Teacher Training Faculty

Director of the Bay Area Center of Waldorf Teacher Training

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  Dorit Winter | DirectorDorit Winter began her Waldorf teaching career in 1973. She has been a class teacher, German teacher, high school teacher, and adult educator, including 12 years as Director of the San Francisco Waldorf Teacher Training of Rudolf Steiner College (1989-2001). She is herself a Waldorf high school graduate, has an M.A. in comparative literature from SUNY/Binghamton, and is a writer, translator, painter and flutist. She is the author of Because of Yolande*, The Art and Science of Teaching Composition and Sheets of White Light. She is a Waldorf consultant and mentor. Dorit is a US representative to the Hague Circle (International Forum of Waldorf/Steiner Schools) and a member of the Teacher Education Network. In the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training, she teaches anthroposophical studies, Waldorf pedagogy, creative writing, inner life of the teacher, painting and recorder. Dorit is also the Founder and Director of the Summer Arts Festival. *German translation: Wegen Yolande

Assistant Director of the Bay Area Center of Waldorf Teacher Training

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  Dave Alsop | Assistant DirectorDave has a B.A. in Psychology from California State University at Sacramento. In 1974, upon completion of the Waldorf Teacher Training program at Emerson College in England, he began his Waldorf career as a class teacher at the Sacramento Waldorf School. In 1988 he became Development Director of the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA). Shortly thereafter, in 1990, Dave became the Chairman of AWSNA (the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America), and he served in that capacity for eleven years. In 2002, he joined the Rudolf Steiner Foundation as its Director of Community Relations and Business Development. He joined the staff at San Francisco Waldorf School in May of 2004 as Development Director, and was named Head of Administration in 2008. He was deeply inspired at Emerson College to take up social and organizational issues. In addition to working on many administrative duties, Dave teaches the Threefold Nature of Social Life and Philosophy of Freedom. He is Third Year Project Mentor.

Early Childhood Director of the Bay Area Center of Waldorf Teacher Training

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  Diane David | Early Childhood DirectorDiane David received her B.A. in dramatic art from U.C. Davis and completed her kindergarten training at the San Francisco Waldorf Teacher Training of Rudolf Steiner College under Dorit Winter. Diane, a mother of six children herself, has been a kindergarten teacher at the San Francisco Waldorf School since 1988. She is a Northern California co-representative for the Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America (WECAN) and a founding member of the Magic Lantern Marionette Theatre. She teaches in the early childhood track.

Staff of the Bay Area Center of Waldorf Teacher Training

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  Jennifer Dye | Office ManagerJennifer studied communication and media theory at Grand Valley State University.  During college, she began working and gaining experience with accounting and business management and was a patient care volunteer for Hospice.  She worked as a professional bookkeeper and business consultant to local and national businesses.  Jennifer graduated from the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training in 2010 and has worked as a classroom assistant in the 3^rd grade and taught middle school math at Marin Waldorf School.  Jennifer enjoys passing time in nature, cooking and baking with her children.  Jennifer also has a great love of dance and world music and continues her study of Afro-Brazilian dance.
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  Janet Langley | Practicum CoordinatorJanet Langley retired from class teaching in 2008 after taking a class 1st-8th and another 3rd-8th at Cedar Springs Waldorf School in Placerville, Ca. She majored in Social Studies Education at the University of Texas, Austin and received her B.A. in Waldorf Education from Rudolf Steiner College in 1993. Over the past thirteen years, she has taught in a number of teacher education programs, as well as supported Waldorf faculties through teacher mentoring, evaluations and workshops on consensus and classroom management.
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  Megan Neale | Enrollment CoordinatorMegan Neale received a B.A. in History from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1989.  She earned a M.A. in Curriculum Studies and a secondary teaching certificate from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 1992 where she taught High School Social Studies.   She graduated from the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training in 2010 and is currently a part time substitute teacher. Megan has twin daughters who attend the 8th grade at the Marin Waldorf School.

