Our Teachers

After earning his bachelor's degree in Financial Services from Wright State University, Derick received his MBA from Bowling Green State University. Since then, he has worked in corporate finance for over twenty years. Derick is also involved with the Novi Chamber of Commerce. Derick is thrilled to be able to provide The Goddard School's outstanding program to the children and families in the greater Novi community. He and his wife, Bobbie, are raising their young son and recognize the importance of a safe and nurturing learning environment, which is why they chose The Goddard School. He is proud to offer an incredible opportunity for children to grow through exploration and hands-on learning. NoviMI@goddardschools.com

Bobbie spent over 20 years in corporate Human Resources where she has a passion for cultivating talent and developing strategic recruitment & retention programs designed to champion workplace culture and engage teams. Inspired by her son’s development at a Goddard School, Bobbie & Derick made the decision to build The Goddard School of Novi to inspire more children to develop a love for learning. Bobbie feels there is no greater joy than to experience the love of learning through a child’s eyes!

Janelle earned her Bachelor’s in Elementary Education and Early Childhood Development and Learning from Central Michigan University. She has worked in schools and early childhood centers since 2006 and has grown a passion for early childhood education. Janelle had a goal of becoming an elementary school teacher but found her love for preschool when she started working as a lead teacher. Janelle was on the executive board for the Association of Education for Young Children at Central Michigan for three years and has volunteered in many elementary schools. As the Education Director, Janelle wants to provide a safe environment for each child and wants their experience to be beneficial to their growth emotionally, physically, and mentally. She is also very fortunate to have her daughter, June and son, Jonah attend The Goddard School. Janelle believes early childhood development is one of the most important aspects that children can experience. DNoviMI@goddardschools.com

Kaity holds a Bachelor’s in Child Development from Concordia University, St. Paul, MN. She has been working with children since 2014. She began her time with The Goddard School of Novi as the Lead teacher in the First Steps classroom and has appreciated her experience helping nurture young children. As Assistant Director, Kaity strives to support the team in providing exceptional care, quality programming, and positive learning experiences for all children.

Ms. April is one of our lead teachers. She has a bachelor's from Albion college and has attended English Nanny and Governess School. Ms. April has been working with children since 2001. Ms. April's favorite children's book is The Rainbow Fish. In her free time, Ms. April enjoys reading and crafts. She went into early childhood because she loves to watch children grow and learn new things. It is a wonderful experience to see them master new skills.

*Ms. April was nominated for The Goddard School's 2021 & 2023 Teacher of the Year Award* Ms. April is one of our Lead teachers. She has her Bachelor's in English Literature from Madonna University and her Associates degree in Early Childhood Education from William Tyndale College. Ms. April has been working with children since 1989 and became a mom in 2004. She has also worked at the Olympics as security. In her free time, Ms. April enjoys painting and writing poetry and short stories. She has self published a poetry book in 1990. Growing up, Ms. April's mom was a teacher in the school she attended. Once she went to college, Ms. April found her love for teaching as well and enjoyed working in the early childhood field.

*Ms. Esther was nominated for The Goddard School's 2022 & 2023 Teacher of the Year Award* Ms. Esther is one of our Lead Teachers. She has her Associates of Arts from Mott Community College. Ms. Esther has her Child Development Associates in Preschool. Ms. Esther has been working with children since 2007. Ms. Esther's faith is very important to her and it has helped her with everyday struggles. She is very dedicated to her work and school. One of Ms. Esther's biggest accomplishments are her children. In her free time, Ms. Esther enjoys biking, scrap-booking, and traveling to different places. The love of children is what inspired Ms. Esther to go into Early Childhood. She wants all children to have a safe place to learn.

