Nadine Caracciolo
Nadine Caracciolo is the founder and head teacher of The Children's Workshop. Her training is in education, drama and movement. She received her early childhood education experience at The Stanford University Childhood Development Center. Inspired by the influence of the English educator Dorothy Heathcote, (Drama as a Learning Medium) she went on to develop a unique teaching method that is based in dramatic play, movement and storytelling.
A popular teacher at the Seattle Children's Theater for over 10 years and Whittier Elementary School's drama teacher for 12 years, she now teaches exclusively at her own expanding school. As well as her energy and enthusiasm for children, she brings to the classroom her experience as a mother, a comic performer and a storyteller. She uses puppets to tell stories and drama to teach children about the natural world (wolves, spiders, salmon, bumblebees and birds, for instance.) She has introduced yoga to hundreds of children with her original yoga routine. Her guiding principle in working with children has always been "laughter is the best teacher."
Talma Hargrave is a graduate of the Art College of Tel Aviv and has taught Art at Blaine Elementary School. She has been an Assistant Teacher since 2004 and is loved for her calm and nurturing teaching style.
Miles Strucker is a recent graduate of The New School University in New York City. He taught drama in the I Have a Dream project in New York City schools. As an accomplished jazz pianist, he is able teach piano to the children and provides the musical accompaniment to our dramatic play. In 2004 he was awarded Seattle's Young Playwrights Award. The children adore his wacky sense of humor.