Although puppetry has a long history as a holistic teaching tool, it remains an underutilized arts integration technique in elementary and secondary schools. To better understand Waldorf teachers’ perspectives on pedagogical puppetry and the necessary training to effectively implement the work, this explanatory mixed-methods dissertation sought to fill the gap in research on teachers’ views of puppetry and what training they believe is important to feel comfortable doing the work. Committed to using an action research approach, a professional development workshop and lesson plans were created for 1st–8th grade Waldorf teachers based on the feedback from this dissertation’s explanatory interviews and preliminary survey. The professional development program was created to closely align with Waldorf education practices by linking puppetry experiences within the Waldorf curriculum, Core Arts standards, and potential social-emotional growth.
Keywords: Puppetry in education, pedagogical puppetry, puppetry and social-emotional learning, Waldorf education