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To Guard and Cherish
Cultivating Compassion in Education


Spotlight on Waldorf #6: Cultivating Truth, Beauty, and Goodness Through Right Speech
At the heart of Waldorf education is a commitment to nurturing not only the intellect but also the character of each child. To truly...
melissanilsen3
6 days ago2 min read


North Star Waldorf Academy Petition
This past Tuesday night, the EUSD board voted not to approve our charter petition. While we are, of course, disappointed by the board’s...
melissanilsen3
Aug 261 min read


Spotlight on Waldorf #5: The Role of Rhythm
In Waldorf education, rhythm is the quiet heartbeat of the day. Children thrive when life has a steady flow in which one activity...
melissanilsen3
Aug 122 min read


Spotlight on Waldorf #4: Storytelling to Ignite Awe and Wonder in Children
“In Waldorf classrooms, we don’t rush to explain, we make space to be amazed.” In Waldorf education, wonder is considered one of the most...
melissanilsen3
Jul 292 min read


Letter to the Editor
North Star Waldorf Academy: Let’s support all students by making room for many educational pathways to thrive Recently, I wrote to the...
melissanilsen3
Jul 172 min read


Spotlight on Waldorf #3: Why Our Classrooms are Media-Free
Learning Through Embodied Cognition By Melissa Nilsen, Ph.D. A foundational feature of Waldorf education that has persisted for over a...
melissanilsen3
Jul 152 min read


Now on Instagram!
We’re excited to share that North Star Waldorf Academy is now on Instagram! Our mission at Compassion in Education has always been to...
melissanilsen3
Jul 131 min read


Spotlight on Waldorf #2: The Morning Handshake as a Ritual of Connection
One of the lesser known yet deeply meaningful traditions in Waldorf classrooms is the morning handshake. Every morning upon entering...
melissanilsen3
Jul 72 min read


Spotlight on Waldorf #1: Main Lesson Books vs. Traditional Textbooks
8th Grade Chemistry Main Lesson Book Introductory Page In Waldorf education, students create their own Main Lesson Books instead of...
melissanilsen3
Jun 302 min read


Waldorf Charter Schools in the United States: A Century-Old Model Thriving in Public Education
Over a century ago, in the aftermath of World War I, Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner was asked to design a school for the children of...
melissanilsen3
Jun 184 min read


An Open Letter to the North Star Waldorf Academy Community: Thank You, Clarifications, and the Path Forward
Dear Friends of North Star Waldorf Academy, Last Tuesday evening, many of us gathered at the Encinitas Union School District (EUSD) board...
melissanilsen3
Jun 173 min read


What Would a Tuition-Free Waldorf School Mean to You?
Show your support for North Star Waldorf Academy by writing to the Encinitas Union School District board members : Superintendent...
melissanilsen3
Jun 21 min read


North Star Waldorf Academy: A Tuition-Free Waldorf School Coming to Encinitas September 2026
North Star Waldorf Academy is a proposed tuition-free public charter school seeking to open in Encinitas in September 2026. Our goal is...
melissanilsen3
May 121 min read


Why Waldorf Education is the Fastest Growing Educational Movement in the World
Melissa Nilsen Ph.D. Waldorf classrooms evoke a sense of calm and beauty through the use of natural materials and soft colors With its...
melissanilsen3
Feb 203 min read


Compassionate Education and America’s Mental Health Crisis.
As depression, anxiety, and death by suicide become an increasing threat in the lives of ten- to eighteen-year-olds, schools have an...
melissanilsen3
Sep 30, 20242 min read


10 Reasons to Let Kids Play
“Play is the ultimate personalized educational curriculum, with each child creating their own challenges and solutions at little or no...
melissanilsen3
Jul 12, 20245 min read


The Problem with Competition
Classrooms are microcosms of society, and the stage upon which students practice becoming adults. This is where adolescents hone the...
melissanilsen3
Jul 1, 20245 min read


Collaborative Learning in the Classroom
Throughout human history, our greatest achievements have stemmed from collaboration. Modern medicine, the international space station,...
melissanilsen3
Jun 26, 20246 min read


Love and Equity in Education: The Waldorf Approach
By Melissa Nilsen PhD In 1921 Rudolf Steiner gave this verse to the first Waldorf teachers in Stuttgart Germany. “May there reign here...
melissanilsen3
Apr 16, 20247 min read


Cultivating Compassion for Difficult Students
By Melissa Nilsen PhD “Difficult students” are a foundational part of the teaching experience. Almost every teacher (or every honest...
melissanilsen3
Apr 16, 20245 min read
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