aata Staff
Rebecca Spitaleri
As a young child, Rebecca was home-schooled and encouraged to allow her natural gifts to rise to the surface. She became a mother when she was 19, and from that point has dedicated her path to the well being of the next seven generations. As a nature mentor and educator, Rebecca guides children into having a deeper connection with the natural world with an embodied wisdom and grace. Rebecca is trained in Plant Spirit Medicine and Flower Essence Therapy in which she weaves into her early childhood teachings.
Kindergarten Instructor
Misti leatherwood
With over 20 years of working closely with children in a variety of educational and caregiving settings, Misti is thrilled to join the AATA staff as the Leads Grades Instructor. Misti’s intention at AATA is to help preserve and grow the magic that already exists within the students who attend, as well as facilitate powerful and meaningful co-creation.
Lead Grades Instructor
Liza Pierce
Grades Math Instructor
My name is Liza. During my childhood I attended an outdoorsy school in the mountains of North Carolina. I grew up loving school, nature and learning; knowing from a young age that I wanted to teach. I spent a year assisting in a K-1 classroom, followed by several years of teaching and training co-workers at local manufacturers. I'm a bright and optimistic person who has a passion for helping others to learn and grow. I loved learning in this kind of an environment as a kid and I'm honored to have the opportunity to pass it on to the future generations.
I teach math for ages 6-9 here at AATA. We all learn in different ways and young children learn best with multi-sensory activities. Therefore I teach with lots of hands-on activities to keep kids engaged and inquisitive, allowing them to use their energy and simultaneously work on fine motor skills. I plan to teach in a way that allows the kids to use their creative thinking to find multiple solutions and become truly comfortable with the concepts. I've always had a passion for math and numbers and I'm excited to be able to share my love for math with the kids!
abby willis
Handwork & Grades Instructor
Abby brings her great enthusiasm for life and children to her time at AATA. She has 15 years of experience with Handwork crafts and Animal Arts. Abby offers LA instruction to our 6-7 year olds, along with running the AATA library. She concurrently works with On The Forest Floor, and supports with the Equine Program at AATA.
Troy Brengle
Therapeutic Instructor
Troy received his Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Lenoir-Rhyne College. In 2007, he passed the Praxis II mathematics knowledge and pedagogy exams, earning the label of Highly Qualified to teach math. And for the past 20+ years, Troy has been working as a professional math tutor, helping students of all ages and levels achieve success with both academic courses and standardized tests. During this time, Troy has acquired valuable experience, knowledge, and insights which have inspired his development of a one-of-a-kind holistic approach to improving performance, some of which he hopes to integrate into the AATA experience. His primary objective, as he sees it, is to equip and empower his students to become competent, confident thinkers and problem-solvers. Celebrated by his peers for his calm, collected demeanor, Troy is a patient educator with a knack for explaining material in ways to which students can easily relate.
Often seen teaching class sans footwear, Troy is AATA’s resident barefoot enthusiast and the founding footer of Barefoot Hikers Asheville and Barefoot Hikers of the Triangle.
In 2020, during the height of the Mask Hysteria, Troy compiled the following educational brochure which asks-- and answers conclusively—the question “Are masks safe?” Spoiler: no, they’re not.
