Meet Rachael: A Steady, Playful Presence

There's a particular kind of calm that follows Rachael into a room; the kind that doesn't quiet the energy of a group of children so much as give it somewhere good to go. Ask anybody to describe her and they'll tell you: she's playful, she's calm, and somehow she's both at once.

Rachael has spent years learning how to hold that balance. She holds 200-hour yoga teacher training and a Kids Yoga certification, and she's a NASP-certified archery coach. She's also the founder and owner of Starlight Studio, where she blends mindfulness into yoga and archery for children ages 1.5 to 14. For the past four years, she's designed curriculum and led after-school clubs, and she's currently deepening her practice through continuing education in sensory diet routines with Harkla and in Simplicity Parenting coaching.

Her connection to Waldorf education is personal. It began seven years ago, when her daughter turned three, and it's carried her through years of self-study alongside real-life practice. This is her fifth year (2026) teaching at The Waldorf School of DuPage.

Confidence, One Step at a Time

If you ask Rachael what she loves most about teaching, she'll tell you it's helping children believe they can do hard things (the ones they weren't quite sure about) and watching them press onward, a little more certain each time. That belief is at the heart of how she teaches. It shows up in a quote she returns to often, from early childhood educator Erin Kenny: "Children cannot bounce off the walls if we take away the walls." Give a child room, Rachael believes, and they'll find their footing.

That same spirit shapes who she is outside the classroom, too. Rachael holds herself to the same standard she offers her students: a quiet, ongoing commitment to becoming her best self, and an open invitation for everyone around her to do the same.

A Few More Things to Know

Rachael is a devoted Cure fan, with musical taste that wanders from Sade to French electro — "Forest" by The Cure is one of her favorite songs to dance to. Her favorite season is fall. "You can move your body while feeling hugged by your clothing," she says. "The change that nature communicates is magical to me" a feeling right at home in a Waldorf classroom, where the seasons shape so much of how children learn.