Faculty
Diane Schon Wirtschafter
Fourth Grade Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Teacher and the Lower School Instructional Coach
Diane Schon Wirtschafter has been teaching since 1986 in both public and private elementary schools, including 11 years at Tehiyah Day School in El Cerrito. She studied psychology at Barnard College in New York City and earned her M.A. in education at Bank Street College of Education, and at the University of Minnesota. Ms. Wirtschafter twice won the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics Education at the state level. Music is an integral part of her life, and she has sung with washboard bands, klezmer bands, and students. During shelter-in-place in the spring of 2020, her family’s musical parody video went viral! You might hear one of her adult children on our local NPR radio stations and, if you travel to L.A., you could possibly see her other adult child on stage! Her youngest son, an enthusiastic member of the BPC class of 2015, is a college student. Ms. Wirtschafter joined Black Pine Circle School in 2010 as the fourth grade head teacher. She is looking forward to taking on her new role this year, coaching, mentoring, and supporting teachers.
Why I Work with Children
I love children and helping them understand things. It’s always interesting!
A Favorite Book
From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg. I enjoy reading about these bickering siblings hiding out at a museum. They grow closer as they work to solve a mystery.
Quick Fact
