Spanish | English Language Development | Handwork | Games/Movement | Music/Rhythm
Teresita Landin | Spanish, Grades TK-8 & English Language Development TK-8
Maestra Teresita studied Liberal and Chicano Latino Studies for 2 years at Sonoma State, and graduated in 2008 from Pacific Union College with a Bachelor’s of Science in Early Childhood Education and Development. She also holds an Associate’s Degree in Psychology with an emphasis on Childhood and Human Development, a LifeWays Early Childhood Certificate, and a Spanish Single Subject Teaching Credential. Over the past 11 years, Teresita has attended more than a dozen Waldorf Teacher Trainings focused on World Language Teaching and Early Childhood Education. She recently attended a 3 week Waldorf Teacher Training intensive in Cuernavaca, Mexico, and finished an 8 month long Waldorf Spanish Teacher Training through Gradalis.
Teresita has been part of Woodland Star’s staff and faculty since 2012, and before becoming the school’s full-time Spanish and English Language Development teacher she fulfilled many roles such as being a Class Assistant, the ELD Assistant, a Resource Assistant, and a Substitute for all grades. In her love of teaching, she has worked with multiple ECE centers, tutoring agencies, and schools where she helped develop and taught age appropriate learning programs. Her emphasis has always been on helping children find their place in the world through socio-emotional development, love of nature, art, reading, and expressive writing.
As a Mexican, Native-Spanish Speaker, she takes great pride in sharing her culture, heritage knowledge, and multicultural wisdom with the children and our community through the Spanish Curriculum. As an advocate, she’s able to provide support to our ELAC Committee members, helping them navigate the ins and outs of a new school system.
Jessica Lawson | Handwork, Grades 1-8
Mrs. Lawson has a BA of Fine Arts from The California Institute of the Arts, holds a CA Single Subject Art Teaching Credential from California State University of Long Beach, and a Waldorf Practical Arts Certificate from the Waldorf Institute of Southern California. Before joining Woodland Star, Mrs. Lawson taught handwork at private and public Waldorf schools in the Southern California area, including founding the Handwork Program at El Rio Community School in Los Angeles. Mrs. Lawson is passionate about bringing handwork to all children. Using the diverse world of fiber arts to reach students’ creativity, build dexterity, teach process, and show students hands-on skills like knitting, crochet, sewing, and more that will serve them their whole lives.
Mrs. Lawson grew up in Florida and is a lifelong fiber artist. She moved to California in 2009 to start her career making custom costumes for the film industry. Shortly after her daughter was born, she found Waldorf education and has been teaching Handwork ever since. When she’s not teaching, Mrs. Lawson loves to bake, garden, and work on her personal Handwork projects.
Rachel Bauer | Games/Movement
Ms. Rachel received her BA from the University of California, Fresno, and is currently enrolled at the Spacial Dynamics Institute in New York, a Waldorf movement program. Ms. Rachel has 17 years of experience as a physical educator and training program director in the North Lake Tahoe area and holds certificates in BCIP, PSIA-W, and Outdoor Wilderness Safety. Over the past few years, she was part of the Wild River Waldorf community in Truckee, CA, serving as an administrative assistant, substitute teacher, and movement and games teacher for grades 1–8.
Ms. Rachel moved from Lake Tahoe and now resides in Sonoma with her dog, Osa. In her free time, Ms. Rachel enjoys mountain biking, sailing, gardening, and volunteering at a non-profit children’s sports organization in Reno, NV.
Thea Blair | Music/Rhythm
Thea earned a BA in Education from Prescott College and a Waldorf Certificate from Rudolf Steiner College. She also holds certificates in The School for Uncovering the Voice, Spacial Dynamics Level One, and Goethean Studies—all associated with Waldorf education. When her children were young, she operated a home preschool/kindergarten for 10 years before teaching the grades. In her 30 years of Waldorf teaching, she has taught preschool through 8th grade, as well as adult classes and mentoring. She often leads group singing at conferences. All her life she has loved to sing and now she enjoys bringing the joy of singing to children. Last year, she graduated an 8th grade class at Davis Waldorf School. She has two grown children who both went through Waldorf schools and she goes backpacking with them every summer. Outside of school she enjoys nature, gardening, live theater, dancing, and games of every sort.