*Ms. Gabi was nominated for The Goddard School's 2023 Teacher of the Year Award* Ms. Gabi is one of our lead teachers. She has her Bachelor’s in Children and Families from Eastern Michigan University. Ms. Gabi has been working with children since 2013. In her free time, Ms. Gabi enjoys spending time with her family, knitting, and reading. Her favorite children’s book is Stellaluna. Ms. Gabi went into Early Childhood because she loves the idea of shaping young minds. She believes that even small milestones are big accomplishments.

Ms. Hannah is one of our lead teachers. She has her Child Development Associates with a Preschool concentration. Ms. Hannah has been working with children since 2012. Ms. Hannah's favorite children's book is "Oh, The Places You'll Go" by Dr. Seuss. In her free time, Ms. Hannah enjoys cooking. Ms. Hannah went into early childhood because she loves the children's excitement and enthusiasm for learning. She loves their open mindedness about the world and seeing things from their perspective.

Ms. Holly is one of our lead teachers. She has her Bachelor's in psychology from Eastern Michigan University and was a member of the honors college. Ms. Holly has been working with children since 2018. She has worked as a mentor and as a volunteer in a "Mommy and Me" class with Starfish Family Services. Ms. Holly has been a mentor in a college support system at EMU. She taught discipline, professionalism, leadership. She graduated high school and college with honors. Ms. Holly's favorite children's books are "The Velveteen Rabbit" and "Junie B. Jones." In her free time, Ms. Holly enjoys painting, poetry, reading, and yoga. Ms. Holly went into early childhood because of her passion for child development and stresses the importance of early intervention of early childcare.

Ms. Madhavi is one of our lead teachers. She has her child development associates with a focus in preschool. She also has her Bachelor's of Arts in Telugu, history and political science from Sri Krishnadevaraya University in India. Ms. Madhavi has also completed her Telugu Pandit Teacher training. She has worked with children since 2000 and taught high school students for 5 years. Ms. Madhavi has had the opportunity to live in different cities in India, London UK and in the U.S. This has helped her understand different cultures and appreciate them. Ms. Madhavi was awarded twice as best teacher during her early years of teaching in India. In her free time, Ms. Madhavi enjoys cooking, decorating her home, and painting. Ms. Madhavi chose to work in the early childhood field because she is a trained teacher and has a passion for working with younger children.

Ms. Meenu is one of our lead teachers. She has her Bachelor's degree in early childhood education from Rochester University. She has been working with children since 2019. Ms. Meenu's favorite children's books are the number books. In her free time, Ms. Meenu enjoys cooking, decorating, and spending time with her family. Ms. Meenu went into early childhood development because she has always been interested in teaching. After teaching with different age groups, she found her love for the younger children.

Ms. Michelle is one of our lead teachers. She has her associates degree in early childhood from Schoolcraft College. Ms. Michelle has been working in preschool programs since 2006. Ms. Michelle was able to design and develop her own curricular program when she was the director and curriculum advisor for the San Bernardino Archdiocese. She went through the licensing process which helped her build her program. In her free time, Ms. Michelle enjoys spending time with her 3 children, gardening, and being a dance mom. She went into early childhood because it is a hands on and creative career. Watching children learn and thrive is extremely rewarding.

Ms. Rachael is one of our lead teachers. She has her Child Development Associate with a focus in Infant and Toddler. Ms. Rachael has been working with children since 2007. In her free time, Ms. Rachael enjoys spending time with her son Kadin and traveling to Silver Lake Sand Dunes with friends. Her son was a big part of her inspiration to continue in the early childhood field. She loves working with children and seeing their faces light up when they learn something new.

Ms. Rachel is one of our lead teachers. Ms. Rachel is currently getting her Child Development Associates in infant and toddler. She began her educational experience with children as a paraprofessional in special education in 2020. Ms. Rachel was also a lead supervisor in an after-school program. She also has prior experience as a camp counselor. Her favorite children’s book is Little Critter series. In her free time, Ms. Rachel enjoys reading and embroidery. She also enjoys spending time with family and friends. She has always found working with young children to be rewarding and is eager to help the children learn and grow.

