Faculty

The Waldorf School of Pittsburgh is the region’s only school that offers families a fully inter-disciplinary, arts- integrated, progressive education. Our faculty practice teaching as an art, one that nurtures children’s imaginations and is responsive to the developmental phases of the whole human being as it unfolds through the phases of infant, toddler, child, and teenager. In the heart of every Waldorf teacher lives the commitment to help each student reach for his or her highest potential. To maintain that commitment, Waldorf teachers pursue ongoing self-development in order to create lively, memorable lessons that engage and stretch themselves and students in all directions— socially, intellectually, physically, and artistically.

Coral Bell Kindergarten Lead Teacher

Miss Christina grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. In 2007, she earned a B.A. in Conflict in Human Behavior from Juniata College, where she ran for Juniata’s cross country and track and field teams and volunteered for several organizations including the Special Olympics and Circle K. She worked at the Parks and People Foundation, a non-profit in Baltimore dedicated to environmental education and improving the city’s green spaces, before moving to Virginia to attend graduate school. She completed her Master of Arts in Teaching at Mary Bladwin College while working as a literacy aide in a first grade classroom at Elkton Elementary School. After graduating in 2010, she moved to Pittsburgh where she joined the faculty at the Waldorf School. She enjoys reading and running in her spare time.

Lavender Nursery Lead Teacher

Miss Jeanne began her teaching career in 2003, working with 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children in a mixed-age classroom at a local private school. She joined the Waldorf School of Pittsburgh as a nursery teacher in 2008 and began her first year of Anthroposophy Foundation Studies. In 2009, she began the Waldorf Early Childhood Certification Program at the Rudolf Steiner College in Fair Oaks, California. Jeanne always has been actively involved in the arts, particularly music and dance. She received a B.S. in Elementary Education with a minor in music from Dusquene University. After college, she worked in arts administration for more than 25 years.

Sixth Grade Teacher

Ms. Goodman has always known she would be a teacher. Working with children has always been a strong calling that has led her from “teaching” her younger sister during grade school to working in a therapeutic day camp in high school and teaching on the Navajo Reservation in college. Ms. Goodman joined the Waldorf School of Pittsburgh faculty as a grades teacher in 2000 after graduating from Oberlin College with a bachelor’s degree in history. She pursued Waldorf teacher training and earned her master’s in education from Antioch New England Graduate School in 2004. These experiences, coupled with attending Acorn Hill Waldorf Kindergarten and the Washington Waldorf School, both in Maryland, have led Ms. Goodman to fully appreciate the many gifts Waldorf education has to offer, including a strong connection to the arts and the imaginative and rigorous curriculum. In addition to teaching, Ms. Goodman enjoys listening to and creating music, walking, painting, bowling, kickball, and writing limericks: There once was a teacher, Ms. G., Who taught at the Waldorf School, you see, Her class was amazing, Doing math, writing and painting, And together they were happy as can be.

Morning Garden Lead Teacher

Miss Barbara first learned of Waldorf education 20 years ago from a friend when she was the mother of a young child and working as a graphic designer. The Waldorf philosophy appealed to her and she was pleased to discover there was an initiative to begin a school in Pittsburgh. Since then she has been involved in various committees and positions at the school and has been able to realize her dreams of working with young children and having her son in a Waldorf school. She has completed foundation studies in Anthroposophy through the Center for Anthroposophy, New England Waldorf Teacher Training in Wilton, NH, as well as LifeWays Early Childhood and Human Development Training through LifeWays North America. Ms. Grance enjoys reading, hiking, gardening, and photography.

Third Grade Teacher

Mr. Hare grew up in Virginia, where he attended the College of William and Mary. After earning his B.A. in philosophy, with a minor in music, he began working as a blacksmith and musketeer for Jamestown Settlement, where he reenacted the life and hardships faced by America’s English colonists. After two years of wearing wool costumes in the summer and working in a forge, Mr. Hare attended Vanderbilt University to earn his master’s degree in elementary education. He began his teaching career as a third-grade teacher in the Nashville public school system. Mr. Hare joined the Waldorf School of Pittsburgh as a first-grade teacher in 2009, after moving here with his wife, a graduate student at the University of Pittsburgh. In his spare time he enjoys playing guitar, teaching his dog silly tricks, and traipsing about the woods.

