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Center & Periphery Newsletter — Special Douglas Gerwin Appreciation Issue
Click the image for the full newsletter: Center & Periphery September 2024: Special Douglas Gerwin Appreciation Issue —————————————————————————————————————– From the Editor’s Notepad October 2024 Dear...
Read MoreDiscover the Heart of Waldorf Education with “Listening to Our Teachers” by Torin Finser
We are thrilled to announce the release of Listening to Our Teachers, a profound exploration of the Waldorf educational experience by esteemed author and educator Torin...
Read MoreKairos Institute: Traumatology and Spirituality
Wilton, New Hampshire, July 7-12 In today’s world, we are constantly bearing witness to global crises and tragedies, and therefore, we live in a world...
Read MoreCenter & Periphery Newsletter — Winter 2024
During this winter season at the Center for Anthroposophy (CfA), the directors of our seven programs––a record number!––are forming new courses and line-ups of faculty...
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Karen Atkinson, M.Ed.
Long-time Waldorf class teacher, AWSNA Leader for the Mid-Atlantic Region, Program Coordinator for Renewal Courses and Administrative Leadership Program at the Center for Anthroposophy. Provides pedagogical leadership support for faculty chairs, pedagogical administrators, professional development coordinators, and school mentors.
Robyn Brown
Robyn, a Waldorf Teacher for 33 years and counting, first led a class from Kindergarten through to eighth grade, then began working with Sunny Baldwin at Somerset School, a school based on Rudolf Steiner’s Curative Education work. Thereafter she started her own program, Mulberry Classroom. Curative Education has been her focus for the last 23 years. She offers a Curative Education Training Program as well as a newer course, “Practical Applications of Anthroposophical Education. In addition, Robyn leads workshops, mentors schools, and helps teachers and parents around the world. She is the author of A Practical Guide to Curative Education.
Chris Burke, Ph.D.
Chris was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and earned a Ph.D. in social psychology from New York University and is now an associate professor at Lehigh University, where his research has focused on social relationships and coping with stress. He lives with his wife and three children in Eastern Pennsylvania.
Meg O'Dell Chittenden, M.Ed.
Meg is a Waldorf music teacher, community songleader, and somatic coach, supporting individuals and couples in healing and transformation. She has been part of the faculty of The Bay School, a pre-K through Grade 8 Waldorf school, since 2007. She is also the founding director of Misty Mountain Singers, a large intergenerational all-comers community chorus. She serves as Music Director and Adjunct Professor for Antioch University's Waldorf Teacher Training and CfA's Waldorf High School Teacher Education Program and is a regular instructor for the Renewal Courses. She has also taught with LifeWays North America and the Essential Online Conferences. She received her M.Ed and Waldorf teaching certificate from Antioch University in 2008 and her B.A. from Connecticut College in 2000. Meg and her fellow Waldorf teacher co-parent are raising their two children on a hand-built homestead between the salt water and the white pine forests of Wabanaki Confederacy Territory (coastal Maine).
Nettie Fabrie
Nettie Fabrie’s teaching career spans four decades, beginning with several years in the public schools of the Netherlands. As a Waldorf class teacher, she took two classes from first through eighth grade in Holland. In addition, she has been a remedial teacher for many years. More recently, Nettie has served as the pedagogical director of the Seattle Waldorf School.Over the years she has traveled the world mentoring Waldorf teachers, founding a Waldorf teacher training program in the Czech Republic, and serving on the faculty of Sound Circle Center in Washington State. At present Nettie is one of the sub-regional representatives for AWSNA’s Northwest Region. In her spare time, Nettie enjoys working in the garden and frequenting the theater, concerts, and art museums. She is co-author of the Making Math Meaningful resource book for grades 1-5.
Torin Finser, Ph.D.
Director of Building Bridges and Waldorf Leadership Development programs, founding trustee of CfA, Director of Waldorf Programs at Antioch University New England, post doctoral certification in Management Development, Harvard, author of 14 books, including Organizational Integrity and Leadership Development.
