Meet Our Team
At Árbol Madre, teachers are more than educators – they are mentors, artists, and companions in wonder.
Governance Team
Ana Benito
School Director, main board member, NEASC coordinator
Ana brings a rich mix of academic, professional, and international experience to her role as School Director, guiding Árbol Madre with vision and care since 2018.”
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Ana’s professional journey spans education, consultancy, and public administration. She holds a PhD in Historiography and degrees in Philosophy and Humanities, Education, Business Administration, and Corporate Communication—qualifications that support her strategic and thoughtful approach to school leadership.
She began her career as a secondary school teacher and later contributed to higher education as a guest lecturer at the University of Barcelona. Her experience includes work in public institutions such as the Spanish Senate and the Official State Gazette, as well as over a decade leading consultancy projects across Europe’s education and public sectors.
After a transformative period living in Asia, Ana joined Árbol Madre in 2018 as School Director. She brings vision, deep commitment, structure, professionalism, and a collaborative spirit to fostering a holistic educational environment.
Ceri Stockwell
Main Board Member
Dr. Sumi Hollingworth
Main Board Member
Teaching Team Primary
Nicole Koetzner
Main Teacher
For over 15 years Nicole has guided children in Andalusia’s Waldorf schools, blending her love for handcrafts, music, and art with empathy and dedication.
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Nicole discovered Waldorf education during her studies at J. W. Goethe University in Frankfurt. Drawn to its child‑centered philosophy, she chose to dedicate her life to this pedagogy. Since 2005 she has lived in Órgiva with her husband and three children. After completing her Waldorf training at Escuela Libre Micael in Madrid, she began teaching at Escuela Waldorf Alpujarra.
There she led primary classes for many years, specializing in handcrafts, music, choir, art, and English. She also shares her expertise at national pedagogical conferences hosted by the Waldorf Association of Spain. Nicole is now completing her training in Anthroposophical Art Therapy, enriching her ability to inspire creativity, healing, and confidence in her students.
Sara Ortega
Pedagogic Coordinator & Main Teacher
Sara combines her background in psychopedagogy with Waldorf training to guide learning that honors each child’s rhythm and deepens their connection to nature and art.
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With over a decade of teaching experience and a degree in Psychopedagogy from the University of Granada, Sara has worked with children ages 6–12 across diverse educational settings. She specializes in supporting varied learning rhythms and fostering inclusion.
Her discovery of Waldorf education transformed her approach to teaching. Through art, crafts, music, and seasonal rhythms, she found a path that nourishes the whole child. Sara continues to expand her knowledge through ongoing training and integrates her passions for rural life, permaculture, and community into her work at Árbol Madre.
Agustina María Bassi
Main Teacher
Agustina is a Waldorf teacher and counselor from Argentina whose work blends pedagogy, psychology, and artistic practice to nurture children with sensitivity and joy.
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Since 2013, Agustina has dedicated herself to Waldorf pedagogy, guiding both kindergartens and primary school groups in Argentina. She was a founding teacher of a Waldorf kindergarten in Calafate’s Village and has supported several new Waldorf initiatives.
Her background also includes humanistic psychological consulting, art, meditation, and holistic counseling work with children, teenagers, and adults. Alongside her Waldorf teaching, Agustina has taught English in Argentina’s public schools for many years. She brings a depth of compassion and creativity, leaving a lasting imprint of love and enthusiasm on her students.
Diana Esteban Barco
Music Specialist & Support Teacher
Diana brings her rich musical background and Waldorf training to inspire joy, creativity, and harmony in children through music and rhythm.
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Born into a farming family that embraced anthroposophy and biodynamic agriculture, Diana grew up surrounded by music and holistic values. She holds degrees in Piano, French Horn, and Secondary Music Education from conservatories in Maastricht, Castellón, and Valencia.
Trained as a Waldorf teacher in England, Diana has taught in a broad range of roles—from music support and eurythmy accompaniment to classroom and pastoral care. Now back in Spain, she enriches Árbol Madre as a music specialist and support teacher, fostering creativity, community, and joy through the universal language of music.
Chloé Rival
French Specialist Teacher
A French teacher who has made the Alpujarras her home, Chloé shares her love of language and culture with warmth, curiosity, and joy.
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After obtaining her degree in Education in France in 2011, Chloé spent years traveling the world, experiences that deeply shaped her teaching philosophy. Her passion for languages and human connection led her to settle in Bubión, where she now teaches French and English to children and young people.
Chloé brings creativity and patience to her classes, inspiring joy in learning. Beyond the classroom, she offers astrological consultations and participates in reforestation projects with the Semillistas association. She finds renewal in hiking, swimming, and exploring nature. For Chloé, teaching is ultimately about awakening wonder and nurturing curiosity.
Teaching Team Kindergarten
Gema Estela Silva
Kindergarten Teacher
Gema is a kindergarten teacher and dance‑movement therapist who weaves creativity, care, and embodied learning into the early years.
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With a background in social sciences, teaching, and dance movement therapy, Gema has dedicated her professional life to education across all ages—from early childhood to the university level. She believes education is a form of care, where each child encounters a deep and sensitive relationship with teachers and community.
Her passion for movement and the body guides her teaching, bringing rhythm, creativity, and sensitivity into the classroom. Since joining Árbol Madre in 2024, she has brought her holistic perspective and joyful presence to the kindergarten, where children experience safety, expression, and play.
María Felisa Delgado Torralba
Kindergarten Teacher
Felisa is a teacher with a traveling spirit and deep roots in the Alpujarra. With a background in arts and sign language interpretation, she brings presence, creativity, and inclusive care to every child.
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Born in Vélez de Benaudalla to a family from Órgiva, Felisa’s path in education began early, guided by a deep sensitivity to childhood, diversity, and the arts. Trained in Motril and Granada, and at the School of Arts and Crafts, she developed a strong creative approach to learning and making.
As a sign language interpreter, she has spent much of her career supporting children with disabilities—an experience that profoundly shaped her way of seeing, teaching, and caring. Her vocation has taken her to Waldorf‑inspired and alternative schools in Iceland, Mexico, and Italy, where she embraced active, experiential, and respectful methods that honor the rhythms of childhood.
She has accompanied children in many contexts—from school gardens and equine‑assisted therapy to sport, creative expression, and inclusive learning environments. Felisa is currently continuing her Waldorf teacher training in Alicante, weaving together all she has learned with what is still to come. Now, returning to her roots, she offers her skills and heart to the Árbol Madre community.
You have no idea how unimportant is all that the teacher says or does not say on the surface, and how important what he himself is as teacher.”