The Morning Lesson
This enchanted classroom that I call The Morning Lesson is a holistic, arts-integrated, project-based approach that nurtures a child’s intellectual, emotional, and physical development. Rooted in rhythm, imagination, and hands-on learning, it emphasizes storytelling, movement, music, and nature-based experiences to cultivate a love of learning.
Unlike public school, which often focuses on testing, early academics, and digital tools, heart-thinking education delays formal academics to allow children to fully develop foundational capacities through play, artistry, and wonder. I stay with the same classes for multiple years, building deep relationships with my students and their families.
Subjects are taught through rich, interdisciplinary “main lesson” blocks that connect deeply with the child’s stage of development. These class cohorts are uniquely designed for the 21st century. It nurtures the whole child—head, heart, and hands—in an age when children need more than screens and standards.
Rooted in rhythm, creativity, and deep human connection, The Morning Lesson fosters curiosity, resilience, and critical thinking—skills essential for a rapidly changing world. In a time of noise and speed, enchanted magical education offers children what they need most: beauty, meaning, and time to grow into themselves.
Meet Your Teacher
I am Laura Keys Moreno, EdD, or Ms. Laura to my students. I am an independent scholar and artist who believes wonder is the center of academics and artistic pursuits are the heart of research in all fields. I have been compared to Mary Poppins, Yoda in cute clothes, and even Gandolph by a group of delightful middle school boys. Have earned a public school certification in my early teaching days as well as Waldorf certification.
I have taught in public, private and Waldorf schools. I have had the privilege of taking a class through a traditional Waldorf school experience from grades 3 – 8.
For the past decade I have worked with homeschooling families around the world to help create a healing and beautiful educational path for their student.
creating a space online for homeschooling families who seek a Waldorf experience.
Every student, every school, every family has helped me become a teacher who teaches from a heart-centered space. Each student is a soul on its own mission. My job is to help remove the obstacles keeping them from becoming.
Residing on the East Coast, I am active in the local Waldorf community. I guest teach when needed at both the lower and upper school. I attend Waldorf specific conferences and trainings and remain connected to my Anthroposophical roots of educational practice.
When I am not teaching, you will find me gardening, painting, researching, and cultivating a vibrant, balanced life filled with wonder experiences.
What to Expect in the lesson
A Typical Morning Lesson Rhythm (good at anytime of day!)
Each class follows a carefully designed flow that honors the natural unfolding of attention and creativity:
Welcome & Warm-Up
We begin with a morning verse, seasonal songs, movement, simple dances, recorder playing, and spoken poetry. This grounding rhythm connects children to the day, the group, and themselves.
Review Through “Free Rendering” (Making things)
Children retell or reflect on the previous lesson by creating images with construction paper—a playful and expressive method I call Free Rendering. It allows ideas to be revisited through form and color with complete independence of expression. There is no right way here. Some people might connect this practice to STEAM education systems.
Presentation of the New Concept
I introduce a new story, skill, or idea, often through rich images, storytelling, or demonstration. If a class needs a concepts taught in a direct fashion, this is the place in the lesson for explicit instruction.
Practice
We explore the new material through guided exercises, oral work, movement, or artistic expression.
Skill Refinement
Children revisit and strengthen a previously learned skill to deepen retention and confidence.
Main Lesson Book Creation
We end the core portion of our lesson by crafting a beautiful main lesson book page—a personal record of what has been learned, written and illustrated by the child. While it is impossible to create a whole page everyday, we can usually find time to work in small chunks to allow a new habit of working over several sessions to create a project.
Story Time
A closing story nourishes the imagination and ties the lesson into a meaningful narrative. The follow session will have us review the story and create from it. This process of being held accountable for the lesson before improves memory capacities and working with integrity.
Closing Verse or Song
We say farewell with a verse or song, leaving your child with a feeling of completion hopefully good spirits.
