Teacher Training Faculty

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. 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

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, Philosophy of Freedom, and Reincarnation and Karma. He is Third Year Project Mentor.

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 kindergarten track.

Lisa Anderson | Office ManagerLisa Anderson left her career in international marketing to become a teacher. She studied at San Francisco State University prior to beginning her Waldorf Teacher training. Lisa graduated from the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training in 2003 and has been actively involved in the current program since its inception.  She is currently our office manager. Her son attends the Marin Waldorf School.

Ingrid Orlow | Enrollment CoordinatorIngrid Orlow graduated from the San Francisco Waldorf Teacher Training of Rudolf Steiner College under Dorit Winter in 1998 and subsequently taught German and Pacific Rim Culture and Literature at the San Francisco Waldorf High School. From 2002 to 2008 she taught humanities at Hazel Wolf High School (now merged with the Seattle Waldorf School). She has mentored new faculty members at the high school since 2004 and completed the Mentorship Training through Sound Circle Center in Seattle.

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.  Wendy teaches pedagogical studies, practicum preparation, painting and blackboard drawing.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. He teaches main lessons at the San Francisco Waldorf School. Paul teaches anthroposophical and pedagogical studies.

Christopher GuilfoilChristopher Guilfoil is on the faculty of Waldorf Teacher Education Eugene. He currently directs the Arts Enrichment Project, a community center for the arts and anthroposophy located on the campus of the Eugene Waldorf School. He teaches painting in the summer session of the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training.

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.

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.

Deborah KrikorianDeborah Krikorian received her B.A. in music from UC Berkeley and an MBA from Cal State Hayward. She completed her Waldorf teacher training with the San Francisco Waldorf Teacher Training of Rudolf Steiner College under Dorit Winter in 1996. She has taken a class from first through eighth grade at the East Bay Waldorf School, and is currently a class teacher at the San Francisco Waldorf School. Deborah teaches curriculum studies, practicum preparation, and painting.

Janet LangleyJanet Langley recently retired from class teaching after taking a class 1st-8th and another 3rd -8th grade 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 ten years, she has taught in a number of teacher education programs, as well as supported the Waldorf movement through teacher mentoring and evaluation.

Renate LundbergRenate Lundberg was born in The Netherlands where she had 12 years of Waldorf Education. She worked as a nurse for 10 years in different hospitals in Europe, doing the Hauschka massage training on the side. She then devoted herself to eurythmy and holds a full eurythmy diploma from Academy for Eurythmy in Holland. She has taught eurythmy for the last 24 years in Waldorf schools in Holland, Canada and the U.S., and has taught in several different teacher training programs. Currently she is the eurythmy teacher for grades 7-12 at the Summerfield Waldorf School and Farm in Santa Rosa. In the teacher training, she teaches eurythmy in all 3 years.

Patrick MarooneyPatrick Marooney studied mechanical engineering at the University of Colorado. He is a Waldorf-trained teacher, having graduated from Rudolf Steiner College. He has worked in the classroom for over 18 years. He is now active in the Eugene Teacher Training where he teaches upper elementary school science curriculum classes. Patrick teaches form drawing.

Glenda MonaschGlenda Monasch received her eurythmy diploma at the Goetheanum in Switzerland. Glenda has extensive performing experience, and is both a therapeutic and pedagogical eurythmist. In Seattle she co-founded Sound Circle Eurythmy, and taught in the Sound Circle Teacher Training for many years. Glenda currently lives with her family in Boulder, CO, where she teaches eurythmy to both adults and children, and has an active therapeutic practice. She teaches in the summer session.

Dr. 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.

Shanna RaderShanna Rader received her B.S. in Environmental Education from UC Berkeley and a California Teaching Credential from S.F. State University. She taught Outdoor Education and the elementary grades in public schools for six years. Shanna completed her Kindergarten training at the S.F. Waldorf Teacher Training of Rudolf Steiner College under Dorit Winter. Shanna ran a home preschool for seven years, has three children and has taught at the Marin Waldorf School since 2000. She co-teaches in the Kindergarten track.

Roberta RickettsRoberta Ricketts received a BA in Speech and Drama from Occidental College, earning a General Secondary Credential there before teaching English, drama, and programs for gifted children in junior and senior high schools. She received her Early Childhood Certificate from Cabrillo College and her Waldorf Teaching Certificate from Highland Hall. Robreta then taught for six years in the Live Oak and Dolphin Bay Waldorf Schools before taking two classes from 1st through 8th grades in the San Francisco Waldorf School.  She has mentored new teachers and taught in various teacher training programs since 1992.

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 Pacific Mozart Ensemble, and studies voice with Christiaan Boele. Lisa directs the choir for the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training.

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.

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 and Chicago. He is now the Christian Community priest in San Francisco, where he lives with a young family of his own. His topic in the teacher training is: the difference between prayer and meditation.

Yelena TchengYelena Tcheng has a B.F.A degree from Rutgers University and has completed the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training in 2001. Yelena apprenticed in the San Francisco Waldorf School kindergarten for three years before taking on a kindergarten class at the Marin Waldorf School in 2004. She teaches in the Kindergarten track.

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.