Great Barrington Rudolf Steiner School Welcomes Fifth Grade Teacher
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GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Great Barrington Rudolf Steiner School welcomes David Wallace French as fifth grade class teacher for the 2017-18 school year.
French was selected after a national search to replace retiring master teacher Tracey Brennan.
French graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor of arts in psychology from the University of Colorado, Boulder. He also holds a master of science degree in clinical psychology from the University of Oregon, where he specialized in children and families. He brings 12 years of Waldorf teaching experience to his new position, including a full cycle of teaching at the Eugene Waldorf School in Oregon.
The Council of Teachers and the Board of Trustees approve the hiring of Mr. French to lead the class from fifth grade through middle school, a critical period of human development.
"We are thrilled to welcome David French to the Great Barrington Rudolf Steiner School and to the Berkshires, as our fifth grade teacher this fall," Faculty Administrator Michael Junkins said. "He brings with him a spirit of adventure and an appreciation of learning and culture that is well-suited to the Berkshires. His understanding of children and families and his 12 years of experience as a Waldorf class teacher make him a strong addition to our community and faculty."
French was born in Independence, Missouri. As a child, he was active in athletics and precise in his academic studies, played piano and sang for the school choir. Profoundly moved by the spirit and beauty in nature, French enjoys wilderness hiking, backpacking and canoeing. He is excited to call the Berkshires his new home.
"Fifth grade and middle school is a great adventure," he said. "I look forward to getting to know the students and their families, and to learning a new culture. I’m taken with the beauty of the area. I felt a slower pace of life, maybe because the environment is more rural, and I look forward to a healing balance combined with all the culture the Berkshires has to offer, both for my endeavor as a teacher and for my family."