Faculty of the Bay Area Center of Waldorf Teacher Training

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  Wendy BaschkopfWendy received her B. A. from San Francisco State University in 1999.  That same year she completed her Waldorf teacher training with the San Francisco Waldorf Teacher Training of Rudolf Steiner College under Dorit Winter.  She has taken a class from first through eighth grade and worked for a year in the Kindergarten, and is currently teaching Handwork and several main lessons in grades 6,7, and 8 at the San Francisco Waldorf School.  Wendy teaches Study of Man, pedagogical studies, painting and blackboard drawing.
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  Tom BickleyTom Bickley grew up in Houston, sojourned in Washington, DC (studying music, religion, and information science) and came to California as a composer in residence at Mills College. He is on the library faculty at CSU East Bay, and has taught for the San Francisco Early Music Society. He plays with Gusty Winds May Exist, Three Trapped Tigers, and directs the Cornelius Cardew Choir. His work is available on CD at Quarterstick and Metatron Press. Tom teaches the advanced recorder class.
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  Christiaan Boele Christiaan Boele was born in the Netherlands in 1956. He attended a Waldorf school. After pursuing professional trumpet and voice studies, he devoted himself to Werbeck Singing, which is based on voice principles and practices stemming from the indications of Rudolf Steiner. Christiaan began offering courses in Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Finland. He currently conducts master classes, workshops and courses in Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada and the United States. He continues to perform as a soloist and also directs a performance ensemble. He teaches music and leads the summer choir.
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  Christine BurkeBefore completing a Waldorf Teacher training through Rudolf Steiner College (San Francisco) under the guidance of Dorit Winter, Christine earned a BA in Linguistics from UC Santa Barbara.  Christine taught in Waldorf schools in both California and Sweden before her further training in Formative Speech (Sprak Gestaltung) and Drama at Artemis School of Speech and Drama (England) under the tutelage of Christopher Garvey.  She later earned an MA in Communication Studies with an emphasis in Performance Studies through California State University, Northridge.  Currently, Christine teaches Communication Studies at California State University, Channel Islands (nearly full-time) and travels to conferences, Waldorf schools and teacher trainings throughout the world to teach speech and drama.  At the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training, she teaches Creative/Formative/Speech.
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  John BurkettJohn Burkett teaches biology, geology and mathematics at the San Francisco Waldorf High School. He received his Ph.D. in soil science from Oregon State University, his M.S. in biology from the University of Oregon and his BA in geology from the University of Vermont. After college, John converted his family's farm in Pennsylvania to an organic grain and livestock operation while earning his teaching certificate in biology and general science. He taught for two years in a public high school. John completed the High School Teaching Program of Rudolf Steiner College in 2000. John teaches the high school track.
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  Paolo Carini Paolo Carini, has been a high school science teacher at the San Francisco Waldorf High School since 1997. His subjects include mathematics, physics, astronomy, and chemistry. He received his Ph.D. from Stanford University, CA in 1995. He graduated from the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training in 2002. Paolo teaches upper elementary school science curriculum.
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  Cindy ChungCindy Chung, a native of Taiwan, began her piano studies at the age of seven.  After moving to California five years later, she continued to steadily progress in her keyboard career and completed her Master’s degree with UCLA Professor Walter Ponce.  Chung has won several scholarships, including those of the Redlands Organ Festival and UCLA Gluck Performance Scholarship.  Chung maintains a busy schedule as a recitalist, teacher, and collaborator.  Cindy is our accompanist for choir and eurythmy.
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  Sibylle EichstaedtSibylle Eichstaedt works internationally as a free-lance speech artist and teacher. She has an M.A. in English from Bochum University, Germany, and graduated from the Speech School at Peredur Centre for the Arts, Sussex, UK, in 1989. She teaches speech in the Summer Session, and has been doing so since 1996.
