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 Art of Homeschooling, 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,  grandmother to six, and expected her first two great grandchildren this summer. 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.

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 10 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 has a background in music performance and composition. Before children, she and her husband made a living performing blues rock in Atlanta, GA. Once they became parents, they started teaching music lessons so they could be at home with their three children. Jodie homeschooled them during the early years, as she made five children’s albums with song books, and she wrote a music curriculum for Waldorf parents, along the way. Her newest curriculum is a course called Playful Pentatonic Piano, where she teaches parents and children piano lessons without reading music, but by using folk songs, singing, rhythmic games, improvisation, and performance instead. She also enjoys picnics, biking, hiking and swimming.

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 he coaches all year round. 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.

Amy Lynn Bomberry

Amy Bomberry is Kanyen’kehá:ka (Mohawk), Turtle Clan from Six Nations of the Grand River. She is a mother of six, a teacher, and a holistic healer practitioner. Amy is a co-founder of Skaronhyase’kó:wa The Everlasting Tree School, a Kanyen’kéha (Mohawk) immersion, Waldorf-inspired school where she is also a classroom teacher and Faculty Chair. Amy has been actively learning Kanyen’kéha (Mohawk) for 20+ years, as a second language, to ensure her children know their language, culture and history. Amy also serves on the Board of Directors for the Douglas Cardinal Foundation for Indigenous Waldorf Education.

Alison Manzer

Taproot, Waldorf inspired homeschooling, and working together with Jean have been a very big part of Alison’s life for many years.  Their collaborations and friendship continue to guide and inspire her as an educator.  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.

Nichole Gant

Nichole is an adoptive Mother of 4, Educator and champion of children. Who has made it her life's work to help children learn and thrive. Where others see limits, she sees potential. Nichole believes in the power of possibility and breaking through barriers to help children build self-esteem, self-respect and confidence.

Nichole uses her knowledge as an Child Development Specialist to discern the social, emotional, behavioral, and physical cues of children. Which allows her to help facilitate earliest stage support and/or interventions when needed. Having worked extensively with gifted and twice exceptional populations, Nichole has a deep understanding of Asynchronous Development and the challenges often associated with giftedness. Including learning differences, ADHD, Sensory Processing Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder, among others.

A Montessori and Homeschool Guide, Leader and Speaker with over 20 years of experience, Nichole turned her passion for supporting children's innate desire for experiential learning, physical and sensory integration and concentrated social skills, into the Oaks Montessori Community. Which was nominated for the "Best New Pre-School in Austin" award. By the Austin Statesman and the greater Austin Community in 2017.

Nichole uses a combination of Positive Psychology, Montessori and Child Development to support parents and children. Her approach is calm, nurturing and straightforward. Whether it is creating strategies for parents of Toddlers, Tools for Teens, school selection, IEP, 504's or ARD's. Nichole is committed to helping children thrive.

Nichole is a Guest Speaker at the University of Texas. Keynote speaker for the American Montessori Society, as well as a member of the McCallum Fine Arts Academy Board of Directors.