Megan Sullivan is dedicated to bringing reverence and respect to the healthy unfolding of sexuality and relationships.  Megan began her teaching career in 1994. She has taught in Waldorf schools in Australia and in the USA. Megan teaches Social Emotional Learning at Sacramento Waldorf School. She has extensive experience as a guest teacher and presenter, and lecturer in the field of Sex Education and Social Emotional Learning. The Waldorf approach to the whole child and its depth of understanding of human development grounds her in her work.

In 1999, Karen was smitten with Waldorf education when she walked into her four-year-old daughter's pre-school kindergarten class at The Waldorf School of Atlanta. The following year, Karen joined the WSA faculty as a kindergarten assistant, and in 2001 she stepped forward to become a lead teacher in a mixed-age kindergarten. She earned her Waldorf Early Childhood Teaching Certificate at Sunbridge College in New York and spent almost 17 years in the classroom guiding, laughing, and singing with her treasured 3 to 6 year-old students. She believes Lotus & Ivy can meet the ever-changing needs of young children by honoring the unique gifts of each student, and she has been the Kindergarten teacher for Lotus & Ivy since we opened our virtual doors.

By experiencing the rhythm of the seasons, celebrating simple traditions, observing nature’s quieter revelations, and enjoying the family-like feeling of a play-based kindergarten, we offer the ideal platform for young children to build foundational skills that will help them evolve into well-rounded individuals. Karen is delighted to bring her genuine interest in the world around us to her online students in ways that create beauty and preserve their wide-eyed sense of wonder. She also feels it is equally important to work with parents to provide them with the same nurturing, guidance, and soul warmth that she brings to her students.

Donovan was born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he was lucky enough to attend a Waldorf School from Class 8 to Class 13. After moving to the UK in 1991, he qualified as a Steiner/Waldorf Teacher at the renowned Emerson College in Sussex. Donovan has a Steiner Class Teaching Certificate, Emerson College, Sussex, United Kingdom with over twenty years of teaching experience in Steiner Schools.

Donovan was a Class Teacher at the former Plas Tan yr Allt Steiner School in North Wales for 5 years, at the Aberdeen Waldorf School, Scotland from 2007 to 2014, at the Cardiff Steiner School, Wales from 2015 to 2018. He also taught at the Michael Mount Waldorf School in Johannesburg, South Africa. In 2019 Donovan moved to Spain, from where he founded Waldorf Ways, a Steiner/Waldorf education resource for homeschoolers and Waldorf Wise a training program for prospective Waldorf educators.

In his own words: “I have always, primarily taught combined classes in smaller Waldorf schools and have a wide experience in differentiating to meet the diversity of individual pupils needs. I have taught from Class 1 to 8 as a Class Teacher, and up to Class 10 teaching Art and also Religion. I have taught specialist subjects across the curriculum, including perspective drawing and veil painting in the older classes. I have a passion for learning and love teaching World History, Geography and Art. I have worked extensively in all areas of a Waldorf School, not only as a Class Teacher but in School Management and as Chair of the College of Teachers. I have worked closely with teachers as a Mentor over the years and delivered professional development programs in Teacher Development and in Curriculum Development. Building community amongst teachers based on anthroposophy is one of my greatest ideals, for through this community we can build and develop within the framework of understanding. In my spare time I am a portrait painter, with a recent exhibition in Andalusia, Spain.”

Mary Jo AbiNader’s journey as a Waldorf teacher began in 2002 with her first class of 30 students in Portland Oregon. Over the years, she has grown along with her two classes that she taught from 1st through 8th grade. Those children are now grown and doing marvelous things out in the world working in business, engineering, architecture, the arts, journalism, education and law. It is awesome to see how they are taking their strengths and applying them in higher education and life through perseverance, creativity, initiative and courage.

Now back in Portland, Ms. AbiNader is the founder of Space & Grace Learning offering Educational Support, Academic Tutoring and Creative Enrichment in one:one and small group settings.

Ms. AbiNader was certified in 2023 as Educational Support Specialist and Remedial Educator with Association for Healing Education. She is a certified Waldorf Teacher and has a BA in Theater Education and Creative Dramatics. Ms. AbiNader continues to study to stay connected to new trends in education and deepen her understanding of Waldorf pedagogy to meet the needs of all children and their learning styles. She has experience with Orton-Gillingham Dyslexia Program, HANDLE Sensory Integration Institute and Brain Gym.

Ms. AbiNader enjoyed the sunshine and beaches while living in Hawaii. Here in Portland, her loves include biking, bookstores, and hiking through the forest and her cats and plants.