Green Meadow Waldorf School: High School Faculty

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Waldorf

*In addition to faculty listed here,other high-school teachers are listed by specialty subjects on the relevant pages.

Jim Bennett, Middle-School and High-School Mathematics

BFA, Virginia Commonwealth University; MFA, University of North Carolina at Greensboro; Tools for Teaching Classroom Management Certificate; teacher training in Experiential Math and Science in the Middle School at Sunbridge Institute.

A native Virginian, Jim has been teaching for 30 years. While in college, he received the Virginia Artists' Certificate of Distinction and undergraduate and graduate fellowship grants from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. From 1987 through 2002, Jim lived in Poughkeepsie, NY. For the past 9 years he has been teaching math in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 2003, for his creativity in combining art and math, he was named Educator of the Year by the Ohio Art Education Association. Examples of his teaching can be seen on his website. In addition to teaching, Jim has worked as an artist and a calligrapher, and he is the author and illustrator of Calligraphy For Dummies. He is delighted to be in the Hudson River Valley, where he and his wife, Karen, are close to their family.

Defne Caldwell, English and Drama

BA, Literature, Boston University; MA, Teaching, Fairleigh Dickinson University. Defne completed an independent Foundation Studies under Signe Schaefer at Sunbridge College and is a certified high-school English teacher.

Before joining the Green Meadow faculty full-time in 2006, Defne taught English and Humanities for six years at Ramapo Indian Hills High School in Franklin Lakes, NJ, and taught literature, college writing, and creative writing courses at Ramapo College in Mahwah, NJ, for four years.

Defne teaches high-school and middle-school English and is the co-advisor to the class of 2015. She serves on the Collegium, the Board, and the Curriculum Development Committee. Her two daughters attend Green Meadow.

Alix Christofides, Humanities and Drama

BS, Art History/Design/Film, Empire State College, NY; MAT, English, Manhattanville College. Alix has taken various courses and trainings at Sunbridge College, Bard College, NYSAIS and AWSNA and is certified to teach art and English in New York and New Jersey.

A member of the Collegium, Alix is co-advisor for the class of 2014 and is also the faculty co-advisor for the Burning Bush literary journal.

Alix has obtained seven arts grants for the Green Meadow high school. She has been teaching at Green Meadow since 1998 and is the parent of two GMWS alumni.

Christian Davis, History

BA, American Studies, Eckerd College, Waldorf Teaching Certification from Sunbridge Institute

Christian teaches high-school History and co-advises the class of 2016.

For 12 years before coming to Green Meadow, Christian worked to develop the Suncoast Waldorf school in Florida, as the lead teacher for the first graduating class. In this pioneer school, he had an opportunity to teach many subjects, but has found his passion in teaching History.

Previously, Christian had worked as a counselor for at-risk youth and troubled adults at the anthroposophically inspired Gheel House. He studied permaculture in Hawaii and even travelled with the circus. In his spare time, Christian enjoys playing and building fine mandolins. His son attends Green Meadow.

Harlan Gilbert, Mathematics

Undergraduate education in mathematics and natural science at Yale University and Reed College, and in architecture at the Boston Architecture Center. Waldorf teaching certificate, Emerson College, England; Eurythmy training, Eurythmeum Zuccoli, Dornach, Switzerland; Master's in Education, Sunbridge College.

Harlan serves on the school-wide Math Curriculum Committee. Several of his articles, including "Rhythm in Nature," have been published in Lilipoh, in the Waldorf Education Research Institute Bulletin, and in Golden Blade yearbooks. Harlan's book, At the Source: the Incarnation of the Child and the Development of a Modern Pedagogy, was published by AWSNA Press in 2005.

Harlan has been teaching at Green Meadow since 2002 and has two children in the school.

Lisa Krogh, Mathematics and Computer Science

Lisa began her professional journey after achieving her Honors BMath (Computer Science) degree at the University of Waterloo. She designed and developed business computer systems for corporations (introducing new technology to adults) while living in Canada, Europe, and the US, eventually launching her own consulting practice.

While raising her 3 children, she entered the world of Early Childhood Development and attained her MSc in Education from Niagara University. She taught at Montessori, public, and private schools before beginning her journey into Waldorf Education. She is a graduate of Foundations of Anthroposophy, and the certificate for Waldorf High School Teaching, from the Center for Anthroposophy in Wilton, NH.

Lisa began Waldorf teaching as the Third Grade class teacher at the Aurora Waldorf School in West Falls, NY, and most recently taught middle-school and high-school mathematics and life science for five years at the Emerson Waldorf School in Chapel Hill, NC.

Lisa joins Green Meadow to be part of strong and well-established faculty, and help grow the middle-school and high-school math and computer science offering. Her son Niels is completing high school in Europe while Sophia and Ana attend Green Meadow.

James Madsen, Mathematics and Physics

B.S. Applied Mathematics (minor, Aerospace Engineering), University of Colorado-Boulder; M.S. Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Waldorf Teacher Training, Waldorf Institute of Adelphi University.

James is faculty advisor to the Robotics Club and the Student Council, a member of the Collegium, Maintenance committee and the GMWS Board, is High School Week chair and co-advisor to the class of 2011.

The director of Camp Glen Brook, a Waldorf summer camp and visiting school program, for 19 years, James previously taught at the Waldorf School of Garden City and the Toronto Waldorf School. He is interested in alternative energy engineering and studied at the University of Wisconsin Solar Energy Lab.

James Mesevage, Mathematics

Bio coming soon!

Joanne Monteleone, High School Guidance Counselor

BA, Therapeutic Recreation, San Francisco State University; MA Educational Theatre/Directing, Emerson College, MS School Counseling, Long Island University

Joanne is the coordinator for senior projects and senior internships and for the foreign exchange program.

Joanne enjoys cooking, traveling and time with her family. She has nurtured a long-standing passion for the performing arts. Her two children currently attend Green Meadow’s lower school.

Maskit Ronen, Life Sciences

B.Sc., Environmental Biology, Columbia University. B.Sc., Management and Computer Science, Open University,Tel Aviv, Israel. Maskit received her teacher training in the Israeli Defense Force, where she taught in a prestigious programming course. She completed Foundation Studies in Anthroposophy at Sunbridge College (2008) and joined the fifth cycle of the Applied Arts Program at the Fiber Crafts Studio.

Maskit teaches earth science and life science in the high school and serves on the Social Responsibility committee. She enjoys doing handwork, strives to live holistically and sustainably, and is interested in herbal medicine. Three of Maskit's four children attend the school.

John Hager Wulsin, Jr., English and Drama

AB, Harvard College, English and American Language & Literature; MA, Columbia University, English and American Language & Literature; Waldorf teacher training at Emerson College, England.

John is a member of the Collegium and serves on the Teacher Development Committee. He also teaches poetics at the Eurythmy School and high school pedagogy at Sunbridge College and Rudolf Steiner College in Sacramento. A member of the Green Meadow faculty since 1980, his children are Green Meadow alumni.

John is the author of Proverbs of Purgatory and Laws of Living Language (AWSNA). He edited The Riddle of America (AWSNA), and co-edited Books for the Journey (Michaelmas Press). Published articles include "The Great White Whale," and "Parzival: the Journey of Adolescence," both printed in Renewal. John's most recent book is Spirit of the English Language: A Practical Guide for Poets, Teachers & Students.