All of our teachers are licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care, have extensive training in early childhood, and many hold advanced graduates degrees of study in Early Childhood Education or a closely related field. Our experienced teachers combine their understanding of child development with their observations and the interests of children, to develop their emergent curriculum. Teachers prepare thoughtful learning environments that invite children to make further discoveries, generate new ideas, experiment, and make meaning of the children’s learning within the context of their play.

We invest in, value, and support our teachers, by providing a full benefit package which includes employer contributions to health, dental, and a simple IRA account. We offer a competitive salary, generous paid time off, built in planning and documentation time, and ongoing professional development to attract and retain experienced, well qualified teachers.

Shannon Nelson Pope, M.A. Ed. | Founder/Executive Director

Shannon is an educational consultant and the Founder and Executive Director of Stony Brook School, which follows an emergent, play-based curriculum for preschool aged children and is inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach. She has a master’s degree in Innovative Early Childhood Education from the University of Colorado, Denver and the Boulder Journey School and holds over 20 years of experience working with children and their families. 

Shannon is passionate about play pedagogy, and believes in its power to engage both children and adults alike in meaningful, engaging, and contextual learning experiences. She is dedicated to providing innovative classroom environments that recognize and support children's individual learning approaches and development, while honoring their hundred languages. 

She is the proud mama to her creative and energetic 11 year old daughter, whom she and her husband are homeschooling. She attributes her passion and understanding of the need to support children’s unique learning styles to her daughter, who she credits to having been her greatest teacher.

Diane Rollo, M.S. Child Development and Curriculum | Director of Education

Diane has dedicated over 30 years of her career to working with children, teachers, and families. Having been introduced to the Reggio Emilia approach while receiving her master’s degree in Child Development and Curriculum at Wheelock College, Diane was one of the first delegates  from the U.S. to visit the schools in Reggio Emilia, Italy. She held intimate conversations with the founders, teachers and pedagogistas and later became part of the Early Childhood Exchange, a group of educators committed to sharing Reggio best practices with schools, bringing the 100 Languages of Children exhibit to Boston’s City Hall. These life experiences helped shape her educational philosophy- Children come to us as powerful capable beings ready to learn and explore their ideas. Teachers are the facilitators and collaborators of the learning process, making intentional decisions regarding the learning environment and experiences for children. Creating partnerships with families is critical to the collaborative learning process and success of any program.

Dance is another great passion for her, as Diane has had the opportunity to study and perform with Boston Ballet and other companies. She credits dance as having also influenced her work with children, understanding first hand, the important role movement plays in fostering creativity, critical thinking skills, and emotional regulation.

Alexis Jones, M.A. Ed | Director of Admissions

Alexis received both her undergraduate and master’s degrees from Boston University, majoring in Developmental Psychology and Early Childhood Education. She has worked with preschool aged children for the past 10 years and has recently been promoted to our leadership team at Stony Brook School as our Director of Admissions. Alexis attributes her own love for learning and motivation for teaching to the playful learning experiences she received in a Montessori school as a child.

Alexis appreciates the perspective children offer -  how they view the world with a fresh pair of eyes and how they approach problems in non-traditional and often more effective ways. The idea that “children are capable human beings that can shape their own learning experiences” resonates strongly with Alexis, which has influenced her desire to work in a Reggio inspired school. She feels it is important for children to know how powerful they are, and aims to nurture their independence, curiosity, and confidence through their learning experiences.

Melanie Green, B.A. Human Development and Family Studies | Lead Teacher

Melanie holds a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family studies, with a concentration in Early Childhood Development from Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC. Having grown up in Charleston, South Carolina, Melanie found her passion for teaching by working in infant, early childhood and K-12 settings prior to joining our team at Stony Brook School. She is drawn to the Reggio Emilia approach because of how it revere's children- as competent and capable beings, and because of its child-led approach to learning. Melanie believes her role as a teacher is to be responsive to children’s interests and to scaffold their learning, and feels this approach will enable children to develop the passion and confidence to become lifelong learners. She believes that children are people who hold dreams without limits, and as a teacher, there is no greater reward than watching children realize how much they are truly capable of. 

Embracing her passion for biology, social sciences, and anything animal related, Melanie aims to promote empathy and understanding in her students by engaging in dialogue and having real life experiences with people of all different backgrounds and abilities. These skills are what she believes fosters a positive learning environment for both teachers and students alike.

MarÍa Teresa Robles, M.A. Strategies on Special Education Needs and Educational Project Management | Lead Teacher

María Teresa was born and raised in Chile, where she received a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education with a minor in Arts and two post-secondary degrees, one in Strategies on Special Education Needs and the other in Educational Project Management. She has 10 years of experience in the classroom, and this will be her second year working in a Reggio Emilia inspired school. María believes that placing the children’s interests at the center of curriculum planning, leads to more classroom engagement and meaningful opportunities for learning. She see’s teaching as a reciprocal process of learning, and is grateful for what children have taught her over the years. 

This will be María’s second year in Boston, which she is thrilled to explore more of, as she claims to be in love with the city! In her spare time, she loves to work with her hands and enjoys doing crafts, reading, and watching movies.

Carol Ayala Inostroza, M.A. Education | Lead Teacher

Carol was born and raised in Chile, where she received a bachelor’s degree in English Education and a master’s degree in Education. This will be her tenth year of teaching, and her second year teaching in a Reggio Emilia inspired school in the United States. Carol has taught English to children preschool aged through high school. Additionally, she spent 10 months teaching Spanish in Luton, in the UK, which she claims was one of the highlights of her career and personal life. Carol enjoys traveling and meeting people from different cultures, which is what brings her to teach here in Boston. She enjoys the cultural exchange experienced during her travels and takes pleasure in learning from others. Carol says she loves working with children, because they remind us of the simplicity of the world we live in and their energy and enthusiasm is contagious!

In her spare time Carol enjoys spending time outdoors and participating in sports. She believes this helps her unwind, disconnect from the everyday stresses of life, and gives her more energy each day.