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  Douglas GerwinDouglas Gerwin is Director of the Center for Anthroposophy in Wilton, NH, as well as Co-Director of the Research Institute for Waldorf Education. A Waldorf graduate himself, he received his Ph.D. in Psychology and Literature from the University of Dallas, in 1984. As a high school teacher he has taught history, literature, German, music and life science. He works as a mentor to Waldorf high schools throughout the United States. Douglas teaches Faust, History Through Music, and a weekend on adolescence.
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  Paul GierlachPaul Gierlach has worked in Waldorf schools since 1979, both as a class teacher and as a high school humanities teacher. He has undergraduate and graduate degrees from St. Vincent's College and York University, respectively, and completed his Waldorf teacher training at the Waldorf Institute of Mercy College in Detroit. Though he teaches humanities courses in the San Francisco Waldorf High School, his main task is to work there as Educational Support Coordinator. Paul teaches anthroposophical and pedagogical studies for the teacher training program.
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  Vasilica HallA native Romanian, Vasilica received her eurythmy diploma from Akademie fur Eurythmische Kunst, in Dornach, Switzerland, followed by a post graduate diploma from the Eurythmy School Spring Valley. From 2001-2007 she taught eurythmy in grades 5-12 at  Garden City Waldorf School, Long Island, NY. In the teacher training, she teaches weekend eurythmy classes in all 3 years.
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  Maria Helland-HansenMaria Helland-Hansen, born in Norway, received her eurythmy diploma in Sweden in 1985 and has been active as a eurythmist since then. After completing her therapeutic eurythmy training in Dornach, Switzerland in 1993, she moved to San Francisco and became a therapeutic eurythmist and eurythmy teacher at the San Francisco Waldorf School. She also has a private practice and provides therapeutic eurythmy to children in the Mulberry Classroom, and lately to children in Tridhaksa Waldorf School in Bangkok during the summers. She introduces therapeutic ways of working and understanding the child.
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  Philip IncaoDr. Philip Incao received his M.D. in 1966, spent two years in Europe studying anthroposophical medicine, and was one of the first practitioners of anthroposophic medicine in the U.S. He had a busy family practice in upstate New York in a Waldorf school-and biodynamic farming community for 23 years, until 1996. He then moved to Denver to help the growth of anthroposophic medicine in the west. He founded and practiced at the Gilpin Street Holistic Center in Denver until August 2006, when he moved to Crestone, Colorado where he continues to practice part-time in his home. He teaches the foundations of anthroposophically extended medicine.
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  Jennifer KingJennifer King has studied recorder since 1982. She taught at the San Francisco Waldorf Teacher Training of Rudolf Steiner College under Dorit Winter. She is a member of Tonal Havoc Recorder Consort and is the founding member of the San Francisco chapter of the National Recorder Society. Jennifer teaches intermediate recorder.
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  Jeff LoubetJeff Loubet has been a class teacher at the East Bay Waldorf School since 1992.  After completing two rounds of 1-8, he began a new first grade this fall.  Jeff has a BA in philosophy from Clark University and completed his teacher training at Rudolf Steiner College.  He will be teaching The Kingdom of Childhood this spring.
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  Patrick MarooneyPatrick Marooney met Waldorf education in 1974 when he bacame a board member of a new school in Colorado. He trained at Rudolf Steiner College and then became a class teacher at the Eugene Waldorf School, 1984-1992. He was the woodwork teacher at Eugene Waldorf School for 23 years, and for the past 18 years has been a faculty member of the Eugene Waldorf Teacher Education program. There, he teaches Philosophy of Freedom, Biography, Metamorphosis in Clay, Woodcarving, Form Drawing, Science seminars, and Geometry. For the Bay Area Center, he teaches Geometry, Form Drawing, Chemistry, and a course on the first Goetheanum.
