The Spirit
of Ma’at Vol 1, No 10
by Suzan Patrick
The more slowly trees grow first, the sounder they are at the core
- and I think the same is true for human beings.
- Henry David Thoreau
This
month's Spirit of Ma'at, in addition to examining alternative educational
philosophies and learning technologies, has chosen to present two K-12
alternative school systems in some depth. One of these is the curriculum-free
Sudbury model (refer to the Table of Contents for several articles on Sudbury).
The other, the Waldorf school, while heavily committed to providing a rounded
curriculum, is as refreshingly radical as Sudbury in its approach to education
and its commitment to nurturing freedom and creativity.
Our
staff reporter Suzan Patrick received the assignment to provide us an
up-close-and-personal view of this educational model. She was pleasantly
overwhelmed with what she learned. Here are her findings, and her first-hand
account of a day in the life of Waldorf School.
Rudolph
Steiner, an Austrian scientist (1861-1925) had the vision that man was a
threefold being - body, mind, and spirit. According to Steiner's beliefs, each
aspect of the self unfolds in stages, from early to middle childhood, and then
adolescence. The Waldorf Schools are based on this philosophy.
The
first Waldorf School opened, tuition free, in 1919 in Stuttgart, Germany, after
the German defeat in World War I when the nation was on the brink of social and
economic destruction. Steiner had made a speech with a plea to the employees of
the Waldorf-Astoria Cigarette Factory for social and political renewal. As a
result of this rally, he was asked by the owner of the factory to begin a
school for the children of the factory employees.
Steiner
agreed - under the following conditions, all of which were practically
unheard-of concepts in his own time:
1. The
school would be open to all students;
2. The
school would be co-educational;
3. It
would be a unified - a 12-year school; and
4.
Primary control of the school would be in the hands of the teachers, not the
state.
Unbelievably,
Steiner's conditions were all accepted, and on September 7, 1919, Die Freie
Waldorfschule opened its doors.
Today
there are over 800 Waldorf schools worldwide in over 40 countries, about 150 in
North America alone. And even many public schools have adopted portions of the
Waldorf philosophy.
Waldorf
School Structure
The
school is designed down to the colors of paint used on the walls. It is divided
into three sectors, one for those in early childhood, one for those in middle
childhood, and the third for adolescents.
The
curriculum is compared to an ascending spiral of knowledge. As the students
progress, they expand into higher levels of complexity with the subject matter.
One fascinating and unique point is that the teacher is assigned to a class
very early on, and the teacher moves through each grade with that group of
students until they reach adolescence. The bond is very strong from the
beginning between parents, teachers, and students, and is key to assisting the
child in succeeding.
A new
teacher is assigned once the child reaches adolescence. The ascending spiral of
the curriculum offers a ''vertical integration'' from year to year, and an
equally important ''horizontal integration'' enables students to engage the
full range of their faculties at every stage of the educational process.
Lessons
are taught in main ''lesson blocks,'' and that is the primary focus of each
morning, with varying learning techniques interwoven into the time period. The
afternoons are for shorter lesson blocks. As the child progresses and the
material becomes more complex, the learning styles change. The child not only
learns ''about'' something, but also experiences it in a multitude of ways.
One can
observe how the lessons are taught from the perspective of the whole by
breaking it down into pieces. From these ''pieces,'' children are able to weave
together a tapestry that makes sense to them. They can interrelate what they've
learned, and understand it in much the same way one understands a picture
puzzle as more and more pieces are assembled.
And
speaking of picture puzzles - at Waldorf School, play is not considered a
luxury. It is fundamental.
Some of
the more interesting subjects studied in different levels are nature stories,
housebuilding, gardening (primary grades 1-3), Norse myths, comparative
zoology, botany, elementary physics (middle grades 4-6), Medieval history,
astronomy, toymaking, pentatonic flute, beeswax and clay modeling, eurythmy
(upper grades 7-8), orchestra, calligraphy, Japanese, weaving, health, first
aid, life drawing, bookbinding, carpentry, woodworking, graphic design, and
metalwork (highschool grades 9-12). Foreign languages are taught from first
grade on.
The
lessons are set up so that they are built upon in many different ways, all
carefully arranged so that the day has a rhythm that will help overcome fatigue
and enhance the learning process. (For a more complete listing of the actual
cirriculum, see curriculum entry page This site is under construction but will
be more fully functional in the near future.)
Perhaps
as exciting as the curriculum itself is the way in which Waldorf Schools
absolutely embrace the wholeness of each student. Students are not thought of
as numbers or brains. They are seen and honored for the entirety of their
beings. Role-playing is encouraged so that learning is experiential instead of
being by rote memory. The variety of classes offered nurtures emotional
well-being as well as mental capabilities. By the time children finish Waldorf
School they will have worked in a garden, worked with different elements, participated
in many art forms, and been given a safe place to express themselves verbally
and emotionally.
It is
believed that when the Waldorf education is completed, the entire student -
heart, hands and head - has been educated. Their websites and publications do
not hold back words like spiritual, mind-body, and wholeness. They seem really
to understand that spirituality is not something to be put aside for Sunday
mornings, but belongs in every part of every day!