Jenny Foster
Jenny brings 25 years of well-rounded experience in Waldorf schools. She began her teaching career in Seattle in Early Childhood, then moved to grade school, spending the majority of her years as a Eurythmy teacher of both children and adults alike, along with her work as director and performer with Eurythmy Northwest. Jenny has also taught at the Eurythmy training in Sweden at Rudolf Steiner Seminariet. She spent 7 years in Europe training, teaching, and performing before returning to the US. Most recently, Jenny has added class teacher to her responsibilities and currently teaches at Waldorf School of Princeton. Jenny’s ability to bring social harmony to a group through movement and music is her greatest joy.
MIchael Gannon
has been teaching and learning from classes at Spring Garden Waldorf School for the past 21 years. Now on his third cycle through the grades, he is inspired by connecting ancient wisdom with imagination for the future. He received an undergraduate degree in psychology from Hiram College before completing a Master’s degree through Antioch University New England. In addition to guiding his current class through the grades, he works as a remote mentor and consultant with other Waldorf schools and is a member of the core faculty of the Great Lakes Waldorf Institute teacher training program.
Anne Clair Goodman, M.Ed.
Anne Claire, a grades faculty member at the Waldorf School of Pittsburgh (WSP) since 2000, finds great joy and satisfaction working with students, colleagues, and parents to bring Waldorf education into the 21st Century. A graduate of Acorn Hill, Washington Waldorf School, Oberlin College (B.A. in History), and Antioch New England Graduate University (M.Ed. and Waldorf Teacher Certificate), Anne Clair is currently the class teacher for the Class of 2022 at WSP and the Grades Faculty Chair, a role she has held since 2014.
Wim Gottenbos
Wim taught in Dutch public schools for 12 years before training to become a Waldorf teacher in Holland, where he took two classes through the elementary grades. He then carried three classes at the Seattle Waldorf School, including one complete cycle from grades 1-8. In 2017, he retired from class teaching and started mentoring and evaluating teachers in various schools of the Pacific Northwest. He was also part of Sound Circle Center’s Advanced Seminar. Wim’s passions include beekeeping, gardening, and reading. He is also a co-author of the Making Math Meaningful resource for grades 1-5.
Alison Henry, M.Ed.
Alison Henry is a faculty member in the School of Education at Antioch University, teaching primarily in Antioch's Waldorf Teacher Education program. Alison is also a doctoral student in Antioch University's Graduate School of Leadership and Change. Her research interests include humility in leadership, collaborative decision making, child-centered and developmentally appropriate education, and understanding the narratives that reinforce, disrupt, or heal patterns of coloniality.
Alison has recently relocated to Gig Harbor, WA to be closer to her children and grandchildren, and she is deeply grateful for the privilege of traveling where her work calls her.
Wendy Kelly, M.S.Ed
Wendy, a native of South Jersey with family roots in Estonia, earned a B.A. in both Dance and Psychology at the University of Maryland, College Park, an M.F.A. in Dance from Temple University, and an M.S.Ed. in Waldorf Education from Sunbridge College. She performed professionally with two different modern dance companies before starting a family and training to become a Waldorf teacher. Ms. Kelly was a class teacher for ten years at the Green Meadow Waldorf School in Chestnut Ridge, NY; since 2011 she has been teaching at the Rudolf Steiner School in Manhattan, where she is currently the 7th grade teacher. She has also led a number of teacher training and grades preparation workshops at Sunbridge Institute.
Jen Kershaw
Jen earned a B.A. in Acting/Theater Performance from the University of South Florida, a M.S. in Education from Wheelock College, and a Waldorf Teaching Certificate from Antioch University New England. In the theater world, she performed with Metro Theater Company from St. Louis, Missouri, performing and teaching workshops across the U.S. Jen has been teaching in classrooms for over twenty years, first as an artist educator, then as a middle school math and history teacher, and finally as a Waldorf class teacher. For the past three years, Jen has been a member of the adjunct faculty at Antioch University New England, where she has taught the Math Methods course for the Integrated Learning Program. Along with teaching, she has written and published middle school math curriculum both online and in print.