Ms. Raven is one of our lead teachers. She was a nanny for two years and has two boys of her own. Ms. Raven is working towards her Child Development Associates with a focus in infant and toddler. Ms. Raven loves There Was an Old Lady children’s books. In her free time, Ms. Raven loves spending time with her children and riding bikes. Ms. Raven enjoys working with children. She loves watching them grow and seeing who they become.

*Ms. Trisha was nominated for The Goddard School's 2022 Teacher of the Year Award* Ms. Trisha is one of our lead teachers. She has her Bachelor's of Arts in early childhood development and learning from Central Michigan University. Ms. Trisha has been working with children since 2007. In high school, Ms. Trisha had experience with living with a German exchange student. This allowed her to get an outside world perspective and learn about other cultures. Ms. Trisha's favorite children's book is "The Kissing Hand." In her free time, Ms. Trisha enjoys reading and traveling. She went into early childhood because she has always loved working with children. She knew she wanted to be a teacher her whole life so going into early childhood was the right path for her.

Ms. Abbey is one of our assistant teachers. She has her B.A. in fine arts with a minor in psychology and sociology with children’s focus from SVSU. Ms. Abbey has worked with children since 2014 and has 9 years experience at The Goddard School in Grand Rapids. Ms. Abbey was nominated teacher of the year in 2023 at the Grand Rapids Goddard location. Ms. Abbey’s favorite children’s book is “Penguin Needs a Vacation” by Salina Yoon. In her free time, Ms. Abbey enjoys painting, playing tennis, cross country skiing, snow shoeing, kayaking, and traveling. Ms. Abbey had the opportunity to travel to Spain in 2014. Ms. Abbey says children are the heart of our nation. Being able to contribute to the growth of young minds is the most rewarding thing.

Ms. Ana is one of our assistant teachers. She is completing her bachelor’s degree in secondary social studies education with a minor in ESL education at the University of Michigan - Dearborn. Ms. Ana has been working with children since 2019. Ms. Ana moved to the United States in 2017 from Sao Paulo, Brazil. She has been a volunteer leader at the Feed the Need Summertime Lunch Program. In her free time, Ms. Ana enjoys going to concerts, reading, playing sports, and learning new languages. Ms. Ana went into early childhood because she has so much love for the children and enjoys seeing them learn new things.

Ms. Ava is one of our assistant teachers. She has been working with children since 2019. Ms. Ava is attending Wayne State for Early Childhood Education. Ms. Ava’s favorite children’s book is “Pete the Cat, I’m Rockin’ in my School Shoes.” In her free time, Ms. Ava enjoys watching movies, playing board games with her siblings, and swimming. Ms. Ava has always wanted to be a teacher and loves to help young children learn.

Ms. Christina is one of our assistant teachers. She is completing her CDA with a focus in Preschool. Ms. Christina has been working with children since 2018 and has taught private lessons in French to first graders Ms. Christina’s favorite children’s book is The Little House on the Prairie series. In her free time, Ms. Christina plays the guitar, enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time with her family. Ms. Christina loves working with children. She has had a passion for caring for children ever since she was little.

Ms. Cynthia is one of our assistant teachers. She has her bachelor’s degree along with her certification in Montessori. Ms. Cynthia has been working with children since 2016 and has taught Spanish lessons in previous schools. Ms. Cynthia’s favorite children’s book is “The Lorax.” In her free time, Ms. Cynthia enjoys going to the movies with family, music, and traveling. Ms. Cynthia went into early childhood because of the joy she has when making a positive difference in the life of a child.

Ms. Geeta is one of our assistant teachers. She previously studied in India, focusing primarily on education in the arts. Ms. Geeta discovered she received a great amount of joy from working with children, so she brought her creative background to early childhood. She has been working with children since 2005. In her free time, Ms. Geeta loves watching television, and spending time with her children. Ms. Geeta went into early childhood because of her love of working with children and getting to spend time with them.