Little Friends Co-Coordinator

Miss Juliet was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After studying theater in Santa Barbara, California and at the University of Pittsburgh, Juliet moved to Ashland, Oregon to work for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. While living in Oregon, Juliet worked as a nanny for several children, one of whom attended the local Waldorf School. This introduction to Waldorf education inspired Juliet to seek Waldorf education for her own children several years later. Juliet has worked as a nanny and in group childcare for several years. She also worked as the Front Office manager at the Waldorf School of Pittsburgh in 2005 and 2006.

 

Second Grade Teacher

Miss Selena discovered Waldorf education while searching for her life’s path after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh, where she received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a certificate in American Sign Language. She has always had an affinity for children, and has worked with children in many different settings including her mother’s in-home daycare and Jumpstart, an Americorps program working with preschool children. However, it wasn’t until she learned about the teaching methods of Waldorf education that she felt inspired to become a teacher. She began her journey as a Kindergarten Assistant, and then as a Nursery teacher. Currently enrolled in Antioch University New England’s Waldorf Teacher Education Program, Selena will complete her training during the summer of 2010. Selena enjoys spending her free time outside in nature or practicing yoga.

Sundrop Kindergarten Lead Teacher

Miss Penny became a lead Kindergarten teacher in 2002 after providing care to children in the extended care program for three years. She is a Pittsburgh native who received her bachelor’s in elementary education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania before going on a journey of educational self-discovery, working in childcare, substitute teaching in local public schools, presenting science assemblies, and teaching at McKeever Environmental Learning Center. Through all these experiences, Penny continued her search for a position that was “just the right fit.” In 1999, she was introduced to Waldorf Education by a dear friend and happily accepted a position in the Waldorf School of Pittsburgh’s extended care program. She received her Waldorf teacher training at Sunbridge College, where she earned a master’s degree in Waldorf Early Childhood Education in 2003. When she is not teaching, she enjoys spending time with her family, playing with her two nutty dogs, or knitting.

Fourth Grade Teacher

Ms. King began teaching middle school English in 1993 after receiving her B.S. in elementary education from West Chester University. She continued to teach in both the public and private school sectors while earning a master’s degree in language arts education. Ms. King took a break from teaching when her first child was born and began to learn about Waldorf education in 2003 after the Waldorf School of Pittsburgh relocated to her neighborhood. She eventually enrolled her children in the school and became actively involved as a parent volunteer. She joined the faculty in 2008 and is working toward Waldorf teaching certification at Sunbridge College in New York. Ms. King enjoys spending time with her family, doing yoga, biking, cooking, and going for walks in her neighborhood.

Handwork Teacher

Mrs. Konefal-Shaer earned her B.S. in biology and her master’s in education of the deaf from the University of Pittsburgh. She spent 20 years teaching and supervising programs in special education in the Pittsburgh Public Schools. While on a break from teaching to raise her two young daughters, she found a group of like-minded mothers at a playgroup at the Waldorf School of Pittsburgh. She began her Waldorf teaching experience leading the playgroup at the school. Later, Mrs. Konefal-Shaer became the director of legal compliance, and in 1998 she began teaching handwork while substituting during another teacher’s sabbatical. She received her training in applied arts at Sunbridge College in New York in 2003. She also has been a class teacher for two years, teaching fourth and fifth grades. Her two daughters are alumnae of the school.

Little Friends Co-Coordinator

Bio forthcoming

Extended Care Coordinator

Bio forthcoming

First Grade Teacher

Bio forthcoming

Fifth Grade Teacher

Ms. Wiegman began her teaching career while a student at Oberlin College. She majored in Environmental Studies and began working in the local middle and high schools. After graduation from Oberlin, she worked for the Environmental Studies Department to develop a Climate Neutral policy for the College. She then continued on her teaching path and returned to school to earn her Masters of Education at Antioch New England University through the Integrated Learning program with a concentration in Science and Environmental Education. It was at Antioch that Paige began to learn about Waldorf education. She went on to teach middle school science and 4th and 5th grade in public schools in New Hampshire. After the arrival of her daughter, Paige and her family returned to her native Pittsburgh and welcomed the arrival of her sons. Here in Pittsburgh, Paige taught Lower School science and served as a Science Curriculum consultant at the Ellis School. After enrolling her daughter in the school in 2009, Paige became involved in the school as a parent volunteer. She joined the faculty in 2010 as the Fourth Grade teacher.