Our Teachers

Mrs. Laura is the on-site owner of the Goddard School of Tysons. She has been a part of the Goddard family since 2017, working with The Goddard School in Rockville, Maryland as a management consultant. Laura received the honor of Summa Cum Laude while studying business administration at Notre Dame of Maryland University. Her previous work experience was focused on business administration in the academic and clinical settings at Johns Hopkins University and Hospital, in Baltimore, Maryland. During that time, she managed business and clinical and research operations, and finance and at Johns Hopkins University. Mrs. Laura is a dedicated wife, sister, and daughter. She has been married to Mr. Brad and has a large immediate family with three siblings, five nephews and three nieces. Mrs. Laura sees the school as an extension of her family and believes the environment created within the school can shape a young child’s outlook on education and inspire them to be a life-long learner.

Ms. Lulu joined the Goddard family in 2009 at The Goddard School in Rockville, Maryland. In 2019, she transitioned to Academic Director at The Goddard School of Tysons. Ms. Lulu is an instrumental leader in our school’s academic development. She holds a master’s degree in Teacher Leadership, Mentoring & Supervision, and a Bachelor of Science in Educational Studies concentrating on curriculum planning and implementation. Ms. Lulu has over 30 years of teaching experience with ages 2-8. Ms. Lulu wishes to model respect and positive communication with students in a nurturing, fun, and safe learning environment.

Ms. Muna has completed her bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and she began teaching preschool aged children in 2002. Since then she has had experience teaching in infant, toddler, preschool, and pre-K programs. Ms. Muna joined The Goddard School of Tysons as a teacher in March of 2019. She started working as a Program Supervisor in 2021, and became our Assistant Director in 2022. Ms. Muna is a wonderful wife to her husband, Mohamed, and she has one beautiful daughter, Shahd, who she would do anything for. She believes that education is the key to a happy life. She looks forward to helping each child unlock their potential as they learn and grow in our school.

Ms. Maria Elena (Ms. K) joined The Goddard School of Tysons in August of 2021. Ms. K has a Bachelor's degree in Early Education and has been working in the early childhood education setting for 10 years. She speaks three languages including English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Ms. K a loving wife to her husband, Adrian, and mother to her son, Nick. Ms. K believes that teaching children calmness and kindness are the keys to achieving their future goals.

Ms. Ruth has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from George Mason University. She has 3 years of experience teaching preschool. Ms. Ruth was born in Ethiopia and her family moved to the United States when she was young. She speaks Amharic and English. She loves the community of teachers here at Goddard and she wishes to model friendliness, kindness, and patience to help the children be successful.

Ms. Zhenia has a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and a certificate in Early Childhood Education. Ms. Zhenia had 14 years of teaching experience before joining our team in 2024. She lives here with her husband, Edwin, and is the mother of 3 beautiful children, Cecilia, Nathan, and Nicolas. Ms. Zhenia is from Bolivia and is fluent in both Spanish and English. She has loved her years working with children, and would never choose any other career. She loves the Goddard School because of the love and attention put into the care of each child. Ms. Zhenia hopes to always model love and patience to help the children be successful.

Ms. Rosario studied Early Childhood Education in California. She has been teaching in our Pre-K program since 2022. Ms. Rosario has had more than 25 years of experience teaching Pre-K. Ms. Rosario is from Bolivia and speaks both Spanish and English. She is a mother to one son who is 14 years old. She loves spending time with him and her husband during her free time.

Ms. Thekra has her PhD in Higher Education Administration, a Master’s degree in Higher Education, and another Master’s degree in Counselling of Psychology. Ms. Thekra has taught preschool, high school special education, and even students in a master’s program. Ms. Thekra is originally from Saudi Arabia, and speaks both English and Arabic. She is excited to be part of the Goddard family so she can develop her skills working with and teaching preschool aged children. Ms. Thekra hopes to model independence to help the children in her class find success.

Ms. Claudia joined The Goddard School of Tysons in November of 2021. Ms. Claudia is currently pursuing a degree in Business. She has over one year of experience working as an assistant teacher. Ms. Claudia is fluent in English and Spanish. Ms. Claudia strives to show her students how a positive mindset can help them overcome challenges.

Ms. Sumaira comes from Pakistan where she was a Medical Doctor, specializing in anesthesiology. She lives here with her husband and two beautiful daughters. Ms. Sumaira loves how The Goddard School is a nurturing space for all children to learn and grow. She believes that we must provide children with extra care and attention in order to help them blossom.

Ms. Jimmy had 17 years of teaching experience before joining our Goddard family in 2024. Ms. Jimmy’s family comes from the South, and she has grandparents from Native American backgrounds. She knows some American Sign Language, and enjoys teaching it to her students. Ms. Jimmy loves to nurture each child’s talents and hopes to help the children in her care learn to be themselves and believe in themselves.

Ms. Shroug joined The Goddard School of Tysons in December of 2020. Ms. Shroug has a Bachelor's degree in Accounting and a child development associate (CDA). Ms. Shroug loves watching the children in her care grow and achieve goals as a team and as individuals. She believes that teamwork makes the dream work!