Ms. Janell is one of our assistant teachers. She graduated from Schoolcraft College with an associates in Culinary Arts. Ms. Janell has worked in an early childhood setting as a cook since 1999. Ms. Janell has two sons and has been a nanny for 2 generations of a family. Her favorite children's book is "The Giving Tree." In her free time, Ms. Janell loves to go hiking and to bake. Her love of children is what drove her to work in the early childcare setting.

Ms. Kalisha is one of our assistant teachers. She attended Schoolcraft and received her certificate for child development in infant and toddler care. Ms. Kalisha has been working with children since 1997. Ms. Kalisha’s favorite children’s book is “The Cat in the Hat.” In her free time, Ms. Kalisha enjoys gardening and cooking. Ms. Kalisha went into early childhood because of the joy she gets from making a positive difference in a child’s life and providing a fun environment.

Ms. Maddy is one of our assistant teachers. She has been working with children since she was a teenager. Ms. Maddy has her associates in business administration. Ms. Maddy operates a small business with event decor. In her free time, Ms. Maddy enjoys going on walks. Her favorite children's book is "If you Give a Mouse a Cookie." Ms. Maddy went into early childhood education because she has a passion for teaching young children and enjoys watching them grow.

Ms. Makala is one of our assistant teachers. She is currently completing her bachelor's in secondary education at Eastern Michigan University. Ms. Makala has been working with children since 2013. Ms. Makala coaches rowing for Northville High School and has competed nationally and internationally. Her favorite children's book is "The Rainbow Fish" by Marcus Pfister. In her free time, Ms. Makala enjoys reading, writing, biking, kayaking, and hiking. Ms. Makala is interested in developmental psychology and how influences of early experiences from home and school can shape a child's mind and personality. She wants to make an impact and have a positive influence with every child she works with.

Ms. Martha is one of our assistant teachers. She has her bachelor’s in psychology from Baja California, Mexico. Ms. Martha has been working with children since 2016. Ms. Martha’s favorite children’s book is “Goodnight Moon.” In her free time, Ms. Martha enjoys instrumental music and reading different types of contexts. Ms. Martha loves working with children because she enjoys seeing them grow in different aspects.

Ms. Sara is one of our assistant teachers. She is attending Eastern Michigan University and has been working with children since 2017. She has worked with children from three months to five years of age. Ms. Sara also has experience working with older teens. Her favorite children's book is The Very Hungry Caterpillar. In her free time, Ms. Sara enjoys listening to live music. She also loves to travel. Ms. Sara has a passion for young children and is warmed knowing she can be a part of their development.

Ms. Sarah is one of our assistant teachers. She is attending University of Michigan Dearborn to get her bachelor's in Elementary Education. Ms. Sarah has been working with children since 2022. In her free time, Ms. Sarah enjoys working out and reading. Her favorite children's book is the Rainbow Fish. Ms. Sarah went into early childhood education because she has always dreamed of becoming a teacher. She wants to be able to make an impact on children's lives.

Ms. Surekha is one of our assistant teachers. She has her Bachelor's of Education in Teacher Training. Ms. Surekha has been working with children since 2007 and was a science teacher in India for 3 years. Ms. Surekha's favorite children's book is "Brown Bear Brown Bear." In her free time, Ms. Surekha enjoys cooking and spending time with her children. Ms. Surekha went into Early Childhood because of the joy the young children bring her.

Ms. Lindsey is our resource teacher. She has an associate’s degree in business and culinary arts. Ms. Lindsey has been working with children since 2022 as a paraprofessional. She has two boys, Easton and Rylan. Ms. Lindsey’s favorite children’s book is “Llama Llama, Red Pajama” and “I Love You, Forever.” In her free time, Ms. Lindsey enjoys visiting new places and attending local art shows. Ms. Lindsey loves working in an atmosphere filled with children and finds it to be very rewarding.