to education, considering the interconnected wholeness of a child. While living in Utah, she volunteered as a coach for the nonprofit organization, Girls on the Run. As a coach, Allie focused on empowering girls to build confidence in themselves and other important life skills through dynamic, interactive lessons and physical activity.

Upon discovering Woodsong Forest School, Allie moved to Tennessee to immerse herself in the philosophy of teaching that resonates most with her values. She taught kindergarten her first year at Woodsong, and moved up with her class to teaching first grade this year. Aside from teaching, you can find Allie cooking new recipes, practicing yoga, doing puzzles, running, camping, and exploring the natural world around her. She believes it is a gift to be part of the beautiful community that can be found at Woodsong.

K1 Community Teacher

Sharon is a retired Montessori Director and she recently worked as a Montessori teacher in Hamilton County Public Schools. Throughout her career, she has owned and operated three Montessori schools in two states. Her Tennessee school was the first Montessori School in the state to be designated as a Nature Explorer School, a nature program sponsored by the Arbor Foundation. She has also traveled to assist in planting new schools and mentoring new Montessori Directors. In addition, she was on the team to develop and start Ivy Academy in Chattanooga. She moved to Tennessee from Georgia in 2000 with her husband Amaziah and three sons.

Sharon is one of Woodsong’s 3rd/4th grade teachers in the Canopy Eyrie. It is her first year in the Woodsong community!

Second Grade Teacher

As a child, Jennifer spent time exploring and discovering plants and animals as she splashed in the creek and spent hourless days creating adventures with her brother in their backyard. These rich outdoor, child led experiences have fostered a deep appreciation for the vision of Woodsong.

Jennifer graduated from UTK in 2005 with a Bachelor’s degree in early childhood development, and began her career with UT Extension, Bradley County as a 4-H and family and consumer sciences agent. For five years she enjoyed spending time in the local schools, delivering a variety of programs and hands-on experiences. Jennifer enjoyed her work so much she began working toward her teaching certificate in grades K-6 and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction at Lincoln Memorial University. She left Extension to teach fifth grade at North Lee Elementary where she spent 10 years growing as an educator. Jennifer is currently one of Woodsong’s 2nd grade teachers.

She has been married to her husband, Ashley, for 19 years, and they have two children, Ian and Julia, who love being a part of the Woodsong community.

Jennifer has been drawn to learning about native birds, learning their calls, and how to identify them in her free time. For Jennifer, Woodsong is leading an important mission for children in its ability to provide a space for children to build confidence, promote creativity and imagination, teach responsibility, encourage physical activity, and pathways to reduce stress.

Third Grade Teacher

Kathy has a great appreciation for nature and has enjoyed many outdoor adventures growing up in Michigan with her family. After pursuing an environmental education degree for a few years at Michigan State University, she fell in love with the west while traveling, and soon after moved to Colorado. Her true love of nature and the environment deepened in the beautiful mountains of Colorado. She attended CSU and received a BS in natural Science and is a certified K-12 educator. She taught middle school Science for 12 years, focusing on inquiry based, student led learning in her classroom. While teaching as a public educator, Kathy helped develop a global leadership elective course for 8th graders centered on environmental education, leadership skills and development, and service learning. As part of this class, Kathy and 25 students traveled to Costa Rica for 10 days learning about sustainability and the biodiversity of the country. Upon returning, students developed and implemented a service learning project completely driven by students' learning and passions fostered throughout the year. Throughout this process, she learned the value of experiential learning.

Kathy and her family moved to Tennessee four years ago when her husband, Brent began teaching chemistry at Lee University. She has had the privilege to stay at home with her daughter these past few years. Being at home has allowed Kathy to implement many early education philosophies with her daughter all while spending many hours outdoors exploring and learning together. Kathy is part of the Woodsong team as one of the second grade teachers. She is excited to combine both her passion for learning and the environment in such a beautiful outdoor classroom.

Kathy and her family love traveling during the summer months while not teaching. They also enjoy camping, hiking, mountain biking and rock climbing. At home, they enjoy gardening, cooking and gathering around the table with friends and family.

