Our Teachers
Teachers are the heart of the Sarasota Waldorf School. Their reverence for each child as a unique human being cultivates each child’s inherent curiosity and love of learning.
Diane
Canniff
Parent-Child Playgroup Teacher
Diane Canniff has many years of teaching experience in different capacities:
she has taught dental assisting, English, writing, science, GED preparation
and ESL at the community college level and has served as a lecturer in special
education at the university level, teaching and supervising graduate and undergraduate
education students. In 2000, she joined the Sarasota Waldorf School as the
playgroup teacher. Diane has been instrumental in founding the Sarasota Waldorf
School, helping to develop, coordinate and teach many of the school’s
early childhood programs.
B.S., Elementary Education
M.S., Special Education
Ph.D. Coursework in Special Education and Behavior and Learning Difficulties.
Certified Reality Therapist, Wm. Glasser Institute
Diploma, Waldorf Education
Certificate, Waldorf Remedial Teacher
Peter
Chin
Grade Teacher
Peter Chin’s Waldorf teaching experience spans more than 20 years and
follows additional years teaching in alternative schools and programs for
adjudicated youth and for adults with developmental disabilities. Peter previously
lived in Florida as a university student majoring in English literature and
secondary education. With his post graduate work, he held Florida State teaching
credentials for grades 1-12. Peter is also a graduate of the Waldorf Remedial
Teacher Education program. After having taken several Waldorf classes to graduation,
he served as an educational support teacher at the Santa Barbara Waldorf School
for two years.in a program he developed.
B.A., English Literature and Secondary Education
M.A., Education
Certificate, Waldorf Elementary Teacher
Certificate, Waldorf Remedial Teacher
Credential, Grade 1-6 Elementary Education
E-Mail: peterchin@sarasotawaldorf.org
Website: http://teacherweb.com/FL/Sarasota/Chin
Connie
Manson
Nursery, Parent-Child Circle:
Connie Manson: BFA, M.Ed. has been sharing the magic of puppetry and music
with young children for over twenty years. She pursued and completed a Master’s
degree in early childhood education at Sunbridge College in Spring Valley
New York, She taught kindergarten at Green Meadow Waldorf School on the east
coast. After various educational enrichments and pursuits, she then moved
to beautiful Santa Barbara, where she assisted and later developed and taught
the Parent-Child Program at the Waldorf School of Santa Barbara and ran a
Waldorf-Inspired home nursery for 5 years. She has had the opportunity of
providing workshops for parents and teachers of young children at Sunbridge
College in New York and other Waldorf teacher education centers. Her studies
and interest in the RIE (Resource of Infant Educarers) approach have provided
a powerful inspiration for being with the very young. She teaches the three
day nursery program and the Parent-Child Circle.
B.A., Fine Arts
M.A., Early Childhood Education
Completed two years of Waldorf Remedial Teacher Training
Certificate, Music Together ©
E-Mail: conniemanson@sarasotawaldorf.org
Website: http://teacherweb.com/Fl/Waldorf/MsConnie
Linda Bounds
Operations manager
Bio Coming soon.
Lisa Lombardi
Lisa Lombardi assists Miss Connie in the Nursery Program and
used to attend Parent/Child Circles with daughter Uva. Lisa has been
part of SWS since 2006 and is currently pursuing her Masters’ degree
in Waldorf Education at Sunbridge College in Spring Valley, New York.
After receiving a Bachelors degree from University of Texas at Austin in 1991, Lisa embarked on a journey traveling and working around the world. After 12 years, she returned to the U.S. with husband Milto, a native Colombian. In addition to her work at Sarasota Waldorf School, Lisa works from home as a seamstress for home interiors.
Photo coming soon.
Liza Leonard
Enrollment Director
Liza Leonard, MSW, LCSW, joins our staff this year as Enrollment Director. Liza has been actively involved with the Sarasota Waldorf School for the past two years as a member of the Board of Trustees and Parent Council President. Liza earned a Bachelors and Masters Degree in Social Work at Florida State University and worked for 16 years as a child and family therapist and parenting educator before joining our staff. Liza is currently completing the second year of the Foundation Studies Course from the Center of Anthroposophy.
B.S., Social Work
M.S.W.
Anne
Savage
Kindergarten Teacher
B.S.,Biology
M.A.,Waldorf Early Childhood Education
E-Mail: annesavage@sarasotawaldorf.org
Bio to be posted soon.
Beth Hartwell comes to us with a rich teaching and life history. Beth
received her BA in Art Education in 1980 and was first drawn to Waldorf
education when her son was very young. She took the Waldorf Teacher
Training at Rudolf Steiner College in Fair Oaks, California and subsequently
taught in Waldorf Schools in northern California for 12 years. Beth has
also brought her teaching skills to Waldorf schools in Texas, Missouri and
Florida.
Born in Mississippi, Beth was raised in Texas and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Her son, now 33, lives and works in Shanghai, China. Beth enjoyed visiting
him during a recent trip in November 2007. Of course, her students are
captivated by the many experiences she can share with them from her travels.
Beth's hobbies include gardening, clothing design, drama, and sculpture, and
she brings her passions for gardening and dance to her teaching.
B.A., Art Education
Certificate, Waldorf Elementary Teacher
Certificate, Elementary Education (University of California)
Numerous workshops - Waldorf Administration, Working With The Special Needs
Child, Teaching Grades 1-5.
Email: beth.hart22@gmail.com
Vanessa Pohl
Grade Two/Three Assistant
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