about christa

(Bio adapted from Wild Roots Village)

Christa Valdez was born and raised in New Mexico — growing up in Ranchos de Taos — and has a deep interest in learning her history and culture. Christa recently took a 3-day "Stream of Consciousness" course at Taos Wools with Brooke Hemenway, where she learned to weave on a Rio Grande walking loom.

Christa is a Waldorf teacher who leads the Wild Roots Village Waldorf Program in Taos, and has a lot of experience working with fiber and using her hands to create. She recently collaborated with Laurel Taylor of Wilde Ink in Arroyo Seco to create a summer youth creativity program. 

She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education through Prescott College, Waldorf Certification through Antioch University New England with an emphasis on Early Childhood and Elementary Education, and a M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis on Teacher Leadership through Concordia University. 

Christa currently holds a Colorado initial teacher license (K-6), New Mexico Level III license, and is qualified to be a large center director through the Colorado Office of Early Childhood. 

She has been a Waldorf grades class teacher since 2010, in both private and public Waldorf schools, and a lead kindergarten teacher for the summer camps at Denver Waldorf School and Santa Fe Waldorf School. With over a decade of teaching in a handful of schools Christa filled many leadership roles including mentoring, parent talks/workshops, teacher training, and helped to found a Waldorf charter school. In the fall of 2021 Christa opened The Lilac School in Denver where she brought together a small group of children in her home. She is currently working on her Administrative License in New Mexico and is so excited to be teaching Waldorf in NM. 

Christa is the mother of a senior in high school and a first grader. She loves the autumn season, photography, painting, gardening, handwork, African dance classes, theatrical plays, laughing with her sons, and listening to the acequia.