Meet Ms. Katelin: A Warm, Nurturing Presence for Your Little One
"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
This Maya Angelou quote has always stayed with Ms. Katelin and it shapes everything about how she approaches the children in her care. Before they remember a particular activity or project, her hope is simple: that every child remembers feeling safe, welcomed, valued, and cared for. For families entrusting their youngest learners to our school, that's exactly the kind of hands they're in.
Ms. Katelin’s path to Waldorf early childhood education has been anything but ordinary and all the richer for it. She's completed two consecutive years of introductory Waldorf Early Childhood training through Sunbridge, alongside ongoing study into rhythm, seasonal work, child development, imitation, imagination, and meaningful work in the early childhood classroom. But her understanding of children didn't begin there. It was built over years as a professional nanny, as an Executive Director and Life Enrichment Coordinator in a memory care community specializing in dementia and Alzheimer's care, and through second-degree Reiki training and a background in energy work. And, as she'll tell you herself, being a mother has been one of her greatest teachers; giving her a deeply personal understanding of what it means to create a nurturing, respectful, and supportive environment for children and families.
Her own Waldorf journey actually began three years ago as a parent, watching her own child thrive as a student at the Waldorf School of DuPage. That experience planted the seed, and she's spent the years since deepening her practice through classroom experience, professional development, and continued Waldorf training. She describes herself as a lifelong learner, always discovering new ways to bring Waldorf principles into the everyday moments of a young child's day.
Ask her about the best part of working with children, and she'll talk about their authentic innocence, curiosity, and wonder. "They are so beautifully themselves," she says. She loves watching children explore, ask questions, create, and experience the world with genuine openness and believes there's so much adults can learn from them in return. For her, helping create a space where children feel safe enough to explore, play, create, and become more fully themselves is one of the greatest gifts of this work.
Getting to Know Her
Her musical taste is refreshingly eclectic, spanning hip-hop and rap to classic rock though one song has always stood out to her: "The Chain" by Fleetwood Mac. Winter is her favorite season. "I love the quiet beauty of winter: the snow, the light, the reflection, and the feeling of being cozy and tucked inside while the natural world rests," she says. To her, winter feels like a season of preservation, reflection, and nurturing rather than outward growth; the warmth of a fire, a cup of tea, and an invitation to slow down and simply notice.
For families, that same quiet, attentive presence is exactly what she brings to the classroom. Your child will be met with genuine warmth, patience, and a teacher who understands (from every angle of her life and work) what it means to hold a child with care. We're so grateful to have her as part of our early childhood community.
