Our Teachers

The hands and hearts behind Heartsong

Where is the book in which the teacher can read about what teaching is?

The children themselves are this book. We should not learn to teach out of any book other than the one lying open before us and consisting of the children themselves.

-Rudolf Steiner

Stephanie Seliga-Soulseed

Parent Educator & Innate Postpartum Care Instructor

I am the lead grades teacher and the founder of Heartsong. With a degree in Philosophy and Women's Studies, I found my calling in Waldorf Education. At Heartsong, we create a nurturing and beautiful environment where children can grow and thrive. Our mission is to inspire curiosity, wonder, and creativity in each child. I believe our children are the hope for the future, and it is an honor to be part of the family journey through childhood and parenthood. With a dedicated team, we strive to instill reverence, family connection and a lifelong love for learning.

Heartsong’s Director, Grades Lead Teacher

Melodie Ruppel

Buttercups Lead Teacher (3-4 Years Old)

I am a dedicated preschool teacher and proud mother of four. My journey with Waldorf education changed my life profoundly, infusing my teaching with a holistic and creative approach. As an herbalist, I bring my love for nature into the classroom, nurturing young minds to appreciate the world around them. Encouraging imaginative play and storytelling, I create a warm and inclusive space where children thrive emotionally and intellectually. Waldorf education has inspired me to blend my passion for teaching with herbalism, empowering the next generation with knowledge, compassion, and a deep connection to nature.

Kinderforest Lead Teacher

Kate Young

Kinderforest Lead Teacher (5-6 Years Old)

As a teacher, my goal is to share the beauty, simplicity, and wonder of nature to learning as I had experienced as a child in a holistic, child centered way. I focus on creating a rhythm & relationship that aligns with the Earth, the children’s own ancestry, and the traditions of the land on which we walk.

I am passionate about herbalism, land restoration, fiber arts, wild foods, native plants, nourishing community, child development and protecting play in its most open form. I strive to bring all of this into our days and am always looking to learn, grow & be inspired.

Hawthorns Lead Teacher, Handwork & More.

As a devoted mother of two and a trained postpartum care provider, I am delighted to join the Heartsong community. Discovering the curative curriculum here has been a source of healing, not only for the children but for myself. The focus on preserving and protecting early childhood resonates deeply with me. I am expanding my foundation in physiological postpartum care to encompass the physiological impulses and imperatives crucial for safeguarding childhood. My journey at Heartsong is a beautiful blend of learning, growing, and appreciating the profound value and the fine tuned tools necessary to nurture the essence of childhood.

Kinderforest Programs Assistant (ages 3-6)

Elizabeth Rogers

Taj O’Brien

In this most pressing time for people of the Earth to bring forth the strength and beauty that is within us, Taj feels called to the threshold of adolescence, where he wishes to support the young and passionate hearts and minds of Heartsong Living Arts. As an educator focussing on human development and embodiment, he has been shaped by teachings of nature and qualified mentors who imbue the living wisdom of Yoga, traditional Indigenous systems, and Waldorf Education. Taj wishes to impart to students the tools to observe the world around them and navigate through inner developmental challenges with the creative arts of self-expression and environmental attunement.

Middles Grades Lead Teacher

Emma O’Bear is a lifelong student who is following her calling to be a teacher. With deep roots in the Gorge she offers her students a chance to create their own special connection to meaningful places only accessible with local guidance and erudite knowledge of the flora and fauna of our bio-region. She has been the lead Farm & Forest  teacher, summer camp instructor, and has taught grades 1-5 for many years at Heartsong.

Grades Programs Assistant

Emma O’Bear

“The staff is the best of the best and we love having good role models around our children”

— Middle Grades Mom