Kristen Cecil, WSOC High School Humanities teacher Before becoming our high school humanities teacher this year, Connecticut-born Kristen Cecil taught creative writing and literature at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts. In addition to teaching, she also worked as the first mate on Mystic Seaport Museum's schooner Brilliant, the nation's oldest sail education program. Ms. Cecil went on to complete M.F.A. and M.A. programs in Creative Writing and Gender and Race Studies at the University of Alabama.   She says she is deeply enjoying teaching Waldorf high school students. What sets our students apart?   "For one, the conversations in class," she says. "The students are so good at listening to one another, referencing one another's opinions and adding to them. They go deep! They are both playful and profound. They are wonderful collaborators and willing to experiment!"   What's her class been working on?   "This week, we are just finishing our student films to screen for Film Fest. It's interesting because our topic theme year is "Forging the Future of Peace," yet we've been discussing how a story uses conflict to move the plot forward. Each group is playing with this tension between conflict and peace in a different way, and it will be so fun to watch how their efforts come together."   What drew Ms. Cecil to Waldorf Education? In 2008, Kristen was at a poetry conference and met a teacher from Minnesota who happened to be a Waldorf teacher. She became interested in how Waldorf pedagogy harmonized with social-justice and creative-writing pedagogies, which opened the door to a deeper look at anthroposophy.   Ms. Cecil most recently wrapped up discussion in a reading group of  From Symptom to Reality in Modern History by Steiner and also finished the book  Citizens of the Cosmos by Beredene Jocelyn, which is grounded in the Waldorf view of human development taking the form of seven-year cycles.   She also resonates with the rhythms of the WSOC classroom blocks, she notes, as well as the Socratic nature of teaching in Waldorf education; a shared dialogue between student and teacher that often answers questions with other questions in order to draw out deeper responses.   The Waldorf practice of learning with the whole body does not fade in the high school years, says Ms. Cecil. She often incorporates theater-inspired interpretive techniques into studies of classic and ancient works. When her 10th graders studied the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Hindu text, students blocked out a spatial interpretation of the looming battle described in the opening chapters to tease out insights about deeper emotional truths.   She is eager to begin working with Grade 11; they will read Shakespeare's  Hamlet during her next block.   "Waldorf education provides an incredible framework for understanding human development. We are constantly developing throughout our lives," she says.   "This is why people become teachers- we ourselves have an innate love of learning. Our development as educators is ongoing, parallel to our development as human beings; it never ends!"

 

Typically, a new family likes to settle in for a few weeks before launching into the volunteer realm. Maureen McDermott started her volunteering career baking for WSOC's New Family Orientation. It was her second day at WSOC; her twin sons Levi and Aidan had just started kindergarten. She, along with wife Lisa Kalmin and their boys, were one of the families being welcomed. She was unfazed.

 

"I had read a great deal about the school, and I understood that contributing was part of the experience of being here," she says. "It enhances our time here at WSOC, and it's also creating a wonderful example for our kids, how we collectively create community."

 

Aside from baking for Hospitality and Company of Angels, Maureen quickly found a home in volunteer works such as accompanying the boys' classes on walks and helping with classroom projects. More recently, she has taken on the role of Hospitality Coordinator for WSOC's Parent Education events. Thanks to her and her crew, each of our Parent Education events has been lovingly stocked with warm and cold beverages and treats. This welcoming gesture goes a long way with not only our invited speakers, but our guests who often come straight from work.

 

Being present on campus also affords a deeper sense of knowing. "One of my favorite things about volunteering has been getting to know all of the children, as well as the Administrative staff," she notes.

 

What is her advice to a new family looking to get involved but feeling overwhelmed, or unsure of where to start? She recommends talking to a friend on campus or a Room Rep, someone seasoned who can distill the process and make recommendations based on a family's availability and interests.

 

In addition to her current volunteer work, Maureen was recently appointed to the WSOC Board of Trustees. "I am honored to be of service at this level, it's a new commitment and I am excited to see where I can make a difference."

 

"When I walk on campus, I feel I have carved out a space here," she says. "It gives me a sense of ownership."