For over thirty years Lori has worked diligently to support young children and their parents, the past sixteen of those as a Waldorf early childhood educator. She began her Waldorf career in Minneapolis at City of Lakes Waldorf School as an assistant teacher in the mixed-age kindergarten and nursery programs. Quickly realizing this pedagogy was true to her heart, Lori went on to complete her Waldorf early childhood training and went on to become a lead kindergarten teacher. During this time, she began training with a primitive reflex integration therapist and completed Nurturing the Roots coursework in Denver. Not long after moving to Colorado in 2015, an idea that lived in her for a long time was rekindled. This was to open a therapeutic kindergarten, to offer a space for those children who struggle in a large classroom.

After years of preparation and planning, Raphael’s Garden opened in the autumn of 2021 where Lori is the founder, director and lead teacher. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education Administration, as well as a Waldorf Early Childhood teaching certificate. Lori has studied and deeply understands the importance of movement and age-appropriate activities to guide children in their home and school environments.