Mrs. Yashu joined the Goddard family in 2017 in Denver, CO. After relocating to Virginia with her family, Mrs. Yashu joined The Goddard School of Tysons in August of 2018. Mrs. Yashu's professional training is in Early Childhood Education and has completed her Lead Teacher ECE coursework. Mrs. Yashu was born and raised in India and moved to the United States with her husband. She is a loving wife and mother. She loves the enthusiasm and passion her students have for exploring new subjects and trying new things. She enjoys helping her students become more independent and reach new milestones.

Ms. Almira joined The Goddard School of Tysons in July of 2019. She has her bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education, and began her teaching career in 2003. In 2016, she transitioned to working with toddler and preschool age students. She loves The Goddard School for its prestigious learning environment and well-respected reputation. She wants to help every child be positive, calm, and smile always.

Ms. Briana is pursuing a degree in criminal psychology and cybersecurity. She is also a certified lifeguard. Ms. Briana had over 5 years of babysitting experience and 2 years of experience as a children’s swim instructor before joining our team in 2024. Ms. Briana lives here with her mother and her cat, Titu. Her family’s heritage is very diverse, with family members coming from African American, Jewish, Puerto Rican, Caucasian, and Dominican descent. She is fluent in both English and Spanish. Ms. Briana loves coming to work at the Goddard School every day because of the warmth and love she feels here. She hopes to model patience, respect, kindness, and curiosity to help the children learn and be successful.

Ms. Urooj joined The Goddard School of Tysons in June of 2021. Ms. Urooj has her bachelor’s degree in Home Economics and has 4 years of experience as an assistant teacher in a preschool setting. Ms. Urooj believes in creating a loving, caring, and supportive environment for the children to help them flourish.

Ms. Dalia has a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and taught for 3 years before she joined our Goddard family in 2024. Ms. Dalia is originally from Egypt and is fluent in Arabic and English. Her cultural background encourages her to teach children to be very respectful and kind to others. Ms. Dalia is married and is the wonderful mother to her twins, Lyly and Selim. She loves the Goddard School because of the friendly atmosphere where teachers and students are helped to grow and learn. (Plus the kids are adorable!) Ms. Dalia hopes to lead by example and help the children learn to love themselves and help and respect others. She believes that if children learn humility and to love learning they will be successful in life.

Ms. Shole has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Tehran Azad University, and had over 30 years of teaching experience with various ages before joining our team in 2024. Ms. Shole is originally from Iran. She lives here with her husband, Akbar, and has 3 wonderful children, Amir, Nargess, and Amis, whom she is very proud of. Ms. Shole speaks Farsi and is learning more and more English each day. She loves poetry, painting, reading, and cooking. Ms. Shole loves the warm, intimate, caring environment of Goddard. She strives to model positive behaviors for the children, such as respect, honesty, empathy, and cooperation. She believes that as we model these behaviors, children will learn them, too!

Ms. Fan joined The Goddard School of Tysons in January of 2019. Ms Fan teaches the Mandarin and Art Enrichments for students age two through Kindergarten. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Art and Design and specialized training in Education and Visual Design. Ms. Fan has been teaching preschool aged children, school aged children, teenagers, and college students for over thirteen years. She speaks Mandarin, English and French. Her husband and two daughters also speak these three languages fluently. Ms. Fan loves that the children at the Goddard School are full of curiosity. They are like sponges, absorbing new information, as well as natural born artists. Ms. Fan feels that the children’s innate artistic abilities make her more creative as a teacher. Ms. Fan wishes to model curiosity, creativity, and to be passionate and patient to her students.

Ms. Shakiba had one year of experience teaching preschool children before joining our team in 2024. Ms. Shakiba comes from a large family and enjoys spending time with her younger siblings. She is originally from Kabul, Afghanistan, and is fluent in 4 languages, including English. She loved the Goddard School because we focus on each child individually and ensure their physical, emotional, and academic needs are met. She strives to model respect and gratitude to all the children in her care.

Ms. Ulkar has her degree in pre-school education from Baku Humanitarian College. She is originally from Baku, Azerbaijan, and speaks English, Turkish, Azerbaijani, and basic Russian. Ms. Ulkar lives here with her husband, Mohamed, and she loves the Goddard School because of the warm and friendly environment. Ms. Ulkar strives to help children be successful by helping them to learn routines to build confidence.

Ms. Jenna has a bachelor's in Music Performance and a master’s of Music in Performance. She has 13 total years of experience teaching music, and 5 years of experience teaching Early Childhood Music. Ms. Jenna is a wonderful wife to her husband, Chris, and a dedicated “Dog Mom” to her rescue dog, Gizmo. She loves the emphasis of fun learning at Goddard and the diversity in the programs offered at our school. She hopes to help children learn that mistakes are part of the learning process and to always strive for their best work, even though we often don’t succeed right away.

Ms. Taylor joined The Goddard School of Tysons in August of 2018. Ms. Taylor has a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and has been working in the early childhood education setting as a Lead Teacher since 2015. Ms. Taylor encourages her children to be curious and try new things as she believes trying is the first step in succeeding!