The relationship between the teacher and the child is a critical component to Waldorf Education.
A distinction of Waldorf teachers is their passion for individuality and commitment to nurturing individual student’s mind. With a heavy focus on the importance of hands-on experience for their students, rather than standardized testing, Waldorf teachers help their students to explore curricula through diverse activities, with plenty of room to customize lesson plans. The fluidity of this approach provides extensive engagement that leads to lifelong connections with the material taught, the teachers involved and the bigger questions at the heart of each subject.
EARLY CHILDHOOD
Fernanda Fuga, Lead Teacher, Buttercup Preschool
Fernanda Fuga discovered Waldorf education in 2009 when looking for a preschool for her children; today, they are both graduates of Marin Waldorf School and current students at San Francisco Waldorf High School. In 2013, while completing her training at the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training, Fernanda began working in the Marin Waldorf School preschool and kindergarten classrooms as a substitute teacher. She then took the full-time assistant teacher position in the Buttercup class for three years before becoming the Buttercup lead teacher in 2021. Fernanda grew up in São Paulo, Brazil where she earned a degree in Business and Languages at Faculdade de Tecnologia de Sao Paulo. She is fluent in Portuguese, English, and Spanish, and also speaks some French. She enjoys crafting, trail running, and going to the beach with her family.
Lisa O’Callaghan, Lead Teacher, Sunflower Preschool
Lisa O’Callaghan has been the lead teacher in the Sunflower preschool since 2021, and a member of the Marin Waldorf School faculty since 2012, where she has held various roles, including lead kindergarten aftercare teacher, parent-child assistant teacher, summer camp coordinator, and kindergarten assistant teacher. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and education from UC Davis, and she completed the Lifeways Training in Curative Education with Robyn Brown. She served on the Board of Trustees at the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training for three years and is an active member and former chair of our school’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Belonging Committee. She found Marin Waldorf School through a parenting course with master teacher Karen Rivers while her son was in preschool. Lisa was born in San Francisco and grew up in Marin County, and she loves singing, music, hiking, nature, dance, swimming, and spending time with family.