A Tapestry of Connections

My Journey to Steiner Education 

My path to teaching within Steiner education is one woven from many threads, family, chance, and a feeling of long-standing familiarity. It is less a story of a single decision and more one of gradually finding my way to a natural home.

It began with my family. My father, seeking new opportunities, was encouraged by my mother to apply for a guitar teaching position at the Warranwood Steiner School, where several of my cousins were already enrolled. He secured the role, and for a time, my brother also attended. Though my own immediate path led me to the local state school for my primary years, my father’s connection to the Steiner world deepened; he transitioned from music to drama, building a career there.

This meant I grew up in the warm glow of Steiner education without ever being directly in its classroom. My cousins and, later, stepsisters were my guides. I attended open days, pored over their beautiful main lesson books, and learned about the rhythms of Linden and Peppercorn. I knew the smell of beeswax crayons, the glow of watercolour paintings, and the community buzz of St. Andrews market. 

I was an observer, captivated by stories that seemed almost mythical from my state-school perspective, tales of calligraphy, Norse legends, and Greek gods. I orbited this vibrant world, always close but never quite inside.

The door finally opened when my family moved back to Melbourne just as I was due to start high school. The relief was profound; the alternative felt overwhelming, and I suspect I was nearing a point of deep resistance to a conventional school environment. My first days were nervous ones, as they are for any new student, but I was held by a unique sense of belonging. With my father on staff and a web of relatives throughout the school, I was never truly a stranger.

It took time to settle into the new rhythm, to unwind from the pace of my previous schooling. But soon, I came to cherish it deeply: the integration of art into every subject, the depth of the main lessons, the beautiful grounds, and the sense of peace. The school gave me space to breathe and learn in a way that truly suited me. I am endlessly grateful for my high school experience there; I am not sure I would have thrived anywhere else.

After completing a Fine Art degree, I felt a pull toward teaching, always with a quiet hope of returning to a Steiner environment. Practicality initially led me elsewhere, to Whitefriars College, where I had a wonderful experience teaching art. Unconsciously, I brought my Steiner upbringing with me, my lessons were filled with drawing and projects inspired by my own education, a testament to the profound impact it had on me.

Later, while teaching at Billanook College, a colleague mentioned an opening at Sophia Mundi. I initially dismissed it; I was a secondary art and textiles specialist, and this was a primary role. Yet, feeling ready for a change, I attended the interview.

 Walking the grounds, I was struck by a powerful memory: years before, on a photography excursion to the children's farm, I had seen students playing and thought, "That must be a nice place to teach." Now, I was on the other side of that fence.

Landing here has been both a homecoming and a new beginning. Transitioning from a high school specialist to a primary class teacher within the Steiner framework has been a deeply rewarding challenge. It requires a commitment of mind, body, and soul. In many ways, I feel I am finally experiencing the primary education I only ever witnessed from the outside. It is a gift to now contribute to the very tapestry that first captivated me so long ago.

- Lucy Linton-Smith

Class Five teacher