A class teacher at heart, Jen joined High Mowing School in 2011 as an elementary school teacher; with her special education degree, she has also served as Educational Support Coordinator for the past four years. In 2018, Jen completed the eight-year journey as a class teacher and is now headed into fifth grade with her second class.
Kevin Kilb
Kevin, a class teacher at the Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School for twenty years, is currently teaching the fourth grade in his third cycle. During a sabbatical year, he taught English at the Waldorf school in Karlsruhe, Germany. He initially came to anthroposophy through agriculture and began his career as a community organizer in rural Iowa. A native of New York, Kevin has been active in local theater and has traveled widely to prepare for various blocks. He holds a B.S. in Management from Boston College, Waldorf Elementary Certification from Sunbridge Institute, and an M.Ed. from SUNY Empire State College.
Lori Kran, Ph.D.
In addition to her Ph.D. in U.S. History, Lori has earned Waldorf certification from WTDA, Ann Arbor, MI. Lori was a class teacher for 20+ years at the Cincinnati Waldorf School. She is currently the Pedagogical Director at the Shining Mountain Waldorf School.
Jennifer Persinotti
Jennifer Persinotti (she/her) is an experienced class teacher at the Waldorf School of Philadelphia. A Waldorf student herself as well as the child of a veteran Waldorf teacher, she has been in and around the world of Waldorf education her whole life. With an undergraduate degree in secondary education Earth and Space Science and Waldorf Certification from Sunbridge Institute, she has found her calling as
a Waldorf educator.
Elan Leibner
Elan had been a teacher of children and adults for over 30 years. He is currently traveling around the country in an RV with his wife and two dogs, visiting schools and talking to people from all walks of life. He is Chair of the Pedagogical Section Council.
Angela Zhaawanongkwe Lindstrom
Angela Lindstrom is currently the Grades Pedagogical Director at the Whidbey Island Waldorf School where she has taught for 20 years, graduating three classes. Before discovering her passion for Waldorf education, Angela taught Native American Studies for seven years at the University of Cincinnati.
Angela is a citizen of the Ojibwe and Cherokee Nations who grew up in the woods of Ohio, while also spending summers on the Cherokee Reservation in North Carolina.
Angela earned her B.A. at Brigham Young University. She then became certified as an EC and Therapeutic Waldorf teacher, and completed her M.Ed. at Antioch University-New England. She has organized and hosted the "Pacific Northwest Regional Waldorf Schools Gathering of First Nations", an annual event for 4th graders, for over a decade. Angela is an advocate for the Rights of First Nation Peoples, as well as environmental and adoption issues, and has been a national presenter on Native culture and spirituality, and a representative for Multicultural Women in the World.
Jan Lyndes, M.Ed.
Jan holds a Master of Education/ Waldorf Teaching from Antioch University New England and a Bachelor’s in fine arts and sociology from the University of Arizona. Completing 9 years of Spacial Dynamics Training Jan teaches Spacial Dynamics and Anthroposophy through Antioch and Center of Anthroposophy. Born as a seventh generation Vermonter, Jan lived much of her adult life living off the grid in Alaska, where she built a home and raised her family off the land and formed a Waldorf homeschool cooperative. This work inspired her to gain her MEd from Antioch and she fell in love with the warmth and creativity of Waldorf Education in Southern New Hampshire. Prior to becoming a Waldorf Teacher, fluent in American Sign Language, Jan taught in Deaf Education. Here in New Hampshire she has taught at Antioch University, Center for Anthroposophy, Monadnock Waldorf School, Kroka Expeditions, Austine School for the Deaf,Gathering Waters Charter School and the Well School. Jan enjoys being active in nature by kayaking, hiking, running and gardening, and through yoga and meditation.
Sarah Nelson
Sarah graduated from the Center for Anthroposophy and Antioch New England Graduate School twenty years ago. Since then she has taught at Haleakala Waldorf School in Maui, Hawaii, where she worked with students from pre-K to Grade 8. For the last five years, in addition to class teaching, she has served as leader for the Southern California and Hawaii region on AWSNA’s Leadership Council. In 2021, after completing an eight-year journey with her class in Maui, She returned to British Columbia for a sabbatical and to see what the future will bring.
