Martha Tryban

Sunflower Class Assistant Teacher

I have worked with children since I was very young and have always found so much joy in their day to day. As a child I attended a small Catholic school where I always dreamed I’d be a teacher. I loved the warmth and community I felt at such a tight-knit place and I loved the predictability of the daily routine, including blessings and such. My path soon diverged from my religious upbringing and I fell in love with nature and biology. In high school I was a nanny part time during the school year and full time each summer, to the same family. Watching these kids grow up with me was and is so rewarding.

I attended the University of Kansas and received my degree in Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology with a minor in Environmental Studies and worked in an ecology lab on campus. In the lab we did community outreach, going to local schools to teach brief ecology lessons. This brought back the urge I’ve always felt to be a teacher. The opportunity to work with both kids and biology, teaching them a deeper appreciation for ecology, was wonderful. 

I soon began my Waldorf journey when, after graduation, I started nannying a child who attended Prairie Moon Waldorf School. I adored this child’s ability to slowly and intentionally move through the world at such a young age and one day picked her up from the Early Childhood program there. That same day I called to see if they were taking applications for teachers. As I learned more about Waldorf Education, I became more and more excited to be involved. I love the overwhelming feeling of safety, discipline and curiosity that the school fosters. The students are able to explore their natural curiosities and be children. They can experience the world through sensations and activities. As well as gain a sense of safety from predictable daily routines and group activities.

Waldorf offers so many of the things I loved about Catholic schooling as a child while emphasizing a message I connect with, something I feel good about teaching children; a deep appreciation for mother earth and all that nature provides. Each child is treated on an individual level. I feel so lucky to have found an opportunity to teach in a community like this and I can’t wait to see what this year brings.