Steiner School Taps New First-Grade Teacher
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GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Anna Taiga is joining Great Barrington Rudolf Steiner School at first-grade class teacher for the 2019-20 school year.
Taiga was selected from a pool of applicants after an international search. At the Steiner School, as in most Waldorf schools worldwide, grade-school class teachers practice "looping," moving through the grade school curriculum with their classes and building strong, long-term relationships, for up to eight years.
"We are so happy to welcome Anna Taiga as teacher for the Class of 2027," said Steiner Board of Trustees President Chris Lee. "She is already a valued member of our teaching staff, working effectively with students at all grade levels, and brings many valuable resources and experiences to the class, including her love of diverse cultures. With Anna Taiga joining the Steiner faculty as class teacher and Dr. Sue Das joining as our incoming school director, the Great Barrington Rudolf Steiner School is in an exciting phase of growth, heading toward our 50th anniversary in 2021."
Taiga earned her teaching certificate in Waldorf Education from the Alkion Center at Hawthorne Valley in Ghent, N.Y. She also holds a bachelor of science in psychology and a masters in human resources and industrial relations from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. She began her teaching career in high school English and worked as a substitute throughout the grades at Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School.
Since she joined the Steiner School in 2017, Taiga has served as first grade assistant, Early Childhood assistant and lead teacher at Summer@Steiner, and substituted throughout the grade school under the mentorship of a core group of master teachers, who will continue as Taiga’s class teaching mentors.
Prior to her teaching career, aiga worked for global corporation Citibank, N.A., in the area of talent management – conducting mentoring, coaching and succession planning in the United States and internationally. She developed and facilitated numerous leadership workshops and spearheaded a well-received employment program for youth with disabilities in Moscow.
Taiga is multilingual. She grew up near Moscow in the small town of Chernogovka and also lived in Germany and the United States during her school years. She has two children, both of whom are Steiner students. She plans to relocate her family to the Berkshires from neighboring Columbia County, New York.
"My calling to work as a teacher has been germinating within me for many years, as I studied and worked to prepare for this adventure," Taiga said. "I am inspired by Rudolf Steiner's vision of education that engages students' minds, hearts and hands, with recognition for the boundless potential in each human being. My family tree has grown many teachers! I look forward to meeting the first grade families, leading the incoming class and sharing this journey with the children, parents, school and community. I am grateful to embark with a strong commitment to success and the support of my wider family."
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