From
the moment I first contacted the Denver Waldorf to the time I concluded my
visit there, the people I encountered were warm, enthusiastic, wonderful. I
spent the better part of my first morning at the school with an administrator
who offered insight into what a day at Waldorf School was like.
In
traditional Waldorf fashion, the administrator showed me around first, so I
could actually experience many of the classrooms. After that, we spent a brief
time talking together.
I had
the immediate feeling when I arrived at the school with its lovely old brick
buildings that it was a special place. The children were all outside playing
and working with wood when I approached. They appeared to be making some sort
of A-frame structure. Later on, I found out that this was the third-grade
woodworking project. They were making dog houses, which they would then sell,
donating all proceeds to the local humane society!
There
are actually two buildings on the main campus, housing kindergarten through
eighth grade. The high school is two blocks away. As we toured from room to
room, I saw a very eclectic classroom environment. All of the walls were
sponge-painted in light, pastel colors. Bright, shimmery scarves and twinkle
lights adorned the walls.
As I
was waiting in the hall, several robust little thespians ran past, all dressed
in Shakespearean attire. There was an air of lightness that is difficult to
express in words. Suffice it to say, it felt like no other school I've ever
visited. The children were not worrying about being in the halls without a
pass. The younger children were busy at work on their May Day crowns, made with
long pieces of colorful ribbons clustered on a twig crown and decorated with
flowers. May Day, like the Harvest Festival in Autumn, is one of the bigger
alternative celebrations recognized at Waldorf School.
As we
observed one second-grade class, I was taken particularly with their math
lesson. The entire class was grouped in a large circle with one student in the
middle. A ball of string was passed around as they counted by twos. Then
another color ball of yarn was similarly passed, and the students counted by
threes. They were learning, quite visually, multiplication tables, yet more
impressively, they were observing and understanding quite elaborate geometry,
as well. The thought I had at that moment was about how much I wished I had
been able to ''see'' math when I was a child. To have such an amazing visual
display of mathematics was indeed powerful.
There
were geometric figures displayed all over the buildings. Even the design of the
building seemed to be geometrical. I spent a few extra moments in the
woodworking class and was amazed at the handiwork of these students. Each class
had a display shelf of projects, and the progression of intricacy was obvious.
For instance, first-graders worked on wooden spoons, older students worked on
animals, and high-school students worked on human forms. In fact, much of the
furniture in the buildings, I was told, had been handcrafted by the students themselves.
There
are no computers in the younger classes. The thought behind this is that the
younger child is still in more of a dreamy state and is better served by being
allowed to experience interaction. Everything is taught via multiple learning
styles, so that one may argue it would be impossible for anyone to ''fail.''
The focus is not on accelerating strengths, but on allowing each child to
experience every aspect of the model.
Music,
for instance, is integral to the curriculum. Each child has an opportunity to
learn music in many different forms. The student who may be more inclined to
visual arts than music is given a ''can do'' setting in which to learn music
and rhythm.
When
studying for a play, the entire class memorizes all of the parts. Roles are not
assigned until very close to the actual performance time.
One
seventh-grade class was studying world geography. The teacher had drawn the
continent of Africa on the board with pastel chalk, and much of the classroom
was decorated with African artifacts and pictures. There were no textbooks in
sight! The students make their own textbooks as they go, at all grade levels,
and these are quite extraordinary, indeed.
It was
plain to see that the Waldorf staff are much more than teachers. They are part
of a family community. The light in their eyes was apparent. The eagerness to
supply me with information and experience was amazing.
When I
left the school, I was happy and excited. Excited to see spiritual principles
alive in a school, unburdened by dogma of any kind. Excited to know that there
are people out there who understand the deeper needs of our children.
Conclusions
Who is
to say what the educational system will look like in five years or twenty-five?
The need to link our children with a healthy learning environment is painfully
clear. It's nice to realize that something as seemingly off-the-wall as Waldorf
School is actually the largest private-school movement in the world. Nice to
know that the future of our planet may someday be turned over to adults who, as
children, have had the opportunity to learn not only with their minds, but with
their hands - and their hearts.
Recommended
Reading:
1.
Steiner, Rudolf. Education for Adolescents: Eight Lectures Given to the
Teachers of the Stuttgart Waldorf School, Herndon, Virginia: Anthroposophic
Press, 1996.
2.
Schaefer, Christopher and Voors, Tijno. Vision in Action: A Practical Guide for
the Cooperative Management of Small Organizations, Herndon, Virginia:
Lindisfarne Books, 1996.
3.
Fenners, Pamela J. (Editor) Waldorf Education: a Family Guide, Amesbury,
Massachusetts: Michaelmas Press, 1999.
4.
Querido, Rene M. Creativity in Education: The Waldorf Approach, San Francisco,
California: H.S. Dakin Company, 1983.
5.
Pusch, Ruth (Editor) Waldorf Schools: Kindergarten to Early Years Volume 1,
Toronto, Canada: Mercury Press, 1993.
6.
Pusch, Ruth (Editor) Waldorf Schools: Upper Grades & High School Volume 2,
Toronto, Canada: Mercury Press, 1996.