Rainbow Mountain Fourth Grade Staff
Julie Ludvigsen, 4th Grade Teacher
For over seven years, Julie has been working with alternative teaching approaches including ESL, service learning and Waldorf methods. Julie has a Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis in language arts and music. She also holds a Masters Degree in teaching English as a second language.
Julie has taught students across a broad range of ages and abilities. She started out as a Title I English teacher at the elementary level working with students for whom English was a second language. She went on to become an Americorps VISTA volunteer coordinating service-learning projects for middle school students. Before joining Rainbow Mountain, Julie taught at a Waldorf methods charter school, first in 8th grade and then in 4th grade.
As a strong advocate for alternative teaching methods, Julie has studied Multiple Intelligences theory extensively. When she moved to Asheville in December of 2007, Julie was immediately drawn to Rainbow Mountain’s philosophy and emphasis on teaching the whole child: body, mind and spirit. Julie believes her calling is to recognize what sparks students individually and connect with them on that level so they can be their best selves. Our school’s small class sizes, spiritual approach and flexible curriculum allow her to do just that.
Julie loves to share her passion for reading and music, something she has in common with many of her students. She also loves teaching children in the upper primary grades because they are capable of working independently and taking on big ideas and projects, but they still have young hearts and an enthusiasm for learning.
When Julie is not reciting poetry, singing, and learning alongside her students, she enjoys hiking with her young sons and her husband Kevin.
Dusty McKeelan, 4th Grade Associate Teacher