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  Glenda MonaschGlenda grew up in South Africa, surrounded by the songs and rhythmic dances of the indigenous cultures. She trained in Europe, and has extensive experience in all aspects of performance, pedagogical and therapeutic eurythmy. She is a resident trainer in the international post graduate medical training (IPMT), resident artist and teacher in the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training summer session and Summer Arts Festival, and is a co-director and eurythmy trainer of Sound Circle Eurythmy Training in Boulder CO. She is in private therapeutic eurythmy practice and teaches at Shining Mountain Waldorf School.
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  Peggy RockPeggy Rock has a BS in secondary education with a major in speech and music from the University of Illinois. She completed the San Francisco Waldorf Teacher Training under the direction of Dorit Winter in 1995. She has been a kindergarten teacher for 20 years and currently teaches at the Greenwood School. Peggy is one of our Early Childhood specialists.
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  Lisa SargentLisa Sargent studied voice and music education at the University of Denver. She was an apprentice in the kindergarten at the San Francisco Waldorf School. Lisa graduated from the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training in July of 2006. She now teaches music and choir at the San Francisco Waldorf School, continues to sing with the San Francisco Bach Choir, and studies voice with Christiaan Boele. Lisa directs the choir for the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training.
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  Ken SmithKen Smith trained in gardening and landscape design in New Zealand. He completed the sculpture training at Emerson College, England. Ken was the art teacher at the Hereford Waldorf School. He was course leader of Visual Arts and Sculpture at Emerson College. Currently he is a freelance artist and art teacher in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand.
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  Oliver SteinrueckOliver Steinrueck was born in Toronto, grew up in a Camphill Village in Copake, N.Y., graduated from a Waldorf high-school and received a Master's Degree in history. In 1989 Oliver entered the seminary in Stuttgart and went on to work in congregations in Freiburg, Germany, Chicago and San Francisco. Currently he is working in the congregation in Spring Valley, NY, as well as teaching and at the Seminary there. His topic in the teacher training is: the difference between prayer and meditation.
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  Meg WeberMeg Weber received her B.A. from Occidental College with a major in Theater and a minor in English. She went on to receive her Early Childhood Education Certificate from San Francisco State University. Teaching has been her profession for over 30 years.  Meg started teaching in pre-school and then assisted in private elementary school education.  She graduated from the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training in 2002.  Meg began her career as a Waldorf class teacher at the Marin Waldorf School in 2002.  She is currently on sabbatical with plans to return to teaching in 2012.  Meg is a parent of a Waldorf graduate, now a sophomore in college.  She is also an auntie to two Waldorf graduates.  Meg enjoys singing, spending time in nature and is actively committed to social change.
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  Sophia van der HarstSophia van der Harst was born and raised in Holland. She has played the recorder since 1966. Since then, she has enjoyed making music with a variety of instruments. In 1985 she came to America to study dance in New York. In 2007 she graduated from the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training, and currently owns a center in Marin County for alternative activities for children. Sophia teaches beginning recorder.

• Adjunct Faculty Members for 2011-2012Adjunct Faculty Members are teachers in Waldorf Schools who have welcomed our students into their classrooms for practicums.

  • Kristine Deason – Marin Waldorf School - 8^th grade
  • Jeff Loubet – East Bay Waldorf School - 1^st grade
  • Isabelle Tabacot – Sacramento Waldorf School - 6^th grade
  • Esther Centers – Santa Cruz Waldorf School - 3^rd grade
  • Ute Luebeck – Davis Waldorf School - 2^nd grade
  • Corrine Fendell – San Francisco Waldorf School - 3rd grade
  • Deborah Krikorian – San Francisco Waldorf School - 7^th grade
  • Veronica Gunasekara – Cedar Springs Waldorf School - Kindergarten
  • Monica Laurent – Waldorf School of the Peninsula - 4^th grade
  • Michelle Meyer – East Bay Waldorf School - 6^th grade
  • Amanda Mutrux – Cedar Springs Waldorf School - 2^nd grade