Third/Fourth Grade Teacher

Fourth and Fifth Grade Teacher

Jack was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago. He spent much of his youth finding moments to immerse in nature. In 2015, he moved to Cleveland to pursue higher education, and eventually turned this corner of southeast Tennessee into his home. During the past 8 years, he has earned his masters in school counseling, and spent a couple of years working in Hamilton County Schools. Many of his experiences centered around helping students with big emotions feel safe and teaching them to express those emotions in safe ways. Jack’s professional approach is to pursue fun and joy in all things and taking moments to sit in the awe of all forms of learning.

Fourth and Fifth Grade Teacher

Laramie's affinity with nature has existed since childhood. She grew up exploring the forest with her older brother, riding horses, and taking care of the rest of the animals on the farm. Life in Southern Mississippi on the farm and in the woods ingrained a deep desire to care for and learn from the natural world. Laramie's love of children, culture, and learning led her to attend college at Lee University where she got a BAT in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. During college, Laramie tutored at Mayfield Elementary and the English Language Center on campus. She also taught an English Language lab for college students before completing her student teaching at East Brainerd Elementary and Howard

High School. After college, Laramie spent time abroad in New Zealand and Vanuatu before returning home to teach English as a Second Language in Mississippi. During this time, she discovered her passion for lower grades and interest-based learning which brought her back to Lee for her Masters in Education in Curriculum and Instruction. Laramie is a Kindergarten teacher at Woodsong Forest School. During her free time, she loves being outdoors hiking, swimming, kayaking, camping, and fishing. She also enjoys traveling, watercolor, writing poetry, and gathering people around the table for a home-cooked meal.

Homeschool Co-Ops and Science Teacher

Sarah McMahon has been an avid outdoors woman since she was little. Having grown up in Appalachia, she has a deep love of these woods and all the critters in them. Sharing her love and enthusiasm with youngsters is a passion and a pleasure. After graduating from Tennessee Wesleyan College with a BS in Biology, Sarah and her husband moved to Florida where she got a Master's in Ecology from the Florida Institute of Technology. For the next twelve years, she taught classes ranging from Microbiology to Environmental Science for community colleges in North Carolina. After the birth of her two kids, the family moved back to Tennessee. Sarah continues to teach at Dalton State, but also volunteers as a scuba diver at the Tennessee Aquarium. With two children, Sarah has been involved in their classrooms teaching science and bringing in critters for the classes to experience. Sarah's husband, James Lewicki, is a Marital Family Therapist who also teaches Love & Logic classes for parents. Sarah incorporates her Love & Logic training into her teaching practices to balance a love of nature with emotional health. Sarah is one of Woodsong's Forest Homeschool Enrichment Educators and Science Enrichment teacher. During her free time, she enjoys hiking, kayaking, and going on adventures with her family!

Homeschool Co-Op Teacher

Regenerative Agriculture Enrichment Teacher

G.E.M. Enrichment Teacher

Heritage Skills Enrichment Teacher

Music Enrichment Teacher

Valerie was raised in Miami,Fl but her curiosity always led her outside the city limits and into beaches and parks to uncover treasure. Her passion for nature and wildlife deepened when she would spend hours snorkeling in Biscayne National Park. At the age of 14, she followed her passion for music by attending New World School of the Arts High School where she began her formal training in classical voice. In 2016, she began to study Jazz Vocal performance in Miami Dade College. Then, one of her mentors encouraged her to apply to Lee University. Once she arrived in Tennessee in 2018, she fell in love with the contrasts of the different seasons and rolling hills. She knew she would never go back to Miami.

At Lee, she was part of EVS, the Small Jazz ensemble, Choral Union and Gazebo Jams. During her time at Lee, Valerie volunteered in Woodsong's first cabin classrooms not knowing that one day she would have her dream job in that very same place. Valerie also led worship bands and taught private music classes to students ranging from ages 5 to 53. She found her love for teaching during the pandemic because she strived to find a community of likeminded people who wanted to grow in their musicianship. She graduated from Lee University with a Music and Worship degree and a certificate in Orff Level 1.

Mrs. Valerie teaches Forest Pre-K MWF and Music Education for all full day classes. During her free time, she likes to write and play music, read, practice yoga, hike, camp and roller blade. However, her favorite hobby is to travel and explore the world with her husband and their three-year-old son.