Meet Lower School’s Teaching Assistants
Five new TAs join the Lower School team, seven return to USN.
By Sierra Smith, Communications Specialist
As Lower School students entered their classrooms for the first time this year, many were met by USN’s talented cohort of Teaching Assistants. Teaching Assistants support teachers in day-to-day operations and are an integral part of the team shaping each student’s experience at 2000 Edgehill.
“It is truly exciting to welcome this year’s TA team,” Assistant Head of Lower School Felicia Holst shared. “This unique and talented group consists of writers, artists, musicians, and graduate students, to name just a few. We’re fortunate to have such a diverse and multi-talented group of individuals working with our Lower School teachers and students, enriching their classrooms and our entire Lower School community.”
LS TAs provide support for classroom teachers and students in a variety of ways. They support students not only with their academic learning but also their social and emotional learning as well. TAs engage with and encourage students, adhering to the Responsive Classroom curriculum. With the guidance of lead classroom teachers, they provide support for individual students and small groups, too.
Below you can get to know each of these exceptional Teaching Assistants:
Kindergarten Teaching Assistants
Jenny Franklin holds a Bachelor of Science degree in child development and family studies from Middle Tennessee State University and comes to this position with experience working in both public and private school settings including a specialized emphasis on working with children with hearing loss. This is Franklin’s second year working alongside Blue Door Kindergarten Teacher Lynn Welliver and her first taking on the additional responsibilities of one of USN’s two full-time LS TAs.
Ellie Lentz ’08 studied art history at Birmingham-Southern College before going on to a nearly 10-year career in Nashville’s luxury hotel industry. She returned to USN last year, making this her second year supporting Red Door Kindergarten Teacher Jan Honsberger. Upon entering the education field, Lentz expressed that she feels like she’s finally pursuing a long held dream; she is currently pursuing a Master of Education degree at Lipscomb University. She looks forward to supporting the emotional and intellectual growth of USN’s students this year.
Teri Scales joins Misha Davydov in the Green Door classroom. Scales holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism with a minor in communication studies from Middle Tennessee State University. During her college years, she worked with students at the nonprofit organization Harvest Hands for five years. Scales is a familiar face to students in After School; she enters her second year with After School, too. Scales looks forward to inspiring and working with our kindergarten friends in their earliest days in the West Wing.
Anastasia Teel returns for her second year working in the Yellow Door classroom. Teel is a Nashville native and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theater from Western Carolina University. She has spent the last 11 years working as a teaching artist with The Theater Bug where she met many USN Tigers as students and fellow instructors. Also, Teel has worked as a performer in Tokyo Disneyland and in New York City as an actor, nanny, and children’s theater teacher.
First Grade Teaching Assistants
Maggie Calton enters her first year with USN as she pursues her master’s in elementary education from Lipscomb University. Calton earned her MFA in screenwriting from The University of Texas at Austin and her BA in media arts from The University of South Carolina. She has always been connected to some form of education as she pursued the arts and storytelling — Calton has been an after-school arts instructor, mentor, teaching assistant, tutor, writing camp counselor, and nanny across a variety of ages. Her love for film and experience in screenwriting is something she loves finding ways to integrate into her teaching. Calton is excited to learn big lessons in education and life from the USN community.
St. Louis native Kendall Malcolm joins USN with a bachelor’s in visual arts teaching from Lipscomb University and four years of experience teaching art to middle and high school students. Over the years, Malcolm has worked with students of all ages through teaching placements and while working at a preschool in high school and college. Malcolm loves making art, being outside, and a good cup of coffee as well.
Isaac Middleton returns to First Grade Teacher Lizzie Ammerman’s classroom for a second school year. Middleton studied interdisciplinary performing arts at Western Kentucky University. His experience working in children’s theater, as well as teaching private music lessons to young learners, has helped in his ability to connect with students through the arts and self expression. The 2021-2022 year marks the start of Middleton’s second year in After School, as well.
Adriana Ullman joins the first grade team. Originally from Brazil, Ullman speaks Spanish, Portuguese, and English, and loves art, design, and traveling. Prior to USN, Ullman worked several years in substitute teaching roles at Oak Hill School, and she is a certified holistic nutritionist and Reiki healer.
Second and Third Grade Teaching Assistants:
Ellen Dudek returns to continue her role as a Teaching Assistant and member of After School staff. She began working in After School in 2017 and joined the TA team in the spring of 2019. She enjoys getting to know students and watching the ways in which they grow and change throughout the year; as a result, she’s committed to helping shape the Class of 2033 into the best students they can be.
Caleb Franklin returns to USN for his second year as a TA and his first in After School. Franklin had the exciting opportunity to co-teach rising fifth graders over the summer with USN’s Horizons program, and he recently completed his Responsive Classroom certification, too. Franklin has experience working with a wide range of ages from as early as two months all the way up to eighth grade. While working, Franklin continues to pursue his master’s in liberal arts at Middle Tennessee State University, and can’t wait to bring new knowledge and ideas to USN classrooms.
Connor Murphy returns for his fourth year working at USN after joining After School’s staff in 2018; and it is his second full year as a Lower School TA. Murphy holds a bachelor’s degree in family and consumer studies from Middle Tennessee State University and is now pursuing his Master of Education with a focus in curriculum and instruction. After a year and a half of working with first grade, Murphy’s TA duties will shift to second and third grade. He looks forward to continuing his work as a TA and supporting the needs and talents of the vibrant community of learners at USN.
Melissa Lawmaster began her teaching career in 2014 teaching music and theater for private studios and public school districts in the Los Angeles area. She went on to work as a K-12 substitute teacher for Burbank Unified School District in Burbank, California and founded a private vocal studio simultaneously. Lawmaster moved to Nashville in July 2021 and is attending Lipscomb University in pursuit of a Master of Education degree in school counseling. She is thrilled to join the University School of Nashville family and looks forward to the year ahead.
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Contact
Edgehill Campus
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 615-321-8000
Fax: 615-321-0889
Email: info@usn.org
River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 615-321-8000
Fax: 615-321-0889
Email: info@usn.org
River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218
USN Mission:
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.