Hugh Renwick
Hugh Renwick majored in History at Stanford University and earned an MA in Philosophy at the University of Toronto. He trained as a Waldorf class and high school teacher at the Green Meadow Waldorf School in New York. His career has spanned 40 years, including teaching high school history and literature at High Mowing School, grades one through eight at the Pine Hill Waldorf School and grades six through eight at the Maine Coast Waldorf School. He has also taught adults in teacher training courses in Mexico and in Antioch New England's summer Waldorf program, focusing on Rudolf Steiner's Philosophy of Freedom and watercolor painting. He and his wife live in Wilton, New Hampshire.
Kris Ritz
Kris joined the Emerson Waldorf School community in 2008. Before returning to North Carolina, she was a class teacher at the Austin Waldorf School and spent a year at Plowshare Farm, an anthroposophical life-sharing community. Born in Upstate New York, Kris graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. While pursuing a career in advertising, she discovered Waldorf education, returned to school, and earned a Waldorf certificate and Master’s degree from Antioch New England Graduate School.
Lisa Romero
Lisa, an international speaker and author of books on inner development, has been offering healthcare and education enriched with anthroposophy since 1993. For several years, she served as lecturer of Health and Nutrition and Gender studies at Sydney Rudolf Steiner College, where she continues to give lectures on inner development. Since 1999, she has been presenting on the subject of gender, sexuality, and spiritual life, working with Waldorf schools on their health and wellbeing curriculum. An adviser on Health and Personal Development for the Australian Steiner Curriculum Framework, she has developed training courses, and facilitated professional development on this subject for teachers and health professionals. From 2006 her primary focus has been on teaching inner development and anthroposophical meditation.
Leonore Russell, M.A.
Founding Director of Crossroads Farm, a project of Nassau Land Trust, Director of the Winkler Center for Adult Learning, a consultant for Antioch University New England and for schools and businesses using eurythmy as a vehicle for self-awareness and transformation of both personal and organizational life. Leonore brings a wealth of experience as a long-time faculty member and administrator for the Waldorf School of Garden City, NY. She has a long association with the Center for Anthroposophy. She presently collaborates with the courses with the center in the Waldorf Leadership Development course, as well as Renewal. As a Waldorf school consultant, Leonore draws upon a long career of administering and teaching at the Waldorf School of Garden City. She now works in higher education and business to motivate and empower adults.
Jeff Spade
Jeff, a member of the music and drama faculty at the Rudolf Steiner School in New York City, has been teaching music in Waldorf schools for over three decades. Prior to joining RSS, he was music director at Chicago Waldorf School and Kimberton Waldorf School. He has also worked as a guest teacher, mentor, and consultant with the Waldorf schools across the U.S. In addition to working in the classroom and conducting choirs and ensembles, Jeff is a composer (Eureka! The Life and Times of Archimedes: A Musical Play in One Act for grades 5-12) and a teacher of teachers, having led music classes at several Waldorf teacher training programs.
Christof Wiechert
Christof Wiechert, a popular lecturer, author, and seminar leader the world over, spent 30 years teaching at the Waldorf School in The Hague, where he himself was a pupil. During this time, he co-founded the Dutch Waldorf Teacher Training Seminar. For many years, Christof was a council member in the Anthroposophical Society in the Netherlands. Together with Ate Koopmans, he developed the “Art of the Child Study” course. A number of his books are available in English translation. In 1999, he began to work for the Pedagogical Section of the Anthroposophical Society and, from 2001 to 2011, served as Leader of the Pedagogical Section of the School for Spiritual Science at the Goetheanum in Dornach, Switzerland. He is married with five children.
Meaghan Witri
Meaghan, who is a facilitator of in-school community programs on “Developing the Self Developing the World”, has served as an early childhood and parent-child educator, and more recently as a class teacher. Meaghan works directly with parents in the home, offering practical support and understanding of child development from birth through adolescence in the light of anthroposophy. An artist with a degree in theater, performance, and English Studies, she is the co-author of the EduCareDo subject course “Speech and Drama as Living Arts”.