Cedarwood’s Pedagogical Director, Chiaki Uchiyama, provides an in-depth look at how Waldorf education serves not just our children, but all of humanity.
Chiaki was born and raised in Yokohama, Japan. Her journey into Anthroposophy began in 1996 when her infant son died and she sought to understand the meaning of his brief life. She moved to the United States in 1997 and taught Japanese language at Cedarwood Waldorf School for 20 years. She has conducted annual Waldorf language teacher conferences for Japanese teachers and pedagogical workshops over the past eight years. She studied astrosophy, eurythmy, anthroposophical music through lyre playing and Werback singing, as well as completed five-year Spacial Dynamics training. She served in various leadership roles at CWS — as a member of Faculty Leadership beginning in 2001, as College Chair from 2006 through 2013, and as Program Chair from 2013 through 2018, prior to her current position as Pedagogical Director. She graduated Otsuma Women’s University in Tokyo, studying nutrition and domestic science, and completed the M.Ed. program at Antioch University in the Transdisciplinary Healing Education for Advanced Waldorf Educators in early 2020.
Although she misses the fun of teaching Japanese language to the children, she finds infinite satisfaction and fulfillment in the supporting of students, teachers, administration, parents and the whole school community.