Meet Barbara: The Teacher Who Helped Build Our Roots

If you've been around our school long enough, you've probably had one of those moments; you walk past a classroom, hear laughter and a guitar strumming, and think, "oh good, Mrs. DuRocher’s here today."

Barbara DuRocher is one of our founding teachers. She was here at the very beginning, helping shape what this school would become, and she's still with us today, stepping in for substitution and tutoring whenever we need her. And here's the thing every parent eventually learns: when Mrs. DuRocher is in the classroom, you don't have to worry. It's well held with love, intention, and expertise.

A winding path to Waldorf

Mrs. DuRocher didn't start out as a Waldorf teacher. She has a Bachelor's degree in Business Management/Human Resources and a Master of Public Administration from Northern Illinois University. She spent seven years as MPA program coordinator and teaching public administration at the college level before Waldorf education found her. Once it did, she went all in earning her Waldorf teacher certification at the Great Lakes Waldorf Institute in Milwaukee, and also studying for years at places like Sophia's Hearth Early Childhood Institute, Arcturus Teacher Training, Antioch University New England, Sunbridge Institute, Essential Waldorf at Kimberton Camphill, and the Center for Anthroposophy.

That's a lot of letters and institutions but really, it just means one thing: Barbara has spent a lifetime learning how to see children well. Ask her what she loves most about teaching, and she won't give you a short answer. It's the joy of childhood. It's what the children teach her. And most of all, it's that moment when something clicks for one child, or for a whole room of them; the moment that makes all of it feel worthwhile.

Decades in the classroom, in more ways than one

Over the years, Mrs. DuRocher has done nearly every job a Waldorf teacher can do. She spent 15 years as a Parent-Child teacher, welcoming our very youngest families into the rhythm of Waldorf life. She led a grades class for seven years. She's taught special subjects: Math, creative writing, reading, guitar, and ukulele for over a decade. For four years, she personally conducted reading assessments for every student in the grade school, and she spent a year working one-on-one as a Wilson Reading tutor, helping students who needed extra support find their footing.

If your child has been at our school for a while, chances are Barbara has taught them something, a chord on the ukulele, a strategy for sounding out a tricky word, or perhaps just what it feels like to be really listened to.

The person behind the teacher

Barbara is, by her own admission, a Summer person through and through. Her birthday falls in summer, and after "many, many years of experience," she's convinced there's nothing better. You'll find her reading by a lake or the beach any chance she gets. Winter gets a grudging nod when there's snow in the bowl at school, but she'll be the first to tell you she's had enough of it well before spring arrives.

Music is a constant in her life: CSNY, The Bangles, Lake Street Dive, Queen, Def Leppard, The Wailin' Jennies, The Record Company, Tedeschi Trucks Band, and pretty much anything with a good harmony. She's always singing along to the harmony line. Country music, though… that's where she draws the line.

And if you want a little glimpse into how Barbara sees the world, she's fond of this line from Roald Dahl: "A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men." Anyone who's spent time in her classroom knows exactly what he meant.

Next time you see Barbara in the halls or hear guitar music drifting from a classroom, say hello and thank her for helping build the school we all love.

BONUS: Check out the images below from her 8th grade class’s trip to New England in 2021.