Amanda Swiger - Director / Montessori Educator

Amanda is the director and lead educator for the Montessori Internationale School [MIS].  She

has a Master’s Degree in Education from Loyola University in Maryland and her AMI certified

Primary Montessori Diploma from the Montessori Institute of Atlanta, now known as the

International Montessori Training Institute.  AMI, Association Montessori International, is the

international authority on Montessori Education.  AMI trained teachers undergo rigorous

training and examinations to meet the standards of this organization, and teachers attend

regular training and workshops to maintain a connection with AMI and its expectations for

Montessori education. 

Amanda has worked with children in the primary age group for over 15 years. She is a

dedicated and talented educator with a desire to improve our world through the best possible

education for young children.

Shirin Boghani - Montessori Educator

Shirin is an AMI certified Montessori teacher and has been with MIS since 2012.  Shirin has a

Bachelor’s of Commerce degree from Shadan College, Osmania University, India.  She received

her AMI certified Primary Montessori Diploma from the Montessori Training Research Centre in

Hyderabad, India.  Since her training, she has worked as a Montessori teacher in both India and

the U.S. and offers her rich experience to the children and the classroom as a whole. 

Shirin is a dedicated teacher and an active part of our local community, and she gets great

satisfaction from watching the children grow and succeed throughout their classroom

experience and beyond.  The success of the children is the greatest mark of success for a

teacher.

Cortney Hliva - Assistant Director/Administrator

Hi there. My name is Cortney Hliva and I am so thrilled to have the honor of joining the wonderful family of Montessori Internationale. I am married and have two children who both attended Montessori schools through Kindergarten. My daughter graduated from Montessori Internationale in 2016. She loved it here and was so excited when I told her I get to work here now. 

I grew up in Charlotte, NC then went on to attend Wake Forest, earning a 4 yr, BA in studio arts, and a minor in Russian. I moved back to Charlotte to be near my family and in 2001, I was called for an interview at Charlotte Preparatory school. Now, I had literally just started a different job which I had applied for at the same time but they insisted I still come for an interview and I am so glad I did. I enjoyed being a Montessori assistant there for 2 years, then a substitute for a year. In between that time, I moved to Portland, OR to get my CELTA (Cambridge University certification to teach English as a second language) then to New York, NY to work for a few months to save money for a flight to Solnechnogorsk, Russia to teach English. I had an amazing experience there but chose to move back to the states. 

Eventually I married Todd Hliva, whom I had been dating since 2000 (we met at Wake Forest). We moved a few times for his work and I did various child care jobs, Montessori substitute, and even worked as a flower designer at a shop. I am a very eclectic person and my likes reflect this. I love to try everything and go everywhere, but I always come back to Montessori😊 I love it. It’s amazing. I am a lucky gal to be able to do this every day.

Janice Mitchell - Music Educator

Janice first joined MIS in 1997.  Janice has a Bachelor’s of Music from Auburn University, AL and further studies at the Universities of Illinois, Iowa, and Tennessee.  She has many years of teaching experience in public and private schools as well as church choirs, musical theater, and private lessons in vocal  production, piano literature, and brass instruments. 

Janice loves watching the “Aha!” moment when a three-year old moves like a tree in the breeze to music, or a four-year old feels the “eternal” rhythm of his heartbeat, or the five-year old learns all the lyrics plus motions to a new song.  Along with teaching, Janice plays French horn in two orchestras and two concert bands, and plays organ and piano as well as directing an adult choir and hand bell choir in Rockwood.  She is active in the Knoxville community in representation of the arts and the revitalization of downtown Knoxville.

 Lisa Stalnaker - Substitute Teacher

Born and raised in East TN, I spent a lot of time riding my bike, fishing and exploring my grandparents’ garden. I enjoyed and excelled at Lenoir City Schools and graduated from UT with a B.A. degree in Environmental Studies with a Minor in Wildlife and Fisheries Science. As a working student I did everything from feeding spiders to gluing teeth back into cougar skulls before moving on to an office job after graduation. Years later, after marrying and purchasing a home with my husband, I began a career in environmental compliance. I chose to stay home with our children (now ages 9 & 6), and have just recently entered the working world again in a part-time capacity. 

I love the outdoors, hiking, camping, fishing and natural history. I am very passionate about environmental issues and conservation. I love all kinds of music, and play the clarinet with the Tennessee Wind Symphony. I like to cook, read and play board games and I love Halloween and all things spooky!   

Our daughter graduated from MIS in 2018 and our son attends as a Kindergartner now. We love MIS and I am happy to be working to help the school and Miss Amanda!