Padmaja Kanumuri

At Sloka since 2008 | Current Principal of Sloka

Padmaja found Sloka when she was looking for a school which works on the holistic development of the child in a stress-free environment for her three-year-old. As a young mother, she imbibed the Waldorf ways into her parenting, enrolling her second child also at Sloka. She learnt to be patient and not rush anything when working with children. In the meantime, she worked as a lecturer in an Intermediate College and also received a certification from JNTU as a Soft Skills Trainer. She then joined an MNC as a trainer and worked there for two years.

She was offered a job at Sloka as an English teacher when there was an urgent requirement. She was not sure she would fit, because of her teaching experience having been limited to a conventional environment until then. She, however, took the plunge, and there was no looking back.

What she loves about Sloka is the environment it offers to teachers for constant learning. Every batch taught is a new learning experience. She feels that the exposure from the different trainings she has received as a teacher, in-house and abroad, has helped her evolve as a person. These experiences have helped her reach out to children and connect with their varied needs and interests. She feels that attending conferences like the World Teachers’ Conference and the Asian Teachers’ Conference has enriched her with a broader perspective of Waldorf education and the in-house trainings have helped her look at it specifically from the Indian context.

She has been at Sloka for 15 years now as Class Teacher, teaching English and Social Science. She has headed the Pedagogy of Sloka for two years and currently takes on the mantle of Principal. She is passionate about teaching and is often seen surrounded by children sharing a joke or two.