Teacher Education Program Faculty
Johnna Chamberlain
Co-Director, Teacher Education Program
Practical Life
Johnna Chamberlain, M.Ed, is the Early Childhood Coordinator at Crescent Ridge Academy’s Teacher Education Program. With a B.A. in Elementary Education from Miami University and an M.Ed in Montessori Education from Xavier, Johnna boasts a wealth of experience from Montessori Schools in New York and Ohio. Over 14 years in NYC, she earned her Early Childhood Credential, contributed to the development of a pioneering 2E school, and studied Gifted Education at the University of Connecticut. Outside of education, Johnna indulges her culinary passion, evident in her practical life course.
Lesley Roth
Co-Director, Teacher Education Program
Language and Personal Growth
Lesley Roth is a seasoned Montessori educator with experience both teaching in schools as well as working with adult learners. Most recently, she served as the Director of the Montessori Teacher Education Program at Xavier University. Lesley has served as a Head of School, teaching professor, early childhood Montessori educator, and reading specialist. She is passionate about literacy and language development in young children. Lesley teaches the Early Childhood language course, personal growth, and online child development courses at CRA. She also serves as the practicum co-coordinator with Johnna Chamberlain.
Rebecca Thomspon-Stewart
Early Childhood Instructor
Observation
Rebecca Thompson-Stewart is Director at Lexington Friends Preschool in Lexington, Kentucky. She is AMS certified at Infant/Toddler and Early Childhood levels with a Masters degree in Early Childhood Education. She has been leading classrooms and supporting children from four months to sixth grade since 2010. She has led workshops, conference sessions, and trainings locally, online, and across the country since 2015. Rebecca’s two favorite things are working with children and helping others learn more about working with children. She lives in Lexington with her husband and two children. Rebecca is an instructor in Crescent Ridge Academy’s Early Childhood program in the Observation course. She leads a workshop on Infant/Toddler Development and Transitions for the Early Childhood program and instructs in the Introduction to Montessori Early Childhood for Assistant Teachers.
Lacey Champion
Infant & Toddler Instructor and Field Consultant
Personal Growth & Development and Child, Family, Community
Lacey Champion, born and raised in Huntsville, AL, lives with her husband and two children. She began working with the Montessori School of Huntsville in 2006, beginning as a substitute and floating between classes of all levels, from young toddlers to elementary, where she found her passion was truly working with the toddlers. In 2009, she received her NAMC Toddler Certification and in 2015 she began her journey with GCCME, now CRA. Lacey now holds an Infant & Toddler Associate Credential from AMS and has developed a passion for guiding adults along their Montessori journeys as educators and parents, working with the TEP as an instructor while creating an Infant/Caregiver Program locally in Alabama.
Crystal Dahlmeier
Early Childhood Instructor and Field Consultant
Philosophy, Sensorial, and Geography/History in Cultural Studies
Crystal Dahlmeier received a BS in Biology from Marietta College and a M.Ed. in Montessori Education at Xavier University. She was lead teacher/principal at Xavier University Montessori Lab School for 17 years, where she also taught both graduate and undergraduate classes in Montessori and Early Childhood Education. Crystal is a National Board-Certified Teacher and a PITC Certified Infant/Toddler Trainer. She has served as the Teacher Section Chair for the American Montessori Society and has taught in Montessori Programs in Perth, Western Australia, England, and Seoul, S.Korea. Currently, she is a Field Consultant and teaches Philosophy & Sensorial.
Tina Evans
Early Childhood Instructor
Math
Tina Evans is the Director and Head Teacher at Family Montessori of Lebanon, in Lebanon, Ohio. She is a credentialed Early Childhood Montessori teacher, with a B.A. in Telecommunications and an M.B.A. and M.A. in Non-profit Administration. She has been teaching children since 2011 after receiving her Montessori early childhood credential. Tina has blended her years of education, years of parenting 3 children, and her love of Montessori to create the ideal job! Her love for Montessori has grown from roots of being a Montessori student, through following her mom’s career as a Montessori teacher, to becoming an enthusiastic life-long learner of the Montessori philosophy and method. Tina lives in Mason, Ohio with her husband, John, and enjoys playing tennis, reading, creative work, and spending time with family. Currently, Tina is the Math Instructor in the CRA Early Childhood program.
