Rising Grade 1: Welcome, Ms. Day!
We are so happy to introduce you to Alison Day, next year’s Grade 1 teacher for the class of 2035.
Holding a BS in Dance Management and a Masters degree in the Art of Teaching, Ms. Day is a highly experienced Waldorf educator. She began her teaching career as a class teacher at Portland Village School (PVS), where she later served as the school’s Education Coordinator. She also has experience as an Educational Support Teacher at Cedarwood Waldorf School, and most recently she has been our very own Enrollment Director here at PWS. She has thrived in this role, and at the same time, she has missed being in the classroom, and is excited to return to her teaching roots.
We’re excited for you to get to know Ms. Day!
What are your interests/passions outside of school?
When I am away from school, I have the same energetic spirit. You might find me on my bike on the way to Ps&Qs Market, running in Forest Park, or attending a dance performance at Open Space with my daughter. I am also blessed with a shared family cabin on the Oregon coast, where I love to spend time hiking rugged paths and smelling the saltwater mist mixed with Sitka spruce. Music is often the pulse that guides my movement. Making mixtapes as a kid has evolved into a constant creation of the perfect playlist. I mostly choose songs from the new and old music I hear while enjoying local radio, XRAY.FM.
What is something that our community might not know about you?
I studied dance growing up and went on to dance professionally before finding my way to Waldorf education. Working with a variety of companies and collaborations, I danced in New York City, Europe and a scattering of US cities. That experience was thrilling and informed my choice to become a teacher so that I could help others follow their passions. Lately, I have been reconnecting with my first dance love, the long lost art of tap, through classes at Bodyvox.
What inspires you about Waldorf education?
As a creative kid who is now a creative adult, I see so much value in our commitment to incorporating artistic elements in every aspect of the curriculum. In my career, I have noticed that children of all ages at Waldorf schools love to come to school, which tells me that our methods do an amazing job engaging kids and building their confidence while cultivating a strong and resilient community. Also, the honor given to seasons and the passing of time through festivals helps students and adults measure progress in ways that aren’t tied to harried achievement but rather to natural development. Perhaps most importantly, Waldorf education asks for unwavering devotion from teachers to see children in the purest light. This radically loving stance is absolutely foundational for a positive learning environment. Above all, I appreciate Waldorf education's fierce dedication to instilling curiosity and wonder from early childhood into high school.
What do you look forward to working on with your new class in the fall?
So many things! I am most looking forward to getting to know each one of my students. I love learning about each child’s interests, questions and passions so that I can understand them on a deeper level. Since I was out of the classroom for a few years while my daughter was young, I have really missed guiding the evolution of literacy and mental math stories. I look forward to all this and more as we co-create a harmonious and joyful learning environment for this year and those to come.
