The Love School Way
Monthly Workshops with Mama Claudia
For Parents, Educators, Mentors, Teachers, and Homeschool Parents
After more than 35 years of living, learning and working alongside children, Mama Claudia is opening The Love School’s doors to teachers, educators and homeschooling parents who would like to come together, share questions and explore a thoughtful and deeply relational approach to childhood and learning.
A Lifetime Devoted to Children
Mama Claudia’s work has grown from a lifetime devoted to children. From opening her first school in Johannesburg, South Africa, to studying Waldorf education, and later bringing her work to Los Angeles and the mountains of Topanga, she has spent decades observing children, teaching, creating curriculum, supporting families and continuing to learn from the children themselves.
Over the years, her approach has been influenced by Waldorf, Montessori and Reggio Emilia education, nature-based learning and Way of Council. But the Love School Way has ultimately grown from experience — from thousands of ordinary and extraordinary moments spent with children and families, and from discovering, year after year, what helps children feel secure enough to be fully themselves, curious enough to learn and confident enough to participate meaningfully in their community.
The Love School Way
The Love School Way brings together social-emotional development, meaningful academics, nature, creativity, movement, storytelling and the rhythms of everyday life. It honors who each child is while helping them learn how to live, learn and work alongside others.
At the heart of this work is relationship.
How do we really see the child in front of us?
How do we create loving, clear boundaries without diminishing their spirit?
How do we help children find their own voice while learning to listen to others?
How do we guide them through friendship, conflict, collaboration and repair?
And how do we create curriculum that begins with children’s natural curiosity while making sure they receive the strong foundations they need?
What We'll Explore
Each month, we will gather around a different aspect of The Love School Way. Through conversation, stories from the classroom, observation and hands-on experiences, we will explore approaches that can be brought into a classroom, homeschool or family life in very practical ways.
Together, we may explore:
SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Supporting emotional intelligence, relationships and conflict resolution.
RHYTHM & BOUNDARIES
Creating healthy rhythms and loving, meaningful boundaries.
CHILD-LED LEARNING
Following children’s natural curiosity while understanding the role of the teacher.
BRINGING ACADEMICS ALIVE
Exploring learning through story, art, nature and real experience.
DIFFERENT WAYS OF LEARNING
Working with mixed ages, different abilities and individual ways of engaging with the world.
COUNCIL & COMMUNITY
Working with mixed ages, different abilities and individual ways of engaging with the world.
CREATIVITY & EMBODIMENT
Exploring the place of movement, music, handwork, imaginative play and creativity in a child’s education.
SEASONAL LIVING
Bringing seasonal celebrations, nature and meaningful rhythms into the lives of children.
We will also look at something that has always been central to The Love School: helping children discover who they are. We want children to recognise their own gifts and abilities, learn to advocate for themselves and one another, experience the joy of collaboration and discover that what they bring matters.
These are Not Lectures...
These are not lectures. They are warm, participatory gatherings with time to bring the real questions and situations that arise with the children in your life. We will think them through together, share what has worked and what has not, and leave with practical ideas to try.
The intention is not to teach anyone to reproduce The Love School.
It is to share what has been learned through a lifetime with children and to give teachers and parents useful tools, inspiration and confidence to create something authentic within their own homes, classrooms and communities.
The Intention
Tuition
For Parents,Teachers, Educators, & Homeschooling Parents
Workshops will be offered once a month at The Love School in Topanga.
Come for one gathering or return throughout the year.
Monthly Workshop
$80 per person for our three-hour workshop
We would love to have you join us. These gatherings are intentionally kept small, with plenty of room for conversation, questions and sharing together.
We want this work to be accessible to those who genuinely wish to participate. If the cost presents a hardship, please reach out. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Come with your questions, your experience and your curiosity as we continue learning together about the extraordinary work of raising and educating children — heart, hands, body, imagination and mind. We look forward to welcoming you to The Love School.