Dr. Woods joins the Executive Leadership Team at Mountain Song with extensive experience in, and a love for, both Waldorf education and public education. She earned her B.A. in environmental education from Prescott College in Arizona, and her Waldorf certification at Emerson College in England. She taught in private Waldorf schools in Oregon, New Hampshire, and New York, as well as teaching in the Waldorf training program at what is now Antioch University New England. In 2003, she pursued graduate school, leaving New York for her childhood hometown of Manhattan, Kansas (known as “The Little Apple”). At Kansas State University, she earned her Master’s in biology, with her plant ecology research receiving award recognition from the Botanical Society of America and Sigma Xi. She then earned her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction focusing on science education, also at K-State. Later, she joined Fort Hays State University, designing and instructing science methods courses for elementary teachers, and gained recognition by both students and colleagues for outstanding teaching. Her research has been presented and published in national and international forums, allowing her to cultivate a wide network of diverse professionals whom she greatly values. 

During her time in higher education, she received a number of grants and coordinated several programs that partnered public school districts and teachers with scientists, that fostered alternative teacher licensure pathways, and that provided rigorous professional development training for in-service teachers. She worked closely with the Kansas State Department of Education for years and is a recognized trainer for the Next Generation Science Standards, which Colorado recently adopted. 

In 2011, she married her wonderful husband in Estes Park, and they have made many sojourns to the Rocky Mountains, which they are now delighted to call home. Dr. Woods always knew she would return to Waldorf education, as she believes “it is the best pedagogy around.” She also is committed to making Waldorf approaches available for all students through public schools. Mountain Song, representing these same ideals, pulls strongly on her heart, and she is proud to be pouring her energies into the school and community.