Stephanie Hicks
Infant & Toddler Instructor
Program Leadership
Stephanie Hicks received her AMS 0-3 Montessori credential in 2006 from the Columbus Montessori Education Center. Since then, she has been working with infants and toddlers in a variety of schools and settings. She is currently the Director of Montessori Programs at The Summit Country Day School in Cincinnati, Ohio. Stephanie has her bachelor’s degree in human development from the University of Massachusetts. She lives on the west side of Cincinnati with her husband and two children. Stephanie joined the faculty at CRA in 2015 as the Infant & Toddler Program Coordinator, Instructor, and Practicum Coordinator. She is currently an instructor in the Infant and Toddler Program.
Lysa Hou
Infant & Toddler Instructor, Co-Practicum Coordinator, and Field Consultant
Philosophy, Pedagogy, and Practicum
Lysa Hou, started Grow 2Gether, to support and assist parents in Montessori education and fostering a life-long love of learning with their children. Currently, spending splitting her time between Los Angeles and Cincinnati, working at a Jewish Montessori school. She has been in Early Childhood education since 2002 and worked with children in a variety of settings, ESL learners, multicultural learners and Montessori schools. Lysa holds an American Montessori Society Early Childhood and Infant / Toddler Teaching Credential, as well as a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Xavier University.
Becky Spooner
Infant & Toddler Program Coordinator, Instructor, Co-Practicum Coordinator, and Field Consultant
Child Development, Observation, and Practicum
Becky has over 20 years of experience as a Montessori educator and was a Montessori student through 6th grade. She worked as a lead toddler guide in her classroom at the Montessori School of Huntsville in Huntsville, AL, for 17 years before stepping out of the classroom and pursuing work in administration and as a Montessori TEP instructor here at CRA. Becky holds her BS in Early Childhood Education – Montessori with a minor in Professional Writing from Saint Catherine University and her Infant & Toddler AMS Credential. Working with toddlers and growing alongside adult learners who are working through their AMS Infant & Toddler certification is her passion.
Michelle Tensing
Early Childhood Instructor
Sciences in Cultural Studies
Michelle is currently her 9th year as a lead 3-6 teacher at Crescent Ridge Academy. Michelle attended Montessori school herself as a child from the age of 3 all the way through high school. Michelle has worked in a variety of roles at CRA since 2012. She attended Northern Kentucky University where she received her Bachelor’s in Social Work. While attending undergrad, Michelle began working in CRA (NKMC at the time!) and worked as an aftercare teacher, sub, and elementary assistant. During this time, Michelle rediscovered her love for the Montessori method and decided to go on to get her Master’s Degree in Education with a 3-6 American Montessori Credential. Michelle’s favorite part about Montessori is the respect given to each child as well as the way it fosters independence and a love of learning. Michelle was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio where she currently resides. Michelle teaches Early Childhood Science and Sewing for our Teacher Education Program.
Sarah Boggs
Infant & Toddler Instructor
Environmental Design
Sarah Boggs is a Lead Toddler Guide in Dayton, OH where she lives with her husband and three children. She graduated from the University of Cincinnati and has worked at The Montessori School of Dayton since 2014. Sarah’s love for Montessori grew while working in the admissions office at MSD and helping to teach Spanish. After a couple of years, she moved into the classroom full time as an assistant and then completed her AMS 0-3 credential at Crescent Ridge Academy. Her children are students at The Montessori School of Dayton, and all three started in the toddler classroom. Sarah loves sharing her passion for Montessori with her family, students, and school community. She is thrilled to be joining the CRA faculty this year and supporting adult learners pursuing their Montessori certification.