Teresa M. Woods, Ph.D.

Mountain Song Community School, Colorado Springs, CO

Teresa combines her experience in, and love for, both Waldorf education and public education in her efforts to help grow the public Waldorf movement.  Teresa has been involved in Waldorf schools as a class teacher, board member, mentor, teacher educator, professional development specialist, and school leader.  She is currently Executive Director at Mountain Song Community School in Colorado Springs, where she has been since 2018, living her dream of making Waldorf approaches accessible for all students through public education.

Teresa’s career has woven together her callings in both education and natural science.  She discovered the gem of Waldorf education in 1983 while working for Oak Meadow School, and even as she continues to pursue broad interests, Waldorf pedagogy and phenomenological science remain core to her practice.  She earned her B.A. in environmental education from Prescott College, Waldorf certification at Emerson College in England, M.S. in Biology (plant ecology), and Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, both from Kansas State University.  She was an Assistant Professor at Fort Hays State University before moving to Colorado Springs to become school leader at Mountain Song.  She has taught at the elementary, secondary, undergraduate, and graduate levels and has earned award recognition for research and teaching.  She’s received numerous grants to lead innovative educational programs in science education, social-emotional learning, and teacher licensure.  She is currently leading capital renovation and expansion at Mountain Song Community School, where she loves greeting the hundreds of K-8 students, teachers, and staff each morning in the beautiful historic 1901 school building that looks out to Pikes Peak.