Kindergarten Teacher

Miss Josefine brings a calm, nurturing presence to Willow Tree Kindergarten, where she guides young children with warmth, intention, and joy. Deeply inspired by the Waldorf philosophy, she believes early childhood is a sacred time best nurtured through rhythm, nature, and meaningful work and play.

She values slow, purposeful learning, rooted in gratitude, connection, and the natural world. You’ll often find her class engaged in real, hands-on work with natural materials, spending long stretches of time outdoors, or immersed in imaginative play. To her, play is not a break from learning—it is the child’s most important work.

Originally from Finland, Josefine holds a Master’s in Special Education and has taught in a variety of settings in Finland and Germany. Since moving to the U.S. and joining Prairie Hill in 2022, she has completed Waldorf Early Childhood training through LifeWays and the Sunbridge Institute.

Outside the classroom, Josefine enjoys crocheting, spending time in nature with her husband and two young children, and she dreams of a future with a big garden and chickens.

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination circles the world”
– Albert Einstein

In early childhood, young children are nurtured in a home-like environment. Their days include time in nature, artistic activities, creative play with natural toys, stories, songs, and practical activities such as building, sewing and cooking. The curriculum fosters the curiosity and joy of childhood and builds the self confidence and pre-academic skills that become the foundation for formal learning in the grades.

All elements of the kindergarten are guided by trained teachers who deeply understand how your child learns – engaging him or her intellectually, emotionally and physically. The curriculum is supported by a strong oral tradition that provides rich language experiences that are successful in cultivating good speech and expression. This approach exposes your child to significantly larger vocabularies than those found in early-reader programs, allowing her or him to expand their literacy skills through dramatization, poetry, puppet plays, songs, storytelling and drawings – creating a foundation in reading and writing.