Art of Homeschooling Studio

Jean Miller 

Jean is a mother of three, who homeschooled for 25+ years. She has a Master of Arts in Education, taught in both public and private schools, and facilitated small homeschool groups. Jean has studied and practiced Waldorf educational methods since 1992. As the founder of Waldorf-Inspired Learning, Jean supports homeschooling parents with coaching, online courses, and a membership community. She also coordinates the Taproot Teacher Training for Waldorf homeschoolers. Jean lives in northeastern Ohio with her husband, Brian. They are officially empty-nesters with their youngest now in college and two older children out on their own. When she’s not mentoring homeschooling parents, you’ll likely find Jean hiking in the woods, stirring up a new yummy dish in the kitchen, singing, or reading poetry.

Robyn & Brian Wolfe

For the past 17 years, Brian has been teaching Art, Games, and Geometry in Waldorf classrooms as well as coaching middle school and high school basketball. In addition to teaching online with Waldorfish, he’s traveled as far as China to mentor parents and teachers in a Waldorf-ish style. 

Brian has developed a calm, practical approach to teaching, with equal parts fun and playful sarcasm mixed in. When he’s not noodling on his guitar, you will likely  find him cooking big meals for his family, practicing kickboxing with his stepdaughter, playing Dungeons and Dragons with his stepson, painting in the garage, waxing poetic about geometry & the golden proportion, and playing with the family cats.

An early career as a park ranger led Waldorfish co-founder, Robyn, to her love of illustrating and education. Trained initially as both a public school and Waldorf teacher, she has been involved in art + education for over 25 years, including homeschooling her two children. 

Robyn is currently working as the manifestor of the creative vision held by the Waldorfish team. Working out of the premise that life is short (but sweet!) she empowers soul-filled teachers & families to (re)find their JOY in teaching and making art.

Barbara Dewey

Barbara, of Waldorf Without Walls, consults with homeschooling families throughout the world,  writes publications, provides training workshops, and spends her spare time enjoying her unique solar home, and developing her farmland. Barbara, a Master Gardener, and her husband Quimby, a Forest Entomologist, lead workshops and field days on the environment and backyard food production. She is the mother of four and grandmother to six. Barbara holds an M.S. in Waldorf education from the Waldorf Institute of Sunbridge College in Spring Valley, NY. She's been teaching in various settings since 1960.

Sheila Petruccelli

With an artist’s eye, a mystic’s heart and a Jersey girl’s attitude, Sheila brings 12 years of homeschooling experience coupled with her spiritual direction certification to Taproot. She believes inner work to be not some secret curriculum of the soul, but rather a unique path that must be defined by us, not for us. Her own path includes walking in nature, recording her nightly dreams, exploring the mysteries of heaven and laughing like hell. You can count on her to always have a smudge stick, a pack of oracle cards, her journal and more candles than probably allowed under local fire codes. She loves poetry, collage and chai lattes.

Rebecca Christie

Rebecca is the mother of four and has homeschooled her children since the beginning. The former industrial engineer discovered Waldorf the year her eldest was born when her husband, Rob, bought her You Are Your Child’s First Teacher as a Christmas gift! They have been on this incredible homeschooling journey ever since. Rebecca also teaches at Lilac Children’s Garden, a Waldorf-inspired homeschool group in Rochester, NY, as well as Confirmation classes at her church. She enjoys learning about new things, traveling with her family, reading, and yoga. She has attended Taproot many times as a participant and is excited to be teaching again this year.

Amber Sharipov

Amber is the mother of five and has been Waldorf homeschooling for the past 9 years. She understands the challenge of homeschooling with a large family and working with multiple grades. Amber has degrees in history and art, and appreciates the way that Waldorf-inspired curriculum and philosophy bring such beauty to learning in the home and to family culture. In her free time, she enjoys sketching, hiking, handwork, and playing with her children. And Amber created our beautiful Taproot logo!

Jodie Mesler

Jodie is the owner of Living Music. She is known for her Waldorf-inspired music and music curriculum, The Magic Flute. Before children, she and her husband made a living performing original American blues rock, releasing two CDs. Once she and her husband became parents, they started teaching music lessons so they could be at home with their children. Jodie homeschooled them based on the educational philosophy of Rudolf Steiner. During that time she made CDs, song books, and filmed music lessons for her children and other families. She continues to create new products and her newest release is called Playful Pentatonic Piano with American Folk Songs which is a gentle and fun way to begin piano. She and her husband are currently in a family band, called Southside Reunion, which includes her brother, Jacob on drums.

Eshanne Anderson

Eshanne is a homeschooling mother of two primary school children. Many years ago before falling in love with Waldorf education, she taught as a second grade teacher in a small private school and also taught acting at night for fun at the local college. 

Her academic background in religious studies has helped pave the ground for her love of exploring inner work. Her true love and passion is deeply investing in tremendous humans and helping them along their own inner growth path. 

She equally enjoys traveling to the mountains or big cities and is always ready to lead the way into frivolity or general anarchy. When not dreaming of long adventures or doodling with words and pictures...she is adoring her hilarious husband and beautiful children and making a home that welcomes her friends and family to stay and laugh and sing awhile. 

Joe Maxwell

After 20 years in corporate training, Joe found his passion in homeschooling. A father of four who currently spreads his love of being outside in nature through teachings his own kids, children in his local Waldorf Cooperative, and the future generation of athletic scholars on his soccer/ basketball teams. Joe has taught Pre-K through 2 Grade for the last 6 years. He is easily found in the woods or along the beach playing Pied Piper to a group of inquisitive muppets as they absorb the wonder and beauty of Mother Earth.

Alison Manzer

Taproot has been a very big part of Alison’s life for many years, providing her with both precious support as a homeschooling parent as well as a welcoming place to share her experience as a presenter. She is thrilled to be returning to Taproot 2020. Alison discovered yoga in the midst of homeschooling her teenage sons and credits her practice with her helping her navigate these very rewarding, very demanding years. Alison currently teaches yoga at Fusion Academy, an alternative high school in Austin, Texas, where she prior to this year also taught English and History. Alison also serves as the director of the Little Angels Service Team’s hearts for teachers initiative, whose aim is to lift up struggling teachers in rural India by helping them earn a living wage. Alison is counting the days until this year's Taproot and looks forward to gathering around the virtual book hearth with you all during the workshop she is presenting with Jean.