Waldorf News
Why do we have Circle Time throughout the Grades?
July 18, 2022
Whenever I am asked this question, I enjoy taking the opportunity to relate the elements of an effective circle and to shed light on the reasons for preparing the most thorough and enlivening series of exercises, speech, song and dance that one can possibly create for their students. The elements of an effective circle hold true for all age groups and the differences lie in the graduated degree of challenge and age appropriate material that one incorporates. I have come to these particulars through decades of teaching. Many of the teachers that I have observed and evaluated through the years have chosen to do movement at their student’s desks. Those teachers felt that the location of the movements and activities did not detract from their effectiveness and caused less disruption to the day. Let’s look at a circle; first of all, throughout history and in almost every culture in the world, the circle is considered to be a sacred form. When a child, or anyone for that matter, becomes part of a circle there is instant equality. There is no one ahead of you or behind you. Most importantly there is no one’s back facing you. More »
Waldorf Education: A Family Guide, Completely Revised, Second Edition
June 7, 2022
Waldorf Education: A Family Guide is an illustrated collection of essays drawing on the wisdom and enthusiasm over 65 Waldorf teachers, administrators, and parents from around the world. What began over 30 years ago as a version of a parent handbook for the Marin Waldorf School has metamorphosed into a treasure for parents and teachers. Each of the articles could be a book in itself, but the authors restrained themselves to only two to four pages each. This has the effect of condensing and distilling the subject matter, making it all the more potent and exciting. Parents new to Waldorf education will find the topics relevant and the style accessible. More »
The Importance of Listening
May 23, 2022
In today’s times there are so many things coming towards us fighting to draw our attention. You can’t seem to go anywhere anymore without a screen staring you in the face. Even at the gas pump there is a screen showing some advertising. With all that there is to distract us today, attentive listening has fallen by the wayside. And of course, trying to keep up with everything coming towards us is exhausting and it clouds our thinking. If we consider all the conflict in the world today, one could say that part of the conflict comes from the fact that we are no longer listening attentively because we are so distracted with the electronic fast pace of modern life. All this information rubbing up against us trying to get our attention in an over saturated world is numbing us. Learning to pay attention, or to attend to the important things in life, also known as executive function, is a skill that one must work on to stay healthy and balanced and as a way to build healthy connections with others. More »
How to Restore Diversity and Inclusivity to the Waldorf Curriculum
May 16, 2022
There is no need to add diversity and inclusivity to the Waldorf curriculum—they just need to be restored. Diversity and inclusivity have been there all along in Steiner’s original storytelling curriculum. Over the last 100 years, they have been obscured by the parallel Waldorf curriculum, or the traditions that have grown up over the last 100 years. Teachers interested in creating a more diverse and inclusive curriculum are invited to consider Rudolf Steiner’s original storytelling indications. Not only would the original storytelling curriculum restore diversity and inclusivity, but it would also enable teachers to work with economy in teaching. This article shows how. More »
Cararocka
May 10, 2022
Recently a kindergartener asked a question that stopped me. “There’s no such thing as a villain, right?” We are standing under the oak in front of our school amidst the swirl of afternoon pickup, his freckled face gazing upwards. He is squinting, his mouth slightly open. And he is worried. Hearing worry about such a question in a four year old is haunting. “No,” I respond, trying to sound calm and light. “There are no villains. Not really. There are confused people and those who are less confused.” More »
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