Meet Rowan: A Teacher Bringing Music, Motorcycles, and a Sense of Wonder to the Classroom

If you ask around, you'll hear the same thing about Rowan: warm, curious, and funny in the best way. Brand new to Waldorf education, Rowan is already bringing a fresh perspective plus a quick wit and a genuine love of music and storytelling to our classrooms.

Rowan holds a B.A. in Music and Theatre from North Central College and comes to us with three years of experience as a music teacher. While this is Rowan's first year teaching in a Waldorf setting, that background in performance gives Rowan a natural sense for rhythm, presence, and timing; the same instincts that make a lesson land and a room full of kids laugh at exactly the right moment. Ask any student and they'll tell you: Rowan's classroom is a place where learning and laughter go hand in hand.

That playful energy isn't just for fun, though; it's part of how Rowan teaches. A well-placed joke or a bit of theatrical flair can turn a tricky lesson into something a child actually wants to lean into. It's teaching that takes the whole child seriously: not just the mind, but the sense of humor, the imagination, and the need to feel genuinely delighted by what they're learning.

When asked about the best part of working with children, Rowan shared:

"Getting to see their intuition and empathy, and experience creative journeys through their eyes."

It's that willingness to follow a child's lead, to see the world freshly (the way they do) and to meet them as whole people with their own instincts and inner lives that makes learning with Rowan feel like an adventure in the making.

Getting to Know Rowan

Outside the classroom, Rowan's taste runs eclectic and a little offbeat. Ask about favorite music and you'll hear two names right away: Tom Waits and Jethro Tull. Autumn is Rowan's favorite season, hands down. "It is a time of beginning," Rowan says, "and the weather is perfect for being spooky or riding my motorcycle" — a fitting answer from a teacher who clearly isn't afraid to have a little fun.

Rowan's favorite quote gets right to the heart of what teaching and learning is really about:

"It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end." — Ursula K. Le Guin

It's a philosophy that shows up in how Rowan approaches the classroom: less focused on rushing toward the "right" answer, more interested in the discovery, the mess, and the joy along the way. For families wondering what it's like to have Rowan as a teacher: it means your child will be met with curiosity, humor, music, and a teacher who genuinely delights in who they are not just as students, but as whole, growing people. We're so excited to have Rowan on our faculty.