High School Faculty

Kristen Raaberg

Physics

Born in Germany to two true Southerners traveling the world thanks to the USAF, Kristen went to five different elementary schools before calling Texas home. She was an Division I NCAA student athlete, then transferred and graduated from University of Texas Austin. She took a victory lap for her Masters in Engineering Education with her ChemE husband (aka OSHA Dad) then started traveling again for consulting.

Missing Texas and a college teaching job brought her back to family in San Antonio, where three little longhorns were born. Getting back to Austin was always their dream and now it’s their next big adventure. You can always find the family swimming, hiking, and reading through the library as often as they can. Kristen loves travel, listening to live music or vinyl, and cooking on the weekends. Together her loud and crazy family has two rescue kitties, one Aussie, and a beta fish named Tex.

What do you enjoy most in being a Waldorf educator?

Our beautiful campus allows us all to enjoy nature, be a part of a global community, and teach eager, young learners. When I first visited campus, it felt like a healthy place. We all have a chance to be exposed to many different disciplines, which helps us all broaden our fields. If there was ever a place for lifelong learning, it is here at Austin Waldorf.

How do you view collaborative learning among students?

Every student brings their personal experience to the classroom, that is valid and needed in their learning community. We each hold a special combination of learning style and personality type, that can be additive for group learning and an avenue for growth across disciplines. Mixing groups of learners to actively build understanding of complex theory allows individuals to approach a problem from multiple perspectives at once. Sometimes, the most unlikely combinations of teams grow more than ever expected. Physics is the great equalizer when it comes to getting outside your comfort zone. Engineering in its simplest form is problem solving; we are always looking for holistic and open-minded team members.

Describe an outside-the classroom experience and its impact.

I was born in Germany and lived there twice growing up. I was on a German gymnastics team and continued competing in the states through college. We were fortunate enough to travel and see a lot of Europe. After undergrad, I spent the summer in Greece. I hope to take our children to even more countries than I’ve been able to visit.

More about Kristen Raaberg

Kristen previously worked as a university faculty member, a business consultant, and in transformation design in the energy sector. She graduated from University of Texas Austin with a MS in Mechanical Engineering: Engineering Education and a BS in Mechanical Engineering: Manufacturing and Design.