My Lending Library
updated January 11, 2017

My Professional Background

I got my B.A. from Smith College with a major in Philosophy and a minor in Early Childhood Education. While attending Smith, I was in the first group of student fellows at the Kahn Insitute and am proud to have been a part of its founding year. The topic that year was Exploring the Ecologies of Childhood, a perfect fit with my interest in The Philosophy of Childhood. I graduated with training in the Reggio Emilia philosophy and holding a Massachusetts teaching certificate for preK-4.

I then taught in both private (as a teacher and preschool co-director on the Navajo Reservation in New Mexico) and public (in Maryland) schools as well as homeschooling my own children.

When I returned to work, I became a teacher in a progressive school nearby and, in September 2009, I completed my Montessori training for Lower Elementary (ages 6-9).

In August 2013, I completed my M.S. in Curriculum & Instruction from McDaniel College, with a focus on Action Research in the classroom. The topic of my thesis was my development and assessment of an innovative curriculum which taught history completely through story. I now hold an Advanced Professional Certificate, the highest level of teaching certification in Maryland.

Beginning in May 2015, I returned to being a stay-at-home mom. I have a ninth grader, a toddler, and two kids in between! With the birth of my fourth child, I've also returned to learning about and designing a home space for early childhood education.

In April 2016 I was able to make a long-standing dream come true when I began the online Waldorf Teacher Training Certificate Program offered by the Sophia Institute.

If you are a member of LinkedIn, feel free to view my profile: Renee Schwartz, Greater St. Louis Area.

How This Website Began

I began researching the Waldorf method in 2005 for preschool with my oldest daughter, Natalie, and soon began writing my own curriculum (this had always been my favorite part of teaching). I sold a few units on eBay, established a Yahoo Group so my customers could get to know each other and exchange ideas, and then branched out into my own website. Currently I offer my curriculum online completely free as per my Mission Statement. I am available for consulting, individualized curriculum outlines, and custom unit design for your child in grades K-8.

Although I am currently doing my Waldorf teacher training, I want to make it clear that I started in Waldorf as a complete newbie.

I began to do the research from scratch, working my way up to a library of Waldorf books, and then taking workshops in my area. I have left my initial curriculum units unchanged as I believe it's important for a curriculum to address -- and to support -- parents starting out from a non-Waldorf background. Beginning with my first preschool unit, Families, you can follow along with the path that I took, learning how to set up the home environment, finding new skills like storytelling and making Waldorf toys, and constantly discovering more about how to integrate Waldorf principles into my teaching and parenting.

Lending Library Card

ONE YEAR of privileges at my extensive curriculum Lending Library (includes Steiner/Waldorf, Reggio Emilia, Sudbury, and Montessori, as well as parenting books). Just click on the links to the left.

Just $36.00. That's only $3.00 a month! If you want to teach using the Waldorf method but your budget for curriculum materials is limited, or you don't want to buy something you'll only need for one block or one school year, this is the perfect option for you!

Also, check out the other ways I offer budget-friendly homeschool consulting and support, including phone conversations and custom curriculum plans.