Teacher Spotlight: First Grade, Elizabeth Lenarz
Ms. Lenarz is currently leading the graduating class of 2026 as they prepare to enter High School.
She will be returning this fall to hold this year’s rising first grade!
Name: Elizabeth Lenarz
Grade you will be teaching in 2026-2027:
First Grade!
How many years have you been teaching at the Minnesota Waldorf School?
Almost eight years (all with the class of 2026)
What is your educational background?
I attended Robbinsdale area schools from kindergarten-12th grade. I always knew I wanted to be a teacher, and went to the University of Minnesota Duluth for a Bachelor’s of Music Education. I taught music for three years in Minneapolis before attending Waldorf Teacher Training in Eugene Oregon.
What drew you to the Waldorf Curriculum?
Initially I was drawn in by the integration of the arts, but learning how Waldorf education really centers the children and each developmental stage is what made me know I was in the right place.
What is your favorite subject or learning block to teach?
Well, my favorite Waldorf teacher activity is telling stories, which is great because we get to do that in every block! I’ve really loved experiencing how the stories of the lower grades evolve into the history we teach in the upper grades. If I had to pick just one out of all of the blocks I might say sixth grade history.
How would you describe your teaching style in a few words?
Student-centered, joyful, rhythmic, warm.
What makes MWS unlike any other school?
I think we all feel it when we come up the driveway each day. There is something so special about our school. I still don’t have the exact words to describe it even after eight years, but I do know that I get up every morning looking forward to school, and that my students and colleagues feel the same way. I don’t know that everyone gets to experience the joy of work and learning, and the community that we have here at MWS. I consider myself so lucky to be a part of it!
What do you love most about First Grade?
Building a class community full of reverence, ritual, and rhythm, and the pure joy of brand new academic learning.
When you aren’t teaching, what do you enjoy doing?
So many things! Singing, swimming, baking, knitting, and gardening are at the top of the list.